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If God Is Dead, Your Time Is Everything

Martin Hägglund argues that rigorous secularism leads to socialism.

It's the New Yorker, albeit online so it's a bit shorter, so it'll take some minutes to read. I promise for most of you that it'll be worth the time.

Sometimes, I engage with believers in friendly debate – a time-waster, I know. My goal isn't to change their minds so much as to consider their own evidence. I don't bother with the why a god couldn't possible exist track. I prefer to go with their own Scripture's arguments, as often Hitch did, and point out the problems with their own source material. (That and the fact that the only reason for belief is in the afterlife and why, even according to Jesus, very few are going to get in.)

Martin Hägglund does the same – he takes on the idea of eternity: It's not a gift but a curse. Even if it were possible no one would want it.

[newyorker.com]

Deiter 8 May 19
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11 comments

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0

I heard the 'very few get in' statement a lot when I was growing up Catholic. Too bad the sheep think they will make it just follow others. I like to think it is like the Willy Wonka in the chocolate factory story. To actually make a difference one has to go against their first instincts. Problem is that once one does that and starts to think of others first than, oops, one becomes an atheist.

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Interesting article. I don't focus so much on eternity, I figure when it's my time to go I'll find out. Then again, maybe it's also my background - he did mention about Jews being more in the moment. But I can understand why it's so important for some people to have more concrete proof, because it's hard to live with uncertainty. The only thing we know for certain is that we have this life and each other, and I'm going to continue to explore and be curious about who and what's here and let eternity take care of itself... By the way, he mentions Marilynne Robinson's Housekeeping... AWESOME book.

0

I don't go out looking for trouble , but when it comes knocking at my door .....

2

I put Christianity yo bed a long time ago, so any article that dwells on it is dead.

@Deiter It just pi**es me off it's so fake and phony and hurts so many people.. it's not unique in this way of course, but since I was brought up Catholic and still have to deal with my 97-year-old mother who's afraid I'm not going to "heaven" (she's got that right) it's a raw nerve.

1

Jesus didn't exist, so you're referencing nobody. Socialism is a good thing. Where are you going with this?

0

Interesting article worthy of pondering further after my first reading. To that end, it has been saved to be perused later.

1

Brilliant article. Thanks for sharing👍

0

Excellent article. Thanks for posting. I like rolling ideas around in my head and seeing what happens. It seems to me that some of the commenters didn't read the article.

Got to agree there. I suspect it’s too long a read (beyond 50 words) and no pictures. Certainly minimises the readership here from time to time!

1

God cannot be dead because there are no gods, ergo somethng that doesn't exist cannot be either alive or dead, it just isn't.

@Deiter there are billions of flies that love shit, that doesn't mean that shit is great to be around. Billions are blinded by religions of all kinds, that doesn't mean they are real, only facts are real and, as the saying goes, facts are stubborn things, they exist and never go away. Fact: all religions and gods are man made, thus not real.

0

the problem is here , you're preaching to the converted.
I regularly crossover it's with a very well-educated Jehovah's, whenever I make a compelling argument that requires a logical progression that he doesn't want to hear he just ignores it. one time I wanted to cut the conversation short so I said there's no evidence whatsoever that there's an invisible man controlling everything that cares about me.
and the first thing he did is the open up the Bible and showed me why I was wrong.

I love a good conversation myself. Dogma is not limited True Religion, there are people that believe the way to win an argument is to make the statement over and over again.
and if that doesn't work type in all caps. really I've seen very little of that on this site.
socialism is a religion, it has its own Dogma usually it is tied to secularism, were people act enlighten why the new ideas the Bolsheviks or the Khmer Rouge.
the sweet song of socialism is we will take care of you you can't take care of yourself.
if you ask what it cost you'll be told that there is in an aqueous group of rich people that will pay the bills. I believe the Bolsheviks called these people the bourgeoisie .
hopefully I'll entertain you in the future I look forward to good conversation

3

Secularism does lead to a greater focus on what is good for people and for a society, not for a religion. Also, at age 82, I would not want an afterlife, even if it were possible -- which it is not.

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