Why Atheism is Appealing

[columbus]

Sounds like he was a product of his time giving such a dull reason.

This matters a great deal.
In Huxley's day, the dominant Christianity was pretty darned narrow and legalistic. Things are really different today.
I wouldn't be surprised if Christians, as a group, had less trouble with gay marriage than a couple of teenaged virgins getting married and popping out babies when they're really too young. That's really different from the early 20th century.
Tom

 

[exchemist]

I have a hard time believing that Huxley would say such a stupid thing. But, you found it on the Internet so it must be true and accurate.

And you'd be dead right....see post 20.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I wouldn't be surprised if Christians, as a group, had less trouble with gay marriage than a couple of teenaged virgins getting married and popping out babies when they're really too young. That's really different from the early 20th century.

Pretty much. Today they just pretend if you never mention sex around teens they'll naturally have no interests, curiosities, or urges to have it.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Perhaps that is why you would want to be an atheist, but I think you will find that the vast majority of atheists are no different than your fellow Christians when it comes to sex.

Unfortunately, many professed Christians are no different.

But fortunately for myself as a JW, I belong to an organization that follows the Scriptures (1 Cornthians 5) and removes those who are practicers of immorality. (Sadly, that number is in the thousands every year. This world and its leanings make fornication and adultery quite a pull, for some.)

 

[David1967]

and not their own Scriptures

?

 

[Thermos aquaticus]

Unfortunately, many professed Christians are no different.

But fortunately for myself as a JW, I belong to an organization that follows the Scriptures (1 Cornthians 5) and removes those who are practicers of immorality. (Sadly, that number is in the thousands every year. This world and its leanings make fornication and adultery quite a pull, for some.)

JW's are a tiny percentage of all Christians. Heck, you can do whatever you want as a Christian and then ask for forgiveness. All sins forgiven.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Thanks for your input.

I found there are abundant reasons to reject the God of Judaism

Would you mind posting a couple of your reasons? Just for the God of Judaism (Yahweh....which, I think, is actually the same God of Christianity.)

 

[shunyadragon]

Thanks for your input.



Would you mind posting a couple of your reasons? Just for the God of Judaism (Yahweh....which, I think, is actually the same God of Christianity.)

The main problem is the claim of a stand alone religion, which Judaism claims to be independent of Christianity and all other religions for that matter, regardless of whether you acknowledge their God is the same God. Judaism is based on the claims of ancient scripture of the Tanakh of very questionable provenance and authorship to some extent interrelated with more ancient Canaanite, Ugarit, and Babylonian texts. I do not consider a religion based on one narrow ancient cultural paradigm to be a viable religion that is worthy of basing a belief in God and Revelation from God to humanity.

I believe this is related to the problem that many Jews are culturally Jewish, but atheist and agnostic, like Einstein.

Like Christianity and Islam I do not find these individual religions relating to one culture as 'stand alone religions' viable nor convincing as representing a convincing belief in God.

 

[ChristineM]

Aldous Huxley:
“I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning; and consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption. The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics. He is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as no doubt for most of my friends, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom. The supporters of this system claimed that it embodied the meaning - the Christian meaning, they insisted - of the world. There was one admirably simple method of confuting these people and justifying ourselves in our erotic revolt: we would deny that the world had any meaning whatever.”

Quote by Aldous Huxley: “I had motives for not wanting the world to have...”


Mr. Huxley is saying he doesn't want to believe in God, specifically the Christian God, because God has moral standards for us to live by, but he wants no restrictions....he wants "sexual freedom"!
(I should've used past tense: he died in '63. His freedom doesn't matter now, does it?)

Wanting freedom from sexual restraint, I think, has been a driving force in promoting Atheism.

Comments? (No cake recipes, please...I learned my lesson.[Inside joke for @Sunstone ])

Atheism : disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.

What this has to do with sexual freedom i really don't know.

 

[Bob the Unbeliever]

Wanting freedom from sexual restraint, I think, has been a driving force in promoting Atheism.

Comments? (No cake recipes, please...I learned my lesson.[Inside joke for @Sunstone ])

Really? Just looking at the various sex scandals among christian denominations, including the very negative abuse of children among the catholics?

I'd say that sexual freedom was absolutely NOT curbed in any MEANINGFUL way by christians.

But your assumption is not supported if one bothers to poll atheists around the planet-- and what'ya know? In this day of the Interwebs? It's actually possible to do exactly that!

The vast majority of atheists are atheists simply because they find the arguments in support of gods to be less than convincing.

AND THAT IS PRETTY MUCH IT.

I know it is with me, and with every atheist I've bothered to ask.

More: for me? If I gave in to my more childish emotions? I'd for sure want there to be a benevolent all-powerful being watching out over humanity's fate.

Alas, there remains no rational reason to think such a thing-- and indeed-- presumptive and ugly posts like this lead me to believe there cannot possibly be any gods.

