This isn't as daft an idea as it sounds... honest 
hock:
What do you do when someone you know dies, has an accident, is hospitalised, falls seriously ill or whatever? More to the point what do you say?
There are, of course, a preponderance of theist well wishes from those for the living ("God be with you", "God will help you get better", "It's a miracle you survived", "I'm praying for your recovery" etc .) to those that comfort the relatives of the dead, "He/she's in a better place now", "He/she's with his mother/father/brother/sister now", "One day you'll see him/her again".
The fact is we (atheists) can't compete) with such fantasies, cuddly though they are, so what can we do/say?
My oldest brother died a year an a half ago and it was a lovely funeral, a humanist one and even though I've had the odd argument with my next oldest brother since (he thinks both Dawkins and I are as bad as the fundamentalists) no one said anything that made me want to slap them at the time (truth is I'd probably have just inclined my head slightly in acknowledgement and said, "Thank you" ... me British, reserved 'n all that). My mother's religious and I put my arm round her and said things like, "He died peacefully Mum" (he overdosed on a recreational drug called GHB so that was no lie, with the alcohol he'd had it appeared he simply went to sleep and everything just shut down). I've had a friend come to me with a problem suffered when younger and only manifesting now and I have just acted with compassion, listened to what he has to say, made suggestions when appropriate, acted as drinking partner and helped whenever I can ... it's what friends do but then he's an atheist too.
I'm not sure what I'd do or say if someone I knew was hurt and was religious or if someone died and their family was religious ... I guess I do and say much the same kind of thing.
Like it or not we live in a world where beliefs are tolerated, in many ways, celebrated and (for no reason that makes sense to me) even respected and that makes us the social outcasts, the miscreants etc.
Thoughts?
Kyu
hock:What do you do when someone you know dies, has an accident, is hospitalised, falls seriously ill or whatever? More to the point what do you say?
There are, of course, a preponderance of theist well wishes from those for the living ("God be with you", "God will help you get better", "It's a miracle you survived", "I'm praying for your recovery" etc .) to those that comfort the relatives of the dead, "He/she's in a better place now", "He/she's with his mother/father/brother/sister now", "One day you'll see him/her again".
The fact is we (atheists) can't compete) with such fantasies, cuddly though they are, so what can we do/say?
My oldest brother died a year an a half ago and it was a lovely funeral, a humanist one and even though I've had the odd argument with my next oldest brother since (he thinks both Dawkins and I are as bad as the fundamentalists) no one said anything that made me want to slap them at the time (truth is I'd probably have just inclined my head slightly in acknowledgement and said, "Thank you" ... me British, reserved 'n all that). My mother's religious and I put my arm round her and said things like, "He died peacefully Mum" (he overdosed on a recreational drug called GHB so that was no lie, with the alcohol he'd had it appeared he simply went to sleep and everything just shut down). I've had a friend come to me with a problem suffered when younger and only manifesting now and I have just acted with compassion, listened to what he has to say, made suggestions when appropriate, acted as drinking partner and helped whenever I can ... it's what friends do but then he's an atheist too.
I'm not sure what I'd do or say if someone I knew was hurt and was religious or if someone died and their family was religious ... I guess I do and say much the same kind of thing.
Like it or not we live in a world where beliefs are tolerated, in many ways, celebrated and (for no reason that makes sense to me) even respected and that makes us the social outcasts, the miscreants etc.
Thoughts?
Kyu
Angry Atheism
Where those who are hacked off with the stupidity of irrational belief can vent their feelings!
Come over to the dark side, we have cookies!
Kyuuketsuki, AngryAtheism Owner & Administrator
Where those who are hacked off with the stupidity of irrational belief can vent their feelings!
Come over to the dark side, we have cookies!
Kyuuketsuki, AngryAtheism Owner & Administrator
