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QUESTION Alain de Botton: Atheism 2.0 | TED Talks

I've watched this TED Talk several times now. Thought I would share here. I think he makes a few really solid points. Would love to hear what others think.
(This is really the first forum I've been able to openly share these sorts of things. So happy to be here!)

scurry 9 Mar 17
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I can't disagree with his broader point, but when I consider the details, to take advantage of the religious for profit in your chosen industry seems ugly to me. As capitalism does.

Sigh. I think I'm living in the wrong country. Maybe I'm on the wrong planet.

Seems a bit sleezy when you point it out like that. Your right. I didn't initially see it the same way, although, I wasn't sure exactly what he was implying when he brought up travel...
Like most of these talks, I take out the parts I like and see if or how they work with my morals etc. Which, I think, is sort of what he's suggesting the secular community should do with religion, or what I thought he was...

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I've heard this speech, and I've read him on this, and I still don't know what he really means. He's a typical philosopher: good luck pinning him down on anything. His gentler kinder atheism sounds a lot like 20th Century appeasement atheism to me, the kind I abandoned early in the 21century when monotheistic religions became rancid and weaponised, a testimony to the failure of 20th century nice guy atheism. De Botton seems sincere, if waffly, but I don't buy him. He's a soft-sell critic of what people call New Atheism, but I find him backward looking,

Hey @David1955,
I see what you mean about him being a bit waffly, and he certainly is a philosopher. You're not wrong.
And ya, he's pretty soft-cell. Maybe I am too, I'll have to think about that...
What resonated with me was all the things the secular world is mission out on. He pointed out what religion does right and suggests that the secular 'community' seem to be lacking some of that. Not that I agree with everything he says, but some of it hit home. I like Christmas carols, but done believe in the story of Christ, for instance.
Also, admittedly, this talk was recorded some time ago.
While I don't think he has all the answers (or possibly any) he certainly got me thinking about how to make my life more fulfilling as an atheist.

@scurry yeah, I get what you're saying. But one thing he seems to focus on is the social aspect of religions, the bringing together of people and so on. However, the truth is religions are actually in decline in doing that, especially in the western world. People congregate for all sorts of reasons, many of them good and worthwhile, and I don't see religion as a good model for that. I could never work out what he wanted atheism 2 people to do -- go to church, even we think it's crap, for the socialising? Really, I couldn't work it out. And if you can work out if he's an atheist or an agnostic, or whatever, then let me know. I never could. Frankly, he's probably a nice fella, but he's a silvertail and a pop philosopher, and not someone who inspires me in any way. I don't think his interjections into the contemporary atheism debate have been either helpful or all that well received. In my humble opinion.

@David1955 Point taken. And your right that we congregate now in arguably a better way than religion ever did. But I didn't think he was suggesting that we should go to church for the social aspect, but that we (some people, not me!) already do. He suggesting that there should be a better way. I'm not saying he has the answer... just a point.
And ya, I don't know what he is... Atheist or other, but he seems to be, as you pointed out, a philosopher, and probably a nice guy. Perhaps I'm drawn to nice people who think about the world and how it works...
I certainly wouldn't take anything he says as gospl, but as a starting point to thinking about the topic for myself.

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Glad you like the site. I can hardly ever express myself either outside of this site.

Ya. I mean, I have my friends too, many, are atheist or at lease skeptics, but it's so nice to get new idea and new points of view.
Other social media seems to always be swayed against the skeptical thinkers. Always have to look out for the 'God Squad' and their comments of going to hell or being prayed for.
It's nice to not have to worry about that. Ya know?

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