...(Atheistic irony)
May 1, 2011 at 1:05 pm
(This post was last modified: May 1, 2011 at 2:04 pm by cGodfrey.)
Well, as you can deduce from my post count, I'm a new member. As this may end up being either my only post and/or my only thread I will say what I want to say and await the responses. If I get none my question(s) will be answered. Although from what I've seen throughout the forums I will at least get one response containing some rational thought and as well, my question(s) will be answered. Away we go.
I am currently serving in the US Army, as you might have guessed, or plain 'ole read, I'm an Atheist. Not the open type that flaunts his lack of belief around or bashes those that have beliefs (anti-theist). I think the idea that religion stands for can be a good thing. What it is supposed to do, how people are supposed to act and the like. What it actually does and is supposed to do are different things (depending on the religion). People have turned something that started off innocent into a perverted society of derelicts. Beginning to sway from my topic...
Some of you might have seen that there is a soldier attempting to get Atheism recognized by the military and chaplain services. He would like to become an Atheist chaplain! Contradiction? Seems like it to me. After I had heard about this I began looking into what this guy has done, aside from get a ton of publicity on the matter and get his picture in the NY times. I found out that he has created a group for other folks with similar beliefs that also serve our country. After I found that I began looking around for other groups for Atheists and then stumbled onto this forum. I read a few posts and saw that are people here that could possibly offer an intelligent answer for my question(s). I hope I'm not wrong (psychological implantation, gotta love it).
So the purpose of this thread-Why would an Atheist need to be a part of a religious organization/receive counsel from a religious member? I given this a bit of thought and I can't seem to put my finger on why this guy is so into creating a chaplain service for Atheists and creating groups for other "freethinkers" to join. I understand the principal he is getting at, our military is slightly forcing religion down our throats, but he's contradicting the very aspect of what I feel freethinking is all about. Paraphrasing Dawkins to fit this conversation-Getting Atheists to join a group is like herding cats. You can have 10 Atheists in the same room and all of them believe/act differently and independently from one another. Sure we would have a common ground with our whole disbelief, but really who cares. I didn't want to join this forum because I think the idea is counterproductive to my views.
I remember in highschool when all the goth kids started coming about with their all black clothes and black hair and piercings all over their faces. They would hang out together, dress alike, listen to the same music and claim to be into anarchy, etc. I asked one of them why they dressed like that. I figured he would say so everyone would know what he was in to and further allow other that were into the same thing a more approachable avenue. His response was "I'm not a sheep, I'm an individual, independent and capable of my own thoughts." I replied to him. "If you are capable of your own thoughts and are an individual, independent from the rest of society, then why do you have to dress, look, and act like all the other individuals, independent and capable of their own thoughts, who are also not sheep?"
I suppose the humanistic need to belong comes into play here, or maybe just to have an intelligent conversation like I aim that this thread will generate, but I fail to really see the point in creating a chapel service for soldiers who are Atheist. Nor do I see a reason for a group of us to sit around and point at the sky and laugh (I can do that myself), Why must it be an Atheist group and not just a group? I don't know. Perhaps I am asking these questions because maybe there's something that I didn't know about Atheism that I should. Do we need a building were we meet and rejoice a really unglamorous afterlife of eternal blackness that we don't even get to be a part of or enjoy? Is there a reason to discuss all issues on an Atheistic/theistic premise? I have tons of conversations with people everyday and 99% of them have nothing to do with religion and I don't cry myself to sleep at night due to my ideological quota not being met.
Sorry for the long post, as I said this may be my only one and I get to read a flood of responses (fingers crossed). I wanted to see what other Atheists, who would be unbiased to this situation, thought. As for me, if they were to create these groups throughout the military and provide an Atheist chaplain, I would still not be a part of the groups nor would I seek advice from the chaplain. They have plenty of avenues for Atheistic release in this world, most involve a naked woman and an ice cold beer.
