For many, abstract thinking is toil; for me, on good days, it is feast and frenzy. Abstract thinking a feast? The highest form of human existence? … The feast implies: pride, exuberance, frivolity; mockery of all earnestness and respectability; a divine affirmation of oneself, out of animal plenitude and perfection—all obviously states to which the Christian may not honestly say Yes. The feast is paganism par excellence. For that reason, we might add that thinking never takes place in Christianity. That is to say, there is no Christian philosophy. There is no true philosophy that could be determined anywhere else than from within itself.

I don't expect an idealist to treat idealism the same as any other ontology and I don't expect a Muslim to treat Islam like any other religion. — Count Timothy von Icarus

You were taught these stories as a child. Anyone who thinks them through, if they’re strong enough, will just let them go as cultural fairytales — on par with Santa Klaus and caring about the National Football League.

IDK, this seems to imply that the religious are simply weak minded simpletons, unable to let go of past conditioning. — Count Timothy von Icarus

So what’s your point? All you have done is petition believers to lay down delusions they do not believe they possess. — DingoJones

What kind of argument is that? You're basically saying, "I don't agree with you so I'm right and you're wrong. That's not an argument, and it's not doing philosophy. — Sam26

Your question was sloppily phrased.
I try not to make assumptions about what other people mean. — DingoJones

“Why or why not should the above be taken seriously, philosophically speaking? Let’s assume the imagined interlocutor can give loads of delusional reasons and evidence and arguments.“ — DingoJones

You're saying that such questions are a waste of time for you... and only you? — creativesoul

What a load of bullshit! — creativesoul

Cool. I agree. Thanks for indulging me. — Tom Storm

You do not know whether or not posing such questions, or entertaining such considerations are a waste of time. — creativesoul

Mikie was not just addressing God and Christianity, which should be clear if you read the OP. — Janus

Don't hate me, but I'm not sure I fully get your position. — Tom Storm

I read the words and understand the sentences and I also understand that you are not hating on religion per say, but you seem to me making a fairly simple point. — Tom Storm

Are you saying that if you inherit religious beliefs from your culture and upbringing, you are not entitled to treat these as if they are philosophy arrived at through careful reflection, a set of beliefs and values which others should also take seriously? — Tom Storm

It wouldn’t be easier to ignore, since they can provide reasons, evidence and arguments. — DingoJones

Part of what philosophy does is to examine various beliefs and belief systems in relation to reality (physical or metaphysical). Some of the philosophical tools used to examine these beliefs are logic (correct reasoning), epistemology, and linguistic analysis. To the extent that people use these three tools they are doing philosophy. — Sam26

I think it's a mistake to think that the only people who can do philosophy are those trained in philosophy. — Sam26

Welcome brother! To the group of TPF members, described by another TPF member as fanatic! — universeness

this post seems motivated by a fairly bigoted conception of religion. Not all religion is necessarily at odds with naturalism and science, so the dichotomy set up is a false one. — Count Timothy von Icarus

Anytime someone gives an argument in support of their beliefs, even if it's in defense of the Earth being flat, their applying reason to defend their belief. — Sam26

Do you consider folks such as Dan Dennett, Sam Harris et al, deserving of the title 'philosopher?' — universeness

I'm neither a believer nor am I offended by your "disclaimer". — Alkis Piskas

I consider this "disclaimer" already quite offensive — Alkis Piskas

And I'm afraid that the fanatic in the present case is yourself. — Alkis Piskas

From what I gathered reading your post, is that you are supercritical against not only Christian believers, but also theists, independent of any religion. — Alkis Piskas

I guess you must be a young person. You show revolutionary tendencies and immaturity. — Alkis Piskas

Would you consider that idea as philosophically significant? — Quixodian

God may mean nothing to you, — Quixodian

But that itself is tendentious. You're asking others to question their beliefs, but taking your own for granted. — Quixodian

You can hear yourself, right? — Srap Tasmaner

Sad to say, Mikie is a moderator. — T Clark

I think you're right, Mikie – the topic (re: god religion theology faith etc) is a waste of time. — 180 Proof

that their considerations regarding their own worldview are a waste of time — creativesoul

You are rejecting the specificity of people's experience and their development as persons. — BC

If you were raised in a secular family and have no religious experiences or interests, there's no reason for you to ditch that. — BC

How about some nuance, some context? I think Mikie means that talk about religion and Gods is a waste of time, not that practicing religion is, for the faithful, a waste of time. No doubt he will correct me if I have misrepresented his view. — Janus

he thing is, much of Western philosophy is based on esoteric or religious foundations. — schopenhauer1

To me, all this talk/questioning about God is as silly as watching people in India talking about the specific patterns of Vishnu’s tunic. It’s a waste of time. — Mikie

There are substantive philosophical questions entailed by religious belief. — Quixodian

More personal insults, then, just like the OP. — Leontiskos

Of those who do— and there are a sizable number — I think it’s worth giving the advice I did: — Mikie

The idea that only a select few are "capable of recognizing their own religion as a product of their upbringing" is anti-religious. This is obvious. — Leontiskos

then you should be informed that bundling together a bunch of anti-religious clichés in an anti-religious OP will certainly have the opposite effect. — Leontiskos

You were taught these stories as a child. Anyone who thinks them through, if they’re strong enough, will just let them go as cultural fairytales — on par with Santa Klaus and caring about the National Football League — Mikie

To a lot of people it's the most important fact about life. — Quixodian

There's an asymettry - you don't see it as anything other than myth, whereas for those who believe it, there is something real - and vastly important - at stake. — Quixodian

And I have found much of value in all those stories that you seem to want me to dismiss. — unenlightened

So what do you have that is better than stories? — unenlightened

On the contrary, one cannot understand oneself and one's potential biases without some study of the history of the culture in which one was raised. — unenlightened

From a psychological, anthropological, and historical point of view, it’s just one more worldview. — Mikie

Tell me more about what I should let go of, and how you know its value so well. — unenlightened

Should we not let go of those very Christian values too? — unenlightened

It sounds like you have an axe to grind, but given that your post contains no arguments and has no relation to philosophy, why post this sort of thing on a philosophy forum? — Leontiskos

The Church is a useful institution; it's a place to maintain social contacts. A lot of clubs and bowling leagues have gone out of business. The church is still there on the corner. Potluck, anyone? — BC

Is "religion" a waste of time? For some, yes; for others no. — BC

We'll have to come back from the grave to see whether that makes all that much difference. — BC