So you're an atheist. Ok, what next?

[plumjam]

Let's say you've lived at least a couple of decades, you've examined the options, and you've arrived at atheism.

Well.
Here you are.

What do you do now?
Let's say you then spend a few years trying to rescue other humans from what you (not they) regard as stupidity.

Ok. Then what?

What can you do that is positive?
Are there any specifically atheist 'values'?
Are there any specifically atheist charities that endeavour to improve the plight of individuals?
(I don't think I've heard of any. Whereas religious charities there are thousands.)

Well, it's up to you. What next?
Preferably positive.

 

[Silly Green Monkey]

Might as well just go about my life, without wasting energy on going to church or draining my bank accounts to pay for a new sound system.

 

[plumjam]

Might as well just go about my life, without wasting energy on going to church or draining my bank accounts to pay for a new sound system.

yeah, nothing positive then

 

[skoob]

Are there any specifically atheist 'values'?

No, of course not. Being atheist means lack of theist beliefs. Nothing more. Asking for atheist values is like asking about foreign culture. Do foreigners celebrate Christmas? If so, what kind of food do they eat? Make sure to give an answer that applies to all foreign cultures (i.e. every culture except your own).

The only thing you can be sure that two atheists have "in common" is that they lack a belief in gods. The only thing you can be sure that that two foreigners have "in common" is that they don't share your nationality. If you realise this, the answers to all of the questions you posed should be evident.

 

[plumjam]

No, of course not. Being atheist means lack of theist beliefs. Nothing more. Asking for atheist values is like asking about foreign culture. Do foreigners celebrate Christmas? If so, what kind of food do they eat? Make sure to give an answer that applies to all foreign cultures (i.e. every culture except your own).

The only thing you can be sure that two atheists have "in common" is that they lack a belief in gods. The only thing you can be sure that that two foreigners have "in common" is that they don't share your nationality. If you realise this, the answers to all of the questions you posed should be evident.

so it's basically an emptiness, a nothingness

 

[m_huber]

If you live your life for a purpose, and that purpose is grounded in a lie, then have you made good use of your life? Arguably, there is no truly good endeavor. Medicine only delays the inevitable. Death will come to all beings, to all species, and even to the universe. Belief in some form of higher power or afterlife is an attempt to make life meaningful. However, if no deity exists, then those who believe in that deity are certainly doing nothing to "make the world a better place." I find meaning and purpose in simply enjoying the world as it actually is. I am much less confused and disturbed by the world than I was when I still believed in God.

"Rescuing others" is not what atheism is about. Atheism is simply a lack of belief in a deity. Many religions attempt to "rescue" the "perishing," but atheists have no dogma comparable to the Great Commission. Some do choose to actively convert believers to non-belief (Randi and Dawkins immediately come to mind), but that is a personal choice.

I would suggest that Daniel Dennett, Thomas Hobbes, Immanuel Kant, Frederick Neitche, and numerous other famous and well-educated philosophers have already answered your question with regard to values. Your library probably has a nice section on atheism.

 

[Graham Ross]

Let's say you've lived at least a couple of decades, you've examined the options, and you've arrived at the conclusion that Santa doesn't exist.

Well.
Here you are.

What do you do now?
Let's say you then spend a few years trying to rescue other humans from what you (not they) regard as stupidity.

Ok. Then what?

What can you do that is positive?
Are there any specifically asantaist 'values'?
Are there any specifically asantaist charities that endeavour to improve the plight of individuals?[/QUOTE]

 

[plumjam]

Let's say you've lived at least a couple of decades, you've examined the options, and you've arrived at the conclusion that Santa doesn't exist.

Well.
Here you are.

What do you do now?
Let's say you then spend a few years trying to rescue other humans from what you (not they) regard as stupidity.

Ok. Then what?

What can you do that is positive?
Are there any specifically asantaist 'values'?
Are there any specifically asantaist charities that endeavour to improve the plight of individuals?