What sort of god would suffer such hateful things from it's spokes-persons?

 

[QuestioningMind]

Aldous Huxley:
“I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning; and consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption. The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics. He is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as no doubt for most of my friends, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom. The supporters of this system claimed that it embodied the meaning - the Christian meaning, they insisted - of the world. There was one admirably simple method of confuting these people and justifying ourselves in our erotic revolt: we would deny that the world had any meaning whatever.”

Quote by Aldous Huxley: “I had motives for not wanting the world to have...”


Mr. Huxley is saying he doesn't want to believe in God, specifically the Christian God, because God has moral standards for us to live by, but he wants no restrictions....he wants "sexual freedom"!
(I should've used past tense: he died in '63. His freedom doesn't matter now, does it?)

Wanting freedom from sexual restraint, I think, has been a driving force in promoting Atheism.

Comments? (No cake recipes, please...I learned my lesson.[Inside joke for @Sunstone ])

What a ridiculous argument. One would have to first believe in a god that imposed sexual restrictions. I am an atheist because there is absolutely zero verifiable evidence for any god(s)

Aldous Huxley:
“I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning; and consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption. The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics. He is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as no doubt for most of my friends, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom. The supporters of this system claimed that it embodied the meaning - the Christian meaning, they insisted - of the world. There was one admirably simple method of confuting these people and justifying ourselves in our erotic revolt: we would deny that the world had any meaning whatever.”

Quote by Aldous Huxley: “I had motives for not wanting the world to have...”


Mr. Huxley is saying he doesn't want to believe in God, specifically the Christian God, because God has moral standards for us to live by, but he wants no restrictions....he wants "sexual freedom"!
(I should've used past tense: he died in '63. His freedom doesn't matter now, does it?)

Wanting freedom from sexual restraint, I think, has been a driving force in promoting Atheism.

Comments? (No cake recipes, please...I learned my lesson.[Inside joke for @Sunstone ])

What a ridiculous claim. If Mr. Huxley says he was an atheist because he didn't want to live by god's moral standards concerning sexuality, that means he was never an atheist to begin with. It means that he believed that there IS a god who dictates sexual morals and decided to ignore this god in order to ignore those dictates.

I am an atheist because I've never been presented with verifiable evidence that any god(s) exist. What any god(s) that I have no reason to believe even exists says about sexually morality is meaningless to me, since I have no reason to believe that the god dictating those sexual morals is real.

 

[Revoltingest]

The great appeal of atheism to me....
To be anything else is not doable.

 

[Sunstone]

Whatever else is true of Huxley, he was both exceptionally intelligent and exceptionally honest. It seems implausible then that even given he was a horny young man, the story of his non-theism is so easily explained. I strongly suspect there's an additional chapter to it. Namely, perhaps his "sexual grounds" were decisive only in the sense of being the last straw added to a full load of reasons he already had for rejecting theism.

Beyond that, I seriously doubt many non-theists are merely rebelling against god so they can feel better about having sex. Why would they be the only ones to find rejecting god necessary to unrestrained sexual freedom? Why not just follow the most well trod path: Become an Evangelical preacher and have at the fawning choir girls?

 

[Rational Agnostic]

Aldous Huxley:
“I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning; and consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption. The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics. He is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as no doubt for most of my friends, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom. The supporters of this system claimed that it embodied the meaning - the Christian meaning, they insisted - of the world. There was one admirably simple method of confuting these people and justifying ourselves in our erotic revolt: we would deny that the world had any meaning whatever.”

Quote by Aldous Huxley: “I had motives for not wanting the world to have...”


Mr. Huxley is saying he doesn't want to believe in God, specifically the Christian God, because God has moral standards for us to live by, but he wants no restrictions....he wants "sexual freedom"!
(I should've used past tense: he died in '63. His freedom doesn't matter now, does it?)

Wanting freedom from sexual restraint, I think, has been a driving force in promoting Atheism.

Comments? (No cake recipes, please...I learned my lesson.[Inside joke for @Sunstone ])

That may be true for a very small percentage of atheists, but I don't think there is much evidence to support this claim. BTW, if our evolutionary ancestors had practiced "sexual restraint," we wouldn't exist.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

I should also add the following: there are many devout Christians who are far more promiscuous than atheists. For instance, JFK was a devout Christian and had sex with thousands of different women during his presidency. In fact, there have been studies done that indicate a positive relationship between religiosity and compulsive sexual behavior.

 

[shunyadragon]

I should also add the following: there are many devout Christians who are far more promiscuous than atheists. For instance, JFK was a devout Christian and had sex with thousands of different women during his presidency. In fact, there have been studies done that indicate a positive relationship between religiosity and compulsive sexual behavior.

