Monday, April 12, 2010

Atheists show their true colors: Anti-Intellectualism

 Photobucket

I hope this is not representative of all atheists. I know it is not! I know Hermit for example will feel revulsion for these ideas. I also know that we can find fundamentalists who just as readily spout such garbage. When I was an atheist being one was identified with learning, with Universities, with being intelligentsia. Now the "New" atheism shows that's really about anti-intellectualism.


a thing from CARM by one of the stupidest people I've ever ran into. his screen name is "screename" so very cleaver.

University's need money. They have huge overhead and need to stay profitable. If it means creating degrees in fields that are, well, questionable, many of them will do it. It makes good business sense.

What are some useless degrees, in the sense that they offer little to humanity, or any value to the world?

I submit that Theology is one of those useless degrees. It is popular, because there are so many brainwa... highly suggestive Christians in the world that think they are on to something profound. However, in reality, it is a self-serving field that doesn't honor good thinking in the terms of the proven value of philosophy or science or psychology.

 again

Quote Originally Posted by Username View Post
No, phys. ed. and communications are helpful.

You are gullible if you think Universities exist as pinnacles of human thought and motivation. They regularly offer degrees in fields that offer no more value than the people taking the course and the person teaching the course. Don't be naive. Yes, you can get a degree in poetry and then what? You teach poetry to a bunch of people who want to teach poetry to a bunch of people who want to teach poetry?

Fine, at least that is better than theology: Learn theology to tell people what to think about theology.
 same thread a guy named "striving for accuracy:

Quote Originally Posted by 1TrueDisciple View Post
Using your utilitarian criterion, so are degrees in philosophy, dance, art history, general studies, comparative religions, leisure studies, Latin, communications, physical education, women's studies, art therapy, and poetry to name just a few degrees actually awarded by universities today.

Striving for Accuracy answers 1 true disciple
Yep. Bunch o garbage. Not that these studies have no value, obviously, but as a degree? Nonsense. These are classes to break up your schedule and decorate your degree; make a well rounded person, not something to devote your life to. They are hobbies given status they do not deserve.

what a bunch of know nothing. I've never seen a group of people as egar to destroy thought as these guys. You should be an atheist man.

You know nothing about communication. I was a college debater, all college debate coaches are communications professors. That's the degree you get, public speaking, to teach debate. It's vastly useful. noly someone who hasn't taken any courses woudl think it's not worth a degree.

why does learning have to be "useful" to be valuable? most of science is not useful in a direct way. It's only after a bunch of learning for learning sake happens that we can find stuff make to make use of.

with a communication degree you can run any political campaign at any level, break into advertising or any advertising related field. public relations, teach, and a bunch of other things. Everyone should learn public speaking. Even if you don't' do any speaking it bouts your confidence and spurs new learning and makes you feel better about yourself. It's practically psychotherapy. I bet if those kids who killed all the people at Columbine had taken public speaking they would not have done that. I'm serious, it is well known to work as therapy.

there are a whole bunch of jobs related to it, even journalism or announcing.

Universities like Harvard, Yale, Princeton were started by religious people to teach religion. did you not know that? It's not like all these universes just a few years ago said "he let's see what other things we can add to make money, I know religion is big money let's add some religion courses."


do you see what's happened. Atheists sued to be the intellectuals, before the internet. Now they are the scum. they are the uneducated rabble who hate books and learning and want to destroy universities. At least they want to destroy liberal arts everything they not able to do well because they are not bright enough.

Dawkins purposely aimed his appeal at such people because he thought if his movement copied the fundies then it would have success like they did.

Atheism has become an anti-intellectual movement. Theology is one of the most intellectual subjects. but people who don't know anything about have not right to say it's not stupid, because you ar just falling your ignorant gums.

