audible said:
Himself.
An Atheist loves himself and his fellow man instead of a god. An Atheist accepts that heaven is something for which we should work now – here on earth – for all men together to enjoy.
An Atheist accepts that he can get no help through prayer, but that he must find in himself the inner conviction and strength to meet life, to grapple with it, to subdue it and to enjoy it.
An Atheist accepts that only in a knowledge of himself and a knowledge of his fellow man can he find the understanding that will help to a life of fulfillment." mary murray-o'hare
The enlightenment of atheism is that...
* There is no heavenly father.
Humankind must protect the orphans and foundlings, or they will not be protected.
* There is no god to answer prayer.
Man must hear and help man.
* There is no hell.
We have no vindictive god or devil to fear or imitate.
* There is no atonement or salvation by faith.
We must face the consequences of our acts.
* There is no beneficent or malevolent intent in nature.
Life is a struggle against preventable and unpreventable evils. The cooperation of humankind is the only hope of the world.
* There is no chance after death to "do our bit."
We must do it now or never.
* There is no divine guardian of truth, goodness, beauty, and liberty.
These are attributes of humankind. We must defend them or they will perish from the earth.
Not to offend you (as I'm sure this will), but that actually sounds like quite a religious attitude. Not
superstitious, mind you, but certainly religious. It actually sounds like something of a practical religion built around self-reliance and removal of the spiritual crutch which traditional religion often becomes. It's actually quite beautiful, but in a realistic rather than poetic fashion.
The only thing that Secular Humanism (since that seems to be the major belief system of most Atheists, at least around here) lacks in comparison to older religions is some form of mysticism, i.e. a recognition of that which is beyond the individual's ability to directly comprehend (I suppose that's an acceptable definition of mysticism, for me anyhow). A sense of genuine awe and reverence for the world, although it seems to be found in some Secular Humanists. It's simply not built into the philosophy. Perhaps
that is what separates a philosophy from a religion? Mysticism.
I know that many of the ardent Secular Humanists around here will decry my description of their belief system as a religion, but hold your criticism for just a moment. It is my sincere belief that
religion is merely the formalized practice of a particular philosophy, with a sense of the mystical, a sense of wonder at things unknown. You may say that the Secular Humanist delights in discovering and unveiling the unknown, but of course so does the traditional Religionist. The difference is esotericism. Secular Humanists seem to want everyone to know of their discoveries, and traditional Religionists keep their insights to themselves, passing them on to a select few.
The thing that Secular Humanistic Atheists use to differentiate themselves from traditional Religionists is mythology. As I have said before (and it has been largely ignored) myths are not there to explain the natural world, I think, but rather to provide a context for living to the common man. But there seems to also be a deeper purpose, that in the absence of a standard system of acquiring knowledge (science, perhaps?) there needs to be some kind of outlet for the curious, for those who question their beliefs and wish to know.
As someone here once said (I think it was baumgarten), that is what splits the religious. Those who accept the myth at face value, who go no further with it and who live their life according to it, and those who seek to learn more, to question their faith and know the secrets of the world they live in. It seems to me that mythology serves this double purpose (as an almost unconscious cultural mechanism), both to provide a context for those who will accept and move on with their lives, and those who will delve endlessly into whatever intellectual outlet they can find. Myths are obviously incredibly deep. They can be interpreted in a myriad of fashions, from morality tales, to examples of the behavior of people (often exaggerated, of course, for dramatic effect), or simply for poetry. I've said this before, and I'll say it again, mythology is meant to be
used by the individual for their own internal growth, in whatever way is necessary for that particular mind.
It is a mental tool. It shapes your thinking, your views on the world, not directly (for the intellectual) but by implication. You imply certain things about your life, about the people and events which make it up, and about the common experiences which you share with others, while recognizing your uniquity. There is no
inherent truth or falsehood to these notions. I'm a firmly pragmatic thinker (at least I try to be), and so I don't care about any kind of misty notion of "truth". What works, works. Traditional religion has worked for the entire length of man's existence as an animal apart from all the others. Religion is part of what separates us from the rest of the organisms on this planet, and it will continue to do so. You can't escape it. It's everywhere, it's hardwired into everyone's brain. It's an intrinsic part of what it is to be human. It's form may change dramatically, it may be used in different ways, but it will always be here.
Secular Humanists think that they are eliminating religion by "enlightening" the world. Well, that is a very
religious aspiration.
