That's a really good point. Also I am curious what Nolan thinks of AI- like I have long held this belief (lol) as an AI Skeptic but recently the broader conversation has centered around this too, but AI bros are just reinventing religion. And I think that makes sense because as you say who isn't looking for answers and grappling with the void and meaning and whatnot.
I had a nihilism phase as much as the next disaffected teen, but then you know, where do you go from there?
Oooooooh yeah you maybe couldn’t have picked a more triggering (generative/positive) word than nihilism! I used to be such a binch about my friends who were nihilists.
Oh so disclaimer I am fully reacting to your reaction but I am already annoyed. For context I am an active member of the UCC and the pastor of my church is one of my best friends (we were friends before I got more religious).
My spouse is an atheist a huge part of it because they were raised Catholic and just in general does not do well with contradiction or what they view as hypocrisy, but they also fully acknowledge that is a them thing. I do not think the Bible (pulling on my faith) and my faith is intrinsically at war with a scientific worldview. I understand my church isn't all churches, but they open every service with we are a open and affirming, creation justice church and that is why I go.
No I totally agree - I almost didn’t post bc let’s be real I didn’t want to be like… feeding a weird “react to react to react” moment. But it’s bonkers to me (clearly).
Something that’s been interesting is to see how the conversation has unfolded around Nolan’s post - I don’t know that it’s getting more activity than his average post, it might not be, but it’s getting a certain kind of activity, a lot of people saying “I love your writing all the time, but this is missing the mark.”
I guess now that I’ve sat with it longer, I do appreciate that he’s writing from a pretty narrow argument: “religious belief means you’re looking for answers.” Lots of anti-religion writers won’t be so explicit.
What’s maybe more interesting to me now is the idea that science (or whatever you might call “opposite” of religion) is not looking for answers? The search for answers and the openness to expansion are so not oppositional. What science doesn’t change over time? What faith doesn’t change over time?
I’ll have so much more to say about this later (lol), but I appreciate your feelings on this too!!
Atheism is not the knowledge that God does not exist,
but only the wish that He did not, in order that one could sin without reproach or exalt one's ego without challenge. The pillars upon which atheism mounts are sensuality and pride.
That's a really good point. Also I am curious what Nolan thinks of AI- like I have long held this belief (lol) as an AI Skeptic but recently the broader conversation has centered around this too, but AI bros are just reinventing religion. And I think that makes sense because as you say who isn't looking for answers and grappling with the void and meaning and whatnot.
I had a nihilism phase as much as the next disaffected teen, but then you know, where do you go from there?
Oooooooh yeah you maybe couldn’t have picked a more triggering (generative/positive) word than nihilism! I used to be such a binch about my friends who were nihilists.
If there’s no point then like… ok?
Oh so disclaimer I am fully reacting to your reaction but I am already annoyed. For context I am an active member of the UCC and the pastor of my church is one of my best friends (we were friends before I got more religious).
My spouse is an atheist a huge part of it because they were raised Catholic and just in general does not do well with contradiction or what they view as hypocrisy, but they also fully acknowledge that is a them thing. I do not think the Bible (pulling on my faith) and my faith is intrinsically at war with a scientific worldview. I understand my church isn't all churches, but they open every service with we are a open and affirming, creation justice church and that is why I go.
No I totally agree - I almost didn’t post bc let’s be real I didn’t want to be like… feeding a weird “react to react to react” moment. But it’s bonkers to me (clearly).
Something that’s been interesting is to see how the conversation has unfolded around Nolan’s post - I don’t know that it’s getting more activity than his average post, it might not be, but it’s getting a certain kind of activity, a lot of people saying “I love your writing all the time, but this is missing the mark.”
I guess now that I’ve sat with it longer, I do appreciate that he’s writing from a pretty narrow argument: “religious belief means you’re looking for answers.” Lots of anti-religion writers won’t be so explicit.
What’s maybe more interesting to me now is the idea that science (or whatever you might call “opposite” of religion) is not looking for answers? The search for answers and the openness to expansion are so not oppositional. What science doesn’t change over time? What faith doesn’t change over time?
I’ll have so much more to say about this later (lol), but I appreciate your feelings on this too!!
Atheism is not the knowledge that God does not exist,
but only the wish that He did not, in order that one could sin without reproach or exalt one's ego without challenge. The pillars upon which atheism mounts are sensuality and pride.
BI. Fulton Sheen.