[/QUOTE]

as I expected, entirely negative

 

[plumjam]

Arguably, there is no truly good endeavor.

Folks, this is where atheism, taken to its extreme, leads you.

Really, need I say any more?

 

[86kam]

you've arrived at atheism.

Well.
Here you are.

What do you do now?

Live life to it's fullest, make the best of your genetic lottery winning..

Let's say you then spend a few years trying to rescue other humans from what you (not they) regard as stupidity.
Ok. Then what?

Why do you characterize atheists as some kind of crusader type? Most atheists I know are merely concerned with truth and facts. How many atheist missionaries do you know?

What can you do that is positive?

I help, or try and help someone everyday... that's what I do that's positive.. no god required.

Are there any specifically atheist 'values'?

Like a set of rules such as laid out in the bible?? I don't think so. You seem to be making the error of equating atheism with some kind of belief system, morality, or philosophy. I think It isn't. Atheism, at it's kernel, is lack of belief in a deity, pointe finale, that's it, that's all.

Are there any specifically atheist charities that endeavour to improve the plight of individuals?
(I don't think I've heard of any. Whereas religious charities there are thousands.)

What religious affiliation is the Red Cross? UNICEF?

 

[lupus_in_fabula]

Let's say you've lived at least a couple of decades, you've examined the options, and you've arrived at atheism.

Well.
Here you are.

What do you do now?
Let's say you then spend a few years trying to rescue other humans from what you (not they) regard as stupidity.

Ok. Then what?

What can you do that is positive?
Are there any specifically atheist 'values'?
Are there any specifically atheist charities that endeavour to improve the plight of individuals?
(I don't think I've heard of any. Whereas religious charities there are thousands.)

Well, it's up to you. What next?
Preferably positive.

Humanism, if you like.

 

[Graham Ross]

Are there any specifically atheist charities that endeavour to improve the plight of individuals?
I don't think I've heard of any.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Now you have.

 

[plumjam]

Live life to it's fullest, make the best of your genetic lottery winning..

do you remember entering a lotter before birth? no. thus it was not a thing of chance.

Why do you characterize atheists as some kind of crusader type? Most atheists I know are merely concerned with truth and facts.

being concerned with truth and facts does not necessitate atheism, so that is not a plausible atheist characteristic

How many atheist missionaries do you know?

we hear about them all the time on this forum, and they're admired by the majority.. such as Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris etc..

I help someone everyday... that's what I do that's positive.. no god required.

sure, but I bet becoming atheist did not in any way help you in this regard

Like a set of rules such as laid out in the bible?? I don't think so. You seem to be making the error of equating atheism with some kind of belief system

of course it's a belief system, commonly it's a belief in exclusive materialism

Atheism, at it's kernel, is lack of belief in a deity, pointe finale, that's it, that's all.

sorry, but that's just naive. Lack of belief in certain things, such as the spiritual, commonly promotes beliefs and values based on a world view based on their opposite.. i.e. materialism

What religious affiliation is the Red Cross?

the clue is in the question

UNICEF?

that's an intergovernmental organisation covering all nations, with their varying religions, so it couldn't be religious
it's not exactly a charity as the term is commonly used

 

[plumjam]

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Now you have.

does that derive it's identity or inspiration from atheism?

 

[plumjam]

Humanism, if you like.

what are the great contributions of humanism to humanity?

 

[Tricky]

Let's say you've lived at least a couple of decades, you've examined the options, and you've arrived at atheism.

Well.
Here you are.

What do you do now?

Continue with my life.

Let's say you then spend a few years trying to rescue other humans from what you (not they) regard as stupidity.

Ok. Then what?

I continue to live, love, create, laugh, cry, give, accept, enjoy... in short, just about everything you do.

What can you do that is positive?

Lots of stuff. Did you see that thread the The Atheist started to help a fellow forumite down on their luck?

As for myself, I am fairly active in social causes, especially environmentalism. I write my congresscritters. I teach. As it turns out, my family requires a good deal of help from time to time, so I spend a lot of effort on that. What sort of positive things are you looking for?

