Atheists:

[Beargryllz]

The fact is, it's a very positive force in many people's lives. It brings them comfort and joy, and even if I don't agree with their views, I'm happy they have that.

Exactly. To say otherwise is to assume that some third party knows what is best for you. This presents a problem, because I'm in no position to be a parent for all 7 billion of you, and I would reject your attempts to patronize me in the same way. A person knows what happiness and purpose is, and what it may be for that individual is not meant to be universal, but instead a wholly personal outlook.

 

[Within]

I don't know if it would be better, but I voted yes because I would prefer it.

 

[Lark]

Religious population statistics. It's why I said the vague "over one billion", not getting too specific. The higher estimates are over two billion, the lower just over one.

It's a very western thing to associate religion with theism. Fair enough though, most religious people are theistic, but most religions are atheistic (a lot of so called polytheistic religions are actually atheistic when it comes down to it). That's taking atheism to mean without a belief in god.

Yeah, I remember a thread discussing this, I'd read the term non-theist applied to them to distinguish them from the purely materialistic mindset.

There's statistics for everything.

 

[Fluffywolf]

I'd agree on the fact that ideally it might seem like a good thing for everyone have the same religion, whichever that is, theistis or atheistic. But I wouldn't want to live in that world, kinda seems boring. I like observing, so naturally I like having stuff to observe. If we're all the same, where could I point my shiny baubles? O_O

 

[rav3n]

Haha... what do you mean who hacked my account?

I'm asking because I've known a couple atheists and they did/do seem to think the world would be a better place without people believing in religion, that it is something that makes people do bad things to each other, and that believing in God is not a rational position (and therefore not valid). Don't know if I really agree with it though. Or at least not all the way.

Most people I know believe in God in some way, although I prefer the live and let live type than the in-your-face type. Don't we all?

Just teasing you since you don't normally get involved in or post controversial threads.

Yes, live and let live, which IMO, includes an honest separation of Church and State.

 

[Stigmata]

No, as it would ultimately be self-limiting. If everyone universally settled on the same answer, we'd stop asking the question.

 

[Intricate Mystic]

The world would be a terrible place if everyone was an atheist. The contemporary art world (both art departments at universities and art galleries) have been taken over by atheists resulting in work being produced that celebrates ugliness, hopelessness, denies our humanity, and denies the mystery that is present in the universe. Their hostility to formal religion is actually painful to me, because I believe that talented artists should use their gifts to bring beauty and truth into the world, to teach us, inspire us, uplift us, and to express our humanity. I can only assume that a world devoid of adherents of the major religions would be like the current art world except it would be present in every aspect of modern life. It would be a bleak, hopeless world full of despair and longing for that "something" that people would know is missing in their lives. They would try to find the answer to this longing without success.

 

[Beargryllz]

The world would be a terrible place if everyone was an atheist. The contemporary art world (both art departments at universities and art galleries) have been taken over by atheists resulting in work being produced that celebrates ugliness, hopelessness, denies our humanity, and denies the mystery that is present in the universe. Their hostility to formal religion is actually painful to me, because I believe that talented artists should use their gifts to bring beauty and truth into the world, to teach us, inspire us, uplift us, and to express our humanity. I can only assume that a world devoid of adherents of the major religions would be like the current art world except it would be present in every aspect of modern life. It would be a bleak, hopeless world full of despair and longing for that "something" that people would know is missing in their lives. They would try to find the answer to this longing without success.

You're describing a minority of atheists, by the way.

 

[tinker683]

The world would be a terrible place if everyone was an atheist. The contemporary art world (both art departments at universities and art galleries) have been taken over by atheists resulting in work being produced that celebrates ugliness, hopelessness, denies our humanity, and denies the mystery that is present in the universe. Their hostility to formal religion is actually painful to me, because I believe that talented artists should use their gifts to bring beauty and truth into the world, to teach us, inspire us, uplift us, and to express our humanity. I can only assume that a world devoid of adherents of the major religions would be like the current art world except it would be present in every aspect of modern life. It would be a bleak, hopeless world full of despair and longing for that "something" that people would know is missing in their lives.They would try to find the answer to this longing without success.

Wow.

