Thursday, May 04, 2006
What Am I Doing Here?
Okay, I'm new to this blog thing. In fact, although I've thought of having a blog since I first realized they existed, and wondered if blog means Web log (no one I asked knew), the only reason I finally have one is because I wanted to post to someone else's blog, but had to register in order to do so. During the registration process, I realized that I'd have to actually create a blog of my own in order to complete the process. Now, while I think that's not the best way to do things - there are other ways of keeping spammers to a minimum - I completed the process. So, here I am.
I'm not the most interesting person, nor am I the best writer. There are many blogs and Web sites written by people who are much more talented, and better educated than I. However, I think that everyone has a right to be heard, so, again, here I am.
As an atheist, I have a habit of questioning just about everything. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be an atheist. In fact, I even question the idea of having such a word as atheist. After all, there's no word to describe those of us who don't believe in unicorns, or six foot tall invisible rabbits named Harvey, so why a word for those of use who don't believe in gods? I guess it's because no one's using a belief in unicorns to justify taking away anyone else's rights, or to torture or kill. Hmm . . . Seems reasonable.
There's a new word for atheism that some people are using - Bright. I don't care for it. I guess it's partly because it sounds like it refers to a light bulb. "Buy the new Brand X Bright Bulb. More brightness for the same price." It also sounds like it's making a judgment against anyone who isn't a Bright: i.e. anyone who's a theist isn't very bright. While I agree that that is, indeed, the case with respect to the fact that they have magical beliefs, I think that a descriptive word or term should describe those to whom it's being applied, and no one else. Another reason I don't like Bright.
Then there's the word Freethinker, which is not new. I prefer it to Bright because Freethinker is actually descriptive. It speaks to the fact that Freethinkers don't follow dogma. According to The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition, Freethinker is defined as: "One who has rejected authority and dogma, esp. in his religious thinking, in favor of rational inquiry and speculation."
Although Freethinker is pretty good, I created the word Rationalist, although I don't expect that it will actually be used by anyone but me. According to The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition, rationalism is defined as: "The theory that the exercise of reason, rather than the acceptance of empiricism, authority, or spiritual revelation, provides the only valid basis for action or belief, and that reason is the prime source of knowledge and of spiritual truth." I'd leave out the word "spiritual" since it has no place in rational thought. Unfortunately, even the publishers of dictionaries seem to have a theistic bias. For instance, that same dictionary refers to every god I've looked up as myth, with the exception of the christian one, which it treats as fact.
Anyway, I think I'm going to start using the word Rationalist. It simply says it better to me (with the exception of the "spiritual" thing). Now, by extension, if we who believe in only those things for which there are rational explanations call ourselves Rationalists, we could call those who don't require (or even reject) explanations that are logical, scientific, etc. Irrationalists. Of course, Irrationalists would include not only theists, but also those who believe in astrology, numerology, unicorns, invisible rabbits, etc. But, really, they all go together anyway. Such beliefs are not based on anything testable, verifiable, falsifiable. These are things that are believed because we often don't recognize fantasy for what it is - wishful thinking.
Oh sure, there are times when I'm tempted to believe something that's completely irrational - like that I'd win the Lotto if I'd just buy a ticket. However, I don't build my life around irrational thoughts. I recognize them for the fantasies they are.
I think a healthy fantasy life is a good thing. After all, unmitigated reality is a hard thing to take. Everyone needs a break from reality, and fantasy satisfies that need to some extent. The problem comes in when reality becomes a casualty to our need for comfort. How many of the problems that plague our species would have been resolved long ago if not for people living in their fantasies? Magical thinking has never solved anything. In fact, it's only made matters worse.
Magical thinking has contributed to the deaths of sick children whose parents thought that they didn't need medical care because "god" (i.e. magic) would cure them. Magical thinking has "justified" the torture and murder of millions of humans (as well as other species), because "they" were "savages," or "only animals," or because they were thought to have used magic against their neighbors, or because they didn't believe in the same magical entity, or because they did believe in the same magical entity, but didn't do it the "right" way. Because of magical thinking, for millennia, women, children, blacks, and many others (including other species) had no rights, and, unbelievably, there are some, today, who want to turn back the clock.
Magical thinking held back science for over a thousand years, and is doing so even today. Who knows what scientific breakthroughs we might take for granted today if magical thinkers hadn't interfered? We might have cures for cancer, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and much, much more. We might even have discovered a way to regenerate amputated limbs. We almost certainly would be more advanced in our exploration of the cosmos, which contributes to the understanding of just about every other area of science.
There would be no victims of magical thinking if science were taught from a young age, instead of folk tales. Certainly myth and legend have their place. They provide insight into our species and its intellectual development. However, myth and legend are not rational tools to live by. Questioning everything, discarding what makes no sense, questioning what survives the process, questioning again . . . This is what advances our species. Saying that we have all the answers stops all inquiry. After all, why look for answers if we think we already have them?
Of course, if every human in every generation had had this attitude, there'd be no medical science, astronomy, modern conveniences such as cars, computers, cell phones. We wouldn't have antibiotics, CAT scans, treatment for diabetes, anesthetics, etc., etc., etc. Science looks for answers, and questions everything, even their own answers. Ask yourself which is more important - magic or science - the next time you or someone you love has a medical problem. You may tell yourself that "god answers prayers," but I'll bet that you'll rely on medical science to address the problem. The next time you have to make a long trip, I doubt that you'll think that if "god" intended humans to fly it would have given us wings. No, you'll make reservations. It's all well and good to have fantasies, as long as they don't interfere with reality.
We humans are herd animals. We have a need to belong. But, we don't need the excuse of god-belief to create a sense of community. There are many kinds of "communities" that we humans create that have nothing to do with god-belief. Those who love classic cars, classical music, or other species, people of particular age groups, neighborhoods, etc. join as communities to indulge the herding instinct without doing harm to others. After all, even if one considers oneself "superior" because of a love of 1955 Thunderbirds, one would hardly consider that a good reason to harm those who have no interest in cars.
What this all comes down to is that magical thinking has been the cause of immeasurable suffering, of humans and other species, throughout history. Magical thinking has delayed scientific progress, created an atmosphere of distrust and even hatred of those who have different, or no, magical beliefs, been used to justify countless cruelties, but has done absolutely nothing to advance our species or our understanding of the universe. It's time our species relegated magical thinking to its proper place - fantasy - and gets on with progressing, improving, and taking care of each other and our environment.
I'm not the most interesting person, nor am I the best writer. There are many blogs and Web sites written by people who are much more talented, and better educated than I. However, I think that everyone has a right to be heard, so, again, here I am.
As an atheist, I have a habit of questioning just about everything. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be an atheist. In fact, I even question the idea of having such a word as atheist. After all, there's no word to describe those of us who don't believe in unicorns, or six foot tall invisible rabbits named Harvey, so why a word for those of use who don't believe in gods? I guess it's because no one's using a belief in unicorns to justify taking away anyone else's rights, or to torture or kill. Hmm . . . Seems reasonable.
There's a new word for atheism that some people are using - Bright. I don't care for it. I guess it's partly because it sounds like it refers to a light bulb. "Buy the new Brand X Bright Bulb. More brightness for the same price." It also sounds like it's making a judgment against anyone who isn't a Bright: i.e. anyone who's a theist isn't very bright. While I agree that that is, indeed, the case with respect to the fact that they have magical beliefs, I think that a descriptive word or term should describe those to whom it's being applied, and no one else. Another reason I don't like Bright.
Then there's the word Freethinker, which is not new. I prefer it to Bright because Freethinker is actually descriptive. It speaks to the fact that Freethinkers don't follow dogma. According to The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition, Freethinker is defined as: "One who has rejected authority and dogma, esp. in his religious thinking, in favor of rational inquiry and speculation."
Although Freethinker is pretty good, I created the word Rationalist, although I don't expect that it will actually be used by anyone but me. According to The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition, rationalism is defined as: "The theory that the exercise of reason, rather than the acceptance of empiricism, authority, or spiritual revelation, provides the only valid basis for action or belief, and that reason is the prime source of knowledge and of spiritual truth." I'd leave out the word "spiritual" since it has no place in rational thought. Unfortunately, even the publishers of dictionaries seem to have a theistic bias. For instance, that same dictionary refers to every god I've looked up as myth, with the exception of the christian one, which it treats as fact.
