What does athiest really want to promote?

normally athiest are just being athiest,

but nowadays many of them are into a scale of trying to prove something and sometime up to the level want to debate. What do these groups actually want to represent?

I think people are just sick of feeling like they have to defend what they beleive.

Someone always has a freaking problem with what others think..who gives a **** what people think.

Nobody here can prove anything either way.

usually they seek to promote things like humanism, skeptical thinking etc.

normally athiest are just being athiest,

but nowadays many of them are into a scale of trying to prove something and sometime up to the level want to debate. What do these groups actually want to represent?

hippiesanta

Probably secularism/political goals. There's a pretty strong link in the U.S. between conservatism and Christianity, I think some atheists are sick of seeing people who are politically apathetic become extremely involved in the voting process simply because they see their religion as being tied to a political agenda. I also think atheists are sick of having to fight over issues like abortion, gay marriage, cnnabis legalization, and others that are tied to religion. Frankly, I pretty much agree with them in principle, the only area where I disagree with my fellow atheists is that I don't think that trying to proselytize is the answer, I think we can still further goals of putting secular laws that protect everybody's freedom and disengaging religion from politics without trying to get people to give up religion entirely.

Communism, usually.

I think people are just sick of feeling like they have to defend what they beleive.

Someone always has a freaking problem with what others think..who gives a **** what people think.

Nobody here can prove anything either way.

Kcube

This is a very, very good post.

What's with people and their obsession with Religon / non-Religon? Just let Christians be Christians, Atheists be Atheists, Muslims be Muslims ETC. Seriously get over it and let people practice or not practice Religon.

Probably secularism/political goals. There's a pretty strong link in the U.S. between conservatism and Christianity, I think some atheists are sick of seeing people who are politically apathetic become extremely involved in the voting process simply because they see their religion as being tied to a political agenda. I also think atheists are sick of having to fight over issues like abortion, gay marriage, cnnabis legalization, and others that are tied to religion. Frankly, I pretty much agree with them in principle, the only area where I disagree with my fellow atheists is that I don't think that trying to proselytize is the answer, I think we can still further goals of putting secular laws that protect everybody's freedom and disengaging religion from politics without trying to get people to give up religion entirely.

theone86

For the most part, the USA does a pretty good job of that.

I mean, we could stand to make some progress in the gay marriage issue. But last I checked, abortion was legal and I don't see how opposition to legalizing cannabis is fundamentally a religious thing. Furthermore, there are actually a hell of a lot of atheists opposed to things like abortion, and a hell of a lot of of religious people who support abortion rights.

[QUOTE="theone86"]

Probably secularism/political goals. There's a pretty strong link in the U.S. between conservatism and Christianity, I think some atheists are sick of seeing people who are politically apathetic become extremely involved in the voting process simply because they see their religion as being tied to a political agenda. I also think atheists are sick of having to fight over issues like abortion, gay marriage, cnnabis legalization, and others that are tied to religion. Frankly, I pretty much agree with them in principle, the only area where I disagree with my fellow atheists is that I don't think that trying to proselytize is the answer, I think we can still further goals of putting secular laws that protect everybody's freedom and disengaging religion from politics without trying to get people to give up religion entirely.

MrGeezer

For the most part, the USA does a pretty good job of that.

I mean, we could stand to make some progress in the gay marriage issue. But last I checked, abortion was legal and I don't see how opposition to legalizing cannabis is fundamentally a religious thing. Furthermore, there are actually a hell of a lot of atheists opposed to things like abortion, and a hell of a lot of of religious people who support abortion rights.

Well, I never said it was drawn down strictly religious lines, simply that religion tended to play a very large part. There are plenty of religious leaders who preach on the cannabis issue, I think most of them fall on the side of criminalization. Abortion, it may be legal but it's not dead as an issue. There is a large movement, backed primarily by religioous groups, that is trying to undo all the progress that has been made on the abortion front. It extends past simple issues as well. There was a movie I saw about the 2004 election specifically in Ohio where the returns were all coming back for Kerry, so at the eleventh hour they rounded up a bunch of religious voters, some of whom had actually been interviewed beforehand and voiced opinions that supported Kerry and his platform, and bused them to voting booths to vote Republican.

