Atheism and political apathy

[iceaura]

Are you quoting atheists at me now? Sheesh.

Paraphrasing Seneca. Judging by your off the wall presumptions, you need some data on atheists.

So what was Seneca's contribution to politics? Is this Seneca the younger? Did he fiddle with Nero while Rome burned? Wasn't he convicted of terrorism, slit his veins and die? Weird role models.

He made some accurate observations about the matter at hand. I don't really do role models, at my age. I might have even got the source wrong, and paraphrased Euripedes or somebody.

Is that your idea of a reply ?

Another quote from Seneca:

God is the universal substance in existing things. He comprises all things. He is the fountain of all being. In Him exists everything that is.

And another:

I am never ashamed of quoting a bad author, if the line is good

 

[spidergoat]

Hmm so you too are in favor of a monarchy?

Christians should be, since it is the form of government most praised in the Bible.

 

[Prince_James]

Sam:

Are atheists more likely to be politically apathetic, considering that politics is about power and authority, which atheists decry as a source of brainwashing? Are there "conservative" atheists? Atheists who believe in monarchies? Fascist atheists?

I'm a non-personal pantheist, as such, an atheist after most people's fashions. I'm extremely politically conservative, have supported monarcharcial tradition, and several individauls here on Sciforums think I am a Fascist.

Or, considering the amount of time and effort they invest in removing religious symbols from public life (or pursuing frivolous lawsuits to do the same) are they more politically aware but less politically useful?

I think the people who do that are twats. Also, Richard Dawkins is a hack.

 

[ashura]

Are there "conservative" atheists? Atheists who believe in monarchies? Fascist atheists?

Or, considering the amount of time and effort they invest in removing religious symbols from public life (or pursuing frivolous lawsuits to do the same) are they more politically aware but less politically useful?

I'm a conservative atheist. And I can't think of any time or effort that I've devoted to removing religious symbols from public life.

 

[scorpius]

Are atheists more likely to be politically apathetic, considering that politics is about power and authority, which atheists decry as a source of brainwashing?
Are there "conservative" atheists? Atheists who believe in monarchies? Fascist atheists?

enjoy strawmen and ad-homs a lot, do you?

Or, considering the amount of time and effort they invest in removing religious symbols from public life (or pursuing frivolous lawsuits to do the same) are they more politically aware but less politically useful?

simply fighting for our rights,
which the bible junkies would very much like to destroy,
in case you didnt know
The Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense founded on the Christian religion and displaying ten comandments in public buildings is a violation of the Law

http://www.nobeliefs.com/Tripoli.htm

The United States Constitution serves as the law of the land for America and indicates the intent of our Founding Fathers. The Constitution forms a secular document, and nowhere does it appeal to God, Christianity, Jesus, or any supreme being.

Do they just want to chip away at existing institutions without clear ideas of what they want in stead?

our intents are very clear ...
EQUALITY is all that atheists want,right now we dont have it,
and until an atheist can be elected president or any high office the fight will go on.

 

[Asguard]

SAM how biased are you, would you concider me to be politically apathetic?

Im DEFINITLY athiast and DEFINITLY NOT politically apathetic

 

[S.A.M.]

enjoy strawmen and ad-homs a lot, do you?

simply fighting for our rights,
which the bible junkies would very much like to destroy,
in case you didnt know
The Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense founded on the Christian religion and displaying ten comandments in public buildings is a violation of the Law

http://www.nobeliefs.com/Tripoli.htm

The United States Constitution serves as the law of the land for America and indicates the intent of our Founding Fathers. The Constitution forms a secular document, and nowhere does it appeal to God, Christianity, Jesus, or any supreme being.


our intents are very clear ...
EQUALITY is all that atheists want,right now we dont have it,
and until an atheist can be elected president or any high office the fight will go on.

Equality? You want to be equal to stupid people? Whatever for?

 

[scorpius]

Equality? You want to be equal to stupid people? Whatever for?

I wasnt talking about Muslims...

 

[S.A.M.]

I wasnt talking about Muslims...

Of course. Thats understood, when talking to any westerner.

There are limits to how low even you'd be willing to sink, after all.

 

[Cris]

SAM,

You mean teach how to think using established modes of thinking. Or ideas or concepts about thought and learning and cognition. In other words, moulding childrens brains to conform to social standards of measure. Like exams and IQ tests. Or performance "appraisals"

Gee you are hopeless. You don't seem interested in true debate in this area. Your anti-whatever I say approach is just too tiresome.

 

[SnakeLord]

Simply put: I'm an atheist. My lack of belief in gods is of no relevance or consequence to anything outside of it. I don't believe in your god, that's that. If you want to talk about a different subject - one unrelated to my lack of belief in your god, kindly take it to a more appropriate forum.

If you can find something to show that your god exists, then we have something to talk about. Until then kindly stop wasting forum space on irrelevancies.

If you really demand my political stance - which has nothing to do with my lack of belief in gods, then I - perhaps a rarity - will simply assert that I don't care. To me, one idiot is the same as the next. But please note: My stance on politics, football and weekend shopping has absolute diddly squat to do with my atheism.

