Thank God I'm an atheist!?

Question

I know the title is contradictory, but eye-catching, don't you think? I really am quite grateful that I am an atheist, and I thank higher education for the gift of it. When I was young, my very religious family discouraged higher education, telling me, "Universities are dens of atheism; they'll turn you atheist, for sure!"

And that is exactly what happened.

No, this wasn't part of some insidious plan to indoctrinate against religion, it simply was because at university I learned to think with reason and to not blindly accept the superstitions of others. I state emphatically that a person's level of education is directly related to a person's measure of religious faith. Those with little education cherish the validation religion provides. This is, at least, my opinion, and it's a good opinion.

I welcome others to chime in with their opinions, of course.

Since I'm certain the Christians won't appreciate my fine wording, I'll congratulate myself: Jack is one clever boy!

Answer 1

It's fun watching people pat themselves on the back. A little tooting of your horn for your own pleasure.

Looks a bit like your edumacated mind is a little bit full of itself.

Anyway, good to know there are people like you out there figuring out why I'm such a nothing!

Answer 2

I agree that your education did not change your view on religion or Christianity. It all comes down to personal choice. Please do not assume that the more education you have is a direct connection with being smart.

Think of it this way. As a child your parents would help you to understand simple truths in life. Right? Example: if you touch the flame on a candle, you will get burned. If you did not believe them and tried, what happened? You most likely got burned. How many other simple truths have your parents told you or informed you about? Now then, how many have you forgotten only to be reminded later that they were right on the money?

As for the "measure of religious faith" being directly related to the level of a person's education, let me say this. Moses was a very educated man. He was taught by the best teachers in Egypt. Yet he trusted God and had great faith. Solomon was the wisest man to ever live and also very educated. How about the man named Saul of Tarsus. Later named Paul. He was a very intellegent man. In fact, some of the greatest people in Christianity were very educated.

While I think your statement is well organized and put together, you only seem to be trying to incite a fiery response from people. How smart is that? And how smart am I for figuring that out?

Answer 3

I am Jack's smirking revenge.

I do disagree but I'm glad you have seen the "light".

Increased education does increase the chances for atheism however it isn't the increase in knowledge as much as the train of thought that teaches you to question everything.

Their is a difference between ignorance and stupidity and within that difference lies the key to religious honesty.

Einstein believed in a God but not as the scriptures entailed and I think if he were able to answer all of his questions about the universe he would have become an Atheist.

Answer 4

Thank you, Jack. You are indeed one clever boy. It is a crying shame so many uneducated Americans use religion to validate their chronic ignorance.

It's gotten so bad that secondary school science teachers are leaving the profession in droves because many students apparently believe it's their Christian duty to disrupt legitimate science education. Perhaps it's time to exclude fundamentalists from real science classes and send them off campus to study Creation Science. Such foolishness could earn credits toward High School graduation (meaningless these days anyway) but would not count toward secular college admission requirements. This compromise gets the disruptive Christians out of America's science classrooms before they completely undermine the value of our secondary science education.

Answer 5

My church (and I'm Pentecostal no less) has always encouraged higher education.
The one question though that I have is this: If you consider the universe and the "Natural Order" of things. (I'm talking how the earth revolves in sync so that we have a night and a day).

I'm not trying to argue here, what I am trying to do is to get you to consider the other point of view.
There are intelligent Christians (dudes way smarter then me) who have considered your same questions and came to a separate conclusion then yours. So it's not all following tradition and the like.
Again, not here to debate, I just wanted to show that Christians aren't the ignorant dogmatic idiots that the media shows us as, and that the many non-believers assume that we are.

BD

Answer 6

There are many Christians with Masters degree, Doctorates and many other "higher education" degrees that still believe the Bible and faithfully follow God.

It is extremely arrogant of anyone to state that Christians are not as smart as Atheists. It is also a false judgement of Christians.

I guess in a way, in your opinion, Jesus, the Apostles and first century Christians were also "less intelligent" than the atheists of that time as well.

May God have mercy on you for calling His Son stupid.

Answer 7

If you TRULY want to think Intelligently, then you need to look at religion from an intellectual standpoint. My faith is not blind, not based on emotions, but based on examining life and coming to a logical conclusion. I know that may seem like a strange thing to say since it appears from your standpoint that faith is more of an emotion. But let me challenge you to read C.S. Lewis Book 'Mere Christianity'. C.S. Lewis was an atheist. But examining life and human nature from an intellectual standpoint he came to the conclusion that God is real. The book takes you through the logical steps of why there has to be a God and doesn't start with using the bible. For if you don't believe in God, why would you believe the bible. I hope you would read it and then let me know what you think.

Answer 8

Its not superstitions. Its faith. And people with higher education don't just all turn out to be atheists. There are many many Christians who have higher education, and the reason they still are is because they were smart enough to keep their faith strong even through all the other religions and opinions, and scientific theories out there. Obviosly though, you weren't one of those people who kept your faith strong. So everybody out there, reading this, help me pray for this guy.

Answer 9

I'm Christian and your wording caught my eye, have some kudos :)
also i'm not going to preach at you so please don't just read that and disregard it.
I just wonder if, rather than higher education being what turned you from religion, it was more the actual fact that you are now older and "understand" more...ie. you have had more time to consider things. Perhaps it wasn't so much what you were learning, but the passage of time.
also i think you'll get abuse from people who tell you that christians aren't all uneducated, i'm not going to do that, but i don't think you can say better educated people don't have religious beliefs. that's like saying, higher educated people are all gay, because of university (which does politicise people like that i think). what holds for you doesn't necessarlily for everyone.

Answer 10

I fully 'believe' everything you say.

I also believe people with an actual education that still have some sort of 'faith' are just pretending to believe for the sake of their families and how they would be viewed in their communities. Like politicans do.

Answer 11

Okay, you don't make any sense. Your position is that the more illiterate people are, the more religious, and conversely, the more educated, the more non-religious. I'd invite you to speak with the RCIA director of my Catholic parish. He has a PhD in physics, worked for NASA, and was head of Exxon Oil in Saudi Arabia. He is now retired, an ordained deacon, and full-time minister in the Church.

I'd also invite you to speak with all of the ordained Catholic priests and bishops whose educational levels are all college level (minimum 8 years, and that's just to be a priest).

I'd invite you to speak with all of the doctors, lawyers, engineers, business owners, district attorneys, police chiefs, sheriffs, mayors, governors, etc., whom I know and regularly see at Mass who are all very educated and devout Catholics.

Sound like superstitious people to you?