C
Charlemagne_III
Guest
Can you think of any positive aspects of atheism?
Let’s make a list.
Let’s make a list.
- Status
P
puzzledtoo
Guest
Maybe not a positive aspect of atheism as a belief or non-belief but atheists probably don’t blame god when something goes wrong in their life or a natural disaster happens or when they’ve done something wrong. I would view this as a positive.
V
Vera_Ljuba
Guest
Just look at the Moral Theology forum and count the posts of those poor people who are scared of being in mortal sin for some perfectly normal activities. For atheists there is no “sin”, mortal or venial. There are of course laws, which must be observed, but at least the laws are spelled out, and if some laws are considered incorrect, there is a way to get them off the books. Atheists do not live in fear of everlasting torture. True, there is no hope of some “everlasting” bliss either, though that alleged “bliss” is so vaguely described, that it has no appeal at all.
Christians view themselves as “sinners”, they cannot even hope to “earn” their way to heaven. “Works” alone cannot save you.
Atheism:
Christians view themselves as “sinners”, they cannot even hope to “earn” their way to heaven. “Works” alone cannot save you.
Atheism:
Atheism allows one to live their life free of self-deprecating self-flagellation.
S
STT
Guest
To set your mind free of anything which might not be real, Hell for example, so you feel free of any constraint.
B
Bonnie
Guest
And if they do have those problems, it is more apt to be seen as mental illness than a spiritual problem.
U
undead_rat
Guest
**My dad was an Atheist. He did not flaunt this belief, and he would attend church with mom on occasion.
I noticed that he would give money to the poor. For example, when driving down Main St., dad spotted a poor fellow sitting on the sidewalk trying to sell pencils. He stopped his car, walked over, put a dollar in the man’s cup, and retrieved one pencil. This was in the 1950’s when an ice cream cone could be had for just a nickel.
When I give, it’s because my Gospel has told me that I must. Dad obviously did that out of compassion.
So, you tell me, who is really the better person? **
I noticed that he would give money to the poor. For example, when driving down Main St., dad spotted a poor fellow sitting on the sidewalk trying to sell pencils. He stopped his car, walked over, put a dollar in the man’s cup, and retrieved one pencil. This was in the 1950’s when an ice cream cone could be had for just a nickel.
When I give, it’s because my Gospel has told me that I must. Dad obviously did that out of compassion.
So, you tell me, who is really the better person? **
T
Tantum_ergo
Guest
What, there’s a competition?
You think your dad is better than you because he gave to the poor and that this was somehow better because he didn’t ‘have to’ and as a Christian you do?
Let me try to put this into perspective.
Two people in the world, A and B.
A is a naturally kind person, blessed with a good personality and a love of humanity. He was 'born that way". A doesn’t really think all that much about ‘organized religion’ or God, it seems, but who knows? Perhaps he always has the idea in his mind of “what if it were true about God” and even if he doesn’t believe ‘the stuff from the major religions’ he believes in all the commonality that the religions did not ‘invent’, things like the Golden Rule, because God is present and has revealed truth little by little to all people. Jesus didn’t come ‘out of nowhere’, God prepared the world for Him by giving people insight and help. That’s why so many ‘myths’ seem similar to or related to Christian teachings. A might not consciously come out and say that he believes in ‘a religion’ but A believes in those truths which religion also proclaims as well. So yes, A is a good person, naturally., If A had been able to believe, might he not have been even GREATER? Quite possibly.
Now here’s B. B is a naturally sort of reserved person. Perhaps a bit prickly, a bit insecure, a bit jealous of others, not a bad person but he has a few character flaws and vices that he works on, sometimes, and sometimes not. B was brought up with organized religion and he tries to live it out (more or less) but sometimes he is more concerned about ‘unfairness’ and hypotheticals. And he tends to judge himself, AND his fellow religionists, a bit harshly because he has the idea that since he knows what to do as a Christian, and does it kind of grudgingly at times, that somebody else who isn’t a Christian and does nice things CHEERFULLY, is thereby a better person AND a better model than ANY Christian.
A and B though are not really in competition with each other. A hopefully in doing well the common good in humanity has come to ‘know God’ albeit unconsciously. B needs to remember that he is not here to judge whether he is a better Christian than A, or than C, or D, or whoever, and concentrate, if he feels that he is doing things 'because he has to" on the immeasurable privilege that he has, as a believer, to be able to KNOW Christ through not just his own person, but through his entire Church, and to then work more on doing things out of love for Christ. He already has the foundation which A lacked. And he has more ‘depth’. If A was kind and generous because “he’s a fellow human”, B has that knowledge “I should be kind to a fellow human” just as much as A (A just did it more cheerfully), plus B has the knowledge that “being kind is what Jesus did for me, and which I have the great privilege of being able to do for HIM” (knowledge which A never had!)
T
Tantum_ergo
Guest
Everything you say is based on false assumptions of what Christians believe and do.
I suppose no Christian ever questions and disagrees on anything (not just beliefs.)
I suppose that everything that science tells us is perfectly true and will never change. Science never told us in the 1980s that coffee and eggs were dangerous, that having children sleep on their sides would cause SIDS–no wait, it was on the back–no wait, it was on the stomach! Science never told us that pedophilia was curable. Science never told us that this or that theory was true, only to revoke it years later. Right. And of course, during all the time that ‘science says’ X, if you questioned THAT, you were derided. . until science changed its tune!
Christians don’t put their trust in ‘leaders’. They put their trust in God. That’s why my faith doesn’t depend on whether or not my priest is an alcoholic or my bishop did a coverup or whether I believe the Pope is right or wrong on climate change.
