Atheism is now a religion?

[pixelwise]

Where is this concept of goodness come from? What is the essence of being good? Can Atheism answer this with logic and common sense?

to echo you sir reg, from within

christianity basically instills that man is a sinner. man is bad. the flavor of atheism that is a departure from christianity reverses this basic premise. "i am good" a la oprah. that for me doesn't make atheism entirely empty and meaningless.

the measure of a belief after all is how one conducts everyday life. i believe in intelligent design for example. what then? what good does it do me and more importantly what good does it do the people whose lives i have a role in? it my sound cliche or even far fetched to some but my belief in an intelligent designer makes me see the intelligent design, the value of his creation, which is myself and everyone, everything around me. it is not necessarily to please or glorify him, but just out of pure awe.

so you see it doesn't have to be "deep", be technical, complex, or, pardon me sir reg, esoteric. that's for me as a theist. i believe it can be the same for the atheist- the trust in his own goodness in order to value others and be good to them.

[regnauld]

in my opinion bro reg..the concept of goodness comes from the person on how he was molded by the lessons he has learned by himself through his collected experience in life whether bad or good..he helps because he wants to and not because of any spiritual thing or person that urged him to help..he justs want to help that's it..the specific person who volunteered to help he might have a myriad reasons why he helped pero he did it..out of himself and not because of through some spiritual urging or anything he wants to help that's it..the reason(s) on why he helped will be his own either out of pity or he just knows that he's capable of helping and thus offered the aid..and nothing spiritual or anything just plain unadulterated help..the essence of being good for an atheist in my opinion is because he can help..he wants to help..without any spiritual urgings just plain assistance to his fellow men..and he has a choice too of whether he wants to help without having to undergo to any kind of guilt born from any spiritual beliefs he might feel guilty..because he knew he could offer help and is capable of helping but he didn't..that might be one of the reason of why he felt guilty and not of any spiritual induced guilt.

Where is this willingness to help come from? Who urges you to help? WHo is this WHo if not composed by billions of atoms and molucules. How did you learn to be good when you choose to be good? Does goodness something to do with Essence? And what is the Essence of your goodness if not being percieved by your five senses? I hope Atheism can answer those profound questions too without spiritual reasoning! And last question WHY BE GUILTY in the first PLACE? WHo makes you feel GUILT when in fact you have nothing to believe in?

[Ramini]

@abing

sakto imong definition sa religion and about your views on atheism is also your opinion i also have my own views on atheism..and i respect your views on atheism..pero abing naa lang jd teeny weeny problem sa imong pag equate sa atheism into a religion..sakto ka nga if mutuo ka or ang imong barangay..that means daghan namo dli lang ikaw to certain belief matawag na nang inyong tinuhuan nga religion..pero ang atheism negates god or any deity dba..pero dli lang ta nasangit..i'll qoute on that..

"it's considered as a religion, coz its all about YOU in your life. "

cge prompting mao na ang atheism all about YOU..pero abing..ang religion in my opinion is a belief of a creator or a divine being..problema lang is im not divine i just believed in myself..im not claiming that i created the univerese BUT if get to convince YOU AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE in this world that I INDEED CREATED THE WORLD then THAT'S religion..

[regnauld]

I would say Atheists are gods denying that there is no god when in fact they are!

[Ramini]

Where is this willingness to help come from?

from the knowledge that one is capable of helping another or the willingness to go at great lengths to help another..in my opinion i think there's nothing spiritual about that..in short plain old malasakit sa kapwa.

Who urges you to help? WHo is this WHo

no one but myself i opted to help because i was compelled by my feelings of pity it came from no spiritual being that whispered in my ear to help the person but just me..because i chose to..

How did you learn to be good when you choose to be good?

perhaps this person in his collected experiences in his life saw soo many good things e.g. helping others and he conceived the thought that it is good to help others that's how he learned to be good..pero if saw death or other things that negates goodness then i guess it is obvious that the person is not a helpful one.

And last question WHY BE GUILTY in the first PLACE? WHo makes you feel GUILT when in fact you have nothing to believe in?

being guilty is optional..he didn't help because he knows that he's not capable of helping the person and is not willing to go at great lengths to help another..he doensn't want that hassle..pero that is only one reasoning on why he didn't help..being guilty is never an immediate reaction when an atheist refuses help..he might feel guilty or he might not..depends on the person's own personal values..