I know you want to hate atheists, and frankly I don't really care - it is your own life to waste in whatever manner you deem fit - but kindly stop confusing atheism with anything else you can think of that might not hit your g-spot.

Atheists don't believe in your god. That is that.

Regards,

 

[S.A.M.]

SAM,

Gee you are hopeless. You don't seem interested in true debate in this area. Your anti-whatever I say approach is just too tiresome.

Why? Because you prefer a brand of brainwashing because it skews results to your liking? That hardly makes you unique.

 

[Asguard]

sam can i please point out the three windows i currently have open.

The first is whos online (it keeps me conected to sciforums even if i dont refresh the other page quickly enough)

The second is this window (which is current posts or whatever im currently reading)

The third window is the federal house of reps, they are currently debating a bill to cut the with holding tax for overseas investments

now how can you call me politically apathetic simply because i think god is a mass halutionation

 

[iceaura]

Equality? You want to be equal to stupid people? Whatever for?

Self defense.

You guys are kind of hazardous. And you aren't exactly charitable toward the weaker and lesser - noblesse oblige apparently doesn't emerge from massive inferiority complexes.

 

[S.A.M.]

sam can i please point out the three windows i currently have open.

The first is whos online (it keeps me conected to sciforums even if i dont refresh the other page quickly enough)

The second is this window (which is current posts or whatever im currently reading)

The third window is the federal house of reps, they are currently debating a bill to cut the with holding tax for overseas investments

now how can you call me politically apathetic simply because i think god is a mass halutionation

Well you clearly live in a system where many people with mass hallucinations decide your form of governance and the policies on which your society is based. How do you reconcile yourself to that?

Self defense.

You guys are kind of hazardous. And you aren't exactly charitable toward the weaker and lesser - noblesse oblige apparently doesn't emerge from massive inferiority complexes.

So why live in such a society? Why not use your natural advantages and create your own society, limited by atheism and devoid of all religion?

 

[Asguard]

HAHAHAH, sam you clearly know very little about the australian political system. The arch bishop of sydney put out a public statement a while ago that if parlimenatrians were true catholics then they would vote on a bill a specific way.

Not only was there a public backlash against the church over this, and non catholic parlimentarians were making statements of contempt about the church over it but the CATHOLICS in parliment told the arch bishop to keep his nose out of politics, that they serve the PEOPLE first.

If a candiate came out and said he was devotly religious he would be laughed at, we expect the church to keep there heads INSIDE the church (with a very limited role in very specific area's). These excemptions are things like the head of the anglican church because he is also the head of world vision (i think) and happens to be the brother of the former treasure. However he was always way to the left of the former goverment (the liberals) and is always talking about things like equality, action on burma ect. If he started preaching on things like demonisation of gays for instance (something i doubt he would do but the cardinal of sidney would) people would be outraged that he DARE interfear in the political prossess.

Basically we dont mind if the church makes statements as long as they are statements we agree with, ie the people lead, the church agrees with us.

 

[S.A.M.]

HAHAHAH, sam you clearly know very little about the australian political system. The arch bishop of sydney put out a public statement a while ago that if parlimenatrians were true catholics then they would vote on a bill a specific way.

Not only was there a public backlash against the church over this, and non catholic parlimentarians were making statements of contempt about the church over it but the CATHOLICS in parliment told the arch bishop to keep his nose out of politics, that they serve the PEOPLE first.

Aren't these all the people suffering from mass hallucinations?

 

[Asguard]

all people suffer from some form of delusion. For instance im not 100% sure that the whole universe isnt my dream

As long as sociaty funtions in a civil method (by this i mean without to much religious interfearance). Im quite happy, political apathy is a greater danger to sociaty than the religious right in australia

 

[iceaura]

So why live in such a society? Why not use your natural advantages and create your own society, limited by atheism and devoid of all religion?

I was born into it; What natural advantages; why would we create a society from scratch; what are the the societal properties even (let alone the limitations) of atheism; How do the three of us get rid of all these people; and why can't we have a religion ?

 

[S.A.M.]

all people suffer from some form of delusion. For instance im not 100% sure that the whole universe isnt my dream

As long as sociaty funtions in a civil method (by this i mean without to much religious interfearance). Im quite happy, political apathy is a greater danger to sociaty than the religious right in australia

Thats an interesting addition you made there. Do you think too much atheist interference on society would not be detrimental to its civil functioning? Would atheists stand up for the religious like the Catholics have for the people? or rather, have they ever?

I was born into it; What natural advantages; why would we create a society from scratch; what are the the societal properties even (let alone the limitations) of atheism; How do the three of us get rid of all these people

Why not? People across the ages have created the kind of society they wanted from scratch. Clearly most atheists would feel more comfortable in a society devoid of the religious, where superstitions were not celebrated and there would only be evidence based reasoning behind all actions and opinions.

; and why can't we have a religion ?

Why would you want to have:

* a notion of the transcendent or numinous, often, but not always, in the form of theism
* a cultural or behavioural aspect of ritual, liturgy and organized worship, often involving a priesthood, and societal norms of morality (ethos) and virtue (arete)
* a set of myths or sacred truths held in reverence or believed by adherents?