Considering how few admit to believing in god it seems weird to me that there is no big ritual industry developed around their needs. This popular atheism has been slowly developing for decades, it's no new thing. Either psychology was wrong about human need for ritual, or then the ritual need is not being taken care of.
I said popular atheism, which in my mind is "let's not think about it" philosophy. The matters of soul are being tabooed more than ever, I suppose since they are not rational. I don't see them too irrational myself, and have no problem admitting that I believe in some type of holiness or certain mysticism considering my own way, but still don't think we are going anywhere but grave when we die. I don't even know if that is considered atheism, actually, but anyhow, to the point. I see myself needing the ritual, but the way things are now I would rather leave it than for example get married in a church "before the eyes of god", since that is hypocritical for me, and it would make the holiness of the situation go sour. I see the emotional worth of the situation of admitting your love and promising for it to last in front of the family and friends to be the real core of wedding. That is not a place I want to consider myself a lier.
And funerals. I see them important too, to come to celebrate the conclusion of a life. I think it's also important for us to see funerals since it kind of gives you perspective to your own life. I think the perspective I would gain from an atheist funeral would be far greater than what I get from a funeral of an atheist that never came out of the closet, so to speak. I mean, if I died, I would like people to think about the way I lived and the way I saw things, and see that life itself was holy for me even if I am fed to the worms.
So, what I want is some honesty considering the rituals, this will not happen until there are proper ritual services for the non-believers. I've heard it so many times, "I can't leave from the church since I want a church wedding", I think that is insulting towards the real Christians. It would make some good to the church also to get the fake believers out.
I said popular atheism, which in my mind is "let's not think about it" philosophy. The matters of soul are being tabooed more than ever, I suppose since they are not rational. I don't see them too irrational myself, and have no problem admitting that I believe in some type of holiness or certain mysticism considering my own way, but still don't think we are going anywhere but grave when we die. I don't even know if that is considered atheism, actually, but anyhow, to the point. I see myself needing the ritual, but the way things are now I would rather leave it than for example get married in a church "before the eyes of god", since that is hypocritical for me, and it would make the holiness of the situation go sour. I see the emotional worth of the situation of admitting your love and promising for it to last in front of the family and friends to be the real core of wedding. That is not a place I want to consider myself a lier.
And funerals. I see them important too, to come to celebrate the conclusion of a life. I think it's also important for us to see funerals since it kind of gives you perspective to your own life. I think the perspective I would gain from an atheist funeral would be far greater than what I get from a funeral of an atheist that never came out of the closet, so to speak. I mean, if I died, I would like people to think about the way I lived and the way I saw things, and see that life itself was holy for me even if I am fed to the worms.
So, what I want is some honesty considering the rituals, this will not happen until there are proper ritual services for the non-believers. I've heard it so many times, "I can't leave from the church since I want a church wedding", I think that is insulting towards the real Christians. It would make some good to the church also to get the fake believers out.