(And yes I've already taken into account that my very presence on this forum is contradictive to what I said within my post, and therefore proves why groups and like would be formed. Allow me to now disprove God's existance by proving it. Not good enough, I'd talk to the guy directly but I don't have his phone number.)
I am currently serving in the US Army, as you might have guessed, or plain 'ole read, I'm an Atheist. Not the open type that flaunts his lack of belief around or bashes those that have beliefs (anti-theist). I think the idea that religion stands for can be a good thing. What it is supposed to do, how people are supposed to act and the like. What it actually does and is supposed to do are different things (depending on the religion). People have turned something that started off innocent into a perverted society of derelicts. Beginning to sway from my topic...
Some of you might have seen that there is a soldier attempting to get Atheism recognized by the military and chaplain services. He would like to become an Atheist chaplain! Contradiction? Seems like it to me. After I had heard about this I began looking into what this guy has done, aside from get a ton of publicity on the matter and get his picture in the NY times. I found out that he has created a group for other folks with similar beliefs that also serve our country. After I found that I began looking around for other groups for Atheists and then stumbled onto this forum. I read a few posts and saw that are people here that could possibly offer an intelligent answer for my question(s). I hope I'm not wrong (psychological implantation, gotta love it).
So the purpose of this thread-Why would an Atheist need to be a part of a religious organization/receive counsel from a religious member? I given this a bit of thought and I can't seem to put my finger on why this guy is so into creating a chaplain service for Atheists and creating groups for other "freethinkers" to join. I understand the principal he is getting at, our military is slightly forcing religion down our throats, but he's contradicting the very aspect of what I feel freethinking is all about. Paraphrasing Dawkins to fit this conversation-Getting Atheists to join a group is like herding cats. You can have 10 Atheists in the same room and all of them believe/act differently and independently from one another. Sure we would have a common ground with our whole disbelief, but really who cares. I didn't want to join this forum because I think the idea is counterproductive to my views.
I remember in highschool when all the goth kids started coming about with their all black clothes and black hair and piercings all over their faces. They would hang out together, dress alike, listen to the same music and claim to be into anarchy, etc. I asked one of them why they dressed like that. I figured he would say so everyone would know what he was in to and further allow other that were into the same thing a more approachable avenue. His response was "I'm not a sheep, I'm an individual, independent and capable of my own thoughts." I replied to him. "If you are capable of your own thoughts and are an individual, independent from the rest of society, then why do you have to dress, look, and act like all the other individuals, independent and capable of their own thoughts, who are also not sheep?"
I suppose the humanistic need to belong comes into play here, or maybe just to have an intelligent conversation like I aim that this thread will generate, but I fail to really see the point in creating a chapel service for soldiers who are Atheist. Nor do I see a reason for a group of us to sit around and point at the sky and laugh (I can do that myself), Why must it be an Atheist group and not just a group? I don't know. Perhaps I am asking these questions because maybe there's something that I didn't know about Atheism that I should. Do we need a building were we meet and rejoice a really unglamorous afterlife of eternal blackness that we don't even get to be a part of or enjoy? Is there a reason to discuss all issues on an Atheistic/theistic premise? I have tons of conversations with people everyday and 99% of them have nothing to do with religion and I don't cry myself to sleep at night due to my ideological quota not being met.
Sorry for the long post, as I said this may be my only one and I get to read a flood of responses (fingers crossed). I wanted to see what other Atheists, who would be unbiased to this situation, thought. As for me, if they were to create these groups throughout the military and provide an Atheist chaplain, I would still not be a part of the groups nor would I seek advice from the chaplain. They have plenty of avenues for Atheistic release in this world, most involve a naked woman and an ice cold beer.
(And yes I've already taken into account that my very presence on this forum is contradictive to what I said within my post, and therefore proves why groups and like would be formed. Allow me to now disprove God's existance by proving it. Not good enough, I'd talk to the guy directly but I don't have his phone number.)
