Being An Atheist Doesn't Make You A Good Person

[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.