Ok it's.... [Response] Atheism questions!

Bekenze

Hi everyone. I'm an atheist too. B5C's thread was closed, but as an atheist myself, I'd like to answer some of the questions from that thread. Just a heads up: an atheist is someone who doesn't believe in a deity (according the modern interpretation of the word). If you don't believe in a deity, then the term atheist fits you. Simple, really. If you take away all the social stigma of atheism, and all the baggage it holds, I'm sure many people who don't identify as atheists actually are. There are different forms of atheism, such as agnostic atheism (which most atheists are) and gnostic atheism (which most theists think atheists are).

Anyways:

Why are atheists often so defensive?

Most people that are part of the "New Atheism" trend typically come from backgrounds (neighborhoods, families, etc.) where theism was the norm, and anything not the norm was seen as bad. So, in turn, many theists were hostile (or at the least acted different than normally) to atheists after they came out as nonbelievers. In my life, people will act differently (in a negative manner) after they find out I am a non-Christian. It's easy to become defensive when stuff like that is a daily occurrence.

What do you call a Buddhist who doesn't believe in a God?

A Buddhist and an atheist.

What do you call a Buddhist who does believe in God?

A Buddhist and a theist.

Why do atheists tend to me more fervent than evangelicals?

Typically, New Atheists see the harm that religion can do in the world, and try to do their best to show the wrongs it can do. Yes, there are those who call themselves Christian or Muslim, but don't actually actively practice or believe what they claim to believe - those people aren't the problem. Nor are the moderates and liberals who practice their religion privately or without bothering anyone else. Religion can help those people with their personal problems or to give them a specified moral guideline... but those people aren't the problem. Its the people who are willfully are ignorant to science, rationality, and instill fear and shame in the hearts of youth and others. It's the people who tell their kids that if they aren't good and don't believe in Jesus (or Allah or any other deity) that they will burn for eternity in Hell. It's the people who say that demons and ghosts are real things to be afraid of. It's the people who shame others into hiding and subduing normal sexual urges. It's the people who want to change government to accommodate their opinionated world views. Its the people who want to change the school systems to preach religion. It's the people who want to ban homosexuality and pornography. It's the people who look down on others simply because they don't believe in a God or in a different God. Really, it's the Santorums of the world that is the problem. The thing is, I personally have seen many moderates fall into fundamentalism in the blink of the eye. Sometimes there's a fine line between the two.

As an atheist how can you tell right from wrong?

My parents instilled morals and ethics into me as a child, and I grew up in a relatively loving family. Thus, I took on the morals of my family and society as a child. As a grew older, I started to think for myself and developed my own framework of morals from a conglomerate of many things, including my emotions and feelings, different philosophies (including Buddhism), rationality/common sense, and the morals that I was brought up to believe. I do not need a god to tell me what to do.

As an atheist what’s your purpose in life?

I've been thinking about this a lot recently, as I'm still a youngin' compared to many of you here (of whom are in your 30's, 40's, 50's). Of course I think the meaning of life is subjective, although I think I've come to 3 things for myself: 1) Be happy (or without suffering?). 2) Make others happy. 3) Make the biggest positive impact on earth that I can with this one life that I know I have.

Why label yourself as an atheist?

If the shoe fits, why not?

In short: as an atheist what’s your excuse for being?

I'm afraid I don't understand this question. My excuse is that I was born... I guess? And I haven't died yet...?

As an atheist do you have all the answers?

Not a soul does.

As an atheist where will you find any answers at all?

Google is a good place to start. Eventually I'll probably end up on Wikipedia, though.

Do you agree the difference between "atheist" and "a theist" is not bigger than one space?

... Sure?

Why do some Atheists make fun of people for believing in God? Especially when their belief in God helps them live their life? I know this one guy a while ago, he was what people would call a "asshole". He stole stuff, treated people like crap,etc. Then he got sent to jail and when he was in jail, he was "born again" and found Jesus and god. After that, he stopped stealing stuff, stopped treating people like crap. He became a nice guy. What's wrong with that?

Would he be mad at you if you told him you weren't a Christian? Would he vote against people's rights due to his religious beliefs? Would he raise his kids to be afraid of "different" people and tell them that if they don't believe the same stuff he does that they will go to Hell? If not, then nothing is wrong with it and good for him.

Was Jesus Divine, or just a prophet and healer? Did he survive the Crucifixion, and if so, where did he go afterward?

I don't know.

Thanks for listening.

Zero

Thanks for sharing...

vinlyn

Why are atheists often so defensive?

Most people that are part of the "New Atheism" trend typically come from backgrounds (neighborhoods, families, etc.) where theism was the norm, and anything not the norm was seen as bad. So, in turn, many theists were hostile (or at the least acted different than normally) to atheists after they came out as nonbelievers. In my life, people will act differently (in a negative manner) after they find out I am a non-Christian. It's easy to become defensive when stuff like that is a daily occurrence.

...

Why do atheists tend to me more fervent than evangelicals?

