I’ve mentioned this a couple of times, but people who are stuck in their current mindset really have problems. I ran across this video from Atheist Experience and, just the very beginning of the call, spells out exactly why the whole thing is so dumb.
So let’s look at it.
The YouTube video is here if you want to go take a look at it, although I’m only going to be referencing the first couple of minutes. Still, it’s an entertaining call, so feel free to watch the whole thing.
The caller at least implies he’s a simulationist, which is stupid, but he refuses to bash any religion because who knows, maybe one religion is actually true beyond the simulation. That’s a whole lot of stupidity going on already, but where I object to it is when Arvin says this, starting at 1:46:
“If you want to judge people by different standards, then I guess we acknowledge that they are inferior standards.”
Yeah, screw you. This is the problem that I have with so many of these people because they are so self-assured that their standards right now, whatever they happen to be, are the one and only true standards that they get to hold everyone to across time and space.
Can’t anyone say that though? In another 50 years, when the inevitable future people look back and say “Armin’s standards are clearly inferior to ours”, what’s he going to say? This is insanely common, especially among a certain group of vocal atheists online. It’s essentially “we’re right because we’re right and if you don’t agree with us, you’re wrong, so there!” How stupid is that? Because can’t whoever you’re talking to say the exact same thing back? What are they going to say to that?
Not a damn thing, unfortunately, because they can’t understand that their current position isn’t the end-all, be-all of human morality. From my current moral standpoint, I don’t agree that having sex with a 9-year old is a good thing. From what Armin said, even the people of Muhammad’s time had problems with it. That aside though, I don’t to tell Muhammad that he was “wrong” because there is no universal, objective right and wrong. That doesn’t change when we move to the modern day.
It’s very common in some areas of China to kill baby girls because they care a lot more about having boys. Do I personally find it reprehensible? Absolutely! Can I demand that they stop? Nope. I guess I could demand it but they can just ignore me and keep doing it anyhow. My personal wishes and dreams don’t mean anything, no matter how strongly the views are held.
That’s the problem with so many people these days that they don’t understand the inherent limitations of their own personal views. It doesn’t matter what you like because you have no power on your own. If Chinese society changed, such that it was outlawed to kill your infant daughters, in the places where these practices are carried out, and serious penalties were enforced on those that do it, would the practice eventually die out? Probably, or at least it would likely go underground. The Indian government has been trying to wipe out a lot of old, primitive practices in undeveloped districts for decades. It still happens though. You are certainly welcome to say you find the practices reprehensible, and that and $10 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks, but it doesn’t really matter. Stating your beliefs confidently don’t make them facts. They’re just beliefs. They’re just opinions. They don’t mean anything to anyone but you.
Yet many of these people are very confident in their assertions and if you don’t agree, down to the slightest letter of their law, they’ll scream that you’re a terrible, awful person and should be… well, it depends on the individual, but I’ve heard some pretty horrific things from people in that particular group. All they’re really doing is proving what a bunch of idiots they are and sorry, we’ve got enough idiots to deal with out there.
Can you please knock it off and grow the hell up?