Comment on A Dialogue On Doublethink

Sun, 11 May 2014 18:59:11 GMT

You don't need mental models involving God or not god for any practical purpose .. other than solidarity with your community.

I disagree with that. For example, suppose you are hunting in the woods and you find 10 gold coins. According to your village elders, Crom the grim gloomy unforgiving god commands that you donate any such windfall to the Village Shrine to Crom, and that to do so will guarantee you eternal paradise. And that to fail to do so will guarantee eternal damnation.

If your mental model of the universe includes Crom the grim gloomy unforgiving god, then of course you will make the donation. Otherwise you are likely to keep the windfall to yourself. Of course a decision must be made.

Of course you might object that those days are gone, that nobody is expected to follow religious precepts anymore, at least not in the United States. And I would disagree with that too. In today's United States, you must still decide where to live and whom to do business with. Does your mental model of the universe include the fact that certain groups are more prone to crime and disruptive behavior than others? If so, you would be wise to have a rationalization in mind for why you don't want to live anywhere near such groups. Or at least a few euphemisms.

Anyway, please answer my question from before:

If you are an atheist or an agnostic, and you are in a time or place where everyone is expected to be a theist, especially anyone who wants to get ahead in life, then that's a potential problem. Agreed?

Discuss