Audie
Veteran Member
My Mom observed some Buddhist rituals, but then, we
also put up a Christmas tree. None of it taken seriously
in the sense of it being about Reality. Its just a thing to do.
Hong Kongers love Christmas!
-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
Atheism produces little hope
- Thread starter Spiderman
- Start date
My Mom observed some Buddhist rituals, but then, we
also put up a Christmas tree. None of it taken seriously
in the sense of it being about Reality. Its just a thing to do.
Hong Kongers love Christmas!
tempogain
Member
I have to say, when I read your Shintoism post I came away with the definite impression you were mocking it. Probably my fault though.
Sounds low. How much of China is atheist? Also, in large parts of the world, admitting to being an atheist ranges from being an inadvisable to a horrible idea.
Your hope is useless without belief. If I don't believe in the idea, how can it possibly give me hope? It could purport to give me watermelon ice cream for that matter, but it won't be any good to me. I don't believe it. There's not much I can do about that--I could hope that one day it will become more believable I guess (not keeping my fingers crossed however). So, anyway, revel in your hope and more power to you, but it's about as much use to me as a Ferrari with an empty tank. It may look nice, but it's not going to get me anywhere.
Cacotopia
Let's go full Trottle
Jumi
Well-Known Member
Sounds just like our Christmas in Finland.
Thermos aquaticus
Well-Known Member
This is known as an argument to the consequences, which is a logical fallacy.
"Appeal to consequences, also known as argumentum ad consequentiam (Latin for "argument to the consequences"), is an argument that concludes a hypothesis (typically a belief) to be either true or false based on whether the premise leads to desirable or undesirable consequences. [1]This is based on an appeal to emotion and is a type of informal fallacy, since the desirability of a premise's consequence does not make the premise true. Moreover, in categorizing consequences as either desirable or undesirable, such arguments inherently contain subjective points of view."
Appeal to consequences - Wikipedia
Audie
Veteran Member
Jumi
Well-Known Member
Ha!Who knew they sing Christmas carols in Chinese there!
Inspired by that, I have to try playing some Mandarin or Cantonese Christmas songs this year. Perhaps set up a karaoke for them too.
I've heard some speakers of tonal languages say our Christmas singing sounds like speaking some weird language.
Kangaroo Feathers
Yea, it is written in the Book of Cyril...
Atheusm isn't a philosophy. Even if it were, whether or not it produces hope is not relevant for determining its accuracy or otherwise.
Once again, your starting premis is flawed.
Seriously, mate, if you don't want to be an atheist, no one says you have to be. I suggest you're overthinking this to your own detriment. Chill. Live and let live.
Once again, your starting premis is flawed.
Seriously, mate, if you don't want to be an atheist, no one says you have to be. I suggest you're overthinking this to your own detriment. Chill. Live and let live.
Thermos aquaticus
Well-Known Member
Exactly. It seems to be a case of sour grapes. Some people seem to think that atheists shouldn't have any hope at all and must be living these awful lives with no meaning or purpose. All the while, atheists are living fulfilling and meaningful lives.
Kangaroo Feathers
Yea, it is written in the Book of Cyril...
There's quite a bit of it going around.
Can anyone else smell borscht? *Tetris theme plays softly in the background*
I believe Shintoists do, based on my experience, but in the Martial Arts of Aikido, Kendo, and Iaido, this not clear, in Japan it may be more consistent to hold to Zen Buddhist beliefs, and some Shinto traditions, but because of the diversity of religious belief outside Japan in the disciplines today beliefs are more diverse.
Yerda
Veteran Member
If you hope for an afterlife atheism gives no cause for hope (though it isn't explicitly ruled out). It is quite normal for a person to be both atheist and brimming with hopes, however.
So back to the title of the thread. I'm not saying that atheists have no hope. If you're happy as an atheist, I don't want you to be a theist..., I want you to be happy.
However, the philosophy of atheism is hopeless, if you look at it in this sense,
What do you have to look forward to 200 years from now? There's really not much hope in that context.
I could die tomorrow, so I'm going to choose the path that gives me more joy.
So, between the red pill and the blue pill, you prefer the blue one. Right?
Ciao
- viole
Yerda
Veteran Member
Any party animal knows that when someone offers you a blue pill and a red pill you take them both and ask what else they have...
Spiderman
Veteran Member
I hope you are right...
Spiderman
Veteran Member
I'm glad you have found a better fit for you
The only thing that differentiates theists from atheists is the belief in God(s). Not all atheists do not believe in a soul or afterlife, not all theists do. Further, not all theists believe god(s) have any intention of making your afterlife better than the current one.
For me, even if I had a god belief I couldn't muster the fatalism to treat this life as a weigh station to the next. There's plenty here to do, for everyone. And I certainly don't think it's hopeless.
I still maintain the following:
"Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones."
For me, even if I had a god belief I couldn't muster the fatalism to treat this life as a weigh station to the next. There's plenty here to do, for everyone. And I certainly don't think it's hopeless.
I still maintain the following:
"Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones."
Shinto is very cool. I love the Sun goddess, Amaterasu. Reminds me of Germanic Heathenry since the Sun is viewed as feminine in that, too. Now you are making me wistful for Paganism. *sighs*
Is hope even necessary here? Word has it that a huge percentage of the Japanese people are at least arguably both adherents of Shinto and functionally atheistic.
?I'm glad you have found a better fit for you