tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8182098.post109419745525189376..comments2024-03-08T04:09:09.836-06:00Comments on Mixing Memory: Which is easier?Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08417970139690159046noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8182098.post-88848880146312365092007-08-05T09:27:00.000-05:002007-08-05T09:27:00.000-05:00I find it contrafactual to claim that a) atheism i...I find it contrafactual to claim that a) atheism is a dying perspective and b) atheism is thriving among a few relatively small groups.<BR/><BR/>See the American Religious Identification Survey (I would like to link it here but I don't know if all of the URL can be seen; the URLs in comments in other places seem not to survive) and especially the numbers in the No Religion Groups:<BR/><BR/>1990: 14,331,000 = 8,2 % of adult population<BR/>2001: 29,481,000 = 14,1 % of adult population<BR/><BR/>It seems that the growth of atheism is the fastest of all the "religions" barring Muslims and many a quite marginal group such as Sikhs.<BR/><BR/>So if this seems to you as "thriving among a few relatively small groups" I am puzzled. Then again you might claim that these people are not all atheists but at least I would disagree.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8182098.post-1139256179983961292006-02-06T14:02:00.000-06:002006-02-06T14:02:00.000-06:00It's apatheism, not apatheisim.It's apatheism, not apatheisim.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8182098.post-1133817099420552912005-12-05T15:11:00.000-06:002005-12-05T15:11:00.000-06:00What do you think of William James' view that the ...What do you think of William James' view that the choice of whether to believe in God or not is a 'forced' issue ('either accept this truth or go without it') and that it is also a momentous (unique and life changing) issue?Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05430612644477864531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8182098.post-1133810080945383392005-12-05T13:14:00.000-06:002005-12-05T13:14:00.000-06:00cgf, the issues you raise are all interesting. I t...cgf, the issues you raise are all interesting. I think what makes something, be it a question or an answer, important is the perceived relevance to one's life. Obviously, external factors, or things beyond your control can influence the relevance of particular things to one's life, as can internal ones. It may be, then, that many people find the question of god's being, because of its association with the question of the existence of an afterlife, more relevant when they are near death. I'm not sure that the fact that billions of people find theistic questions important lends it any personal relevance to my life, othe than that I am forced to deal with the answers that others have given to the question, and their socio-political consequences. But the prevalence of belief may make the question more relevant for others.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08417970139690159046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8182098.post-1133801454558256532005-12-05T10:50:00.000-06:002005-12-05T10:50:00.000-06:00The distinction you make between atheism, agnostic...The distinction you make between atheism, agnosticism and 'apatheisim' is an interesting one, and you've articulated it gracefully. I'm interested in the 'position' you hold. You place no importance on the question? Or is it just important from a social perspective? <BR/>A friend and I were discussing the points you raise and taking it further, asking what causes anyone to ever decide that <I>any</I> question is worth asking? I would argue that external circumstances must in general dictate the questions - would you agree? There are perhaps then some external circumstances which give more importance to the question of 'God/not-God' - maybe those near to death? Are there circumstances in which you would consider the question more important? <BR/>Sometimes I ponder a question simply because someone else has asked me, or I become interested because it's important to someone else. Clearly billions of people have considered this particular question..does that lend it any more importance?cfghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08850543997206714281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8182098.post-1113580741737786242005-04-15T10:59:00.000-05:002005-04-15T10:59:00.000-05:00Interesting note here. The fact that a belief in t...Interesting note here. The fact that a belief in the supernatural is independent of one's knowledge of the natural world makes religion unattractive to me. (And a study of the natural world is certainly challenging enough).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com