Entertainment is the real problem:

[RayonGama]

I admire the church truly. It really have a way to talk well about different subject: ex peace in the world. But I think it’s wasting it’s time about talking Atheism the worst problem. Or It look like the worst problem. I think it’s a problem for educated, erudis If I go down the street and ask people, the enemy of faith is entertaining. It’s THE idoltry.Their problem is there 200 years behind. They still try to fight the ideology of the French revolution.
Look, even the movie, people are seeing movie less and less, and Hollywood is scares. Because Video Games are getting more and more popular, it’s a bigger industry than movies.
And look at facebook, how popular it is.
The question people ask themselves, is: when work end so I can go sit to watch tv, is my phone is fishish charged, so I can text, what movie I will see next. People are really getting good at entertaining themselves. We become over entertained. It’s not atheist view that will prevent me or other to go to mass, it’s I want to entertain more and more.
It’s all about entertainment. I am sorry. I hope they wake up soon and fight idoltry where it is.

 

[sealoch]

I disagree. My lack of belief has nothing to do with entertainment. My path to atheism was fairly arduous with a lot of research comparisons and my own reasoning. All of this was performed, not because i was reading facebook or the video games i played, but because of my loving wife asking one question did I believe that people of other faiths should go to hell. Little did she know how far my inner needle would turn.

As i said it had nothing to do with technology or entertainment.

 

[JohnMichaels]

I disagree. My lack of belief has nothing to do with entertainment. My path to atheism was fairly arduous with a lot of research comparisons and my own reasoning. All of this was performed, not because i was reading facebook or the video games i played, but because of my loving wife asking one question did I believe that people of other faiths should go to hell. Little did she know how far my inner needle would turn.

As i said it had nothing to do with technology or entertainment.

I didn’t see the OP as connecting the 2, like entertainment leads to X
Just that he considered entertainment a higher-level threat/issue than people who just do not believe.

 

[KrazyKat]

Too easy to play the blame game. We want to blame something for our choices because we cannot face that blame is actually ourselves. It is always someone else’s fault, lol.

I choose what I do with my time as does everyone else.

 

[Captain_America]

I disagree. My lack of belief has nothing to do with entertainment. My path to atheism was fairly arduous with a lot of research comparisons and my own reasoning. All of this was performed, not because i was reading facebook or the video games i played, but because of my loving wife asking one question did I believe that people of other faiths should go to hell. Little did she know how far my inner needle would turn.

As i said it had nothing to do with technology or entertainment.

Well, then, good for you. . . but I would hazard that more atheists are pop-atheists formed by whatever is a popularly circulating idea or collection of catch-phrases. Most people don’t spend much time analyzing their perspective or the sources of their viewpoint.

 

[sealoch]

I didn’t see the OP as connecting the 2, like entertainment leads to X
Just that he considered entertainment a higher-level threat/issue than people who just do not believe.

Oh i see what you mean, Jumped to conclusions on that one

 

[JohnMichaels]

Well, then, good for you. . . but I would hazard that more atheists are pop-atheists formed by whatever is a popularly circulating idea or collection of catch-phrases. Most people don’t spend much time analyzing their perspective or the sources of their viewpoint.

I’d only add to the “pop-atheist” definition, that a lot of those types could be younger, & yes most of them only regurgitate arguments they’ve heard others make, without personal research. Those types make me sad

 

[PietroPaolo]

my loving wife asking one question did I believe that people of other faiths should go to hell. Little did she know how far my inner needle would turn.

As i said it had nothing to do with technology or entertainment.

Out of curiosity, what does the Church, from your research, teach on this? What did you discover about Catholic teaching when you researched this and why do you disagree with it?

 

[GEddie]

It is chic to buy into the latest new idea. Many atheists become so because it is a new, shocking idea that seems more “intellectual” than religion (especially in a post literate society.)

It requires more effort to embrace atheism than to embrace time and mind wastage on Facebook, so at the moment, Facebook is probably more insidious. I would hesitate to use the word idolatry though.

ICXC NIKA

 

[sealoch]

I’d only add to the “pop-atheist” definition, that a lot of those types could be younger, & yes most of them only regurgitate arguments they’ve heard others make, without personal research. Those types make me sad

I think it applies to any group of people that only regurgitate what they were told with very little personal investigation.

