RE: Atheists, do you support same-sex marriage?
April 28, 2015 at 4:51 am
(This post was last modified: April 28, 2015 at 5:01 am by Razzle.)
8
My mum is one of those atheists. I'll try to explain why but even she admits she can't give a logical account of her opinion. She's never believed in any specific religion and is curently anti-theist and anti-religion. She's politically a mixed bag, neither particularly right wing nor left wing (by British standards). She think same sex couples should have equal legal rights and contracts but not call it marriage or do it in a church (and as I said, she doesn't like churches and didn't get married in one herself). She is perfectly nice and accepting of gay people she knows doesn't think the're doing anything wrong, she wouldn't care if I brought a same sex partner home, she just can't put her finger on what makes her uncomfortable about the idea of same sex church weddings. I think it's just discomfort with familiar things looking different than usual, which is a well studied psychological phenomenon that some people seem more prone to than others.
(April 26, 2015 at 2:43 pm)Pyrrho Wrote: As for atheists, it is a bit difficult to dream up a nonreligious reason to be opposed to same-sex marriage. Some probably have not reconsidered the issue after throwing off their religious beliefs, but otherwise, I doubt you will have very many atheists against same-sex marriage, unless they are just against all marriage.
My mum is one of those atheists. I'll try to explain why but even she admits she can't give a logical account of her opinion. She's never believed in any specific religion and is curently anti-theist and anti-religion. She's politically a mixed bag, neither particularly right wing nor left wing (by British standards). She think same sex couples should have equal legal rights and contracts but not call it marriage or do it in a church (and as I said, she doesn't like churches and didn't get married in one herself). She is perfectly nice and accepting of gay people she knows doesn't think the're doing anything wrong, she wouldn't care if I brought a same sex partner home, she just can't put her finger on what makes her uncomfortable about the idea of same sex church weddings. I think it's just discomfort with familiar things looking different than usual, which is a well studied psychological phenomenon that some people seem more prone to than others.
"Faith is a state of openness or trust. To have faith is like when you trust yourself to the water. You don't grab hold of the water when you swim, because if you do you will become stiff and tight in the water, and sink. You have to relax, and the attitude of faith is the very opposite of clinging, and holding on. In other words, a person who is fanatic in matters of religion, and clings to certain ideas about the nature of God and the universe becomes a person who has no faith at all. Instead they are holding tight. But the attitude of faith is to let go, and become open to truth, whatever it might turn out to be."
Alan Watts
Alan Watts
