Today’s question is an interesting one…
Name: Cody
Message: As a fellow non-believer, how do you suggest we unify other non-religious and atheists to certain moral, societal, etc positions?This is something I tend to think about a bit, one of the fascinating things religious groups have is the fact that they can at least relate through a core doctrine, whether it be they believe in reincarnation, salvation, etc. Although they can disagree on minor details, such as is it okay to wear mixed fabric, they end up coming back to agreed upon positions within their doctrine.
Since we are at the most common point atheists (since there are religious atheists such as Buddhists), it seems the only thing we agree on is that deities are either not real or that we don’t have good enough reason to believe they exist.
So what are some things you’d suggest to find more common ground with our fellow non-believers?
You’ve touched on a very divisive issue in the “atheist community”. There are some who believe that atheists need a replacement for the social activity provided by churches, like the one that just started in Dallas. Then there are others who believe that trying to replicate churches is a recipe for disaster.
Personally, I understand both sides. For those atheists who have just rediscovered their atheism, the desire to feel accepted, especially after being shunned by their family and friends, is understandable. We are after all social creatures. We like to be around people who will validate our ways of thinking. Birds of a feather, and so on. For these people, there may be a hole inside of them that they long to fill and because they’re so new to the game, having someone show them how to play it, can be comforting.
On the other hand, I agree with Gene Roddenberry who, in his creation of the Vulcans on Star Trek, gave them the credo, “Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations” or IDIC. The idea was that through diversity we are able to see past our own preconceptions and get a clearer picture of the world around us. There are those who believe that a church like group, even for atheists, would eventually create rules of conduct and behavior that would stifle diversity, and become more like a religion then a social group.
No matter what side you fall in the one thing that all atheists must have in common with other atheists is a lack of belief in a god or gods. Anything after that is simply what makes that person who they are through their likes and dislikes. To me, there is no one path of atheism. There are as many paths as there are people, and each person has to discover for themselves the path that they will follow.
Hope that helps. Feel free to continue the discussion using the comment section below.
Hey Cody,
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I’m actually strongly opposed to your particular suggestion. Atheists coming together is great. It’s fantastic to meet other people who have a similar worldview and aren’t trapped in a religion. Eventually, I plan to start taking part in such a group in my area and meeting more atheists.
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HOWEVER, while meeting and having social events is cool, trying to unify moral, or controversial social positions is NOT. I’m all for discussing my positions, if it comes up, but I am in no way interested in having a consensus drawn up about what the “proper” position is for my demographic. I do not need to learn anything more about how to be a good person, or how to think about/get through adversity. And frankly, I’m against a single group deciding those things anyways.
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In short, I don’t think any atheist gathering should be trying to teach “what atheists should do in these situations” or “what atheists should think” or “how atheists should behave”. No, the world isn’t black and white enough for that to be taught by any organization IMO. Those things should be learned through life experience, and hopefully, good parenting.
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Anyways, that is my two cents.
And, I might as well throw in that, most religious people cherry pick their positions and supposed morals. Then the religious organizations preach what is more or less common sense for being successful/happy without hurting others and labels it as some sort of divine teaching.