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What do you hold sacred?

Started by LARA, June 30, 2008, 09:10:22 PM

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LARA

I've heard so many false accusations about atheists not having any morals, or believing in nothing, or not caring about others just because they are atheists. It gets a little tiresome.

Of course that's not true, so what are some of the things you hold sacred?

Some of mine are individual freedom, especially the freedom to speak and believe as you choose; preservation life and maintaining a high quality of life for living things (freedom from pain and suffering) or a general reasonable compassion for living things; and knowledge, information and the search for scientific understanding.

Some of the moral values I hold are moderation with or abstaining from the use of substances (depending on what they are and how detrimental they are to my health/addictiveness as compared to how much fun they are) and honesty with myself and others.

I believe if your values are different from mine, and cause no harm to me or others, then I have no place to criticize you because it's your right to live how you want.  

I think when people's morals aren't coming from certain central ideas that are fair to all types of people, but are to their own advantage or are what they themselves like and want, they need a God (or other superauthority figure) to give kind to support to those morals.
Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.
                                                                                                                    -Winston Smith, protagonist of 1984 by George Orwell

leftyguitarjoe

Music, personal expression, and free thinking.

MY trinity :D

Will

I hold human life to be sacred. I hold joy and happiness, which are not at the expense of other or myself, to be sacred. I hold to pursuit of peaceful progress and responsible contributions to society sacred.
I want bad people to look forward to and celebrate the day I die, because if they don't, I'm not living up to my potential.

McQ

Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Really.
Elvis didn't do no drugs!
--Penn Jillette

leftyguitarjoe

Quote from: "McQ"Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Really.

WORD :D

Smallville

Life.
Personal dignity.
Individuality.
Personal freedoms and the unrestricted expression thereof as long as they do not impinge upon those of others.
Mutual respect.
Two wrongs don't make a right but three left turns will.

"A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything." â€" Nietzsche
"Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt." - Clarence Darrow

susangail

Quote from: "McQ"Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Really.
Took the words right out of my mouth.
When life gives you lemons, make orange juice and let the world wonder how you did it.

leftyguitarjoe

#7
Speaking of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; did you know that Thomas Jefferson and most of the founding fathers were most likely atheists? If not, they were certainly agnostic.

a few Thomas Jefferson quotes:

"A professor in theology should have no place in our institution"
"To talk of immaterial existences is to talk about nothings. To say that the human soul, angels, god, are immaterial, is to say that they are nothings. I cannot reason otherwise. "
"Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man"

EDIT: I am not sure if I used that semicolon correctly, but I shall leave it there. I'm a science man, not an English man :P Feel free to correct me!!

Loffler


susangail

Quote from: "leftyguitarjoe"Speaking of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; did you know that Thomas Jefferson and most of the founding fathers were most likely atheists? If not, they were certainly agnostic.

a few Thomas Jefferson quotes:

"A professor in theology should have no place in out institution"
"To talk of immaterial existences is to talk about nothings. To say that the human soul, angels, god, are immaterial, is to say that they are nothings. I cannot reason otherwise. "
"Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man"
Interesting isn't it?  A couple more:

"Lighthouses are more helpful than churches." ~Ben Franklin
"As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion,-as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen..." ~Treaty of Tripoli, article 11

So much for the claim that "this country was founded upon Christianity".

Quote from: "leftyguitarjoe"EDIT: I am not sure if I used that semicolon correctly, but I shall leave it there. I'm a science man, not an English man ;) I can be an grammar bitch (but I'm lost on all matters of science, so you've got me there...)
When life gives you lemons, make orange juice and let the world wonder how you did it.

myleviathan

Scientific pursuit assuming respect for living things.
"On the moon our weekends are so far advanced they encompass the entire week. Jobs have been phased out. We get checks from the government, and we spend it on beer! Mexican beer! That's the cheapest of all beers." --- Ignignokt & Err

crocofish

Quote from: "McQ"Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
That sums it up for me.  It is also applied to my treatment of others, which is why I don't typically mind if people privately have supernatural beliefs.  If their pursuit of happiness involves believing supernatural things, I'm not going to spend my time and energy trying to take that away from them.  But if their beliefs are bringing misery to others, then I'm free to stomp all over those beliefs.  :devil:
"The cloud condenses, and looks back on itself, in wonder." -- unknown

MommaSquid

Quote from: "Smallville"Life.
Personal dignity.
Individuality.
Personal freedoms and the unrestricted expression thereof as long as they do not impinge upon those of others.
Mutual respect.

And pizza for dinner on Friday!   :D

afreethinker30

Quote from: "McQ"Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Really.

I second that..Or Third

MariaEvri

what do i hold sacret
life first of all
my family and mostly my father
freedom
creativity-can do wonders
music
arts.
friendship. TRUE friendship
nature
those are a few
God made me an atheist, who are you to question his wisdom!
www.poseidonsimons.com