Some Atheists Like to Use the Analogy of a 'Crutch' for Religion

by leavingwt 14 Replies latest jw friends

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  leavingwt

  Some atheists like to use the analogy of religion being like a "crutch.". Dr. David Eller suggests, below, that this is a poor analogy. In my own, limited experience, his words ring true.

  Like a pair of glasses, humans see with culture, but they do not usually see culture. Computers do not know they are running a program; they simply follow instructions. Seeing your glasses, recognizing your program, is a rare thing, achieved by few individuals in even fewer societies. It demands a certain amount of "freedom," a certain amount of distance from oneself. It is also probably not an entirely desirable or beneficial ability: taken-for-grantedness is adaptive in a strong sense. The very opaqueness and "obviousness". . . of the human world spares us from having to remake the same conclusions and judgments over and over; as some anthropologists and sociologists have emphasized, culture provides us with a set of "frames" or "scenarios" with familiar and predictable patterns and outcomes. These frames or scenarios get the average person through the average life with little uncertainty and little remainder, but only so long as the conditions in which they were forged persist.

  Some atheists and other critics of religion like to use the analogy of a crutch for religion -- that it is something that the weak use to get them through otherwise difficult situations. The implication is that, if they were stronger (like us) they could dispense with the crutch and walk independent and free. [But] you cannot pull a crutch from underneath a cripple and expect him or her to walk. Rather, they will fall and then probably blame you for the accident. The real point is more profound but perhaps more discouraging: religion for the religious person is like culture for the cultural person -- it is the glasses, not crutches. And these glasses are not prophylactic -- they do not help the person to see "better." They make seeing at all possible. Maybe an ultimate analogy for culture in general and religion in particular is not glasses but the very eyes themselves. You could not expect to pull someone's eyes out and have them see better, any more than you could expect to take away someone's culture and have them understand and act better.

  -- David Eller
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  misocup

  For those who choose to never question, and to live in the "scenario", Eller is right. In addition, it is an easier life "so long as those conditions persist". If the comfy rug is pulled out, the experience would create a shift in paradigm. Maybe even insanity, but not always.

  If it is possible to re-program, to re-create your own mind, according to what "rings true" for you. If you are capable of recognizing patterns of behavior (i.e. automated behavior based on subconscious reaction). In order for this to work, it seems to me that there must be "Universal Truths", or at least "Universal Truths" as they relate to the human condition. Otherwise, what is "ringing true"?

  The problem as I see it, with the Atheistic perception of reality, is that Atheism itself carries with it certain dogmas. Thus limiting a persons ability and existential suppleness. For instance, what if Jung's concept of a Collective Unconscious is true? Or the new theories that the mind can alter matter on an atomic level, leaving some to postulate that we, collectively, create our own reality.

  Atheist can no more be absolutely sure of God, or human existence than and religious group. My brother is religiously atheistic, same as my other brother who is JW.

  I do not believe that a person could effectively have his or her "crutches" knocked out from underneath them, unless they wanted to get rid of them. They would simply rationalize, according to their own ability to reason, and willingness to change their own personal paradigm.

  How can one person coax another person to question their own paradigm? Does it come from without or within (Collective Unconscious, personal desire) or both?

  What is the first step? Fearlessness?
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  dgp

  Marked for thought.
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  OnTheWayOut

  Maybe religion is like glasses that enable someone to see rather than like a crutch that someone could walk without by training and painful walking for awhile.

  But analogies are rarely a perfect fit. Regardless of how a person views his religion and his spirituality, all you can do to help someone in a religion is to expose it. Like taking away the crutch, all we can do is help them focus on the crack in the glasses and hope they try to see past their glasses.

  The methods of exposing the religion are controversial. I have pretty much stopped trying to reveal fault with WTS to my wife and I just show her love and try to make her think for herself in all situations.

  As far as trying to reveal problems in Christianity or other faiths, I am fascinated by the attempts by the likes of Richard Dawson and many others, but I just don't bother to insist that they have a crutch or a set of glasses that causes a problem. I just accept that they believe other than me. Heck, that's true of even most other atheists.
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  mindmelda

  I hate that illustration of a crutch. Psychologically speaking, no one does better without support of some sort. To label that weak or like using a crutch is rather arrogant. It's assuming that you don't have any weaknesses and have no need for any sort of support system.
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  WuzLovesDubs

  It is a crutch. Its an excuse for being HORRIBLE to other human beings. Its a way of causing fear to force people to do things for some vengeful God. It gives people an excuse to do bad things the rest of the week as long as they go spend that hour on Sunday saying they were sorry for it.

  If people cant be good to each other and treat people like they themselves would like to be treated without some book telling them what to do then that is sad indeed. Religions have been behind damn near every war on this planet and have caused divisions amongst the people occupying it with every religion saying THEY have the truth THEY are superior, THEY own God.

  Noooo thank you.
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  hamilcarr

  Seeing your glasses, recognizing your program, is a rare thing, achieved by few individuals in even fewer societies. It demands a certain amount of "freedom," a certain amount of distance from oneself.

  True. An atheist who doesn't want to see his own glasses is less free than a believer who understands why he believes.
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  middleman

  Jesus is NOT my crutch, let me make that clear! He's my wheelchair!

  Blessings...
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  AllTimeJeff

  I have given thought to that analogy, and I think it is disrespectful. It is an opinion, and I have seen cogent arguements made in the case of individuals, but to apply it to all theists doesn't aid in the discussion. If one is interested in having a discussion that is.....
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  misocup

  THEY have the truth THEY are superior, THEY own God.

  Noooo thank you.

  As WuzLovesDubs does the superior dance.

  see the dilema?