Christianity does not teach you to ‘reject your family if they are not Christians’. AFAIK, most Muslims do not reject their family members if the family members leave the Muslim faith (or Buddhists with Buddhists, Jews with Jews, etc.) Maybe some extremists do, but that is not the religious teaching. You DO see that there is a difference, don’t you?
Gotta LOVE the sneering and factually incorrect portrayals, too. "Drops of water on the forehead’ and a lack leading to eternal torture.
And the whole war thing. Because no war was EVER fought that was not based solely on religion. Right.
And the assumptions that religious people lack responsibility in blaming ‘the devil’ and not themselves as well.
And the ‘locked into religion’. Because of course, we’re so rigid.
I can see that you are NEVER locked into things. Why you can contemplate the idea that religion might be true! You can look upon that theory, even if you don’t believe it, as a perfectly acceptable option for another person. You would never DREAM of sneering, deriding, giving misinformation or disinformation, or insulting a person based on their ideas. You’re a rational person who knows how to behave rightly to others no matter what their beliefs. . .
U
Usige
Guest
No need for education in areas such as math, history, or ethics since there is no truth beyond what you personally define; every thing else is irrelevant. 
D
Dorothy
Guest
In practicing our faith in prayer and sacraments, we become aware of our fallen nature. We become aware that God loves us infinitely and desires what is best for us. When we cooperate with Him, we have His peace, and the grace to continue to adore and worship Him. The result of seeking Him above all things is life everlasting in the Light of His Face.
B
Bonnie
Guest
What religion are you describing? I know it’s not mine.
U
Usige
Guest
That was my thought too.
D
Dorothy
Guest
Not mine either!
C
ClearWater
Guest
Some atheists are intolerant of theists. Some atheists, like communists persecute religious. Just look at communism. I know of a couple who will be going to China, and they will need to speak in code out of fear of reprisals. Some atheistic regimes have desecrated churches, killed religious. Take Nazi Germany. I saw a true case of where these atheistic Germans crucified a man just because he was a priest. Other priests were imprisoned in concentration camps along with the Jews, starved, denied water, etc.
To say that all atheists are tolerant of religion and never force their atheism on others isn’t true. Some atheists can, and do, force their position on others…China sometimes uses torture for their priests, and it’s not the only atheist country to do that.
Watch, “God is Not Dead”, and it’s an example of a teacher who is an atheist who is antitheism. Although it might be fictious, there are many real cases where atheists look down upon believers.
You describe atheism as if it was perfect, when it also has its faults.
Q
Qoeleth
Guest
That’s rubbish. A lot of ‘atheists’ establish their own particular “Code of Sins”- and then try to impose it on others. They feel guilty about destroying the environment, not using inclusive language, whatever…
.
V
Vera_Ljuba
Guest
None of that is a logical corollary to atheism. There is no common “thread” to atheism, except the lack of belief in any god.
Q
Qoeleth
Guest
I think some atheists offer useful insights. But only those of a nihilist persuasion.
Cioran and Schopenhaur, for example, offer in their philosophy a clear insight that “Without God, all is nothing, a tale told by an idiot”. This is a bold and somewhat heroic position. I think we should admire those atheists, who, for whatever reason haven’t made ‘the leap of faith’, but still can look at this world without any illusions, look into the depths of reality- and say: “Vanitas vanitatum. Omnis est nihil.”
This is helpful for society- recognising the nothingness of this world, the futility of earthly life, and the vanity of society- for it can lead people to God.
But most atheists need to honest. Proper, nihilistic atheists, actually help religion, by showing that it’s either God, or NOTHING…That the only life is the Eternal Life, the life hidden in Christ…
It’s often the nihilist atheists who most boldly proclaim us to be “Poor banished children of Eve, mourning and sighing in this valley of tears.”
And this is the only real atheism. Other ‘atheists’ (secular humanists, those who believe happiness through scientific progress, etc.), are merely worshippers of stupid idols, believers in children’s fairy tales…
Cioran and Schopenhaur, for example, offer in their philosophy a clear insight that “Without God, all is nothing, a tale told by an idiot”. This is a bold and somewhat heroic position. I think we should admire those atheists, who, for whatever reason haven’t made ‘the leap of faith’, but still can look at this world without any illusions, look into the depths of reality- and say: “Vanitas vanitatum. Omnis est nihil.”
This is helpful for society- recognising the nothingness of this world, the futility of earthly life, and the vanity of society- for it can lead people to God.
But most atheists need to honest. Proper, nihilistic atheists, actually help religion, by showing that it’s either God, or NOTHING…That the only life is the Eternal Life, the life hidden in Christ…
It’s often the nihilist atheists who most boldly proclaim us to be “Poor banished children of Eve, mourning and sighing in this valley of tears.”
And this is the only real atheism. Other ‘atheists’ (secular humanists, those who believe happiness through scientific progress, etc.), are merely worshippers of stupid idols, believers in children’s fairy tales…
C
Charlemagne_III
Guest
I would say the person who gives a good deal more than a dollar. Would that be you?
V
Vera_Ljuba
Guest
Well, I used to be a Christian, but I never felt “fallen”. I never considered myself a despicable sinner, who is worthless in the eyes of God.
One of the most important factor in my “falling away” from religion was the concept that “God loves us infinitely(???)”. You see, a “love” which does not manifest itself in actions is just an empty word. And God does not feed the hungry, does not heal the sick, does not protect the weak, does not comfort the sad… there is absolutely no sign that God cares about us at all. Pointing to the “cross” is useless. The downtrodden need help NOW, not after they die.
How could I “cooperate” with him, if he hides his face beyond the clouds, if he does NOT communicate with me, if he does NOT explain why he allows horrible atrocities to happen? What is the adage? “By their fruits you shall know them”. The world does NOT look like as if there would be a loving, caring God in charge.
- Status