Anyway, I think I'm going to start using the word Rationalist. It simply says it better to me (with the exception of the "spiritual" thing). Now, by extension, if we who believe in only those things for which there are rational explanations call ourselves Rationalists, we could call those who don't require (or even reject) explanations that are logical, scientific, etc. Irrationalists. Of course, Irrationalists would include not only theists, but also those who believe in astrology, numerology, unicorns, invisible rabbits, etc. But, really, they all go together anyway. Such beliefs are not based on anything testable, verifiable, falsifiable. These are things that are believed because we often don't recognize fantasy for what it is - wishful thinking.
Oh sure, there are times when I'm tempted to believe something that's completely irrational - like that I'd win the Lotto if I'd just buy a ticket. However, I don't build my life around irrational thoughts. I recognize them for the fantasies they are.
I think a healthy fantasy life is a good thing. After all, unmitigated reality is a hard thing to take. Everyone needs a break from reality, and fantasy satisfies that need to some extent. The problem comes in when reality becomes a casualty to our need for comfort. How many of the problems that plague our species would have been resolved long ago if not for people living in their fantasies? Magical thinking has never solved anything. In fact, it's only made matters worse.
Magical thinking has contributed to the deaths of sick children whose parents thought that they didn't need medical care because "god" (i.e. magic) would cure them. Magical thinking has "justified" the torture and murder of millions of humans (as well as other species), because "they" were "savages," or "only animals," or because they were thought to have used magic against their neighbors, or because they didn't believe in the same magical entity, or because they did believe in the same magical entity, but didn't do it the "right" way. Because of magical thinking, for millennia, women, children, blacks, and many others (including other species) had no rights, and, unbelievably, there are some, today, who want to turn back the clock.
Magical thinking held back science for over a thousand years, and is doing so even today. Who knows what scientific breakthroughs we might take for granted today if magical thinkers hadn't interfered? We might have cures for cancer, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and much, much more. We might even have discovered a way to regenerate amputated limbs. We almost certainly would be more advanced in our exploration of the cosmos, which contributes to the understanding of just about every other area of science.
There would be no victims of magical thinking if science were taught from a young age, instead of folk tales. Certainly myth and legend have their place. They provide insight into our species and its intellectual development. However, myth and legend are not rational tools to live by. Questioning everything, discarding what makes no sense, questioning what survives the process, questioning again . . . This is what advances our species. Saying that we have all the answers stops all inquiry. After all, why look for answers if we think we already have them?
Of course, if every human in every generation had had this attitude, there'd be no medical science, astronomy, modern conveniences such as cars, computers, cell phones. We wouldn't have antibiotics, CAT scans, treatment for diabetes, anesthetics, etc., etc., etc. Science looks for answers, and questions everything, even their own answers. Ask yourself which is more important - magic or science - the next time you or someone you love has a medical problem. You may tell yourself that "god answers prayers," but I'll bet that you'll rely on medical science to address the problem. The next time you have to make a long trip, I doubt that you'll think that if "god" intended humans to fly it would have given us wings. No, you'll make reservations. It's all well and good to have fantasies, as long as they don't interfere with reality.
We humans are herd animals. We have a need to belong. But, we don't need the excuse of god-belief to create a sense of community. There are many kinds of "communities" that we humans create that have nothing to do with god-belief. Those who love classic cars, classical music, or other species, people of particular age groups, neighborhoods, etc. join as communities to indulge the herding instinct without doing harm to others. After all, even if one considers oneself "superior" because of a love of 1955 Thunderbirds, one would hardly consider that a good reason to harm those who have no interest in cars.
What this all comes down to is that magical thinking has been the cause of immeasurable suffering, of humans and other species, throughout history. Magical thinking has delayed scientific progress, created an atmosphere of distrust and even hatred of those who have different, or no, magical beliefs, been used to justify countless cruelties, but has done absolutely nothing to advance our species or our understanding of the universe. It's time our species relegated magical thinking to its proper place - fantasy - and gets on with progressing, improving, and taking care of each other and our environment.
