This ones quite old. worth posting though.
Man's ability to delude himself persists to amaze me, as exemplified by my very own Christian Leaders. Here is a man familiar with the workings of a myriad of scholars, intricately familiar with their ideas and concepts but only able to perceive them in his created black and white christian context. Is it any wonder than, that religion is in the state it is in? A failure to empathize with doubters and the refusal to open up the possibility of doubt helps man create the ultimate illusion in religion. By luring individuals into circumstances that force emotional investment into some religious presupposition, they are being held in thrall by their own minds, carefully disguising delusion, brain-washing and circular logic as piety and apologetics. And apologetics is the very problem, because the fault is not with the excuses, or reasoning, because the current state of argument speaks for itself. The problem lies deeply ingrained in the attitude of each religious individual. It is the ever subtle fundamental mentality of "I cannot be wrong." As soon as this attitude changes, the natural progression of the inquisitive human mind automatically leads the individual away from the fundamental attitudes of the faith, leading either to an abadonment or liberal shift in their perception of Christianity as I have witnessed in any christian individual who sincerely opens themself to doubt. And these christians are rare because they don't remain as such for long.
Man's ability to delude himself persists to amaze me, as exemplified by my very own Christian Leaders. Here is a man familiar with the workings of a myriad of scholars, intricately familiar with their ideas and concepts but only able to perceive them in his created black and white christian context. Is it any wonder than, that religion is in the state it is in? A failure to empathize with doubters and the refusal to open up the possibility of doubt helps man create the ultimate illusion in religion. By luring individuals into circumstances that force emotional investment into some religious presupposition, they are being held in thrall by their own minds, carefully disguising delusion, brain-washing and circular logic as piety and apologetics. And apologetics is the very problem, because the fault is not with the excuses, or reasoning, because the current state of argument speaks for itself. The problem lies deeply ingrained in the attitude of each religious individual. It is the ever subtle fundamental mentality of "I cannot be wrong." As soon as this attitude changes, the natural progression of the inquisitive human mind automatically leads the individual away from the fundamental attitudes of the faith, leading either to an abadonment or liberal shift in their perception of Christianity as I have witnessed in any christian individual who sincerely opens themself to doubt. And these christians are rare because they don't remain as such for long.
The problem with deconversion though is that you actually strip all a person perceives themself to have. Whilst untrue in my perspective, as life is the most extraodinary experience ever, the idea that it is a fleeting test compared to eternity does much to downplay our perception of it. If a person has this attitude then all their moral values are tied into their faith. Depriving then leaves them morally bankrupt, and thus tend to a hedonistic life, creating a polarity between those "remaining in faith" against those who "have fallen away," thus justifying the small-minded view that those who don't live for a deity obviously exist only for their own pleasure. The evidence supporting such an idea stems ultimately from the inherent flaws in the faith itself. To downplay the moral significance of anything other than that which is supposedly divinely inspired, results in a disillusioned attitude to the immediate. The insignificance of life leads to an apathetic stance on any "worldly" values.
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