I've read your last few posts. Here are my thoughts on the subject.
Firstly, you need to define "weakness". Is it weakness of spirit-that without God Christians would be too "afraid" to act? Is it a lack of intelligence? Is it that Christians pass on the responsibility for their actions to God?
If the first, you must ask if this fear of acting and the belief in God always come together. Everybody experiences fear and has coping strategies. Some, for example, may repeat mantras to themselves; they may tell themself that they are the strongest, best and most intelligent person in the world. Very few people, if any, do not rely on some form of delusion to strengthen themself. What, therefore, is wrong with using God as this delusion?
I see what you're saying. Whilst i have no doubt people offer themselves to delusions to circumnavigate a problem, I do not. Hard to believe isn't it? I have a very firm understanding that I have my limits, and i am ultimately, just a man. I am strong, and I am good at things (not so good at others. like people skills :/) but to tell myself I am the best, that i am unstoppable or capable of anything is to offer myself, in the case of failure, to almost heart breaking dissapointment. Why would a person purposefully torture themselves like that? You could attribute this to a God. I could draw upon every faith in my God to help me succeed, but where would i be if i still failed?
If it is a lack of intelligence, that strikes me as hugely dogmatic. Look at the ancient Greeks. The massive majority of them believed in Greek Gods-Plato, Archimedes and Aristotle are acknowledged as some of the greatest thinkers that the world has ever seen, and all believe in religion. Look at Descartes, at Kant, and a whole host of others. If you say that this is merely a tiny minority, then I would have to flat out disagree with you. If you look at all of the greatest minds of our past, I would be surprised if at least half of them did not believe in God.
I dont fully follow what you're saying here. I think you're asking if i believe that people who believe in God are less intelligent? In this case absolutely not. As mentioned, i know many religious people, and i've no doubts of the number of things they are "better" at than me. I dont believe it hinders an ability *or* that it is the result of a hindered ability. The best way i can describe it is that say... an athlete for example. One athlete takes a steroid, one does not. The undrugged athlete wins the race, or indeed, it's a tie. Who is stronger? I suppose it's a personal view and I understand that you might not agree. I dont expect you to. I'm not trying to convince anyone into agreeing with me, i just wanted to share what I believe. Of course the athlete example is not a perfect one, but i'm struggling to think of one that fits.
If this weakness is that they pass their responsibility on to God, and therefore do not blame themselves when something goes wrong, you are opening a huge can of worms. You must define responsibility to start with. If responsibility consists in our actions being free, then this is questionable as it merely leads to indeterminism; that our actions result out of chance. It is hard to see how we can be responsible in your sense, whether or not you believe in God, and as such holding somebody as weak due to their belief in God again appears to be unfair.
i imagine this is the clincher. I have defined responsibility. At least, what responsibility means to me. I believe that we are responsible for our own actions, and to pass that off is a sign of weakness. To expect help is a sign of weakness. It does not 100% make you a weak person, but weaker than he who expects no help, but blames only himself when it doesnt work out.
that right there, is my opinion. i want to make it absolutely clear that my definition for responsibility, much like my view of God, is entirely what i have chosen to believe. I do not think that people who dont agree are wrong. I do not dislike people who believe otherwise. I just believe that.
/
. The rest are disillusioned.
you really are narrow minded and believe tabloids don't you. religion has been used as an excuse. It's power land expanison etc. That has been the reason behind all these things.