 

[Shimmy]

I think it would be. It wouldn't be an end all solution to hapiness, but it would remove a major source of conflict.

 

[Mephistopheles]

The world would be a terrible place if everyone was an atheist. The contemporary art world (both art departments at universities and art galleries) have been taken over by atheists resulting in work being produced that celebrates ugliness, hopelessness, denies our humanity, and denies the mystery that is present in the universe. Their hostility to formal religion is actually painful to me, because I believe that talented artists should use their gifts to bring beauty and truth into the world, to teach us, inspire us, uplift us, and to express our humanity. I can only assume that a world devoid of adherents of the major religions would be like the current art world except it would be present in every aspect of modern life. It would be a bleak, hopeless world full of despair and longing for that "something" that people would know is missing in their lives. They would try to find the answer to this longing without success.

The world would be a terrible place if everyone was a theist. The contemporary art world (both art departments at universities and art galleries) have been taken over by theists resulting in work being produced that celebrates ugliness, blind devotion, denies our humanity, and denies the mystery that is present in the universe. Their hostility to atheism is actually painful to me, because I believe that talented artists should use their gifts to bring beauty and truth into the world, to teach us, inspire us, uplift us, and to express our humanity. I can only assume that a world devoid of adherents of atheism would be like the medieval art world except it would be present in every aspect of life. It would be a bleak, hopeless world full of despair and longing for that money that had been taken from them by the church to build bigger cathedrals although they need it to live. They would try to get it back without success.

I believe that my text is as accurate as yours.

 

[Nicodemus]

I voted 'yes'. Victor will deliver my reasoning, put into arabesques.

 

[iwakar]

I have such a hard time envisioning that alternate world that I cannot reach any definitive supposition. I think it'll take a hell of a lot more than 'absence of conflicting religions' to right this cock-eyed human ship... so... maybe? But with this human tendency to spit and swallow ideologies, wouldn't just a series of competing philosophies (i.e. non-deity based value systems) take their place?

I just don't know.

 

[Intricate Mystic]

The world would be a terrible place if everyone was a theist. The contemporary art world (both art departments at universities and art galleries) have been taken over by theists resulting in work being produced that celebrates ugliness, hopelessness, denies our humanity, and denies the mystery that is present in the universe. Their hostility to atheism is actually painful to me, because I believe that talented artists should use their gifts to bring beauty and truth into the world, to teach us, inspire us, uplift us, and to express our humanity. I can only assume that a world devoid of adherents of atheism would be like the medieval art world except it would be present in every aspect of life. It would be a bleak, hopeless world full of despair and longing for that money that had been taken from them by the church to build bigger cathedrals although they need it to live. They would try to get it back without success.

I believe that my text is as accurate as yours.

Theists celebrate ugliness, hopelessness, and deny our humanity? You've got to be kidding me.

 

[Beargryllz]

Theists celebrate ugliness, hopelessness, and deny our humanity? You've got to be kidding me.

Well, what would say if I told you that I was an atheist that celebrated none of these things? Would it surprise you? I think you're making too many assumptions, and I don't understand why.

 

[Within]

Theists celebrate ugliness, hopelessness, and deny our humanity? You've got to be kidding me.

This is taking the term asinine to a whole new level, thank you for broadening my horizons.

 

[Intricate Mystic]

This is taking the term asinine to a whole new level, thank you for broadening my horizons.

Sarcasm is considered to be a poor form of communication.

Well, what would say if I told you that I was an atheist that celebrated none of these things? Would it surprise you? I think you're making too many assumptions, and I don't understand why.

Fair enough. May I ask what you DO celebrate, then?

 

[Mephistopheles]

Theists celebrate ugliness, hopelessness, and deny our humanity? You've got to be kidding me.

You didn't understand me. Hint: I'm not an atheist.

 

[Beargryllz]

Fair enough. May I ask what you DO celebrate, then?

I celebrate beauty, humanity, mystery, bravery, happiness, among other things.

 

[gromit]

Just teasing you since you don't normally get involved in or post controversial threads.

Yes, live and let live, which IMO, includes an honest separation of Church and State.

Yeah usually takes too much effort to say what I want to say in this kind of thread and other people are better at arguing anyway... I still sometimes read it until it gets toooo crazy.