Comments on: A Good Year for Atheism http://flatwhite.net/2007/01/a-good-year-for-atheism/ Ponderings and Banter from New Zealand and abroad... Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:51:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: savvy http://flatwhite.net/2007/01/a-good-year-for-atheism/comment-page-1/#comment-21 savvy Tue, 30 Jan 2007 17:10:25 +0000 http://flatwhite.net/?p=18#comment-21 <p>o-o I too feel lucky to be without religion. I have to say though that I have met alot of happy religious people and exploitation and abuse exists everywhere regardless of religion - are you being a little harsh?</p> o-o I too feel lucky to be without religion. I have to say though that I have met alot of happy religious people and exploitation and abuse exists everywhere regardless of religion – are you being a little harsh?

]]> By: o-o http://flatwhite.net/2007/01/a-good-year-for-atheism/comment-page-1/#comment-20 o-o Mon, 29 Jan 2007 23:40:40 +0000 http://flatwhite.net/?p=18#comment-20 <p>I grew up in an agnostic household, and was a committed atheist at about age 10. I have never felt the lack of a higher power, the lack of purpose, the lack of eternal life or the lack of an absolute moral compass, because I have never had these things. I consider myself lucky in this.</p><p>The guilt and anxiety produced through theism produces endless adult suffering, and lays the ground for exploitation and abuse. </p><p></p> I grew up in an agnostic household, and was a committed atheist at about age 10. I have never felt the lack of a higher power, the lack of purpose, the lack of eternal life or the lack of an absolute moral compass, because I have never had these things. I consider myself lucky in this.

The guilt and anxiety produced through theism produces endless adult suffering, and lays the ground for exploitation and abuse.

]]> By: Matt http://flatwhite.net/2007/01/a-good-year-for-atheism/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Matt Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:37:28 +0000 http://flatwhite.net/?p=18#comment-19 <p>I think you're right Savvy. Atheism is unlikely to be the foundation of a new political ideology in itself (imagine the slogans though!) but it's damn useful at the moment to consolidate rational groups into a single counter-argument to belief-based political groups. At the moment it is all-too-easy for those groups to attack diverse areas of scientific and social progress simply by invoking their beliefs. The rational argument needs to focus on the source of those beliefs rather than responding to them in a piecemeal fashion according to the current issue of the day.</p><p>And once that is done Dawkins' metaphorical burka (I've got a copy of the book to lend) can be opened even wider.</p><p>FYI, Simon has started a <a href="http://www.flatwhite.net/display/ShowPost?moduleId=1022322&discussionId=17998&postId=187660" rel="nofollow">new discussion thread</a> on this over at <a href="http://www.flatwhite.net/flatwhite-banter/" rel="nofollow">FlatWhite Banter!</a> which anyone can contribute to.</p> I think you’re right Savvy. Atheism is unlikely to be the foundation of a new political ideology in itself (imagine the slogans though!) but it’s damn useful at the moment to consolidate rational groups into a single counter-argument to belief-based political groups. At the moment it is all-too-easy for those groups to attack diverse areas of scientific and social progress simply by invoking their beliefs. The rational argument needs to focus on the source of those beliefs rather than responding to them in a piecemeal fashion according to the current issue of the day.

And once that is done Dawkins’ metaphorical burka (I’ve got a copy of the book to lend) can be opened even wider.

FYI, Simon has started a new discussion thread on this over at FlatWhite Banter! which anyone can contribute to.

]]> By: savvy http://flatwhite.net/2007/01/a-good-year-for-atheism/comment-page-1/#comment-18 savvy Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:47:10 +0000 http://flatwhite.net/?p=18#comment-18 <p>I can see how Atheism can challenge those political viewpoints based on the absolutism of religion. <br/>I don't see how it can form the basis of a new political ideology. The communists use it as a tool to destroy the old ways of thinking so they can subsequently lay down new ideology.<br/>I see science theory as the new political movement - a substitute for the religious belief system.<br/>I'm keeping my eye on Environmental science - its my hit pick to sweep up the hearts and minds of humans once atheism has knifed religion.</p> I can see how Atheism can challenge those political viewpoints based on the absolutism of religion.
I don’t see how it can form the basis of a new political ideology. The communists use it as a tool to destroy the old ways of thinking so they can subsequently lay down new ideology.
I see science theory as the new political movement – a substitute for the religious belief system.
I’m keeping my eye on Environmental science – its my hit pick to sweep up the hearts and minds of humans once atheism has knifed religion.

]]>