Theism or Atheism? If you awoke with amnesia tomorrow... (page 2)

tec

I'm hoping Tammy, for example, stops by and offers thoughts on this

LOL. I must have heard you thinking about me ;)

unshackled

Put it another way. If the entire world woke with amnesia... would no one seek out or believe in a creator?

Speak of the devil angel! Here's Tammy...

Funny you say that. I was thinking of expanding the hypothetical a little further. Say we took the members of this forum and put us all on an island, and we all have amnesia. Before anyone could start to believe in a spirit creator, someone would have to come up with the idea. Would someone? And if so, would the people of this forum eventually end up in their same stance as now?

I don't know. But I'm gonna start by guessing that eventually human imagination would come up with some story of the supernatural.

Edit: adding that supernatural ideas may arise, but would the bible story come up again, or any other current ideology we have now? Highly unlikely.

tec

Speak of the devil angel! Here's Tammy...

Cute.

My hypothesis is of course that we would still seek out a creator - because I, of course, believe He is real. That we have a need to seek Him. Her. Them. Whathaveyou.

I also believe in personal revelation, so if the Father of Christ exists as our creator, then I believe He would speak to someone seeking Him. (or send Christ, or through His Spirit, etc.) . Tammy

unshackled

So does one's "nature" determine whether they would seek out the creator again? If so, by that theory, all members of the forum on that island would end up exactly where they are now - either believer or non-believer.

Further...if one's "nature" determines whether you can "see" that there is a creator, where does that leave ones like myself or SweetBabyCheezits or cyberjesus? Our nature can't see or recognize the creator. We're screwed then.

unshackled

Back later...lawn to mow quickly. Plus it's my birthday...so some beers to drink too!

SweetBabyCheezits

Put it another way. If the entire world woke with amnesia... would no one seek out or believe in a creator?

I think if the entire world awoke with amnesia, we'd be on an entirely new plane of consciousness and the masses would be seeking the origin of life together. After all, the majority wouldn't "know" like they do now.

The question is, if none of them had a knowledge of scientific method, how soon would it be before someone got impatient that they didn't have an answer and eventually pulled an explanation out of their ass, despite the fact that there was no way to validate it, no evidence, not even logic aside from, "we just don't know".

"I can't explain it, therefore an invisible being, unlimited in any way, must've done it" = "I can explain it."

On the other hand, if all the amnesiacs were endowed with a clear understanding of the scientific method, I think the masses would be more likely to leave the unexplained label on the unexplained until there's sufficient supporting evidence to remove that label and replace it with a theory that has survived an onslaught of skeptical inquiry and testing.

Interestingly, while the "everyone knows a house must've been built by someone" logic seems sound as an analogy, how many people would ever assume the answer was God himself?

SweetBabyCheezits

Further...if one's "nature" determines whether you can "see" that there is a creator, where does that leave ones like myself or SweetBabyCheezits or cyberjesus? Our nature can't see or recognize the creator. We're screwed then.

Oh, sure, it sounds so unfair when you put it that way, Unshackled.

I agree. Why should anyone have an advantage over another based on their nature? Why doesn't God love all his kids just the same?

tec

Our nature, from scratch... allows that we can all seek out and/or see our creator, imo. Or at least, from my perspective, His Spirit. But there are things that stop people from seeing him also, or from even wanting to see him. Such as:

Lack of scientific proof or strong evidence. Hypocrisy among those who claim to represent Him... because how can a creator be like that?

It would be cool for things like the doctrine of eternal hellfire to disappear though.

Of course, now we've moved into worldwide amnesia AND the disappearance of all holy writings :)

No one is screwed for not believing in God though, imo. Its what comes out of you that tells what kind of person you are.

Tammy

PublishingCult

It's been asserted by some that religious indoctrination from infancy takes hold before your brain has the opportunity to develop its ability to examine things rationally. It can stunt a child’s ability to reason because it discourages questioning. It’s a problem because a child is shushed or shamed for asking embarrassing and blasphemous questions about God and the beliefs of their parents. Nice.

“We don’t want you to be an autonomous, thinking, human being − no, no you are our little robot and you are to think and act as we do.”

So, would amnesia wipe out this anti-reasoning virus downloaded into my brain at infancy? Would I then be mentally and emotionally free to question religious suppositions and pretexts presented to me and apply to them rational thought? I would hope so, but since amnesia is said to only wipe the memory, who knows? The rational part of my brain might very well be extremely vulnerable to the irrational belief of deities and Biblical morality. I shudder to think, that, after everything I have been through to discover reason and clear rational thought after a lifetime of religious indoctrination, it could be quickly be undone by memory loss and a Bible-toting witch doctor.

I might just have a document witnessed and notorized in the event I get amnesia that there be an atheist nearby to act as sort of an anti-virus against anyone who attempted to indoctrinate my wiped-clean memory with the idea of a god until I got my foothold on reality again.

tec

I might just have a document witnessed and notorized in the event I get amnesia that there be an atheist nearby to act as sort of an anti-virus against anyone who attempted to indoctrinate my wiped-clean memory with the idea of a god until I got my foothold on reality again.

LOL. You could carry that instead of a blood card. "In case of accidental amnesia, call XXX - XXXX."

Tammy

Theism or Atheism? If you awoke with amnesia tomorrow...

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