10 commandments for all of us

[marine6551]

point duly noted; guess you can throw the dice and see what happens, so why do so many, especially those who are agnostic, etc, call on god when faced with danger such as an imminent car crash or a passenger plane takes a sudden dive to earth from a downdraft? maybe you shouldn't ask for his help if you think you're about to die, unless death scares you anyway.

[LitLover84]

so why do so many, especially those who are agnostic, etc, call on god when faced with danger such as an imminent car crash or a passenger plane takes a sudden dive to earth from a downdraft? maybe you shouldn't ask for his help if you think you're about to die, unless death scares you anyway.

IF an agnostic or an atheist were to call out to God in a moment of crisis, I would guess it would be due to each of us in Western society being socialized by and within a largely Judeo-Christian culture. This socialization establishes God as the go-to for help, deliverance, etc. I could see an agnostic doing this more than an atheist. Agnostics don't profess belief or disbelief, saying we can't know for sure if God does or does not exist. Atheists, however, profess that there is no deity/higher power.

Ultimately, in a crisis, people often revert to something they have long been taught is a foundational concept of their world. I know some Catholics who pray to Mary or a specific saint in times of crisis. A Hindu might cry out to Brahma, Vishnu, or whoever their favorite deity might be. This appears in many famous ancient Hindu texts/literatures. The Greeks and Romans called upon whichever deity they a) were loyal to, b) was most likely to help, or c) was best equipped to help. We see this time and again in Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey as well as in Virgil's The Aeneid.

As I see it, the appeal to a higher power for help or salvation (physical or spiritual) doesn't confirm that particular deity's existence or non-existence, only the person's possible foundational cultural ideas/concepts.

As for the "unless death scares you" comment, I don't see anything wrong with being afraid or apprehensive of death. It's something unknown. Something that we can't know without first experiencing it. There are no research/interview-someone-who's-been-there-done-that options. The unknown can and does unsettle/frighten us sometimes. I'd suggest that we're biologically wired that way as it tends to give us a better chance of survival. I've met believers as well as atheists who don't fear dying. I've also met folks from both groups who do fear it. It seems to be an individual outlook/mindset issue.

[Mongoose]

Great post, Mandi.

[Tennessee Top]

Extremely educational! I learned I'm agnostic today...my dog tags always just read "no preference".

[madsox]

Mandi's showing off her big brain again!

Wish I could get me some of that edumacation stuff, it seems to be popular these days. Then I'd look up who it was who said "there are no atheists in foxholes" - not quite true, but I do get the point.

Me, I'm religious in my own way. Glad we can discuss it here without going all apesh!t on each other, too!

s/f, out

[chulaivet1966]

IF an agnostic or an atheist were to call out to God in a moment of crisis, I would guess it would be due to each of us in Western society being socialized by and within a largely Judeo-Christian culture.

Along with your other detailed comments....

The 'call out to God' you note above has long been a common figure of speech expressed in a myriad emotionally dramatic, animated responses and situations.

IE: extreme sadness, utter disgust, grief and sorrow, pain, joy, surprise and others I'd guess.

That phrase may rarely mean one is actually calling out to some supernatural entity adhering to any given belief system.

Back to it....

[LitLover84]

Mandi's showing off her big brain again!

Wish I could get me some of that edumacation stuff, it seems to be popular these days. Then I'd look up who it was who said "there are no atheists in foxholes" - not quite true, but I do get the point.

Me, I'm religious in my own way. Glad we can discuss it here without going all apesh!t on each other, too!

s/f, out

Hah! Hardly, Andy. I had required courses in college that covered this stuff. I just went to class and paid attention.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I too fall into the category of "religious in my own way," and it IS good to see a discussion over this that doesn't end in a flame war. It's possible to discuss or even disagree without the fireworks.

The 'call out to God' you note above has long been a common figure of speech expressed in a myriad emotionally dramatic, animated responses and situations.
IE: extreme sadness, utter disgust, grief and sorrow, pain, joy, surprise and others I'd guess.
That phrase may rarely mean one is actually calling out to some supernatural entity adhering to any given belief system.

Good point, Chulaivet. Great everyday example I hadn't considered.

[cple4ed]

if only we could get the Elite fools in thr ACLU to leave us alone & stay out of our religion(what-ever it is)the country would be a lot better off

[marine6551]

if only we could get the Elite fools in thr ACLU to leave us alone & stay out of our religion(what-ever it is)the country would be a lot better off

agreed; the ACLU suck green donkey weenies tying up peoples' money and court time onpetty lawsuits, and like the IRS, should be abolished altogether.

[LitLover84]

Your image that reads "Real Men Pray Everyday"

I've never been one to buy into the whole "Real Man vs. Man/boy/take your pick" argument. Had a male friend of mine tell me a while back that ultimately, there is no "real man" category. You're either a man, or you're not. 'Cause what's the implied opposite of "real"? A fake man? He talked about how most of the time people use the image of the "real man" to bolster or support whatever attribute, virtue, or course of action they think is most fitting for a man. I could see his point.

I know men who do pray regularly. I also know male human beings who pray regularly who I would in no way consider to be "men" due to significant and persistent flaws in their character/behavior/mindset. Same goes for women, though we don't use this same "real woman" language game to define what authentic womanhood is/does like we do with manhood/masculinity.

I would suggest that manhood or womanhood is defined and lived by having/developing character, principles, honesty, responsibility, loyalty, compassion, a sense of justice, and a willingness to work hard. Extras are often tacked on to either one to adjust for gender expectations, but I think those are the essentials or core of each. Faith (and the public or private exercising of it) can be a part of that but isn't required.