Some people have asked me whether I'm an anti-theist due to my anti-religious stance. I have explained on several occasions that being anti-religious doesn't necessitate being anti-theistic. Personally, I'm definitely anti-religious, but I'm not anti-theistic for more than one reason.
Theism, in and of itself, doesn't have to be detrimental to the well-being of conscious creatures. While some people justify harmful actions by saying that their deity or deities ordered them to act a certain way, by no means does theism have to be tied with dogma. Religion attaches these strings to theism and burdens it with different teachings and dogma, but theism in its purest sense has nothing to do with dogma. In fact, theism can be a motivator for benevolence just as much as it can be a motivator for harmful actions. It is religion that tips the scales in favor of harmful commandments through dogma and arbitrary doctrines.
While dogma is typically tied with theism due to its theistic underpinnings in most religions, theism itself is merely the position that a deity or deities exist. That in and of itself lacks any implications of dogma, and unless one lets their theism inspire them toward supporting harmful practices, theism is harmless.
Another reason I'm not anti-theistic is that I have had what some people would label a "mystical experience." While I believe that it wasn't a supernatural occurrence at all, nor that its origin was supernatural, I can see how similar experiences can lead people to theism, and I actually sympathize with some versions of theism for this reason. I see no logical reason to believe that theism is the most logical conclusion to be arrived at after having such an experience, but personal experience transcends logic. The difference between theism and religious dogma is that theism doesn't necessarily have to be communicated to other people; it can be a strictly personal belief based on completely personal experiences. The Pagan who feels a connection to nature is a far cry from the Mormon who goes from door to door proselytizing and spreading religious dogma, and the Hindu who practices meditation to feel more connection to what they believe to be divine is worlds apart from the Jehovah's Witness who tries to spread the belief that premarital sex is a sin or that homosexuality upsets their deity.
Theism, even though I consider it to be an irrational position from a purely logical standpoint, doesn't have to inspire malevolence. It can inspire a sense of community, a sense of wonder and awe, in people who adhere to it. It can also inspire feelings of inner peace and positive interactions with one's surroundings. It doesn't have to adopt the stereotypical image that some people have of it, where it necessarily leads to extremism and intrusion on other people's lives.
And this is why I'm not an anti-theist.
Theism, in and of itself, doesn't have to be detrimental to the well-being of conscious creatures. While some people justify harmful actions by saying that their deity or deities ordered them to act a certain way, by no means does theism have to be tied with dogma. Religion attaches these strings to theism and burdens it with different teachings and dogma, but theism in its purest sense has nothing to do with dogma. In fact, theism can be a motivator for benevolence just as much as it can be a motivator for harmful actions. It is religion that tips the scales in favor of harmful commandments through dogma and arbitrary doctrines.
While dogma is typically tied with theism due to its theistic underpinnings in most religions, theism itself is merely the position that a deity or deities exist. That in and of itself lacks any implications of dogma, and unless one lets their theism inspire them toward supporting harmful practices, theism is harmless.
Another reason I'm not anti-theistic is that I have had what some people would label a "mystical experience." While I believe that it wasn't a supernatural occurrence at all, nor that its origin was supernatural, I can see how similar experiences can lead people to theism, and I actually sympathize with some versions of theism for this reason. I see no logical reason to believe that theism is the most logical conclusion to be arrived at after having such an experience, but personal experience transcends logic. The difference between theism and religious dogma is that theism doesn't necessarily have to be communicated to other people; it can be a strictly personal belief based on completely personal experiences. The Pagan who feels a connection to nature is a far cry from the Mormon who goes from door to door proselytizing and spreading religious dogma, and the Hindu who practices meditation to feel more connection to what they believe to be divine is worlds apart from the Jehovah's Witness who tries to spread the belief that premarital sex is a sin or that homosexuality upsets their deity.
Theism, even though I consider it to be an irrational position from a purely logical standpoint, doesn't have to inspire malevolence. It can inspire a sense of community, a sense of wonder and awe, in people who adhere to it. It can also inspire feelings of inner peace and positive interactions with one's surroundings. It doesn't have to adopt the stereotypical image that some people have of it, where it necessarily leads to extremism and intrusion on other people's lives.
And this is why I'm not an anti-theist.
Best post I've read all day.