There is increasing evidence that family structure and social structure has existed going back to at least the Neolithic. The evidence is the arrangement and design of huts, village hierarchical structure, burial practices, which include evidence of care for the elderly, and healing of the wounded.

In China there is evidence of parallel matriarchal and patriarchal society structure in the Neolithic.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Aldous Huxley:
“I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning; and consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption. The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics. He is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as no doubt for most of my friends, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom. The supporters of this system claimed that it embodied the meaning - the Christian meaning, they insisted - of the world. There was one admirably simple method of confuting these people and justifying ourselves in our erotic revolt: we would deny that the world had any meaning whatever.”

Quote by Aldous Huxley: “I had motives for not wanting the world to have...”


Mr. Huxley is saying he doesn't want to believe in God, specifically the Christian God, because God has moral standards for us to live by, but he wants no restrictions....he wants "sexual freedom"!
(I should've used past tense: he died in '63. His freedom doesn't matter now, does it?)

Wanting freedom from sexual restraint, I think, has been a driving force in promoting Atheism.

Comments? (No cake recipes, please...I learned my lesson.[Inside joke for @Sunstone ])

I disagree with your conclusion. Churches and denomini' sets structure for people-themselves, to love themselves, and to love others without conditions based on sex, differing religions, and so forth. I notice those who were made to feel god only loves them if they change their who entire self, looks and all, without having done anything, is one reason to turn from god.

I see why these reasons are strong. I know thats one Huge reason I dont practice (left god is different than stop practicing) is how belief in god makes me feel about myself. Religion shouldnt make you feel as if you have conditions that monitors the validity of your salvation. Though, I was and still have been atheist. Didnt know about it until RF really.

For me, the driving force of atheism is ignorance, thus lack of motivation to be otherwise. I dont see the universe itself needing a purpose. Its better to find ways to adapt to dying than take for granted the end of life by searching for eternity.

I remember thinking to myself: If I belived in god, I would let god define me as a gay woman" (which means-he choses who I love, when, why, what I look like, how I sleep, where I live, whether I read the bible.) I am SO SO so glad I wasnt indoctrinated.

But you have to believe god exists for you to have motivation to become anything opposed to or opposite of god.

 

[wandering peacefully]

Aldous Huxley:
“I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning; and consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption. The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics. He is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as no doubt for most of my friends, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom. The supporters of this system claimed that it embodied the meaning - the Christian meaning, they insisted - of the world. There was one admirably simple method of confuting these people and justifying ourselves in our erotic revolt: we would deny that the world had any meaning whatever.”

Quote by Aldous Huxley: “I had motives for not wanting the world to have...”


Mr. Huxley is saying he doesn't want to believe in God, specifically the Christian God, because God has moral standards for us to live by, but he wants no restrictions....he wants "sexual freedom"!
(I should've used past tense: he died in '63. His freedom doesn't matter now, does it?)

Wanting freedom from sexual restraint, I think, has been a driving force in promoting Atheism.

Comments? (No cake recipes, please...I learned my lesson.[Inside joke for @Sunstone ])

I am sorry to have to say it, but that is one of the worst attempts of a jab at atheism I have ever heard. You win the prize.

Were you being funny or is that your honest view about all atheists and their reason for lacking belief in God, gods?

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

You're an exception, though, I'm sure.

What is with the (extremely obvious) desire to equate atheism with hedonistic sexual deviancy? Does it really make you that uncomfortable to imagine any atheist as an upstanding, moralistic citizen?

I have a good feeling that the days are coming where the numbers and demonstrated caliber of those calling themselves "atheist" will simply drown out balderdash like yours, rendering opinions like these mere white-noise that will be all too easily ignored.

And don't think I missed this little "told you so" dig, ever so subtly hinting at an afterlife (and I'd be surprised the judgment bit wasn't fresh on your mind as you wrote it):

he died in '63. His freedom doesn't matter now, does it?

If there is no afterlife, why would it matter that his freedom (sexual or otherwise) is no longer relevant? Isn't that exactly as he would have expected if he didn't believe in an afterlife? My point being - your comment makes no sense except if coming from a "holier-than-thou" type who expects an afterlife where they'll be rewarded... while expecting that others who took their liberties while alive will not fare so well. Go ahead now... deny it like your life depends on it. I'll wait.

 

[shunyadragon]

Unfortunately, many professed Christians are no different.

But fortunately for myself as a JW, I belong to an organization that follows the Scriptures (1 Cornthians 5) and removes those who are practicers of immorality. (Sadly, that number is in the thousands every year. This world and its leanings make fornication and adultery quite a pull, for some.)

Sounds rather draconian, removing all the humans and you have a Orwellian society of obedient servants like robots.

Interesting paradox JW claiming not to be a church, not a religion and not Christians, In reality they are a religion, church and by default Christians by definition, and despite denials they are fallible human beings..