Why do many atheists throw bible passages at Christians

[skepticalbip]

Religion is mythology. There I said it. When I was in high school, we spent an entire portion of my English class studying mythology, the ancient Greek and Roman kind. It would be good to include other religious myths into that unit, as there are so many commonalities in the ancient myths.
... snip ...
I don't totally understand why so many humans are attracted to these myths, but I've accepted that they do provide some type of purpose and meaning in the lives of many individuals....

Carl Jung had much to say on this topic. Also Joseph Campbell was deeply interested in the subject so spent his life studying it, writing several books in the process. Three of Campbell's books I enjoyed were The Power of Myth,
The Hero's Journey, and The Hero With a Thousand Faces. Campbell does a good job of relating how much basic mythological themes are found in various cultures around the world and even in our fairy tales and current movies like Rambo, Rocky, and I can even see the common mythological theme in Disney's Finding Nemo.

 

[Politesse]

What's wrong with mythology?

 

[J842P]

I agree that this approach mentioned in the OP usually really ineffective and often just stupid unless the person doing it really knows what they are talking about.

 

[ruby sparks]

What's wrong with mythology?

What’s wrong with elves?

 

[Politesse]

What's wrong with mythology?

What’s wrong with elves?

Nothing. You're the one who brings them into every conversation...

 

[southernhybrid]

What's wrong with mythology?

Nothing, as long as it's not taken too literally. When it't taken too literally, we end up with fundamentalist versions of religion, which as you know have the potential to be very harmful.

I've also watched the entire "Power of Myth" series which was a condensed version of the book by Joseph Campbell. If you haven't read the book or watched the series, I think you would enjoy it. I enjoyed it and it helped me understand more about why people are attracted to mythology.

It's just not my thing.

 

[Politesse]

What's wrong with mythology?

Nothing, as long as it's not taken too literally. When it't taken too literally, we end up with fundamentalist versions of religion, which as you know have the potential to be very harmful.

I've also watched the entire "Power of Myth" series which was a condensed version of the book by Joseph Campbell. If you haven't read the book or watched the series, I think you would enjoy it. I enjoyed it and it helped me understand more about why people are attracted to mythology.

It's just not my thing.

Anything taken without critical reasoning is dangerous.

 

[Elixir]

What's wrong with mythology?

What’s wrong with elves?

Right.
Nothing is wrong with MY elves. It's YOUR elves we have to worry about!

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Religion is mythology. There I said it. When I was in high school, we spent an entire portion of my English class studying mythology, the ancient Greek and Roman kind. It would be good to include other religious myths into that unit, as there are so many commonalities in the ancient myths.
... snip ...
I don't totally understand why so many humans are attracted to these myths, but I've accepted that they do provide some type of purpose and meaning in the lives of many individuals....

Carl Jung had much to say on this topic. Also Joseph Campbell was deeply interested in the subject so spent his life studying it, writing several books in the process. Three of Campbell's books I enjoyed were The Power of Myth,
The Hero's Journey, and The Hero With a Thousand Faces. Campbell does a good job of relating how much basic mythological themes are found in various cultures around the world and even in our fairy tales and current movies like Rambo, Rocky, and I can even see the common mythological theme in Disney's Finding Nemo.

99% of people who cite a bible never read the thing but think it's important. For them I guess it's kinda like a rule/story book with rules and stories that they like to hear about, even if they never read them for themselves. It's like having a gun. They just feel better and safer with it around.

 

[ruby sparks]

You're the one who brings them into every conversation...

That was exactly my point. Why is it left to me to do that? Any when I do bring them up, why are they not given due and serious consideration along with other supernatural entities such as god? Anything woo, taken without critical reasoning, is surely dangerous.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

You're the one who brings them into every conversation...

That was exactly my point. Why is it left to me to do that? Any when I do bring them up, why are they not given due and serious consideration along with other supernatural entities such as god? Anything woo, taken without critical reasoning, is surely dangerous.

Woo is not dangerous because there isn't any woo. People are dangerous when they think woo is real.

 

[Politesse]

You're the one who brings them into every conversation...

That was exactly my point. Why is it left to me to do that? Any when I do bring them up, why are they not given due and serious consideration along with other supernatural entities such as god? Anything woo, taken without critical reasoning, is surely dangerous.

Woo is not dangerous because there isn't any woo. People are dangerous when they think woo is real.

Are you making an empirical claim?

 

[ideologyhunter]

Here's an empirical claim: religionists torturing and executing each other; religionists torturing and executing the unrighteous (i.e., anyone with a fairy tale different from the local flavor); religionists denying others basic civil rights; religionists assaulting science and the education establishment. All of this has historical precedent and, depending on your position on the globe, current application. And I didn't even mention the American televangelist.

 

[Politesse]

Here's an empirical claim: religionists torturing and executing each other; religionists torturing and executing the unrighteous (i.e., anyone with a fairy tale different from the local flavor); religionists denying others basic civil rights; religionists assaulting science and the education establishment. All of this has historical precedent and, depending on your position on the globe, current application. And I didn't even mention the American televangelist.

So you are claiming simply that "religionists" do these things, or that they are more likely to do these things?

 

[ideologyhunter]

It's always a noodge in the wrong direction when humans think they have an infallible claim on revealed truth.

 

[Politesse]

It's always a noodge in the wrong direction when humans think they have an infallible claim on revealed truth.

Or that they are inherently better than someone else because of the things they do or do not believe?

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Woo is not dangerous because there isn't any woo. People are dangerous when they think woo is real.

Are you making an empirical claim?

If I think the neighbor's house is painted and unlucky color it doesn't change anything. If I go over to their house and start painting over that unlucky color then I have created a problem.

So, yes, the danger of acting out one's woo can be quantified.

 

[Politesse]

Woo is not dangerous because there isn't any woo. People are dangerous when they think woo is real.

Are you making an empirical claim?

If I think the neighbor's house is painted and unlucky color it doesn't change anything. If I go over to their house and start painting over that unlucky color then I have created a problem.

So, yes, the danger of acting out one's woo can be quantified.

Has it been?

 

[skepticalbip]

If I think the neighbor's house is painted and unlucky color it doesn't change anything. If I go over to their house and start painting over that unlucky color then I have created a problem.

So, yes, the danger of acting out one's woo can be quantified.

Has it been?

Quite a few children have died or been crippled because their parents refused common medical procedures because of their woo beliefs.

Jihadists have killed "infidels" because their religious leaders have convinced them it is their ticket to heaven.

Jim Jones led hundreds to their death with his particular brand of woo.

Televangelists pray on and fleece many who can not afford the donations they are convinced they need to send in.

Of course, there is idiotic things done by people for reasons other than woo too but those are and should be condemned just as the woo inspired idiotic actions should be condemned.

 

[Politesse]

If I think the neighbor's house is painted and unlucky color it doesn't change anything. If I go over to their house and start painting over that unlucky color then I have created a problem.

So, yes, the danger of acting out one's woo can be quantified.

Has it been?

Quite a few children have died or been crippled because their parents refused common medical procedures because of their woo beliefs.

Jihadists have killed "infidels" because their religious leaders have convinced them it is their ticket to heaven.

Jim Jones led hundreds to their death with his particular brand of woo.

Televangelists pray on and fleece many who can not afford the donations they are convinced they need to send in.

Of course, there is idiotic things done by people for reasons other than woo too but those are and should be condemned just as the woo inspired idiotic actions should be condemned.

I agree. But you seem to be not connecting some dots at the end there.