It’s tough being a religion teacher these days, what with the kids and their “hard-headed empiricism” and schooling in “scientific methods.”
And when you try and teach them about “the intangible,” why, they think it’s all “fortune-telling and ghosts,” just like they see on the television and the internets!
That’s why you can’t just assume they know what “god” is:
Most students in fact have already formed their own basis for belief or unbelief, and in both instances their implicit “philosophies” are cobbled together from some of the worst God-talk popular culture has to offer. In this sense, there is no question that students are up to the task of philosophical reflection about God. The problem is that this reflection is taking place without the direction and input of the Catholic intellectual tradition.
As the scare quotes make clear, it’s not really really a philosophy unless it incorporates the input of the “Catholic intellectual tradition.”
And teacher Brad Rothrock (who wrote the linked essay) knows how to incorporate tradition, which is how his students got so good at correcting those who make the egregious mistake of thinking of god as a “thing.”
Several students then tried to explain to her that God is not a “thing,” but rather the act of existence itself from which all “things” proceed. Though the transfer student remained confused, and I suggested she see me later, this was one of those moments teachers dream about.
Indeed, only the hardest-headed empiricist wouldn’t be thrilled with students so adept at parroting “philosophical” nonsense. I mean, philosophical nonsense.
Just a slob like one of us, just a stranger on the bus trying to make his way back home. Nahh, doesn’t sound as catchy.
Pop songs don’t improve the validity of suspect concepts.
Especially bad pop songs.
Most of the reasons why atheists spend so much of their time making fun and disproving the God of Christianity is because no matter how much smarts they try muster up they still are afraid of how much it would suck to be wrong. This is a really good attempt to still try to come up with an answer that is not faith based on why there is something rather than nothing at all…but at the end of the day…even atheists are a faith based religion who worship at the alter of Mind and Intellectualism and have faith in some theory of origins that does not tell them what they should and should not do…or else believe that something can come from nothing which is absurbly worse than believing in God. Mostly…I think yall are the most covinced wrong people I’ve met…you confuse yourselves more than you explain anything and disguise it as lofty thinking and superior intelligence.
> Most of the reasons why atheists spend so much of their time making fun and disproving the God of Christianity (…)
Well I personally don’t spend a lot of time doing that, though I suppose you could make a case that some do. If you had something to prove it. I won’t trot out the ‘Atheism is not religion’, ‘belief is not fact’, etc – because it’s just too tired.
But, as for myself, I spend a lot more of my time studying, researching and learning about the natural laws of the universe and their implications than most religious people I know spend studying their faith, with the possible exception of one, who is a monk. I honestly don’t waste too much time on (what I see) as the other innumerable victims of religion.
The only reason I expend any effort at all on my religious kin’s practices is because they are constantly creeping into public life: On the currency, in the laws, in the schools. If you people would just stay out of public policy (just as most Hindus, Buddhists, etc do) then you’d probably never even hear from us.
Although actually, in this case I was mocking that weepy pop singer.
Mike, that’s the 2nd time in two days someone told me why I thought what I thought. How did you become so wise? Please tell me your secret!