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Do atheists really have an -ism?
#1
Do atheists really have an -ism?
With theism there is inevitably a long list of attributes that make up any tradition .. like what to believe, how to worship and what you get to do with the alter boys. Atheists don't really have any of that. We're just not on board for any of the theist stuff. Not that. That's the whole of it. No fancy costumes, no ritual sacrifice .. or am I just doing it wrong? It really doesn't seem to be on par with theism. It just leads people to think we believe stuff too, just different stuff. But really what do we really believe in common as a result of not believing in gods? Answer: whatever you like. In most cases, we believe that which we think we have reason to believe as opposed to that which we wish were true.

You can be an atheist and believe that consciousness is some wonderland of magic places to go to in your head. You can think you are climbing the enlightenment mountain of buddhahood. You can think you are walking the warrior's path between the tonal and naqual that Carlos Casteneda wrote about. Some people think they leave their bodies at night and fly around. Perhaps the position of the celestial bodies reveals all about our personalities, or maybe the I Ching does that better? I must be the world's biggest muggle because I don't find any of that tempting any more. I wonder who thinks spiritual tendencies are on par with religious beliefs?

I'm agnostic so I don't rule anything out but I don't invest in belief systems of any stripe where evidence is lacking. Some folks think i should feel dead inside with an attitude like that. But I don't. The world as I find it, both outside and inside, is plenty wondrous without overlaying it with such belief systems.

Anyone care to fess' up about their fuzzier beliefs?
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Messages In This Thread
Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Whateverist - February 15, 2012 at 12:37 am
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Minimalist - February 15, 2012 at 12:51 am
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by KichigaiNeko - February 15, 2012 at 1:12 am
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Whateverist - February 15, 2012 at 10:10 am
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by theVOID - February 15, 2012 at 2:15 am
Do atheists really have an -ism? - by KichigaiNeko - February 15, 2012 at 10:36 am
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Phil - February 15, 2012 at 10:42 am
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Whateverist - February 15, 2012 at 11:32 am
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Phil - February 15, 2012 at 11:37 am
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Whateverist - February 16, 2012 at 2:38 am
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Phil - February 16, 2012 at 9:16 am
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Voltair - February 15, 2012 at 11:16 am
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by thesummerqueen - February 15, 2012 at 1:37 pm
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Whateverist - February 15, 2012 at 9:55 pm
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Faith No More - February 15, 2012 at 2:13 pm
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by KichigaiNeko - February 15, 2012 at 9:59 pm
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Whateverist - February 15, 2012 at 10:14 pm
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by KichigaiNeko - February 15, 2012 at 10:18 pm
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Reforged - February 16, 2012 at 9:26 am
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Whateverist - February 16, 2012 at 10:24 am
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Reforged - February 16, 2012 at 4:16 pm
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by thesummerqueen - February 16, 2012 at 9:28 am
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by The Grand Nudger - February 16, 2012 at 12:09 pm
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by thesummerqueen - February 16, 2012 at 12:13 pm
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Mister Agenda - February 16, 2012 at 4:51 pm
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by thesummerqueen - February 16, 2012 at 9:49 pm
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by theVOID - February 17, 2012 at 12:16 am
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Shell B - February 17, 2012 at 1:23 am
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Mister Agenda - February 20, 2012 at 4:32 pm
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by thesummerqueen - February 20, 2012 at 4:40 pm
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by Mister Agenda - February 20, 2012 at 5:23 pm
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by 5thHorseman - February 20, 2012 at 5:06 pm
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by thesummerqueen - February 20, 2012 at 5:07 pm
RE: Do atheists really have an -ism? - by thesummerqueen - February 20, 2012 at 5:26 pm

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