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Atheists make up a wide variety of independent thinkers.

Is there a unifying purpose that would apply to a majority of this diverse community?

What would you like to see accomplished?

Damercer1961 4 May 14
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7

It is hard to find a unifying prpose. Probably the most active organization is the Freedom From Religion Foundations, which fights to keep church and state separate. Keeping church and sate separate is probably the most unifying idea of atheists.

snttiger6 I'm from Mormon background too. One of the many cults that claim special knowledge! Common purpose of nonbelievers, as I see it, is to reveal that the supernatural does not exist, and therefore all religions that require a supernatural realm filled with immaterial deities are delusional. Religion is a scam selling an afterlife. btw I have a relative who believes that one day he will be a God. WOW! GROG

@GROG I think it is hard to get nonbelievers to agree on a common purpose, in part because for them religion is generally a waste of time and effort. There is also the disagreement on whether it is mor eimportant to prove religion as false (not that such proof woudl alter the belief of believers in any significant way), or whether to try to limit the power of religious organizations in term sof influence in government. As P.T. Barnum said, "There is a sucker born every minute, so I doubt focusign efforts on disprovign religion will have all that much effect, although I do consider ti a worthwhile effort, but I think mos teffort should be put on limiting religious power and influence.

Yeah, the Mormon ideology that if you follow their teachings you too cn one day become a god ruling over your own planet, really appeals to a lot of people.

Personally, I am still very resentful of having been raised Mormon. It does have some cultish aspects to it, as do Jehovah's Witnesses, Scientology and several other religions. I think virtually all religions have sultish aspects to them.

@snytiger6 Resentment, like regret, is a waste of time. Our past makes you who you are today. Your parents were doing the best they could with what they had to work with. Now you are free of all religions? Are you free from believing that you have a spirit which continues to exist after death? Humans have been taught by loving parents since the beginning that heaven exists. This is The Big lie, but we still like to believe in the human spirit. GROG

7

Most people here want to enjoy intelligent, science-based, religion-free conversation, and dream of possibly meeting someone compatible who lives near them.
That's my purpose, anyway.

7

The only thing I'd like to see "accomplished" is the end of ALL religion, and
it's influences on all people.

That's never going to happen.
Too many humans are too tied to their delusions.

"That's never going to happen..."

Not sure I agree. Why couldn't it?

@Damercer1961 Because there will always be humans who will stubbornly cling to their delusions, that's why.

A lot of people cling to their religious beliefs because they have been taught they have to. They have never been given the option to think for themselves. For them, being religion allows them to stay in their comfort zone. And there will always be people who want and need that. Although I would love to see an end to religion too, I also don't think that will happen. And it's not religion itself that I have a problem with. Religion has had some pluses... literature, art, architecture, culture, even holidays (yes as an Atheist I still celebrate Christmas... I like to celebrate everything, but not always for the reason Christians hope). It's the demand that religion places on others that everyone else must not only agree with them but support their beliefs as well. I don't care if they worship purple unicorns, but I have a real problem when they demand that I must also worship purple unicorns. And even more of a problem when their religion tells me how I am suppose to live.

It may never happen, but if something can happen, given enough tie, it will happen. That sounds wise, doesn't it? Religions all require belief in the supernatural. From the very beginning children are told about heaven and immaterial characters. From The Very beginning humans created the supernatural to try to explain what they didn't know and couldn't understand. Religions are the ritualization of that belief to "communicate" with the immaterial inhabitants of the supernatural. The supernatural must be recognized for what it is, a mental construct of the human mind! The universe is 100% natural. GROG

6

You can't have an interest group based on not believing in something. Some of us had to suffer and struggle to get here, and some were born here. I used to think we could be a cohesive group, but I was convinced otherwise very quickly by atheists who are racist, sexist, nihilists, and some who never had to make a decision about it - I call them "natural atheists." I hope that someday most everyone will be a natural atheist, and xians will be an anomaly, but they are an uninteresting bunch.

You have to have something else. Atheist bowlers? Atheist gun nuts? I'd join an atheist progressives group, but I live in Kansas, and there are probably only three of us here.

@maturin1919 - Because it's an irrelevant belief system. What do you do if nothing is real? Stop participating? Participate anyway? Saying that life is meaningless is, in itself, meaningless.

Donny: Are these the Nazis, Walter?
Walter Sobchak: No, Donny, these men are nihilists, there’s nothing to be afraid of.
Donny: Are they gonna hurt us, Walter?
Walter Sobchak: No, Donny. These men are cowards.

5

Secularism: Keeping religion out of government, medical decisions, and public schools.

@ToolGuy One of the ladies here in my apartment building has a "Keep Christ in Christmas" bumper sticker on her car....hee hee. Annoying but not quite the same thing.

5

For me, this community serves as a place to share ideas, comfort each other, and encourage some who are not yet outspoken in their non-belief. Also to promote confidence and create awareness in the world that secular folks are just as warm, caring, inclusive, compassionate and reasonable problem solvers as religious folks and often even more so.

For me one goal would be to reduce the stigma and promote (as normal) more free-thought regarding spirituality, away from supernatural deities and outdated ideas, and more toward a naturalistic and humanistic way of life.

