Guest Furball Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Why Atheism Is a Force for Good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fweethawt Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 This is the part that gets to me... "Most of all, faith keeps us from what’s real. The cosmos is beautiful enough as it is, deep enough as it is, glorious enough as it is; we need no small human fantasies to embellish it, nor a dusting of mythology to confer it all with meaning. The real story of how everything came to be and where we fit into the grand picture is more spectacular and awe-inspiring than any religion, and it has the virtue of being true. Embracing reality in all its fullness, unclouded by false hope or illusion, is the most profound of all the gifts that atheism has to offer the world." Religions keep people from ever realizing just how unspeakably and almost unimaginably awesome REAL reality is and the fact that we're here. Instead, they have a fake reverence for a fictional character that not only robs them of this realization, but is also detrimental to actual reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lycorth Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 This is the part that gets to me... "Most of all, faith keeps us from what’s real. The cosmos is beautiful enough as it is, deep enough as it is, glorious enough as it is; we need no small human fantasies to embellish it, nor a dusting of mythology to confer it all with meaning. The real story of how everything came to be and where we fit into the grand picture is more spectacular and awe-inspiring than any religion, and it has the virtue of being true. Embracing reality in all its fullness, unclouded by false hope or illusion, is the most profound of all the gifts that atheism has to offer the world." Religions keep people from ever realizing just how unspeakably and almost unimaginably awesome REAL reality is and the fact that we're here. Instead, they have a fake reverence for a fictional character that not only robs them of this realization, but is also detrimental to actual reality. Hear, hear! Fantasies and fiction are great, and essential things - but not as explanations for reality. Reality is sufficient to explain itself, and does a better job of it than make-believe. Especially when that make-believe encourages people to do harm to one another when the reality of reality is that we all get only one life that we know of, so we are all in this together, and letting make-believe and mythology divide us only ever causes harm to us all. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duderonomy Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 I started a thread once in the Den asking if atheism is a religion. Wow did I get educated about what atheism is. It's a conclusion. It's not a religion, a force for good, or a movement. The writer of that piece may want atheism to be an organized political movement for 'social justice' or some other type of church, but it just isn't. Atheism "has a gift to offer the world"? Really now? I can't wait to see the glorious gifts that aunicornism has to offer humanity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lycorth Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Atheism "has a gift to offer the world"? Really now? I can't wait to see the glorious gifts that aunicornism has to offer humanity. If unicornism were a dogmatic, fear-mongering, absurd, oppressive religion, aunicornism would offer the realization that unicornism is untrue and hence, freedom from unicornism. That is the gift atheism offers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duderonomy Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 I get it now. Two plus Two equals Four. Four is a force for good! Four has a gift to offer the world! It just seems to me that the author of the article has a skewed POV on what atheism is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midniterider Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 I started a thread once in the Den asking if atheism is a religion. Wow did I get educated about what atheism is. It's a conclusion. It's not a religion, a force for good, or a movement. The writer of that piece may want atheism to be an organized political movement for 'social justice' or some other type of church, but it just isn't. Atheism "has a gift to offer the world"? Really now? I can't wait to see the glorious gifts that aunicornism has to offer humanity. Atheism is 'merely' a lack of belief in God(s). Just ask Florduh. He'll tell ya. But then there's this: http://atheists.org/ "Since 1963, American Atheists has been taking the principled and uncompromising position that our government should give no special treatment or preference to religious belief. Through lawsuits, innovative public relations campaigns, and education, we are working to normalize atheism and allow more and more people to set aside religious belief and superstition." "Lawsuits, PR campaigns, education".... sounds more than 'simply' a lack of belief in Gods. Sounds like actively lobbying (evangelizing?). "Uncompromising position that Government should give no special treatment"....I'll call that political. Not that an atheist HAS to join any of the numerous atheist organizations like these http://www.atheismunited.com/wiki/Huge_list_of_atheist_agnostic_skeptic_humanist_websites and I do completely agree that atheism is not a religion.... but it IS becoming organized. Atheism is becoming more than a 'conclusion' ... it's a 501c non-profit. lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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