 

[JohnMichaels]

The question people ask themselves, is: when work end so I can go sit to watch tv, is my phone is finish charged, so I can text, what movie I will see next. People are really getting good at entertaining themselves. We become over entertained. It’s not atheist view that will prevent me or other to go to mass, it’s I want to entertain more and more

it is a valid argument. I think it says the ability for one to keep himself entertained is what is keeping him away from the Church, not merely a disbelief

I empathize with this, because I’ve often explained my meaning of life as “the eternal search for entertainment” for the reasons stated above
Each moment is a leap to the next thing. “Games on tonight, movie I wanna see comes on later, I gotta get home in time to catch my favorite show, I have to buy that new xbox game!”
so on, so forth

 

[sealoch]

I’ll agree with you, but more to the OP point

The question people ask themselves, is: when work end so I can go sit to watch tv, is my phone is finish charged, so I can text, what movie I will see next. People are really getting good at entertaining themselves. We become over entertained. It’s not atheist view that will prevent me or other to go to mass, it’s I want to entertain more and more

it is a valid argument. I think it says the ability for one to keep himself entertained is what is keeping him away from the Church, not merely a disbelief

I empathize with this, because I’ve often explained my meaning of life as “the eternal search for entertainment” for the reasons stated above
Each moment is a leap to the next thing. “Games on tonight, movie I wanna see comes on later, I gotta get home in time to catch my favorite show, I have to buy that new xbox game!”
so on, so forth

Oh yea i can agree with that too for the day to day experience

 

[PietroPaolo]

So what would your solution be, OP? How should the Church fight this new “idol”?

 

[JohnMichaels]

Out of curiosity, what does the Church, from your research, teach on this? What did you discover about Catholic teaching when you researched this and why do you disagree with it?

How would that matter? Not that it was my statement, but a similar thing happened to me at a much earlier age.
I don’t claim to speak for anyone else, but I’d guess he wasn’t implying that if the Church taught other religions followers DID go to hell, that it justified a disbelief. Merely a starting point.

In short, I’m suggesting the answer wouldn’t have mattered.

 

[sealoch]

It is chic to buy into the latest new idea. Many atheists become so because it is a new, shocking idea that seems more “intellectual” than religion (especially in a post literate society.)

It requires more effort to embrace atheism than to embrace time and mind wastage on Facebook, so at the moment, Facebook is probably more insidious. I would hesitate to use the word idolatry though.

ICXC NIKA

I agree it did take a lot of effort on my part to ‘become’ atheist.
I also find Facebook to be an irritation when used in ways that i feel are unproductive. It is very skewed as i feel i am right on this, but when used to keep in touch and allow family members who are not nearby to see pictures of you and the kids that doesn’t seem to wrong. The issue arises when people seem to want to air their entire life on it as their personal billboard, they have the right in fact i suppose that is what it’s for.

 

[PietroPaolo]

How would that matter? Not that it was my statement, but a similar thing happened to me at a much earlier age.
I don’t claim to speak for anyone else, but I’d guess he wasn’t implying that if the Church taught other religions followers DID go to hell, that it justified a disbelief. Merely a starting point.

In short, I’m suggesting the answer wouldn’t have mattered.

He claims to have done extensive research on the issue, I’m simply wondering what he unearthed.

 

[Charlemagne_II]

Rayon

**It’s not atheist view that will prevent me or other to go to mass, it’s I want to entertain more and more. It’s all about entertainment. I am sorry. I hope they wake up soon and fight idoltry where it is. **

Well, there’s no doubt entertainment is on just about everybody’s mind. But ask yourself if the reason for that is that God is not on everybody’s mind. When the heart is emptied of God, it searches for other idols … and entertainment is certainly the most entertaining of idols.

 

[RayonGama]

So what would your solution be, OP? How should the Church fight this new “idol”?

Like they usualy do, sit analyse, talk about it. Get together bishops… why not some lay people too. Pray.

The gospel is so rich, they can come up with something that can serve everyone.

 

[edwest2]

It is chic to buy into the latest new idea. Many atheists become so because it is a new, shocking idea that seems more “intellectual” than religion (especially in a post literate society.)

It requires more effort to embrace atheism than to embrace time and mind wastage on Facebook, so at the moment, Facebook is probably more insidious. I would hesitate to use the word idolatry though.

ICXC NIKA

As someone who works in the publishing industry, what is “a post literate society.”?

Peace,
Ed

 

[GEddie]

As someone who works in the publishing industry, what is “a post literate society.”?

Peace,
Ed

One in which reading is valued less and less, and the written word goes off a cliff quality and truth wise.

The current society has chosen celebrity culture and Facebook over knowledge and wisdom.

ICXC NIKA