Why atheism makes you mean

Seems like the only way to get anything done is to castrate all these hard rough men. :bugeye:
 
S.A.M. said:
Seems like the only way to get anything done is to castrate all these hard rough men.
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Hard, rough men don't seem to like that, SAM. Got a better idea?

And lest you forget, some of those hard, rough men protect you from other nasty hard, rough men who might harm you. "Hard, rough" does NOT mean "bad".

Baron Max
 
The dog in the house keeps the wolf from the door? Thats an interesting ancient philosophy Baron, women live by themselves these days. :)

Also, it does not explain why atheism would engender any prosocial behaviour
 
S.A.M. said:
You could tell us about the prosocial behaviour of communist societies, seeing as you are/were pretty close to those ideals
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We're getting way off topic. Communism was conceived after deism. I reiterate: Reciprocal altruism and sharing predate deific conceptualization. Couldn't stable levels of cooperation in large groups simply be a larger-scale extension of early, low-level social behaviour?
 
GeoffP said:
We're getting way off topic. Communism was conceived after deism. I reiterate: Reciprocal altruism and sharing predate deific conceptualization. Couldn't stable levels of cooperation in large groups simply be a larger-scale extension of early, low-level social behaviour?
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So why has no atheist society ever survived? Why does it need to revert to theism to continue?
 
Er, why does it "need" to revert to theism to continue? How has this been proven, exactly?
 
Show me one athiest society that did not, for example.

Whenever I hear from people about how many more people are becoming atheist these days, I wonder if they even realise how many more athiests are becoming religious. Russia, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, the world is becoming more religious today, not less. Interestingly, the places where its becoming more atheist are on a downward spiral, and the places where they are leaving it behind...
 
S.A.M. said:
So why has no atheist society ever survived? Why does it need to revert to theism to continue?
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SAM, I agree with your basic premise on this thread. But just because no atheist society has ever survived does NOT mean that one won't in the future.

Baron Max
 
Sure, I'll wait for one to survive before deciding it will though. One could equally say, since one has never survived, what, besides faith, is your basis for stating it could?

And if such a society survived, would it be an individualistic isolationalist society or a communal cooperative one?

What do you think?
 
S.A.M. said:
And if such a society survived, would it be an individualistic isolationalist society or a communal cooperative one?

What do you think?
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SAM, I don't think they could or would survive. But that's just my opinion, and apparently yours, but there's no proof for it. It's just educated opinion, that's all.

And in answer ....I think it would HAVE to be individualistic isolationism. A society of man can't, simply can't, be "cooperative" without force to make them conform.

Baron Max
 
The other day, I was out with my friends and it started raining. We saw a church just ahead and ducked into it. It was a Sunday afternoon and we sat on the last row. It was quiet dimly lit church, very old and with stained glass windows and old style brownstone walls. There a was girl on the balcony at the top of the altar, going through her notes. As soon as we came in, we saw her pick up a violin and start playing. She played a bit from the Wedding March, something soft from Mozart and a violin concerto that I know but could not place. Some guy came in and started lighting the candles and put some notes on a lectern. A couple of other people walked in from the rain smiled at us and sat down. All of us were silent, none of us spoke a word, the violin player the only sound in the room. We left when a wedding party walked in. It was a peaceful moment and made us all feel very good just being there. I remember feeling the same way, when I was sitting in the Haram at Mecca, during Ramadan.

I think people underestimate the feelings of peace and harmony that religion brings. What equivalent is there for an athiest?
 
S.A.M. said:
The other day, I was out with my friends and it started raining. We saw a church just ahead and ducked into it. It was a Sunday afternoon and we sat on the last row. It was quiet dimly lit church, very old and with stained glass windows and old style brownstone walls. There a was girl on the balcony at the top of the altar, going through her notes. As soon as we came in, we saw her pick up a violin and start playing. She played a bit from the Wedding March, something soft from Mozart and a violin concerto that I know but could not place. Some guy came in and started lighting the candles and put some notes on a lectern. A couple of other people walked in from the rain smiled at us and sat down. All of us were silent, none of us spoke a word, the violin player the only sound in the room. We left when a wedding party walked in. It was a peaceful moment and made us all feel very good just being there. I remember feeling the same way, when I was sitting in the Haram at Mecca, during Ramadan.

I think people underestimate the feelings of peace and harmony that religion brings. What equivalent is there for an athiest?
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Replace the word church with building. All that could've & does happen in nonreligious settings & ambience.

S.A.M. said:
You don't slow down when you see a cop's car? Not even a little? :p
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No.
1111
 
Your confidence is misplaced. en garde! Name a building immediately or name your seconds!
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S.A.M. said:
The other day, I was out with my friends and it started raining. We saw a church just ahead and ducked into it. It was a Sunday afternoon and we sat on the last row. It was quiet dimly lit church, very old and with stained glass windows and old style brownstone walls. There a was girl on the balcony at the top of the altar, going through her notes. As soon as we came in, we saw her pick up a violin and start playing. She played a bit from the Wedding March, something soft from Mozart and a violin concerto that I know but could not place. Some guy came in and started lighting the candles and put some notes on a lectern. A couple of other people walked in from the rain smiled at us and sat down. All of us were silent, none of us spoke a word, the violin player the only sound in the room. We left when a wedding party walked in. It was a peaceful moment and made us all feel very good just being there. I remember feeling the same way, when I was sitting in the Haram at Mecca, during Ramadan.

I think people underestimate the feelings of peace and harmony that religion brings. What equivalent is there for an athiest?
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There's no religion in that story whatsoever. Sitting in a quiet spot has nothing to do with religion.
 
(Q) said:
I would wholeheartedly agree with you, Simon. Adding to that problem is the fact the Abrahamic religions teach us that humans are by nature "sinful" and "evil", that we would automatically resort to a lower, baser self if we didn't have commandments to observe and live by.
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I am glad you would. Not sure why we are in the subjunctive, but these momentary agreements, however hypothetical, should be celebrated.
 
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