[pixelwise]

..im not claiming that i created the univerese BUT if get to convince YOU AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE in this world that I INDEED CREATED THE WORLD then THAT'S religion..

well put, one of the best ways i've seen it said.

@abing i think religion is a little bit more than what you described. you miss some basic ingredients, namely a leader and the followers. that's from a more contemporary view of what a religion is.

or if you want to go back to the origin of the word "religion" itself, it suggests man's effort to restore lost ties with a supreme being external to oneself. society in various ways imposes this "tie" to each individual right at birth, gihimong built-in. atheism attempts to severe this tie, so in essence atheism is nullifying religion.

[Ramini]

I would say Atheists are gods denying that there is no god when in fact they are!

no i wouldn't say god..exactly..but perhaps the master of their own fate..we can't say we are gods..as an atheist my definition of god is like what the theists would define..cguro i can consider myself a god to my own choices..i can't even call myself a god to my own not unless i have complete mastery of my body and mind..pero im not i can't just order my heart to stop beating..if i can do that then i can safely call myself a god to my own being..if i can create another being through my own then i can surely call myself a God with a capital G

[regnauld]

from the knowledge that one is capable of helping another or the willingness to go at great lengths to help another..in my opinion i think there's nothing spiritual about that..in short plain old malasakit sa kapwa.


no one but myself i opted to help because i was compelled by my feelings of pity it came from no spiritual being that whispered in my ear to help the person but just me..because i chose to..



perhaps this person in his collected experiences in his life saw soo many good things e.g. helping others and he conceived the thought that it is good to help others that's how he learned to be good..pero if saw death or other things that negates goodness then i guess it is obvious that the person is not a helpful one.



being guilty is optional..he didn't help because he knows that he's not capable of helping the person and is not willing to go at great lengths to help another..he doensn't want that hassle..pero that is only one reasoning on why he didn't help..being guilty is never an immediate reaction when an atheist refuses help..he might feel guilty or he might not..depends on the person's own personal values..

How do you define goodness? How do you know goodness is better than being bad? What are the effects of goodness and why is there so much goodness in the universe? What makes it stand or the goal of every human to be good? What is really there in GOODNESS?

[Abing]

@abing

sakto imong definition sa religion and about your views on atheism is also your opinion i also have my own views on atheism..and i respect your views on atheism..pero abing naa lang jd teeny weeny problem sa imong pag equate sa atheism into a religion..sakto ka nga if mutuo ka or ang imong barangay..that means daghan namo dli lang ikaw to certain belief matawag na nang inyong tinuhuan nga religion..pero ang atheism negates god or any deity dba..pero dli lang ta nasangit..i'll qoute on that..

"it's considered as a religion, coz its all about YOU in your life. "

cge prompting mao na ang atheism all about YOU..pero abing..ang religion in my opinion is a belief of a creator or a divine being..problema lang is im not divine i just believed in myself..im not claiming that i created the univerese BUT if get to convince YOU AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE in this world that I INDEED CREATED THE WORLD then THAT'S religion..

kudus! naa kay point. well ill dig on it, so talking about religion.. its a so not vague revelation man gud .. not what religion is..but how you value yourself.. that leads to religion..

well lets differentiate God and You. CONTRAST man jud na sya hehe, kay we're still sinners and God is perfect. pero GOD has so many definition, well, sample lang sa christianity.. ang i sermon sa pastor or sa pari.. surrender yourself to the Lord. meaning, there has always been a competition among the two. God and man. and you are Christian if you chose Christ. you are muslim if you chose Allah. .. and you are an atheist if you don't believe in God. or allah.. meaning, kung papilion ka sa YOU and GOD. you chose you.. diba? you chose you above GOD..

PS: those are just my opinions

[Ramini]

well put, one of the best ways i've seen it said.

@abing i think religion is a little bit more than what you described. you miss some basic ingredients, namely a leader and the followers. that's from a more contemporary view of what a religion is.

or if you want to go back to the origin of the word "religion" itself, it suggests man's effort to restore lost ties with a supreme being external to oneself. society in various ways imposes this "tie" to each individual right at birth, gihimong built-in. atheism attempts to severe this tie, so in essence atheism is nullifying religion.

in my books religion is always involved in some mystical being that has the capability of creating anything out of nothing..until the time that i can do the same..i won't even convince people to follow me but order them myself..hehehe!! i think that's not a sound idea..