Question For Atheists.

[Theland]

With respect, why do atheists spend so much time and energy on Religion & Sprituality?
This is as ridiculous as me being on gardening, football, or cooking.
Good for those who are, but wasted on me.

[spathiphyllum]

because it's one of the mysteries of life regardless what ya believe, and it's a fascinating subject

[Theland]

Like Father Christmas, Tooth Fairy, and Unicorns?

[Dusty Bin]

Hopkirk makes a very good point.

From personal experience, as a child I was taught Christianity at school and led to believe it was fact.

As I grew older, I was taught it more belief rather than factual.

When I realised that all I had been taught as a young child had to be nonsense, I felt so many questions I had were now answered.

I cannot say for certain there is no supernatural being controlling us, because it has not been proven that there isn't.

However, I have yet to see a shred of evidence that there is.

[Canary42]

Your analogy of hobbies with beliefs is totally awry.

And admit it, if nobody answered your copious R&S posts you would be very very disappointed.

[Atheist]

Theland. I don't spend much time discussing religion and spirituality because I have other interests, e.g. sex, history, petanque, painting and writing. Unfortunately not many here are interested in those things, so occasionally I talk to someone like you, but sadly it's not very intellectually stimulating. Best wishes, and give Jesus my regards - if he's there, he'll appreciate it, if not he won't mind.

[CrapAtCryptics]

I just marvel that someone can be so convinced in their own opinion that they spend pretty much all there time abusing others and trying to bully others who dont - doesnt that indicate a lack of Christian spirit.

[vetuste_ennemi]

//I don't spend much time discussing religion and spirituality because I have other interests, e.g. sex, history, petanque, painting and writing//

All of these interests are directly or indirectly related to what you might call loosely "spirituality".

Well, OK, not petanque. That's just a load of bowls.

[Atheist]

VE. One of my problems is that I don't understand what Spirituality means. It's a bit like 'vibrations' or 'energy' when used in a non-scientific context. Can anyone here tell me what 'spirituality' is?

[vetuste_ennemi]

//VE. One of my problems is that I don't understand what Spirituality means. It's a bit like 'vibrations' or 'energy' when used in a non-scientific context. Can anyone here tell me what 'spirituality' is?//

No, Atheist, I can't. You've got me there.

I can do the next best thing which is to ask you what you mean when you talk about "right" and "wrong", when you argue whether in any particular case "justice" has been served or denied. In general ask you to explain the moral presumptions which we all share as atheists or believers.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Maybe "spirituality" is asking that kind of question.

Maybe "spirituality" is thinking that kind of question important.

Tennis, anybody?

[vetuste_ennemi]

Petanque?

[Atheist]

VE, I don't think I've talked about right and wrong here. I think our moral judgements come from our evolutionary path, which favoured behaviour such as jumping into a pond to save a drowning creature (not a fish of course; we would save them by throwing them back into the water). Social and cultural and (dare I say it?) spiritual values intervened and led to odd behaviours such as killing people who were kind and friendly but had mistaken ideas of the exact hierarchy of supernatural beings - was Jesus equal to god or subordinate? My view is that it's better to be kind than clever.

[vetuste_ennemi]

//My view is that it's better to be kind than clever//

I think we're agreed, Atheist.

[Atheist]

Mind you, if everyone thought like me I don't think the human race would have made such technological advance. Maybe that's why there aren't loads of ET's buzzing around here; perhaps they're at home being kind to each other.

[WhiskandGlitter]

I think that maybe they are looking to cover all of their grounds. Making sure that no one has an answer that will prove there is something else out there.

[vetuste_ennemi]

//Mind you, if everyone thought like me I don't think the human race would have made such technological advance. Maybe that's why there aren't loads of ET's buzzing around here; perhaps they're at home being kind to each other//

Are intellectual qualities like curiosity and moral qualities like kindness mutually exclusive?

[Khandro]

"Religion is like a nail", according to Yemelyan Yarolslavsky, the Soviet revolutionary who headed the League of the Militant Godless,* "the harder you hit, the deeper it goes in".

If you study the history of Christianity you will discover that it was itself once considered atheistic, in that it refused to recognise the Roman gods and the Emperor.

*Where are they now ? I hear you ask, well;
https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/league-militant-godless

and of course embodied in that great thinker of our time, Richard Dawkins.

[naomi24]

Atheist, //Can anyone here tell me what 'spirituality' is?//

A good question for a separate thread?

Theland at 19:09 Wed, //Rubbish//

//a second after they take their last breath, all will be revealed.
But concerned?
No.
Their problem, and yours, not mine.//

I rest my case. Rubbish indeed.

[mibn2cweus]

For lack of a genuine philosophy topic, this is a great place to study logic fallacies.

[Malachite]

Curiosity as to why any sane person would buy into organised religion perhaps.