Make that " ways of avoiding seeing the world"
Meh. Different visuals. Not avoidance.
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Make that " ways of avoiding seeing the world"
Eh, this is oversimplifying a tad. Atheism is always a reaction against the surrounding cultural environment, specifically the prevailing theologies. Because of how religion in the West became dominated by institutional religion, atheism in the West is also a reaction against institutionalized religion. Part of that reaction involves formulation of one's own creeds, ideas, and institutions... which at the end of the day is pretty analogous in form and function to those you find in theistic religions.
But there isn’t a single creed, idea, or institution for atheists to follow. Anyone is an atheist if they don’t believe in God. An atheist can be a secular humanist, a nihilist, an objectivist, a laveyan satanist, or a dog or a newborn baby. One could be an atheist and adhere to Christian principles.Eh, this is oversimplifying a tad. Atheism is always a reaction against the surrounding cultural environment, specifically the prevailing theologies. Because of how religion in the West became dominated by institutional religion, atheism in the West is also a reaction against institutionalized religion. Part of that reaction involves formulation of one's own creeds, ideas, and institutions... which at the end of the day is pretty analogous in form and function to those you find in theistic religions.
Biologically, of course, but not behaviourially
For being free-thinkers!
Then there would be no such things as "atheists" it wouldn't exist as a category of humans, clearly it is, if you can speak of "atheists", if you use that actual word and concept
Seems very much like a religion to me
Then how come on RF some atheists fill in their "religion" as "atheist"?????
There are different ways of behaving, for different kinds of humanBehaviour does not define human
As regards content, yesthey are complete opposite.
So, there's a "we"?????Of course we can always leave it blank
There are different ways of behaving, for different kinds of human
And there are different kinds of human even though there is a shared humanity
There are different ways of behaving, for different kinds of human
And there are different kinds of human even though there is a shared humanity
As regards content, yes
Sociologically Atheism functions as a tribe
So, there's a "we"?????
Sounds tribal to me
Yes and different populations behave differently - according to cultureHuman is a species, not a behavioural trait
Which is a pretty big and important thing which marks atheists as being separate from others, which makes them a distinct social group as they differ from the mainstream...there is nothing except disbelief in gods that binds atheists togethe
You used the word "we" to refer to all the RF Atheists, I'm sorry but that is inescapably tribalIt would, good for your confirmation bias
I think there is some truth in this. Each religious tradition seems to capture something of what it is to relate to the world as a human. A religion is an expression of the world looking at itself through a human lens - if you'll excuse my attempt at being a little bit poetic.Diffrent religions are simply different ways of being human.
Discuss.
Atheism has been used to do that
Look at Stalinist USSR or China
Atheism has been used to hold together totalitarian societies
And I would argue that Atheism is tribal, that it constitutes a tribe
It functions just like any religion
No, far too simplistic. Humans are a eusocial species, with the special (and contradictory) capacity to default from eusociality for entirely individual purposes. Our eusocialiaty may lead towards some tribalistic behaviours, but our individuality permits us to look for opportunities that arise from betraying our tribe for our personal gain.Aren't humans inherently tribal, by nature???
Diffrent religions are simply different ways of being human.
Discuss.
I or no one i know is reacting, i simply do not believe in gods, end of my atheist story.
But there isn’t a single creed, idea, or institution for atheists to follow. Anyone is an atheist if they don’t believe in God. An atheist can be a secular humanist, a nihilist, an objectivist, a laveyan satanist, or a dog or a newborn baby. One could be an atheist and adhere to Christian principles.
I always did think that “apatheist” was a useless label. “Apolitical” is useful because politics is a pop topic. Someone without concern for theology, however, would likely just flat out ignore the questions.Let me use a different word then - it's countercultural. Do you disagree that atheism is countercultural (that is, a reaction against the mainstream culture)? Given human cultures throughout history have been utterly dominated by non-atheists I'm not sure how atheism can be anything other than counterculture. It's not like counterculture or being a reaction against dominant culture is bad, if that's where your brain was going. I myself am part of a countercultural religious demographic.
I don't process how any of this is a problem in understanding that atheism, in some cases, ends up looking very analogous in form and function to religion in a person's life. Labels don't much matter to me, though. I look at what an idea is doing in people's lives - how it shapes their identities, their practices, their sense of community. If the (a)theism question is really unimportant to someone's life, would a term like apathiest make more sense? Bah, labels. Superficialities that oversimplify the substance of people's lives. So annoying sometimes.
Let me use a different word then - it's countercultural. Do you disagree that atheism is countercultural (that is, a reaction against the mainstream culture)? Given human cultures throughout history have been utterly dominated by non-atheists I'm not sure how atheism can be anything other than counterculture. It's not like counterculture or being a reaction against dominant culture is bad, if that's where your brain was going. I myself am part of a countercultural religious demographic.
I don't process how any of this is a problem in understanding that atheism, in some cases, ends up looking very analogous in form and function to religion in a person's life. Labels don't much matter to me, though. I look at what an idea is doing in people's lives - how it shapes their identities, their practices, their sense of community. If the (a)theism question is really unimportant to someone's life, would a term like apathiest make more sense? Bah, labels. Superficialities that oversimplify the substance of people's lives. So annoying sometimes.
Diffrent religions are simply different ways of being human.
Discuss.
Just as much as being a member of a particular country might be too (with appropriate language probably), or in having any particular political affiliation, or in having any specific moral beliefs or lack of such, amongst other things, and the mix of these might be more important than any one standing out as being 'ways of being human'. And, like so many of these factors, religion is often just another way to separate peoples when it might become the defining characteristic - one example being Islam in certain countries.Diffrent religions are simply different ways of being human.
Discuss.
Let me use a different word then - it's countercultural. Do you disagree that atheism is countercultural (that is, a reaction against the mainstream culture)?
Yes i disagree. An atheist is simply someone who does not believe in gods
There is a lot more to culture than god belief.
There's also a lot more to culture than the status of women, but that doesn't mean feminism wasn't countercultural for it's day. I don't understand your perspective here, but if you wish to ascribe far less cultural significance to atheism than I do, I suppose that's your right.
Most atheists ascribe no meaning to atheism and get something of a chuckle out of it when others brand them with their own beliefs about atheism.