And like I said, I don't think proselytizing is going to get atheists anywhere. I think we can address these issues without getting people to give up their religion and I don't think that if everyone suddenly converted to atheism tomorrow there would be complete consensus on any of these issues. All I'm saying is that I agree with their motivations, not their methods.

i don't see why a man can stand on a stool on the corner of hour high street EVERY weekend clutching a bible and shouting at me that someone died for my sins and if i don't spend the rest of my life thanking him for this i am a evil sinner and im going to burn in hell (my kids too it would seem). but as an athiest if i even sugest that everything he believes is BS and i don't believe a word of it then im the offensive one.

i don't see why a man can stand on a stool on the corner of hour high street EVERY weekend clutching a bible and shouting at me that someone died for my sins and if i don't spend the rest of my life thanking him for this i am a evil sinner and im going to burn in hell (my kids too it would seem). but as an athiest if i even sugest that everything he believes is BS and i don't believe a word of it then im the offensive one.

dog_dirt

All i'm gonna say is that religions try to force their beleifs on atheists alot more than the other way around where i live and from what i have gathered.

Communism, usually.

coolbeans90

I feel like defending atheism mostly when some religious people want to tell me how to live my life, and their only reason is "My God told me so" or "my holy book says so".

I feel like defending atheism mostly when some religious people want to tell me how to live my life, and their only reason is "My God told me so" or "my holy book says so".

Teenaged

[QUOTE="Teenaged"]

I feel like defending atheism mostly when some religious people want to tell me how to live my life, and their only reason is "My God told me so" or "my holy book says so".

hippiesanta

Maybe they're fed up being the ones being preached so they "turn the tables".

I just gave my reason.

"Regardless of what I think about Islam or Wicca or any other religion, the fact is that it's a group of people. Every faith has its ceremonies. And since it's made up of people, every faith also has its #$@holes."

Ponder and interpret that any way you like.... :)

atheists just dont believe in god, right?

Better than being these peoplehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYPR8iVxldk

Some of them promotee proper gramman and sentence structure.thegerg

It's always handy when atheists promote proper gramman.

Some of them promotee proper gramman and sentence structure.thegerg

Some of them also promote spelling.

My undeducated guess, is that the incredibly vocal athiests are insecure in their beliefs (or lack thereof). Thats why they can't rest until EVERYONE agrees with them, because they aren't very secure in their beliefs. Same could be said of religious people who try to FORCE thier beliefs onto others.

Just my opinion.

Do keep religion from influcencing our laws and educational systems... thats what I worry about anyway...

the atheist wants to kill all babieslloveLamp

Not sure if serious

the atheist wants to kill all babieslloveLamp

to be responsible for your acts (both good and bad) and live your life without worrying about burning in a place that doesn't exist. Brainkiller05

[QUOTE="Brainkiller05"]to be responsible for your acts (both good and bad) and live your life without worrying about burning in a place that doesn't exist. surrealnumber5

how about every religion ( or non-religion ) just leave all the other ones alone... who cares what anyone else believes?comp_atkins

I'd say a majority of humanity.

Religions disagree fundamentally, and most preach trying to get others to join yours. Innate conflict.

[QUOTE="surrealnumber5"][QUOTE="Brainkiller05"]to be responsible for your acts (both good and bad) and live your life without worrying about burning in a place that doesn't exist. DroidPhysX

[QUOTE="Brainkiller05"]to be responsible for your acts (both good and bad) and live your life without worrying about burning in a place that doesn't exist. surrealnumber5

[QUOTE="comp_atkins"]how about every religion ( or non-religion ) just leave all the other ones alone... who cares what anyone else believes?xLFTMx

I'd say a majority of humanity.

