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The atheist mom hero

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by warrrreagl, May 25, 2013.

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  1. Cayvmann

    Cayvmann Very Tilted

    Location:
    Central North Carolina
    Is it bad that I can't tell if this is a joke or not?
     
    Cayvmann, May 29, 2013
    #41
    • Like Like x 1
  2. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    I'm going to try to keep this simple so as to ensure there is no confusion. This isn't directed at anyone in particular, but it is important to this thread, and it is a reiteration of what TheSurgeOn said: There is no "atheist agenda."

    There are atheists (both individually and in groups) who have agendas, but there is no "atheist agenda" as such. Atheism is merely the rejection of or the absence of a belief in God or other deities. If you qualify that with anything else (say, the attempts to criticize or abolish religion), you've moved beyond basic atheism.

    The high-profile chip-on-the-shoulder atheists act as spokespersons or leaders of certain movements among atheists, but they are not speaking for all atheists by any stretch. One such movement is New Atheism, which posits that "religion should not simply be tolerated but should be countered, criticized, and exposed by rational argument wherever its influence arises." That is a specific position taken by certain atheists and does not define what an atheist is.

    Atheism is not like Christianity in that there are core precepts underneath seemingly countless denominations. Atheism is simply "I don't believe in the existence of gods." Beyond that, you're getting into other beliefs and philosophies. In order to understand anything meaningful in terms of agendas, morals, or beliefs, it is essential to look past the atheism. These things are not inherent in the atheism itself.
     
    Last edited: May 29, 2013
    Baraka_Guru, May 29, 2013
    #42
  3. Spiritsoar

    Spiritsoar Slightly Tilted

    Location:
    New York
    I suppose it's true that there is no "atheist agenda" in the same way that there is no "homosexual agenda" (a term that keeps popping up in a debate I'm involved in elsewhere.) But much as being homosexual would tend to make you dislike those who treat those of different sexualities poorly, I think at a certain level of introspection, being an atheist would tend to look at all the bigotry and mistreatment caused by religion, and wonder "Why?" To be fair though, the negatives or religion are emphasized in the media far more than the positives.
     
    Spiritsoar, May 29, 2013
    #43
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  4. cynthetiq

    cynthetiq Administrator Staff Member Donor

    Location:
    New York City
    Well yeah, my black friends all wonder who voted Al Sharpton to speak on their behalf. They want him to sit down and STFU.
     
    cynthetiq, May 29, 2013
    #44
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  5. Joniemack

    Joniemack Beta brainwaves in session

    Location:
    Reading, UK


    At least he lost weight and looks a hell of a lot better when he's shoving himself in front of a camera now.
    --- merged: May 29, 2013 at 5:59 PM ---
    Of course there's no atheist agenda. The absence of belief in a creator deity is just that, the absence of belief in a creator deity. It is not what drives the so called "atheist agenda" to rid the world of religion or religious intolerance or whatever ill is deemed to be caused by religion. What drives this agenda is a politically and socially active mindset. I know plenty of Christians who look at the bigotry and mistreatment of others caused by their own religion and work diligently to stamp it out. Christians who fully support the separation of church and state.

    My atheism is a non-issue. It would exist in a void were it not for the insistence of religion that it hold a mirror up to me. If anything would cause me to discourage the ill effects of religion, it would be my humanism, not the absence of a belief in God.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 5, 2013
    Joniemack, May 29, 2013
    #45
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