Happy Atheist Forum

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.

Music, personal expression, and free thinking.

MY trinity

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.

Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Really.

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

WORD

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

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

Took the words right out of my mouth.

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 Feel free to correct me!!

Nothing.

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...)

Scientific pursuit assuming respect for living things.

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.  

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!  

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

I second that..Or Third

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

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

And I hold these, just as some people who were smarter than me did, as self evident. Sacred, but in the non-religious sense.

Here's a picture of what I hold sacred:

(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages34.fotki.com%2Fv1150%2Fphotos%2F8%2F892548%2F6145789%2FNothing-vi.jpg&hash=67e9f0ad27d6379064b59dce1c0056ef5850d0e5)

There are things that I consider important, things I wouldn't want to live without, things I truly enjoy, but nothing I consider "sacred." Maybe I'm just too postmodern, who knows. Just seems that anything we hold sacred could, as we're not tied by dogma, fall out of favor by changing in such a way that we no longer agree with or view them as important.

Also, not to cause waves, but how can something be "sacred" in a non-religious sense? Oxford English Dictionary:

Quote from: "OED"sacred, a. and n.

A. adj.

    {dag}1. Of the Eucharistic elements: Consecrated.

    2. (Followed by to.)    a. Consecrated to; esteemed especially dear or acceptable to a deity.

    b. Dedicated, set apart, exclusively appropriated to some person or some special purpose.

    3. a. Of things, places, of persons and their offices, etc.: Set apart for or dedicated to some religious purpose, and hence entitled to veneration or religious respect; made holy by association with a god or other object of worship; consecrated, hallowed.

    b. sacred book, writing, etc.: one of those in which the laws and teachings of a religion are embodied. sacred history: the history contained in the Bible. sacred number: a number (esp. seven) to which is attributed a peculiar depth of significance in religious symbolism. sacred poetry: poetry concerned with religious themes. sacred music: music which accompanies sacred words or which has a certain solemn character of its own. sacred concert: a concert of sacred music. Sacred Blood, the blood of Christ. sacred orders [eccl. L. ordines sacri], the holy or major orders.

    c. rarely of a deity: Venerable, holy.

    d. Applied as a specific defining adj. to various animals and plants that are or have been considered sacred to certain deities.

    4. transf. and fig. Regarded with or entitled to respect or reverence similar to that which attaches to holy things.

    b. esp. as an epithet of royalty. Now chiefly Hist. or arch.; formerly often in the phrase His (her, your) most Sacred Majesty.

    c. in sarcastic use.

    5. a. Secured by religious sentiment, reverence, sense of justice, or the like, against violation, infringement, or encroachment.

    b. Of a person (hence of his office): Having a religiously secured immunity from violence or attachment; sacrosanct, inviolable.

    c. With from: Protected by some sanction from injury or incursion.

    d. fig. Devoted to some purpose, not to be lightly intruded upon or handled.

    6. Accursed. [After L. sacer; freq. translating or in allusion to Virgil's auri saca fames (Æn. III. 57).] Now rare.

    7. Special collocations. {dag}sacred artery (see quot.). sacred axe, a mark on Chinese porcelain, supposed to designate warriors. sacred band Gr. Hist., a body consisting of 300 young nobles, who formed part of the permanent military force of Thebes from 379 B.C. sacred bark [Sp. cáscara sagrada], the bark of Rhamnus Purshianus of California, used as a tonic aperient. sacred circle, an exclusive company, an élite. sacred college (see COLLEGE n. 1). sacred egoism = SACRO EGOISMO. {dag}sacred elixir = sacred tincture. {dag}Sacred Empire, the Holy Roman Empire. sacred fire [L. sacer ignis, see HOLY FIRE], erysipelas. sacred malady [L. sacer morbus], epilepsy (Syd. Soc. Lex. 1897). sacred month, place (see quots.). {dag}sacred tincture [= mod.L. tinctura sacra: see Chambers Cycl. Supp. (1753) s.v. Aloes], a preparation of rhubarb and aloes. {dag}sacred vein [L. vena sacra] (see quot.). Sacred War (see WAR). sacred way, a route used by religious processions, pilgrims, etc.

    {dag}B. n. pl. [after L. sacra neut. pl.] Obs.

    1. Sacred rites or solemnities.

    2. Things consecrated or offered in sacrifice to the gods.

    3. Sacred utensils or vessels.

The bold definition seems like the only one that could fit. But even then, it's a sub-definition referring to something being held as quality by a deity. Maybe I'm over-thinking this.  

Curio, you wise guy! I waited like 15 seconds for a picture to appear. Then it dawned on me.  :lol:

Quote from: "curiosityandthecat"There are things that I consider important, things I wouldn't want to live without, things I truly enjoy, but nothing I consider "sacred." Maybe I'm just too postmodern, who knows. Just seems that anything we hold sacred could, as we're not tied by dogma, fall out of favor by changing in such a way that we no longer agree with or view them as important.

Dude! You got me too! I thought something was wrong with my computer cause the pic was just black.... Thanks McQ, I still don't think I would have gotten it.... Anyway, well said curio, never thought of it that way. I didn't take "sacred" too literally. I just took it as things I value, but I like where you're coming from.

my family
my friends
freedom of speech and expression
rationale
evidence
love
music
poetry
peace
respect
tolerance
understanding
the beatles (sorry, they're me deities)

"Life is holy, and every moment precious."  Jack Kerouac, On The Road

my wedding vows
my bond between me and my son.

While acknowledging that there is nothing "sacred" to the universe but to me self aware life is "sacred" and I won't do anything unnecessary to end it or impede is "happiness" in another self aware individual.

Just a note since this thread still seems to be picking up comments on occaision, I thought the definitions were a good point and meant the term sacred in a secular/metaphorical sense. I used the word more by connotation rather than denotation.  I'm not trying to catch anyone in a trap here and say "Hah! you believe this is sacred therefore....blah blah blah."  I simply found the strength of the word appropriate.  If you have a term that would be quick, short and still have as much emotional impact as the word sacred, then by all means.

Unfortunately I'm much too pessimistic to hold anything sacred.

Sacred, eh..?

*looks at sig*

Quote from: "Asmodean's Signature"It all ends up the same - dust and tears

Family, friendship, lovers, pets, nature, humour, the written word, the future and last but not least, my penis.

humor, music, and the marvel of the human mind