Typically, New Atheists see the harm that religion can do in the world, and try to do their best to show the wrongs it can do. Yes, there are those who call themselves Christian or Muslim, but don't actually actively practice or believe what they claim to believe - those people aren't the problem. Nor are the moderates and liberals who practice their religion privately or without bothering anyone else. Religion can help those people with their personal problems or to give them a specified moral guideline... but those people aren't the problem. Its the people who are willfully are ignorant to science, rationality, and instill fear and shame in the hearts of youth and others. It's the people who tell their kids that if they aren't good and don't believe in Jesus (or Allah or any other deity) that they will burn for eternity in Hell. It's the people who say that demons and ghosts are real things to be afraid of. It's the people who shame others into hiding and subduing normal sexual urges. It's the people who want to change government to accommodate their opinionated world views. Its the people who want to change the school systems to preach religion. It's the people who want to ban homosexuality and pornography. It's the people who look down on others simply because they don't believe in a God or in a different God. Really, it's the Santorums of the world that is the problem. The thing is, I personally have seen many moderates fall into fundamentalism in the blink of the eye. Sometimes there's a fine line between the two.

As an atheist how can you tell right from wrong?

My parents instilled morals and ethics into me as a child, and I grew up in a relatively loving family. Thus, I took on the morals of my family and society as a child. As a grew older, I started to think for myself and developed my own framework of morals from a conglomerate of many things, including my emotions and feelings, different philosophies (including Buddhism), rationality/common sense, and the morals that I was brought up to believe. I do not need a god to tell me what to do.

As an atheist what’s your purpose in life?

I've been thinking about this a lot recently, as I'm still a youngin' compared to many of you here (of whom are in your 30's, 40's, 50's). Of course I think the meaning of life is subjective, although I think I've come to 3 things for myself: 1) Be happy (or without suffering?). 2) Make others happy. 3) Make the biggest positive impact on earth that I can with this one life that I know I have.

...

Why do some Atheists make fun of people for believing in God? Especially when their belief in God helps them live their life? I know this one guy a while ago, he was what people would call a "asshole". He stole stuff, treated people like crap,etc. Then he got sent to jail and when he was in jail, he was "born again" and found Jesus and god. After that, he stopped stealing stuff, stopped treating people like crap. He became a nice guy. What's wrong with that?

Would he be mad at you if you told him you weren't a Christian? Would he vote against people's rights due to his religious beliefs? Would he raise his kids to be afraid of "different" people and tell them that if they don't believe the same stuff he does that they will go to Hell? If not, then nothing is wrong with it and good for him.

Thanks for listening.

Thank you so much for the positive way you answered these questions.

A few comments:

I can see how people also act hostile toward atheists, which is equally as bad as atheists acting hostile. I have no problem whether one believes in God, or not. I do, but I am open-minded enough to know you could be right and I could be wrong on that!

I can see how religions have done great harm to the world in some cases. I can also see how they have done good. And I know that not all atheists do good in the world. But I do like the way you answered that part of the thread.

I am laughing a bit as I reread the section about how can you be moral if you are an atheist. I do think religions are responsible for the general moral codes in the world -- some good and some bad, but of course any individual can learn right or wrong with or without religion.

30's, 40's and 50's. What about us old codgers in our 60s?

I think I sort of agree on the implications of your last section above. THere's no reason, from my point of view, that atheists and theists can't respectfully disagree.

Again, thanks for your comments. I enjoyed reading them. You seem very reasonable.

ThailandTom

Do you believe in the deva or arahant out of curisoity Bekenze?

Bekenze

Do you believe in the deva or arahant out of curisoity Bekenze?

Deva, no. Arahant, probably.

ThailandTom

Fair enough, I wasn't clear on if you considered the deva to be deities or not. But respect to you for putting all of that energy into a non-controversial thread

shays860

Here's a question I've been wanting to ask an atheist for a while. Do you believe in anything "supernatural" at all? Esp for instance? For the sake of my curiosity I wish atheists in general (and thesists for that matter) would clarify their position a little more. And I worry that with a lot of them their atheism is primarily a reaction against Judeo-Christian monotheism and that if they grew up in a more tolerant religious setting (Taoism-Buddhism-Hinduism) they wouldn't, as you might could say, throw out the baby with the bath water... Hope that doesn't sound disrespectful in anyway, I have no less respect for atheists than anyone else.

Lady_Alison

Bêkenze!! That was great! (Virtual hugs) ...thank you!

Bekenze

Here's a question I've been wanting to ask an atheist for a while. Do you believe in anything "supernatural" at all? Esp for instance?

Unless I have had a first hand experience of something supernatural that couldn't be explained away by natural means and without a shadow of a doubt was real - then I would, but I haven't. Or I would if something supernatural like ESP was proven scientifically and was testable... but then it wouldn't be supernautral, but rather natural.

Dakini

Yes, that's the thing. It is natural.

Bekenze: read "Entangled Minds", by a physicist, or something. It catalogues all the scientific testing on psi phenomena.

ThailandTom

I have experienced telepathy, but that is my experience. By the way, I was going to start a thread on this, but I have started quite a few recently and it doesn't seem fair in a way t me to start more. But what would you define as an experience from a Buddhist perspective. You can look it up in the dictionary sure, but from an insightful look, what is it?

federica

@Bekenze, I don't know why you felt the need to open yet another thread on this.
I have, as promised to the OP in the last post of that thread, re-opened the other one.

Patience is a virtue... :rolleyes:

ThailandTom

@Bekenze, I don't know why you felt the need to open yet another thread on this.
I have, as promised to the OP in the last post of that thread, re-opened the other one.

Patience is a virtue... :rolleyes:

And a promise is a promise well kept. In thai, 'San-ya'

B5C

Sorry to steal, but I answered:
http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/15220/ok-it039s#Item_21

federica

Let's just have one thread on the go, ok?
everyone can refer here, but let's keep it to one place. It's tidier.

Many thanks.