How much of a heretic are you?
I am an atheist, but I am also a heretic, because I was raised christian and chose not to believe. A heretic is one who chooses for themselves. However many people think to be a heretic is to be a witch or satanist or something. Most religions hate heretics more than other non believers because they turned away from the faith. Muslims behead them, christian would still burn us if they could. I am a heretic on many levels, I do not believe in money so much, I certainly do not believe that economic growth is good or that we need to have such high populations. Neither do I believe in the big bang and many other scientific hypotheses. The reason is simple, lack of evidence. Gravity and climate change I accept, what I experience is in line with the theory.
7
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22 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Baptized, raised, confirmed Catholic. I now regard them as one of the most destructive forces ever unleashed on humanity.
Lysistrata
Level 7
Feb 12, 2018
8
Ditto 
We can detect the reverberations of the big bang. I'm also a heretic. I was raised catholic. I know how much more hated we are. It's weird to me.
jayneonacobb
Level 7
Feb 12, 2018
6
Detecting gravitational waves.^^^^^
yes we can detect reverbs, I just see there could be so many other possible explanations, the idea that there has only ever been 1, why do galaxies collide if everything is moving away from everything else, why do we keep changing our estimates as to how far the universe should have expanded by now? I am no astrophysicist and have very little understanding, it just doesn't "feel" right to me.
It doesn't resound as true for me. So until I understand it better and I can understand the evidence I don't accept it.
@Rugglesby the math fits for the wave lengths to have been produced by the big bang. There are many reasons why galaxies crash into eachother. External gravitational forces pull them together, for example. We keep changing things because we can measure them more accurately with new technology. We were able to detect gravitational waves more than once. I think startalk radio talked about that in 2017. There's tons of evidence for the big bang and why the universe moves the way that it does. Especially after the discovery of the higs boson. Listen to startalk if you don't already. Neil Degrasse Tyson is the man.
higgs boson is something I would really like to look into, I love this stuff but sadly lack the right grey matter to understand it the way I would like. I don't believe in time as tangible, yet feel it must be infinite and that space/time extends well before the big bang. So I don't accept the concept of the singularity and still have problems between quantum physics and general relativity. The rainbow gravity/universe theory whilst a totally unproven theory, postulates that there was no big bang. These are just things that bounce around in my brain, I am like a 3 year old who won't accept gravity and if I can just jump that bit harder I can fly.
@jayneonacobb Totally off topic but is your site name in any way a Firefly reference?
@RavenCT firefly and Rick and Morty.
As an avowed heretic, I've come to realize that a distinction must be made between 'belief' and 'acceptance.' We don't have the luxury of believing in facts. Sure, we can stand on the shore, as the sea level rises, and claim we don't believe that our climate is changing, but if we do, we are simply denying a fact. Religion, on the other hand, demands that we believe a proposition, despite the lack of (or even contrary) evidence. Religion is contrafactual.
pnullifidian
Level 7
Feb 13, 2018
4
In addition to the traditional religious definition, I am a social heretic: I eschew many (most, probably) social conventions that most folks take for granted as being beyond reproach. Things like small talk, socializing for its own sake, hand over heart during national anthem, all kinds of things. If it's pro forma, chances are I'm either simply not interested or actively opposed on principle. Drives people batty. Mean, nasty batty.
stinkeye_a
Level 8
Feb 12, 2018
2
love it
I accept gravity.
birdingnut
Level 8
Feb 12, 2018
3
I do not accept gravity, it is just a theory.
@DavidLaDeau Ok David don't go floating away on us now!! I hear its very cold in space.
I knew about the real definition of heretic and I am one, 100%.
chicagojcb
Level 7
Feb 12, 2018
3
I am such a heretic I have literally claimed to be Jesus Christ on Twitter.
MasonicPrince
Level 4
Feb 17, 2018
2
next time we have a party, you supply the wine, oh and the loaves and fishes.
The 'burn the bible' kind, although I can't recall ever burning one except to use as a rolling paper.
There is plenty of proof of the big bang, it is a well accepted theory. Economic growth is necessary in an expanding population if you don't want everyone living in poverty.
RobCampbell
Level 7
Feb 12, 2018
2
Sadly here our politicians want to increase the population to increase gdp, they don't care that per capita gdp falls. I favour a steady state economy.
@Rugglesby I too would favor a steady state economy. I am not so sure about it being a commonly held idea, Increasing the population for GDP numbers. " Ah...the good old days, When the price of commodities was stable for centuries" I think an energy based economy would get us there better than any monetary system. The energy cost of things is very stable. And Energy is what we need at any level of industrialization or population.
Here's a wrinkle: beings I was indoctrinated into Catholicism as an infant and not of my own choice, would I still be a heretic after I left? I didn't participate in the religion because I made a choice to as an adult, and then leave as I interpret the definition.
Highway-Starr
Level 7
Mar 2, 2018
1
Yep, they would still call you heretic I am sure, like the rest of us. I think the alternative is pagan as in never having been a christian.
Hey, if being a pagan was good enough for Floki on Vikings...its good enough for me. @Rugglesby
I spill my waters upon the sands of Arrakis and agitate to have Shai Hulud exterminated so that the spice ceases its flow. Yeah, I'm a nerd-heretic.
DobbinPitch
Level 6
Feb 18, 2018
1
Big Dune fan here.
Let's now delve into semantics. I am an apostate. If the definition of heretic is specifically one whom CHOOSES to leave, I do not fit into that category. As the late Christopher Hitchens said " Atheism is not chosen, it is discovered."
In the spirit of what is probably actually meant I am definitely a heretic. The word heretic simply refers to some one who does not accept orthodox or "the right" beliefs.
DavidLaDeau
Level 8
Feb 14, 2018
1
@DavidLaDeau Yes, apostate can be the more correct term where you turn your back on your previously held beliefs? And a heretic chooses not to believe or chooses to believe something else rather than the accepted beliefs. I think.
I like apostate, but I had a fave computer game called heretic.
Oh hell YES...
Damn near all my life. I'm outspoken about it now. Mostly in here though... there's to many emotional people out there that would cry and pray to change me back... I mostly keep it to myself, my wife, and my son. I don't need a dozen people coming over here to convert me back...
BucketlistBob
Level 8
Feb 13, 2018
1
heretic is greek it means "I choose". As in I choose what to believe.
I like to think that means I am the biggest heretic human on earth but I doubt it.
engineer_in_nj
Level 6
Feb 13, 2018
1
To not believe in the basis of a religion, It tenets and stories, I do not think that can be heresy.
Is a muslim just a heretical christian? Heresy would only seem to apply within a system of claims. Were there an atheist/agnostic church, with official doctrine, canon etc, Then one might be heretical. It is a fun word, But I do not think it applies to an atheist/agnostic.
CapriKious
Level 7
Feb 14, 2018
0
Well to be honest, Jesus was a heretical jew? and Buddha a heretical Hindu?
@Rugglesby That would seem to follow, Both have their own franchise now right?
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