27 Jun '05 23:41>1 edit
a quote from Atheism: The Case Against God, by George H. Smith:
"atheism is not the destruction of happiness and love; it is the destruction of the idea that happiness and love can be achieved only in another world. atheism brings these ideas down to earth, within the reach of man's mind."
i like this quote because (not to generalize too much, and it would be unfair of me to make blanket claims) i think that some theists tolerate their own faith because they work under the supposition that grass must be greener on the other side of the fence. these few(?) feel that the difficulty through which happiness and love are obtained in this life must somehow be counter-balanced by an afterlife where happiness and love are the norm. however, if the maggot food theory is true (see the THE TRUTH thread for a loose formulation of the maggot food theory), then happiness and love are fleeting and must be fought for and savored in the now.
"atheism is not the destruction of happiness and love; it is the destruction of the idea that happiness and love can be achieved only in another world. atheism brings these ideas down to earth, within the reach of man's mind."
i like this quote because (not to generalize too much, and it would be unfair of me to make blanket claims) i think that some theists tolerate their own faith because they work under the supposition that grass must be greener on the other side of the fence. these few(?) feel that the difficulty through which happiness and love are obtained in this life must somehow be counter-balanced by an afterlife where happiness and love are the norm. however, if the maggot food theory is true (see the THE TRUTH thread for a loose formulation of the maggot food theory), then happiness and love are fleeting and must be fought for and savored in the now.