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

[Sleepy]

Might as well just go about my life..

yeah, nothing positive then

Oh, life? That's some negative **** right there man. You need yourself some reeeligiyoooon, brother!

 

[Akhenaten]

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

No, that's where I started

Well.
Here you are.

You mean "There you are." No way am I where you are.

What do you do now?

Whatever I feel like, mostly

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

Let's not. I have no interest in any such thing. Stupidity is its own punishment - why would I interfere?

Ok. Then what?

I'll die

What can you do that is positive?

In most people's opinion, as above.

Are there any specifically atheist 'values'?

No.

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

Yes

(I don't think I've heard of any. Whereas religious charities there are thousands.)

Read more. Believe less.

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

Nothing

Preferably positive.

I'm absolutely positive.

 

[Upchurch]

What religious affiliation is the Red Cross?

the clue is in the question

I haven't read the entire thread, but has this truely uninformed response been addressed?

The Red Cross was started in Switzerland. The name and its symbol comes from a reversal of the Swiss flag's colors. It is not a Christian affiliated organization. Or with any religion, for that matter.

If you are looking for a secular non-religious charity, the Red Cross is one of the best.

 

[Fitter]

First, let's leave the ACLU out of it. The ACLU is not an atheistic organization. They defend civil liberties for all, including Christians:
http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=26128
http://web.archive.org/web/20050308...a.org/Issues/freespeech/News-SpokTransit.html
http://www.aclu.org/religion/schools/20174prs20050920.html

DOC can never leave the ACLU out of it. Next we'll hear from the famous historian Suetonius how Elvis was one of the disciples or some such thing. Please don't do anything to discourage his belief though, as it appears that his fear of eternal damnation is the only thing keeping the rest of us safe.

 

[Abdul Alhazred]

Atheism is neither a comprehensive philosophy of life, nor the absence thereof. Nor an epistemological or ontological position such as "materialism".

Atheism means not being gullible about one particular thing.

 

[Ichneumonwasp]

Exclusive materialism. A materialism which denies the possibility of supposedly non physically verifiable entities like souls, gods, God, demons etc..
I am speaking to this forum, and my experience of this forum is that every atheist I have spoken to or read has been an exclusive materialist.

Then you need to read more closely. What you have experienced is not materialism but monism. The denial of the "non-physical" does not derive from an exclusive reliance on "materialism" (whatever that is) but on the incoherence of dualism.

Would you like to defend dualism? I, for one, would be very interested to hear how dualism could work when closely examined. So, launch away.

 

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

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

Exactly the same things I did after I stopped believing in the Easter Bunny. And the same things I plan to do after I stop believing in the invisible pink hamster orbiting Neptune.

~~ Paul

 

[H'ethetheth]

Is that inspired by your atheism, or would you have done that anyway?

In other words, we learn the following:

- Atheist does something good: Atheist would have done so anyway, and is not inspired by atheism.
- Atheist does something bad: Atheist has no morals, and is therefore inspired by his atheism.

How does this work for theists?

- Theist does something good: Theist has theistic morals, and is therefore inspired by his theism.
- Theist does something bad: Theist would have done so anyway, and is not inspired by theism.

From this of course follows that:

a) Theism is good.
b) Atheism is bad.

Also,

- 500 g chicken breast, diced
- 500 g mie noodles
- 800 g broccoli, in bits
- garlic to taste
- 1 onion, diced finely
- 1 generous amount Kechap Manis (sweet soy sauce)
- 2 dollops Thai sweet chilli sauce
- 125 ml crème fraiche
- curry powder
- Sambal Ulek
- some vegetable oil

Brown the chicken breast, garlic and onion in vegetable oil, add chilli sauce, stir for a while until it gets hot, add Kechap and Broccoli, and stir. Put a lid on the wok and let it simmer until the broccoli are cooked to taste. In the mean while, prepare the mie noodles according to the instructions no doubt supplied with the noodles. Season the chicken mixture with more Kechap, sambal and curry powder to taste. Add the creme fraiche, et Bon appétit!

 

[JoeEllison]

This sort of negative thread tells us much more about plumjam than I think he means to let on. Clearly, his life is empty and meaningless, and only religion keeps him from killing himself. He has little interest in helping other people, and projects that feeling onto atheists. His intentional misunderstandings and projections allow him to avoid examining his own life.

He's had all of this explained to him before. He isn't stupid, so clearly he's having a bad week, and is looking to prop up his own emotional state by pretending that he has more in his life by being a theist, because of his claim that atheists have less. It is pretty pathetic, and we should all feel a little bit sorry for him.

 

[tumnus]

what a nasty, mean-spirited and spiteful thread.

It shows off the last desperate throw of someone trying to argue with a theist agenda, then getting some stabs in. for example, evolution can't be true, it must be god, else how horrible the world would be. (that's not a strawman but an actual argument i've heard)

The most inspiring quote to me was from Carl Sagan, talking of Kepler: "he prefered the truth, even if it was uncomfortable, to his most cherished fantasies or hopes" (paraphrased cos I dont want to dig it up just yet)

So what if there is a god? To me it doesnt really answer any of my questions, just let's someone else worry about them while I try hard to serve him. Its not so much an answer to my problems as much as an opiate, stopping me thinking about it. Which I admit, some people do need.

So what if there is no god, looking out for you? Well, there's not much you can do about it, is there? Best stop whining about it, grow some 'cohones', and act like a man. I was born with a spinal tumour which nearly crippled me, I don't whine about it. Just play the cards that are dealt.

