RE: The nearness to God factor. How do Atheists feel about moving higher or lower?
April 24, 2014 at 10:45 am
(April 20, 2014 at 6:19 pm)MysticKnight Wrote: Hi
When I think of people that are really good people, I have sense they are nearer to God then others. I also feel we can move closer to God. I feel there is stages and that these stages are real, that we really move closer or further from God by how our hearts of souls move through out lives influenced by how we act and react.
Taking away God, what do Atheists feel they gravitate towards? Goodness has no metaphysical existence to draw closer to from an Atheistic perspective, so while we may become more good, we are not moving closer to anything really or am I missing something?
Do you still feel there is stages of higher and lower if we take God out of the picture?
Morality has significant social functions. This is not news, religion engages with the social aspects of morality too. Why would atheists not behave in a socially responsible manner?
As I see it, the fundamental difference between believers and atheists is that atheists are grown-up enough not to need the threat of a vengeful deity to behave responsibly in social situations.
The higher/lower stuff is your own way of making sense of religion and I've no wish to prop up your delusions.
MM
"The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions" - Leonardo da Vinci
"I think I use the term “radical” rather loosely, just for emphasis. If you describe yourself as “atheist,” some people will say, “Don’t you mean ‘agnostic’?” I have to reply that I really do mean atheist, I really do not believe that there is a god; in fact, I am convinced that there is not a god (a subtle difference). I see not a shred of evidence to suggest that there is one ... etc., etc. It’s easier to say that I am a radical atheist, just to signal that I really mean it, have thought about it a great deal, and that it’s an opinion I hold seriously." - Douglas Adams (and I echo the sentiment)
"I think I use the term “radical” rather loosely, just for emphasis. If you describe yourself as “atheist,” some people will say, “Don’t you mean ‘agnostic’?” I have to reply that I really do mean atheist, I really do not believe that there is a god; in fact, I am convinced that there is not a god (a subtle difference). I see not a shred of evidence to suggest that there is one ... etc., etc. It’s easier to say that I am a radical atheist, just to signal that I really mean it, have thought about it a great deal, and that it’s an opinion I hold seriously." - Douglas Adams (and I echo the sentiment)
