First, I’ve also heard antitheism defined as the position that religious belief is harmful (think Hitchens book). So that one could without logical contradiction be an antitheist and a theist.
Second, my understanding of the current experimental data is that humans have hardwired religious tendencies that would make an Untheistic society very unlikely to appear. Obviously it works for a thought experiment but but saying “Babies are natural atheists/untheists” is problematic because while that might be true strictly speaking babies are likely natural animists and possibly immortalists.
I didn’t say it was unshakable. Just innate. I’m not convinced religion didn’t spring from the wiring… where else could it spring from? The only option is the external world and I think we agree there is nothing there to generate religion.
Sweden, as I understand it, is a civilized land with a scientific mindset. The fact that they’ve overcome a bias says nothing about the existence of that bias.
Jack, there’s a difference between knowledge and belief which your post doesn’t address. I’ve sometimes seen it argued that antitheism is a faith in the same way as theism is, but where there is evidence we do not speak of belief. I don’t think you can be an antitheist and a theist without contradiction because antitheism doesn’t contradict the knowable.
Two points.
First, I’ve also heard antitheism defined as the position that religious belief is harmful (think Hitchens book). So that one could without logical contradiction be an antitheist and a theist.
Second, my understanding of the current experimental data is that humans have hardwired religious tendencies that would make an Untheistic society very unlikely to appear. Obviously it works for a thought experiment but but saying “Babies are natural atheists/untheists” is problematic because while that might be true strictly speaking babies are likely natural animists and possibly immortalists.
Remember, religion is adapted to the wiring, not the other way around. As I’ve said elsewhere, it’s not a God-shaped hole, it’s a hole-shaped God.
Do you live in the USA? Few people from Sweden conclude that religion is an unshakeably deep part of the human psyche.
I didn’t say it was unshakable. Just innate. I’m not convinced religion didn’t spring from the wiring… where else could it spring from? The only option is the external world and I think we agree there is nothing there to generate religion.
Sweden, as I understand it, is a civilized land with a scientific mindset. The fact that they’ve overcome a bias says nothing about the existence of that bias.
Hardwired anthropomorphic tendencies. Hunter-gatherer superstitions don’t much resemble what we think of as religions. The gods are often stupid.
Jack, there’s a difference between knowledge and belief which your post doesn’t address. I’ve sometimes seen it argued that antitheism is a faith in the same way as theism is, but where there is evidence we do not speak of belief. I don’t think you can be an antitheist and a theist without contradiction because antitheism doesn’t contradict the knowable.