5

I think all we can hope to accomplish is making a good environment for those who find their way out of religion; help them understand that there is nothing wrong with them for not groveling before magical jinns in the sky.

Besides that we should just do what sane people have always done. Sharing information and experiences for the benefit of others and having a bit of fun while doing so.

5

much as i would like to say we're smarter than other people, i think our only unifying attribute is that one way or another we came to the conclusion that there are no gods, or probably are no gods (see, even in that we are diverse). as for a unifying purpose, the only one i can think of we MIGHT have (i have it, myself) is working for the separation of church and state. everything else is up in the air because there are no tenets or rules to atheism, other than the actual definition of the word, which ITSELF is broad (do you believe there are no gods or not believe there are any gods?) not being a religion and all, it has no other attributes unless you count being reviled by a portion of the theistic population.

g

5

FIGHT RELIGION, REDUCE RELIGION, SPREAD MESSAGE, RECRUIT OTHERS, FIGHT EVERY PLACE IN SOCIETY, EVERY PLACE IN THE WORLD, SAVE FUTURE GENERATIONS FROM THIS HARM

According to me, fighting the ignorance and harm of religion for us and our future generations is the biggest unifying cause.

I believe removing and reducing religion from our lives and in the world is the single most effective and useful cause we can fight for, give time, money and effort to than to any - I mean any other cause, charity, mission, organization, passion, drive or purpose.

Just making progress in this mission, we will have automatically reduced a lot of injustice, misery, pain, atrocities, violence and harm to human being and animals in this world.... with one swipe.

No other single cause can do more good to humanity than this one. Religion is the root of the most misery and pain in this world.

Best starting place is ridding government of religion in my opinion.

Sounds like some new evangelical religion to me! I’ve always been a bit suspicious of ‘missions’. You also mention your ‘belief’. WARNING!!!

@Geoffrey51 No, nothing to worry about. It's all good.
Mission is not in a place, mission is like like in a goal.

4

Evidence based everything. Politics, medicine, education, the whole shebang. If it ain't testable, falsifiable and backed up with hard data, it's bollocks.

Until it’s not!😉

4

I personally would like to see the World reject belief in magical beings, and the religions that come with them.
In order to end of the retardation that these belief systems have on the entire social species.

3

We are a coalition united against a common enemy, that being others who wish to impose their religious beliefs on us. For me that's enough. I don't want a single purpose or creed defining such a large population.

Buxx Level 7 May 15, 2019
3

Abandonment of compulsive group identity. We are all different and sharing of attitudes or opinions doesn't require any more than common 'point agreement' without any need to share all or ANY other points of view. Respect for the individual and acceptance that all who agree aren't necessarily in agreement on other issues or even in agreement for the same reasons, could greatly improve the environment here.

That so many have free'd themselves of gods yet remain 'dyed in the wool' ideological slaves and fearful of non-group ideas is disappointing.

2

Maybe I'm not as dedicated or militant as others, but I don't have anything I 'would like to see accomplished' in regards to atheism. It's an aspect of who I am, not a call to arms.

2

The thing that almost everyone is interested is the supernatural, most people call this supernatural realm, heaven or paradise. WHAT would I like to see accomplished? I would like to get the word out that the supernatural does not exist. Belief in a supernatural realm (the place where gods exist) started long ago when our species lived in caves and this delusion has been with us ever since. This delusion is not of great concern, if a person accepts it for what it is, a mental construct. It is a dream world where we first imagined the spirits of the dead to exist, and deists have used it to propagate the scam of religion and ultimately the most dangerous of all, the monotheistic, messianic faiths who pray for the end of the world. GROG

GROG Level 6 May 14, 2019
2

The only unifying factor is a rejection of religion, but even that is for differing reasons. It certainly isn't an ability to avoid being gullible, as witness the number of atheists who believe in homeopathy.

not to be picky, but atheism isn't actually the rejection of religion. lots of people believe in a god of some sort but reject religion, and likewise i know at least one atheist who occasionally enjoys a trip to shul on the high holidays: me! we reject the idea of a deity.

g

@genessa True. My son, an utter atheist, attends church more often than many of its believers. He loves music, especially choral works and is member of the choir amongst his other singing/acting committments. By day, he writes software!

2

A ‘unifying position’ sounds like a call to arms. I’ll be busy that day.

My experience is that many atheists aren’t that independent in their thinking, though many do make a lot of noise.

Interesting. Actual individual thinking--it can be hard for anyone.

2

Insisting that arguments and debates are decided on their merits as much as possible. I consider much of the freethought communty engages in hand-waving with regards to the official 9/11 narrative.

1

Like Groucho Marx would often state:

Not a very accurate paraphrased quote, it goes something like this;

“I would never join or belong to any group, club, or political party that would have me as a member!”

1

"Is there a unifying purpose that would apply to a majority of this diverse community?"

Not to be foolish enough to fall for the ignorance and superstition of religion.

1

The cost of gasoline to go down.

0

I appreciate all the thoughts .

0

Non-believers are just as susceptible as anyone to demonstrate extreme stupidity. Witness how the Atheist Community of Austin has become infected with trans-mania.

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