To ALL R&S Regulars, shouldn't we differiniate between the different theists?

Question

I have a strong interest in theology and psychology and have been using Y/A as a research field, so to speak. It is obvious to me that there exists two very different personality types when it comes to theists on R&S. I've named each of these types "Zombies" and "Reliants". Reliants are theists who possess no strong opinion with regards their religious faith, but use God as a method of positive self-reinforcement. This is by no means a bad thing, even atheists use their own methods for increasing their self-confidence. Children create invisable friends for that same reason. Many Reliants do not even fully believe that there does exist a god but just like some atheists tell themselves that they're looking great when in fact they are not. Reliants are generally uninterested in religion, and are also the ones that revert to atheism. Zombies on the other hands are the sole reason for militant atheism. They are brainwashed from a young age and are told not to question anything.

I believe that differintiating between these groups is important, as reliants should be perfectly acceptable as far as atheists are concerned, whereas zombies can be dangerous to society and scientific progression.

epidavros, good point, I believe Hitler was one of those, but I'd just refer to those people as "agnostics/atheists with an agenda".

J, I specified clearly that I was only referring to R&S regulars. And I never implied that I was highly intelligent.

Darkcloud, you are horrbely mistaken in your veiws of a psychologists role. Although many psychologists do "help" people, a lot more do the opposite. While I'm trying to become a neuropsychologist in order to make new discoveries, others are trying to sell crap products through using manipulative advertising techniques.

Answer 1

I think you are pretty much spot on.

Many of my family were "reliants" - one even said you should not question Christianity because it would "spoil things" - clear indication that she would not hold onto stupid dogma just for the sake of it.

And you are right, the blind faith zombies are horribly dangerous. They have proved this again and again through history.

But you are missing a category. There are also those who do not really believe - because they are not stupid - but find religion a very handy means of gaining power, political influence and money. A lot of TV evangelists fall into this category, as have Popes, Kings and all sorts of world leaders. These are the most dangerous of all.

Answer 2

well that is just your anti-Christian opinion and personally how do we know that you have not been brainwashed toward science? Just because someone believes in something that you don't doesn't mean its brainwashing. Only thing you have done is come on here and make a ridiculous statement and don't think im 100% anti-science because my minor was in Psychology. I agree with science until it comes to things like the Big Bang, Abiogenesis (how non-living matter formed into a living cell), etc... What you are trying to say however is that a Christian is either A. A person who dosentt really believe in a God, but just using it as a confidence builder; or B. just brainwashed and a danger to society.

It seems as if you come on here trying to portray yourself as intelligent, but by just looking at how you grouped billions of people into two categories I would assume that you are not as intelligent as you would like to think of yourself as.

Answer 3

I realize that being a psycology student has you seeing the worlds population as clumps of different typs of people , but calling someone dangerous because you feel a dislike for a spicific clump, that you've drawn the border lines on , is a little like putting a lable on all snakes as being dangerous , when the truth is , when you step on some snakes all that they do is crawl away and die, or become very sick and servive ,other snakes bite you first then crawl away and die or become very sick and servive ... eather way ,,,, you are studying to be a ( helper ) watch your step...

Answer 4

Indeed, but very few Reliants post on forums such as these having better things to do with their lives.....

Answer 5

Most people tell me they believed in God untill they started questioning things. In my experience, it's the fundies that don't want to question things.

Answer 6

WHAT AN unINTELLIGENT QUESTION