*hmmm, i'm reminded of The Godfather, when Marlon Brando admonishes the singer Johnny Fontaine*

 

[jjramsey]

When Hemant Mehta had his "motivational poster contest," my contribution (attached) had the slogan "Atheism: Sometimes you got to knock stuff down before you build things up." Of course, atheism by itself is negative, but atheism is just a clearing out of certain false beliefs that can get in the way of correctly understanding the world around us. Bulldozers are "negative" in a sense, too, but they are often necessary for construction.

 

[Eskarina]

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.

Yes, here I am. Hello!

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.

Rescue humans from stupidity? I'm not Sisyphos.

Ok. Then what?

What can you do that is positive?

Continue with my work and my life? I'm just saying, you know...

Are there any specifically atheist 'values'?

Are there any speffic values at 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's to stop someone from going to a senior citizen's home and spend a day with one of the old folks there? Picking up litter? Donating money to AI? And what does that have to do with religion?

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

I'll continue doing my work in adult aducation and enjoy the fact that religion doesn't come into it.

 

[blobru]

I used to be able to pick up some great recipes in threads like this one. What's up guys??

take:
one half-pint theist

stir in:
two-bits semi-sweet chocolate guru
several tonnes spiritual superiority derived therefrom
one dose delusion whatever feelings of emptiness and self-loathing led you to guru / God must be universal

strain fragile ego yolks
beat until tender & spongey

fill void with goo
half-bake
frost with "love"
project onto others

... voilà ...
1 divine OP!

 

[DanishDynamite]

take:
one half-pint theist

stir in:
two-bits semi-sweet chocolate guru
several tonnes spiritual superiority derived therefrom
one dose delusion whatever feelings of emptiness and self-loathing led you to guru / God must be universal

strain fragile ego yolks
beat until tender & spongey

fill void with goo
half-bake
frost with "love"
project onto others

... voilà ...
1 divine OP!

Almost as idiotic as Ignoring someone, is posting ******** posts on a thread.

 

[Ichneumonwasp]

This sort of negative thread tells us much more about plumjam than I think he means to let on. Clearly, his life is empty and meaningless, and only religion keeps him from killing himself. He has little interest in helping other people, and projects that feeling onto atheists. His intentional misunderstandings and projections allow him to avoid examining his own life.

He's had all of this explained to him before. He isn't stupid, so clearly he's having a bad week, and is looking to prop up his own emotional state by pretending that he has more in his life by being a theist, because of his claim that atheists have less. It is pretty pathetic, and we should all feel a little bit sorry for him.

I usually don't like taking such an approach, but after reading this thread I think I have to say, "Spot on". It is pretty pathetic, especially since this has all been explained to him repeatedly.

ETA:

To which he is likely to respond, "Oh, how typical of all those atheists, negativity, negativity, negativity."

Plumjam, please examine the beam in your own eye.

 

[ohp]

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?

Devoid of all morals, and unguided by a book of truth, I rampage the earth, causing pain and suffering to my fellow man - inflicting malicious acts on people, such as cutting a hand off someone who stole from me, stoning my adulterous wife, and letting my injured children die for want of a blood transfusion. I persuade people that condoms are laced with HIV, so they should have unprotected sex, and I spend none of the money I was given to relieve the pain of the dying, because I get a kick out of pain and suffering.

Only kidding, I don't think I could be that malicious!

 

[JoeEllison]

I usually don't like taking such an approach, but after reading this thread I think I have to say, "Spot on". It is pretty pathetic, especially since this has all been explained to him repeatedly.

ETA:

To which he is likely to respond, "Oh, how typical of all those atheists, negativity, negativity, negativity."

Plumjam, please examine the beam in your own eye.

It isn't as though I much enjoy it either... but at some point, you have to realize that not everyone views the world in the same way that you do. For instance, if you were to ask the questions that plumjam asks, it would be because you actually want an answer. You would listen to the answers, take them as serious and honest answers, and try to gain some knowledge from it. He is just asking so that he can bash atheists and make himself feel more complete by calling atheists less than him. If you conduct yourself with him as though he shares your motives, you'll get nothing but frustrated.

By the same token, plumjam could use a lesson in seeing things from another person's perspective. He has a giant hole in his life, that he fills with religion. He seems to be asking how atheists can live with that gaping abyss in themselves, without religion to fill it. He doesn't understand that, at least for many atheists, that hole simply doesn't exist. We don't need to find something to fill a hole that we don't have.

 

[Arkan_Wolfshade]

. . . And the same things I plan to do after I stop believing in the invisible pink hamster orbiting Neptune.

~~ Paul

That's just crazy talk.

 

[Ichneumonwasp]

It isn't as though I much enjoy it either... but at some point, you have to realize that not everyone views the world in the same way that you do. For instance, if you were to ask the questions that plumjam asks, it would be because you actually want an answer. You would listen to the answers, take them as serious and honest answers, and try to gain some knowledge from it. He is just asking so that he can bash atheists and make himself feel more complete by calling atheists less than him. If you conduct yourself with him as though he shares your motives, you'll get nothing but frustrated.

By the same token, plumjam could use a lesson in seeing things from another person's perspective. He has a giant hole in his life, that he fills with religion. He seems to be asking how atheists can live with that gaping abyss in themselves, without religion to fill it. He doesn't understand that, at least for many atheists, that hole simply doesn't exist. We don't need to find something to fill a hole that we don't have.

Excellent points.

 

[calebprime]

Almost as idiotic as Ignoring someone, is posting ******** posts on a thread.

Can't you give us a tasty Danish recipe?

also, what 8-letter word did you intend here?

meshugah?