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Atheist "repression"
Rabmudtz
New
Hello people, a while back I saw a post about people getting angered by christians, and I'm sure the same goes for all the other major religions (and minor ones) for quite a few in here. However, I'd like to point out (note: for no other sake than to get more sides of the story) that "even" atheists do the same thing. I live in Sweden right now, but have been around abit, notably in the middle-east where I experienced the same dogmatic approach to atheism/non-deitism that I think many here have found all over the place. Well, Sweden is VERY atheistic, very few people are active in religious practices and following a religion at all. The place is on the angry side of youtube hailed as a modern utopia where the 'repression' of religion can finally be cast off. Anyhow, what I find is that people are just as intolerant here as in the more conventionally religious areas I've been to (and many other places I'm sure) but towards religious people. I find it abit sad that even though they're not blindly "under the thumb" of a (sometimes) dogmatic institution that claims to always have the moral authority, they are exactly the same in their manners and style, but just believe in different things. Has anybody here felt the same? I don't mean to go anywhere with this really, just felt like sharing my thoughts with everybody here.
6
Comments
The problem for many is the damage done by crazy belief systems wether political, religious or pseudo scientific, such as voluntary trepanation . . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trepanning
http://www.noah.org/trepan/people_with_holes_in_their_heads.html
Perhaps I'm too tired to be reading this now and I apologize if I am making this more complicated than it is.
Can the following be put in other words?
"The place is on the angry side of youtube hailed as a modern utopia where the 'repression' of religion can finally be cast off."
I predominantly watch the local government run TV station (very left wing) and shows on their constantly belittle religion and treat it as a joke.
I even got a mouthful from an atheist in the CBD because of my jade Buddha I was wearing. It was very satisfying to point out to him that:
A) Buddha was a man
C) Buddhists don't worship "The Buddha"
D) Buddhism is actually non-theistic in its teachings.
I confess to add insult to injury, I pointed him in the direction of Borders (this was a few years before they closed in the Pitt St Mall) and told him to peruse the Buddhist section, that he would find under the Philosophy section.
On the one hand, I'm surrounded by Christians almost always of a very conservative variety-- so if you aren't with them, then you're against them. If instead they are of a more "spiritual but not religious" bent, then they seem to buy into a lot of woo stuff without seeming to have a good grasp on science. And then, what few atheists I have encountered in the southern US, they are very reactionary and seem to support scientism and don't see any value in any "spiritual" practices whatsoever.
What they ALL have in common is the refusal to question themselves and stick to a very un-nuanced, downright manichean view on things. It is possible to be "spiritual" without having recourse to "supernatural," but this occurs to very few people. In order to do so, it requires a good deal of self-reflection and hard work on oneself rather than taking what has been handed to them and simply AGREEING with a particular position.
I think its for that reason I've gotten tired of the nice boxes we make for ourselves, such as "theist," "atheist," and even "agnostic." These identities (as well as the identity "Buddhist") are not sufficient for any kind of self-examination or growth. None of these identities do justice to human experience because it relies on assenting to something "out there" which simply has to be confirmed to exist (or not exist). This is a sad state of affairs.
But most people remain satisfied with a hand-me-down theism or a hand-me-down atheism. Or they opt for "agnosticism" which is still based on the notion of empirical proof of something "out there" which, if known, would resolve the issue. All this makes it very difficult to communicate with others beyond small talk without running into brick walls. Most people like quick answers, not more nuanced ways of articulating experience.
Why is it that anyones certainty in any ism really sounds like uncertainty to my ears?
/Victor
I have nothing against people being outspoken, I just think it makes such a big difference when somebody says "I think that everybody should...." instead of "Everybody has to....". The distancing of the belief/ opinion from the person's... well, person, makes a huge difference when discussing opinions and viewpoints to me, that's all, good night for now everybody!
I neither believe or not believe in a deity, as it doesn't stop my suffering in any way.
I find non Buddhist atheists in general very dismissive of any form of spirituality and so tend to cling to the material world and its trappings.
Even though I tend to believe in the law of universal causation, and do not recognise the idea's of a god head, I still respect other folks right to believe in what they wish to believe in.
So I think its wrong that atheists in Sweden act this way, but it also is happening in England.