Nuclear science is stupid. I know nothing about it so I'm right no?


how do you think Bullet companies get dancers? do you they just say "Ok anyone thinks they can point their toes come on in?" are you so out of the arts and such philistine that you can't figure out that now days these things are a life long pursuit that start in childhood? so obviously a degree in dance is essential if you want a career in dance. Same with Music.

this is so telling. atheists aer such haters of knowledge and they arts they don't want degrees to be given in music. o your cause is really headed for the top. The vast masses are going to flock to you, Not only do they not want you to have any hope when your kid is dying but they don't want to have good music either.

You sound sound a propo form the Witch on the lion the witch and the wardrobe, always winter and never Christmas.

that can be the official atheist slogan, "vote for Always winter and never Christmas."

my friend and former atheists Tiny Thnker (an anthropologist) comments on this on my boards. I think his comments are worth reading:

Tiny Thinker:

To put some of my unformed essay into words...

A liberal arts education is about growth and reaching our potential as creative and intelligent beings. It is to seek the fullest flower of our humanity. Science, medicine, engineering, the law and the rest are in service to these aspirations. The humanities in particular are the point of University, their source and their destination. The other disciplines were created to further this search. The liberal arts and specifically the humanities are the heart and soul of the University and its mission. Don't believe it? Then ask "Why?" What is the point?

"I am studying medicine."

"Why?"

"To help people."

"Why? Why not let them suffer? Why not let them die?"

Take another example:

"I am studying the law."

"Why?"

"To fight injustice."

"What is injustice and what concern should it be to anyone?"

From the scientist in the lab isolating a new coding sequence of DNA to the journalism student taking notes for a lecture on ethics, the core motivation goes back to the humanities. Even if one is solely motivated by profit and the desire for a good paying job. Greed is something that the humanities can tell us a great deal about. Whatever your inspiration, it has its roots in the arts, philosophy, theology, and the rest. The other fields and their endeavors are valueless, meaningless, without the light that is studied, tended, inspired and professed by those in the humanities.

6 comments:

Mike aka MonolithTMA said...

I read a lot of atheist blogs and I don't know any atheists that think like that. They sound like ex-fundies who rejected religion, but kept their ignorant views.

Joseph Hinman (Metacrock) said...

I read a lot of atheist blogs and I don't know any atheists that think like that. They sound like ex-fundies who rejected religion, but kept their ignorant views.

ahaha I am delighted that you call them x fundies. but that's the easy way out. I'm not saying that the majority of atheists think that way, I'm happy to say they do not.

the thing is the old thing about the intelligentsia in University being drawn to atheism that's still true. But in addition to that we have this influx of others, no academics of all kinds many of whom think this way. I've run into this kind of atheist a lot. But then you don't go on carm and I do. CARM especially toxic.

Anonymous said...

Guy sounds like an Engineering ungergrad...yechhh!

;-)

Anonymous said...

I should point out here that at least on of these idiots is certainly NOT an atheist, by the way...the guy with the handle "1TrueDisciple" is one of the "elect" (...just ask him, he'll tell you that's why he's going to heaven and you're not...). I've had a few run-ins with him over there and he's one of those aggressive, obnoxious, self righteous Christians CARM seems to be designed for.

So you might want to back off the atheist bashing part of this post...

Joseph Hinman (Metacrock) said...

I should point out here that at least on of these idiots is certainly NOT an atheist, by the way...the guy with the handle "1TrueDisciple" is one of the "elect" (...just ask him, he'll tell you that's why he's going to heaven and you're not...). I've had a few run-ins with him over there and he's one of those aggressive, obnoxious, self righteous Christians CARM seems to be designed for.

Iknow.I 've had run ins too. I thought I pointed that out.

I did more than enough to point out that most atheists dont' feel that way. I really have no evidence to back that up. those attitudes I run into a lot more on boards from atheists then you want to admit.

maybe I'll keep a tally.

Anonymous said...

You may be interested in this article published in The Examiner. It was published in 2009 but it's another example of (certain) atheists being what they claim to be against - close minded fundamentalists uninterested in learning about that which they attack and criticize. http://www.examiner.com/atheism-in-philadelphia/atheism-101-the-anti-intellectualism-of-religion#comment-11043246