View Single Post
  #9  
Old 01-23-2007, 11:58 AM
thylacine thylacine is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,175
Default Re: Spirituality versus Religion

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Sounds decent, but it depends on the organization. An atheist group? Good. A "let's all get along" sort of thing? I'd get a bit less aggressive toward theists.

[/ QUOTE ]

I tentatively describe myself as an atheist but really I am more a-religious. I can't really say if there is some kind of a deity, but I am 100% certain that the actions the major religions take in the name of a deity are misguided.

That said, I don't like the word or the movement called atheism for the following reason:

1. The existence or non-existence of a deity is one question among many spiritual questions. For example, atheism does not address the idea of fate versus free-will, nor does it address the phenonena of consciousness. Atheism is too narrow an issue for me.

2. IMO, atheist organizations are terrible at communicating their beliefs to others and maintaining a positive image within the community. I don't think it a streatch to say that there are few worse organizations of any type than atheists at this. The only time you see them in the news is when they are trying to take down a girl scout troops christmas display. Also they come out so strongly against anything spiritual that they alienate people who recognize that religion is bs but don't see any alternative if they want to participate in a spiritual discussion or be part of the community.

I want to create an organization that is open to any spriritual dialog and provides the same beneficial community support as churches, but that actively opposes religious dogma. I don't want to marginalize my group by labeling it atheist.

In that context I am interested in your second opinion. Still too strong against the theists?

[/ QUOTE ]

You are using the term "atheist" where you should be using the term "straw-man atheist".

You need to understand why. It seems that your entire view of atheism comes straight from sunday school.
Reply With Quote