Being An Atheist Doesn't Make You A Good Person

[KevinM1]

What puzzles me is why an atheist - who presumably doesn't believe in any supernatural entities of any stripe, and hopefully understands that weather is not controlled by any entities and holds no messages for humanity - would make such a claim in the first place.

They very likely did it in a "how do you feel when other people but Christians do it, especially when it's targetting you simply for being who you are?" attempt at irony. I would certainly hope that it wasn't said seriously, but as a neener-neener.

[Joods]

There is nothing more despicable than a religitard trying to spread his message of hate and fear.

While all this is true Min, Mooney wasn't referring to the religious acting this way. It was two atheists acting this way.

[Seraphina]

What puzzles me is why an atheist - who presumably doesn't believe in any supernatural entities of any stripe, and hopefully understands that weather is not controlled by any entities and holds no messages for humanity - would make such a claim in the first place.

I thought the same thing too. Thinking of Hurricane Harvey as karma for voting Republican is just woo. Sounds hypocritical to me.

-Teresa

[Astonished]

What puzzles me is why an atheist - who presumably doesn't believe in any supernatural entities of any stripe, and hopefully understands that weather is not controlled by any entities and holds no messages for humanity - would make such a claim in the first place.

I thought the same thing too. Thinking of Hurricane Harvey as karma for voting Republican is just woo. Sounds hypocritical to me.

-Teresa

Well, doing so is generally an objectively bad thing that should require corrective action, but yeah, calling down a godly wrath storm on them that teaches no one anything is a purposeless notion.

[vorlon13]

While I, from an atheist viewpoint, might find it silly to associate hurricanes and such with the wrath of God Almighty, I hasten to point out believers are required to believe, as it were, and when we see clear and explicit Scripture noting this:

So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.

and then note the massive decline in Christian morality, especially in regards to the burgeoning acceptance (and even church sanctification) of remarriage following divorce involving a Christian marriage, then the conclusion is inescapable:

God is OUTRAGED over the explosion of adultery in lives of His faithful, and He is justly and rightfully outraged, and is reminding His followers of His Commandment on the subject, and clearly, these hurricanes are being sent to emphasize His desire for His followers to comport themselves in accord with His Holy Law.


Or else.

[Joshua martin pryce]

So this will be more of a rant than anything else but still I wanted to talk to someone about it that wasn't a Christian that would silently judge all atheists.

I've had to unfollow two atheist pages on Facebook because both were bringing politics into the devastation that is Hurricane Harvey. One said Texas deserved it because 'we' voted republican as a state. I flipped a lid on this one. First off Houston is kin to Austin apparently since we are both blue cities in a swarm of red so I inquired why they deserved to be destroyed. This yahoo said it's because the state as a whole voted republican. I honestly don't get why this plays any part but he was being very aggressive and rude. I was done with him after that.

The second one thought it was funny that Texas voted for Trump and now we get this hurricane. He acted like it was karma for voting badly. I say fuck you and unfollowed him without argument.

Now I know simply having a lack of belief in gods doesn't make us all best friends nor does it make someone respect humanity but geebus fuck these two make us really look like dick heads.

I know most of us here are pretty compassionate people for the most part so it just baffles me that someone who 'rags' on the religious for being intolerant and inhumane could turn around and say someone deserved to lose everything they own (and their lives for 60 people) simply because the place they lived voted opposite from how they did.

Am I being childish to be so upset over this?

to be good is not just being kind to people that love you. its loving people that dont like you. its giving to the poor without feeling it as a burden.

[Kosh]

What puzzles me is why an atheist - who presumably doesn't believe in any supernatural entities of any stripe, and hopefully understands that weather is not controlled by any entities and holds no messages for humanity - would make such a claim in the first place.

I thought the same thing too. Thinking of Hurricane Harvey as karma for voting Republican is just woo. Sounds hypocritical to me.

-Teresa

Karma doesn't necessarily mean a higher power influence or punishment.  At least not to me.

To me, Karma is more like Newtons Third Law.  For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  Or, simple cause an effect.  What goes around comes around.