Religions disagree fundamentally, and most preach trying to get others to join yours. Innate conflict.

"So I pick one side. The other side becomes the other side. As soon as I pick one side then I'm defined as one side. So the one side? Well, they're the other side, and therefore that side is not my side, so there is a difference, they must be destroyed..."

[QUOTE="xLFTMx"]

[QUOTE="comp_atkins"]how about every religion ( or non-religion ) just leave all the other ones alone... who cares what anyone else believes?comp_atkins

I'd say a majority of humanity.

Religions disagree fundamentally, and most preach trying to get others to join yours. Innate conflict.

"So I pick one side. The other side becomes the other side. As soon as I pick one side then I'm defined as one side. So the one side? Well, they're the other side, and therefore that side is not my side, so there is a difference, they must be destroyed..."

Thats a fantastic quote.

Even amongst the more outspoken ones you're singling out, atheists aren't a homogenous group. A small percentage of atheists might also represent a scientific agenda where they feel the church is holding back humans as a species, others might oppose the use of religion as a political lever, while a third category could be 13 year old satanists with a grudge against the mainstream, simply being teenagers. There's really not that much necessary common ground between atheists.

Then there's the overwhelming majority you mentioned who, for whatever reason, lack religious sentiment or conviction but aren't in-your-face about it or maybe just have minor gripes against being told what to believe and how to interpret ethics, life, death etc.. Whether they speak up about that to win an argument on a forum or because it makes most sense to them, they're just being intellectually honest and aren't trying to promote anything beyond that.

Personally I find religions to be one of the most detrimental things impeding the further progress of mankind.ManifestoJoe

Then come to beautiful Rapture!

Personally I find religions to be one of the most detrimental things impeding the further progress of mankind.ManifestoJoe

This. Religion is a very dangerous thing that has lead to countless deaths, ignorance, fear, unnecessary guilt, among many other very bad things. An an atheist, I try to tear down the fairy tale foolishness that so many people have been sucked into.

[QUOTE="xLFTMx"]

[QUOTE="comp_atkins"]how about every religion ( or non-religion ) just leave all the other ones alone... who cares what anyone else believes?comp_atkins

I'd say a majority of humanity.

Religions disagree fundamentally, and most preach trying to get others to join yours. Innate conflict.

"So I pick one side. The other side becomes the other side. As soon as I pick one side then I'm defined as one side. So the one side? Well, they're the other side, and therefore that side is not my side, so there is a difference, they must be destroyed..."

im glad im not the only one whose heard of reggie. this quote is awesome and its a shame more people don't hear it, i love his stuff b/c its a mixture of goofy and ridiculous with some really deep stuff thrown in that sometimes almost flys by.

I don't want to promote anything.
I just believe what I believe - I'm an agnostic atheist. If asked, I will tell you that. However, I never bring it up out of nowhere. I'm not out to prove myself or prove anything. I have strong beliefs, but I'm not trying to change anyone's minds. They're free to believe whatever they want as well.

However, atheists have a hard time being taken seriously by their religious counterparts. Religious people need to realize that an atheist is not an atheist to spite everyone else. Religious people need to learn to not take offense when someone says that they are an atheist. It's not a personal slam against religious people, and it's not a slam against any God or gods. Just like religious people believe in something, atheists believe in something (or, well, nothing). I think that is where the problem arises. Of course not all religious people are like that, but there are many who have very false misconceptions of atheists. Atheists are not heathens, terrible people, or anything like that. Atheists can have morals and can lead "good" lives. Atheists are not bad people. Just live and let live. As long as someone is not hurting you, leave them alone. We're all free to believe what we want.

Because of these misconceptions, a lot of atheists feel that they need to prove themselves, and I understand. I am just not a very vocal person so I tend to keep it to myself.