Cynicism is the new "cool"

[Gandalf]

Why does an atheist have to prove anything? It is on the theist to prove that God exists. All an atheist asks is for some evidence. I can provide you with evidence for most of the things I argue. I can prove that we are born, that we live and that we die. A religious person can prove nothing beyond saying 'Ah, but it is about faith'. If you are going to talk of heaven then prove it. Any person who thinks Jesus was actually the Son of God and not the son of ordinary peasants has to be at best naive. People making extraordinary claims need to back them up. Of course more rational people will be 'cynical'.

It is healthy and good to be cynical. It is not healthy to fall into nihilism. Cynicism means to question and that is why we call something 'criticism' when evaluating art or scientific research. You should be cynical and question things. The results can be uncomfortable for others, but one should not care about that.

As an atheist it wouldn't hurt to have your own theories about how life originated. But it's cool. No one's holding anyone else's feet to the fire about it. I believe each person is entitled to their beliefs and should show the human decency to respect others' beliefs. You'll notice I've never engaged in discussions in threads about religion in here. I choose not to, as I will continue to choose not to in the future.

I already said it's healthy to question things to a degree. As with most things in life though, too much of anything is rarely a good thing. Being an overly cynical person just makes you less sociable out in the real world. People avoid conversations with jaded and overly cynical individuals, just like they avoid most unpleasant personality characteristics. BTW I know what cynicism means but thanks for the definition just the same.

Atheists have their own theories about how life originated and how it evolved. Evolution certainly makes more sense than Adam and Eve. I care about if something is true or not and cynicism and evidence is what tamed Christianity which for all intents and purposes was a very violent and fearful beast. Anybody is entitled to their belief but by the same token anyone has the right to question that belief too.

I sense a degree of cynicism in your own post, Tito. Being cynical means you question things and that is healthy and good. It is nihilism that is dangerous and destructive. It is nihilism that leads to A Clockwork Orange society. A degree of cynicism is good and healthy. You should take a CNN talking head with a pinch of salt. Or better still turn it off and enjoy the day.

I happen to think life is wonderful and I have no real complaints about any of it. If something is bothering you, then change the record. Do something new.

Again, cynicism per se isn't a sin, excuse the pun. It's healthy, as I've been saying all along. It's cynicism for the sake of cynicism I find odd, and have long ago concluded that people who are cynics for its own sake, whether trying to be "cool" or whatever, have issues. At the same time, I've rarely met anyone who believes everything at face value. Such a person wouldn't last a day in today's world. But as that well-expressed excerpt says about cynicism, it's the "go-to weapon" for those who want to look sophisticated and adopt a position where you have little to lose. It may even be a generational thing. Been doing some reading on generational differences and have even written about it on my personal blog. Not one to generalize, as I believe in individuality, but there certainly are some generational traits which differentiate say, iGens from Millenials, from Gen X's, from Boomers. And yes... life certainly IS wonderful, and IMO it takes a well-rounded, mature, intelligent, self-fulfilled individual to truly experience just how wonderful life can really be.

On the Atheism thing, I can see how some might view it as sneering cynicism, but I see it quite the opposite. My take on it is more personal in that I know I have a finite number of years on this planet and potentially less years remaining than I have lived. I can see how some might see that as depressing and defeatist, I certainly haven't always lived well, but I think to myself 'What am I going to do with what remains of my life?' Thus I change jobs when I feel it is time, I work on new projects, I cut out bad habits, I try to do something positive and constructive with each and every day. I am not going around looking for religious people to mock, but I am quite aware of my mortality and that I have a set amount of time to get done the things that need to be done. I feel invigorated.

My Atheism is a positive thing. At least it is for me, but then for others it perhaps isn't. Kerouac was a Catholic who drank himself to death claiming that he couldn't commit suicide so it was his way of getting closer to God faster. Maybe it was just an excuse and he couldn't overcome his demons. I do not know. I find that rather nihilistic and sad. He was an awesome writer. I think it is easier for some than others, we are all raised differently, with different intellectual capacities, physical abilities and all of this. Every story is different.