Saturday, January 30, 2010

Why Atheists Don't Turn to Religion...



Atheists don't turn to religion when faced with death or disaster
Text by Greta Christina (AlterNet)

The notion, "There are no atheists in foxholes" is not only mistaken, it's bigoted and ugly. It's a denial of atheists' humanity and the reality of our experience with death.

Sure, you deny God now. But when you're looking death in the face -- when you're sick or in an accident or staring down the barrel of a gun -- you'll change your mind. You'll beg for God then. There are no atheists in foxholes.

This is one of the most common accusations that gets leveled against atheists. The idea seems to be that our atheism isn't sincere. It's naive at best, shallow at worst. We haven't really thought through what atheism means.

It's somehow never occurred to us that atheism -- and its philosophical companion, naturalism -- means that death is forever. As soon as the harsh reality of what atheism means gets shoved in our faces, we'll drop it like a hot potato.

Now, the most common atheist response to this accusation is to point out that it's simply and flatly not true. And it's one of the arguments I'm going to make myself, right now. This accusation is simply and flatly not true.... More>>

The Dangerous Atheism of Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris...
Please leave the Buddhists out of this. Buddhism didn't come into the Equation during WW II...

Buddhism on AlterNet

What is Wrong with the Muslim World? (WireTap)
"Buddhism gets the best press of any religion in the world," said Shaykh Hamza Yusuf... While it was the Tibetans who introduced the Mongols to Buddhism...

In Good Conscience (World)
In the ensuing months, Delgado became dedicated to Buddhism and its principles of pacifism. By April 2003, when he began his year-long tour in Iraq...
Blue Jean Buddhists (WireTap)
In the age of Eminem, "Scary Movie 2," and Instant Messenger, it's suprising that so many young people are incorporating a 2500-year-old faith tradition into...
Taliban Destroyed Statues, Not Buddhism
Outrage greeted the news that the Taliban in Afghanistan were going to destroy two very large statues of the Buddha. It is important, however, to recognize...
Readers Write: Atheist Sam Harris on Torture and Faith
His opinions on psychics, Buddhism, torture, and war seem very misguided... Sam Harris praises Buddhism for its way to enlightenment...
Psychedelics and Zen: Teach Your Children Well
Allan Hunt Badiner, the editor of "Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and..." Zen Buddhism continues to grow and attract new adherents as the one...
Sam Harris's Faith in Eastern Spirituality and Muslim Torture...
"The teachings about self-transcending love in Buddhism go on for miles," he says... Harris speaks of the value of nondualism as taught in the Buddhist... More>>

No comments: