Greetings, Shall We Play A Game?

[TheouLive]

In contrast to many atheists I have spoken with, it's a refreshing change to see "happy" atheists. Many atheists I had previously talked with are negative and surround themselves with negativity. Alas, perhaps I have found "happy atheists"

In any event, I came here to discuss with atheists not to debate the existence of God, but rather reveal that spirituality is not so bad without the extremism. I feel that many atheists I have spoken with in the past use the non-proof of God to justify a non-morality per say. Just because you are an atheist doesn't mean you have to have no morals and break the law. 

Regardless and above all, I respect the freedom that is given to all people on this planet. In that I respect most atheists that have positive contributions to society. Perhaps a "happy atheist" at the very least may be able to respect the positive contributions of spirituality, such as unconditional love and understanding?

Feel free to PM me for deeper discussions!

[Stevil]

Can we post on the forum, or are you only interested in PM?

[BullyforBronto]

Hi, and welcome. I'm new here, too.

Can you define spirituality? I've always had trouble accepting this term/concept. I'm really not sure what constitutes being spiritual.

Thanks!

[Tank]

In contrast to many atheists I have spoken with, it's a refreshing change to see "happy" atheists. Many atheists I had previously talked with are negative and surround themselves with negativity. Alas, perhaps I have found "happy atheists"

In any event, I came here to discuss with atheists not to debate the existence of God, but rather reveal that spirituality is not so bad without the extremism. I feel that many atheists I have spoken with in the past use the non-proof of God to justify a non-morality per say. Just because you are an atheist doesn't mean you have to have no morals and break the law.  

Regardless and above all, I respect the freedom that is given to all people on this planet. In that I respect most atheists that have positive contributions to society. Perhaps a "happy atheist" at the very least may be able to respect the positive contributions of spirituality, such as unconditional love and understanding?

Feel free to PM me for deeper discussions!

This is a discussion forum, not a place for your personal enjoyment. The discussion happens on the forum, not via PM. If you continue to promote a PM route or I find out you have been abusing the PM system here I will ban you. Got it?

In addition read the rules regarding your first 10 posts.

[Davin]

Howdy. I'm a happy atheist with a cloak of negativity that I often wrap myself in. It's warm and snug. (the smiley signifies a joke)

A lot of the people here already have the opinion that religion not trying to take over laws, the government and public education is not so bad, so if that is your only purpose for joining these forums; the mission is already accomplished. Hopefully you're here for more than that though, welcome to the forums.

[xSilverPhinx]

When I decided to post here more frequently, it wasn't because of what the forum's called.

[Guardian85]

In any event, I came here to discuss with atheists not to debate the existence of God, but rather reveal that spirituality is not so bad without the extremism. I feel that many atheists I have spoken with in the past use the non-proof of God to justify a non-morality per say. Just because you are an atheist doesn't mean you have to have no morals and break the law.  

R

Just because atheists don't believe in a supernatural giver of morals does not mean we are all amoral people. I have heard this this argument before and it still makes no sense. Atheists have just as strong morals as religious dudes, if not more.

"If not for religion you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil it takes faith."

[Chronos]

I don't think I've ever met an unhappy atheist. At least not ones who are unhappy with atheism.

[DeterminedJuliet]

I don't think I get the game.

[Stevil]

I don't think I get the game.

How do we recognise the winner, or is this a game where everybody wins?
or maybe a game that never ends. I hate those games, we need a clear end to the game and a clear winner.
Please define the rules.

[BullyforBronto]

In contrast to many atheists I have spoken with, it's a refreshing change to see "happy" atheists. Many atheists I had previously talked with are negative and surround themselves with negativity. Alas, perhaps I have found "happy atheists"

In any event, I came here to discuss with atheists not to debate the existence of God, but rather reveal that spirituality is not so bad without the extremism. I feel that many atheists I have spoken with in the past use the non-proof of God to justify a non-morality per say. Just because you are an atheist doesn't mean you have to have no morals and break the law. 

Regardless and above all, I respect the freedom that is given to all people on this planet. In that I respect most atheists that have positive contributions to society. Perhaps a "happy atheist" at the very least may be able to respect the positive contributions of spirituality, such as unconditional love and understanding?

Feel free to PM me for deeper discussions!

I hope you stick around long enough to be able to post a reply in this section. I have been surprised on more than one occasion by friends who claim to be or whom I've thought to be atheists/agnostics but retain some sort of belief in something they label as spirituality. Not once have I fished out a working definition of the term or concept.

As for the morality issue, wouldn't you say that someone who does the morally right thing (another watery, subjective concept) without the promise of everlasting life or  the threat of condemnation to eternal suffering is doing so out of more, shall we say, "moral" or unselfish reasons? Maybe this is off topic, but I cannot accept the premise of altruism in a reward-/punishment-based philosophical rubric. I may be putting words in your mouth, but it seems to me when you say "Just because you are an atheist doesn't mean you have to have no morals and break the law," you are pointing to some sort of overarching, absolute objectivity that, I'm guessing, you're positing as god or some other metaphysical entity.

God said, "Don't break the law." So, you don't out of fear that your teeth may be gnashed and your flesh burned forever and ever? Anecdotally, I don't break the law (aside from minor offenses like jay walking or being drunk in public ) because I "believe" that  doing so disrupts civility. In other words, I don't steal from my neighbors because, judging from my experiences, that would be kind of a bummer for them to come home and find a beerless refrigerator. God didn't have to tell me not to take their beer. Have you ever thought that humans may have evolved, via natural selection, a tendency toward altruism? We survive better in our environment as a group, tribe, etc.; we are able to hunt more effectively, just like lions, in a cooperative. Therefore, our ancestors who possessed these cooperative/altruistic genes, may have passed them along. Now, everyone's fridge is full of beer, or something like that.  

[Asmodean]

I don't think I've ever met an unhappy atheist. At least not ones who are unhappy with atheism.

Yeah. Even the infamous Grumpy Lumpy is quite happy with being an atheist.

[Whitney]

Perhaps a "happy atheist" at the very least may be able to respect the positive contributions of spirituality, such as unconditional love and understanding?

I don't think those are the result of 'spirituality' they are the result of humanism.

Btw, implying that many atheists don't have a moral framework is not a very good way to start out talking to a bunch of atheists...I hope you didn't mean to make that implication.

[xSilverPhinx]

And please do tell how unconditional love and understanding are spiritual? ???

If you're being serious, you should first define exactly what you mean when you use those words.

[Sandra Craft]

I don't think I get the game.

By the time I'd gotten to your post, I'd forgotten the OP had even mentioned a game!

And please do tell how unconditional love and understanding are spiritual? ???

If you're being serious, you should first define exactly what you mean when you use those words.

I'm going to take a stab at this, tho I'm fairly certain I'll be wrong.  Perhaps the connection lies in a requirement for mindlessness in both things?  My own not very sure definition of "spirituality" is a belief in things that can't be proven, whether it's gods or ghosts; in other words things to which one cannot apply the intellect, even if one wants to, so it must be accepted emotionally. 

Unconditional love also suggests mindless, emotional acceptance to me and I've never been able to believe that unconditional love is a good thing.  It's unchallenging, it sets no bars, which seems to me actually detrimental to the development of character.  Perhaps unconditional love is something that's best left to questionable spiritual beings to dispense.

The bit about understanding I'm at a loss about.  I don't see how my lack of belief in unprovable things can effect my ability to understand, say, the theory of evolution.  But maybe what the OP means is that lack of belief in unprovable things keeps you from understanding how believing in unprovable things can be a benefit.  That one is way too murky for me.