Example: You don't think hurricane Sandy or Katrina victims should get federal relief.  Then your hit with Harvey, and you want federal relief.

Or more simply.

You smoke cigarettes all your life despite the warnings, and then you get lung cancer.

I think we atheist get too wound up in self policing our thoughts.  I do the same thing when I say something like "god help me".  I don't believe in god, but I grew up with my grandparents saying it.  Now It's an idiom I use to express exasperation.  More recently, I've gone to "Great Odin help me" since its funny.   Karma..  I say that all the time without a second thought.

[Astonished]

So this will be more of a rant than anything else but still I wanted to talk to someone about it that wasn't a Christian that would silently judge all atheists.

I've had to unfollow two atheist pages on Facebook because both were bringing politics into the devastation that is Hurricane Harvey. One said Texas deserved it because 'we' voted republican as a state. I flipped a lid on this one. First off Houston is kin to Austin apparently since we are both blue cities in a swarm of red so I inquired why they deserved to be destroyed. This yahoo said it's because the state as a whole voted republican. I honestly don't get why this plays any part but he was being very aggressive and rude. I was done with him after that.

The second one thought it was funny that Texas voted for Trump and now we get this hurricane. He acted like it was karma for voting badly. I say fuck you and unfollowed him without argument.

Now I know simply having a lack of belief in gods doesn't make us all best friends nor does it make someone respect humanity but geebus fuck these two make us really look like dick heads.

I know most of us here are pretty compassionate people for the most part so it just baffles me that someone who 'rags' on the religious for being intolerant and inhumane could turn around and say someone deserved to lose everything they own (and their lives for 60 people) simply because the place they lived voted opposite from how they did.

Am I being childish to be so upset over this?

to be good is not just being kind to people that love you. its loving people that dont like you. its giving to the poor without feeling it as a burden.

This is where logic demands that we draw the line. I cannot love someone who sits down on a crowded bus and pushes a button that causes their bomb vest to detonate and kill everyone on that vehicle. I cannot (not 'will' not, CAN NOT) love someone who believes that someone who does that is good or righteous or correct or any other positive adjective. I cannot love someone who brainwashes their children to believe in nonsense and perpetuates the madness that leads to the aforementioned atrocity or others like homophobia, among other things.

If you are a believer in the god of the bible, you have absolutely no business believing in any of that anyway. Yahweh is a bloodthirsty psychopath and ethnic cleanser who would never tolerate loving someone who didn't believe in him or didn't follow his will exactly as dictated (so much for free will, eh?) so you refusing to take stones to each and every one of us is an offense against him. You have no high horse to get off of here because you're just dead wrong, kid.

I'd also say giving to the poor without feeling it's a burden is idiotic depending on your circumstances; I'm not exactly skirting homelessness like I have in the past but I'm in no position to be giving charitably myself, so even if I could afford it, that would be a huge burden. Maybe rethink that a bit too; but then, the bible has never, EVER been good at subtlety and nuance. Kind of detracts from god being clever, let alone omniscient.

[drfuzzy]

While I, from an atheist viewpoint, might find it silly to associate hurricanes and such with the wrath of God Almighty, I hasten to point out believers are required to believe, as it were, and when we see clear and explicit Scripture noting this:

So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.

and then note the massive decline in Christian morality, especially in regards to the burgeoning acceptance (and even church sanctification) of remarriage following divorce involving a Christian marriage, then the conclusion is inescapable:

God is OUTRAGED over the explosion of adultery in lives of His faithful, and He is justly and rightfully outraged, and is reminding His followers of His Commandment on the subject, and clearly, these hurricanes are being sent to emphasize His desire for His followers to comport themselves in accord with His Holy Law.


Or else.

   Nicely done, Vor!  Tempest Irma is coming.  If Irma kindly erases all of Cheeto Hitler's properties, from St. Martin up to New Jersey - I might even thank gawd for stomping on Drumph.   If Irma can do it and get ONLY Hair Gropenfuhrer's properties, I might re-consider my atheist stance.  After all, the orange shitgibbon is adulterer-in-chief.