What is our role

[Crossless2.0]

Carlin had it right. Our role is to produce plastic. The Earth needed plastic for some reason, didn't have it readily at hand, and needed a species that could produce it. We're that species.

Once the quota has been reached, our purpose (and time) will have come to an end.

[Edwardo Piet]

Who is "our"? As humans or as atheists?

As atheists we contribute by not believing in gods, we may talk about it if we so wish, on the forums we clearly do. But it's no requirement of not believing.

As humans we all have different opinions on what is right to contribute, or indeed what is right or wrong at all. However, to paraphrase Sam Harris, I will say that if the word "bad" means anything it would at least mean the worst possible misery for everyone. Once we can agree that that is bad then we can then speak about how some situations must be objectively closer to or further away from that hypothetical worst possible misery for everyone. We can speak about it objectively in principle. Some situations are objectively more miserable than others in principle whether we can test that or not in practice. And of course there is both epistemological objectivity and ontological objectivity so that is how science can study subjective experience objectively.

[DespondentFishdeathMasochismo]

A problem I have seen is people who say that the culture we live in is based on Christian values. I ask them if the culture would be any worse off if it was developed by atheists. I don't think that our role should be to try to simply provoke people to disbelieve in god. I think that as atheists, we should educate people, on things that some Christians I have talked to don't even know the difference between. 

I have a friend who thinks that atheism is the same thing as science, I had to explain to him that science is a tool of measurement and observation and that it has a scientific method. I explained to him that Atheism isn't rejection of god, it's skepticism, and you don't choose what to believe. I am still trying to build a more solid argument for why you don't choose to believe something, because I don't understand why it isn't demonstrable to them. 

I also think that as atheists, we should fight the stereotype that religious people are more moral than we are. They think that since religion seems to be the basis of cultures, that means in their mind that religious morality is ingrained in all of us. That's when you see people trying to use that as accountability for enacting religious laws, or saying atheists are immoral. It seems demonstrable to me that biblical "morality" is full of contradictions, but the believer doesn't see that. They don't see that religious morality is just morality repackaged. 

As an atheist, I often feel tremendous pressure, not only to reverse misnomers about atheism, but to try to battle the embarrassment of having my thoughts looked down on. It takes so much effort to try to explain something to someone who doesn't understand, as well as try to decipher arguments that make no sense and try to counteract the misconceptions. Often times I will just sit around, so disgusted and annoyed with the world, I'll feel nothing but despair and isolation.

[Angrboda]

What is our contribution to the World,

1) Is it to say that God is no longer existing,  OR

That's an option some may choose.

2) Develop "Humanity" principles which guides people to live peacefully on the earth

Humanism is just another religion. I say 'boo' to made up principles and ethics.

[Whateverist]

2) Develop "Humanity" principles which guides people to live peacefully on the earth

Humanism is just another religion.  I say 'boo' to made up principles and ethics.

Can't imagine having so much time on ones hands and so little imagination that sitting around making up guiding principles and ethics ever becomes an attractive activity.

[downbeatplumb]

Guys, express your views!

What is our contribution to the World,

1) Is it to say that God is no longer existing,  OR

2) Develop "Humanity" principles which guides people to live peacefully on the earth

Enjoy sharing your thinking.

I just come here for the yucks.

[Whateverist]

Enjoy sharing your thinking.

I just come here for the yucks.

Hope you enjoyed posting that.