Are there any specifically atheist 'values'?

No. Values are values. It doesn't matter where you get them from. Mine are probably similar to yours, except the one where you try to perpetuate your choice of myths. I don't spend a lot of time on that one.

Are there any specifically atheist charities that endeavour to improve the plight of individuals?

No. The charities I give to are, for the most part. secular, not atheist. I even occasionally give money or time to religious charities, though I try to be sure the money is not used to proselytize. A lot of the things I do are for environmental causes, but I also help out when there are disasters. I spent many hours helping the victims of Katrina.

But I don't do any of it in mercenary hopes of some reward from God. I do it because it is the right thing to do and because I love people.

Are there any specifically atheist charities that endeavour to improve the plight of individuals?

Not many. They aren't as interested in self-promotion as religious charities are. Most atheists simply do their good deeds without advertising atheism. We have nothing to sell.

Well, it's up to you. What next?
Preferably positive.

I'll continue doing what I'm doing. If there's a flaw in my methods, perhaps you could point it out to me.

 

[skoob]

so it's basically an emptiness, a nothingness

Kind of. The word "atheist" doesn't say anything about a persons beliefs, values or hair colour. All it means is lack of one particular belief. An atheist might believe in absolutely nothing or they might believe in absolutely everything except for deities.

The word "atheist" only makes sense from a theist perspective. If there were no theists, there would be no reason to point out that a person lacks theist beliefs. Calling someone "non-Nepalese" only makes sense from a Nepalese perspective. It is only useful to distinguish people from Nepal from everybody else. In some situations it might be useful to consider people as either Nepalese or not -- if you are discussing things that are unique for Nepalese people. However, being non-Nepalese doesn't really say anything about a person except for their lack of Nepalese nationality. If Nepal didn't exist, there would be no non-Nepalese people.

 

[SezMe]

Well, it's up to you. What next?
Preferably positive.

Try to leave the world a little better off than when I arrived. However you want to measure "better".

Which, speaking of "better", is far, far "better" than trying to proselytize some poor sods into thinking that playing a harp forever is a good thing.

 

[Graham Ross]

does that derive it's identity or inspiration from atheism?

Well it is a secular charity. And Bill Gates is an atheist. So, yes.

 

[plumjam]

Continue with my life.


I continue to live, love, create, laugh, cry, give, accept, enjoy... in short, just about everything you do.


Lots of stuff. Did you see that thread the The Atheist started to help a fellow forumite down on their luck?

As for myself, I am fairly active in social causes, especially environmentalism. I write my congresscritters. I teach. As it turns out, my family requires a good deal of help from time to time, so I spend a lot of effort on that. What sort of positive things are you looking for?


No. Values are values. It doesn't matter where you get them from. Mine are probably similar to yours, except the one where you try to perpetuate your choice of myths. I don't spend a lot of time on that one.


No. The charities I give to are, for the most part. secular, not atheist. I even occasionally give money or time to religious charities, though I try to be sure the money is not used to proselytize. A lot of the things I do are for environmental causes, but I also help out when there are disasters. I spent many hours helping the victems of Katrina.

But I don't do any of it in mercenary hopes of some reward from God. I do it because it is the right thing to do and because I love people.


Not many. They aren't as interested in self-promotion as religious charities are. Most atheists simply do their good deed without advertising atheism. We have nothing to sell.


I'll continue doing what I'm doing. If there's a flaw in my methods, perhaps you could point it out to me.

That's all fine.. but none of that, as far as I can see, is derived from a belief in atheism, rather it's derived from you examining your conscience as any decent theist would do also.
Atheism does not encourage mankind to see equal value in our fellow beings, yet theism does, quite insistently.
Atheism remains silent on the matter, as it does on so many other important issues.
Thus those who are atheists will be less likely to be regularly exposed to the positive moral exhortations typical of theism.
That doesn't mean any individual atheist is bound to be more immoral, but the general influence will be in that direction.