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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHarvard Atheists Shocked At Exclusion From Boston Bombing Memorial Service
The Harvard Humanist Community was shocked Thursday when their members were, in the carefully-chosen words of New York Times best-selling author Greg M. Epstein, blown off and excluded from an inter-faith memorial ceremony for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.
We have friends and family who are in the hospital in critical condition, who nearly died, he told Raw Story. It wouldnt have been so difficult for those who organized the vigil today to make some kind of nod to us, and thats all we would have wanted.
The Harvard humanist chaplain and author of Good Without God explained that the exclusion of non-religious Bostonians was particularly shocking because someone dear to the Harvard Humanist Community was gravely wounded in the bombings.
Celeste Corcoran, who was caught in the blast with her daughter and subsequently lost both of her legs to amputation, was a volunteer for the Harvard Humanist Community, Epstein said. She was also something of an aunt to Sarah Chandonnet, the groups outreach and development manager and second senior-most member, he added.
MORE...
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/18/harvard-atheists-shocked-at-exclusion-from-boston-bombing-memorial-service/
avaistheone1
(14,626 posts)TheManInTheMac
(985 posts)avaistheone1
(14,626 posts)Thanks for that.
eomer
(3,845 posts)From the website of the Humanist Community at Harvard:
Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
http://harvardhumanist.org/explore-2/mission-statement/
snooper2
(30,151 posts)They think it might rub off by touch or even just casual conversation
frogmarch
(12,160 posts)assumed that because of the awful tragedy and the fact that there are no atheists in foxholes, all the atheists had converted to Christianity.
Arugula Latte
(50,566 posts)to prevent murder and carnage through a bombing?!
I mean, what a guy, that God/Jesus! Praaaaise him/them!
BainsBane
(53,072 posts)Last edited Fri Apr 19, 2013, 05:58 PM - Edit history (1)
Why would atheists be included in an inter-faith service. Isn't that proclaiming that atheism itself is a faith?
Chan790
(20,176 posts)1.) Not all Humanists are atheists.
2.) Some atheists actually have/conduct/whatever weekly "church-like" meetings. (I used to attend such meetings at the Washington Humanist Society here in DC.)
3.) Wouldn't you want to be included in an ecumenical non-denom. service in these circumstances to memorialize your dead/wounded?
4.) Some Atheists do assert that Atheism as the rejection of faiths is a moral stance. (To put it another way, while they would never use the word "faith"...yeah, asserting that Atheism is one.)
BainsBane
(53,072 posts)as participants, to be sure. Does that mean they couldn't attend or weren't invited to participate in leading the service?
Hissyspit
(45,788 posts)barbtries
(28,811 posts)outside of a belief in gawd. they should have been invited as part of the grieving community of Boston.
mainer
(12,029 posts)I can't imagine how this happened.
Matariki
(18,775 posts)and who wants to hear someone mocking other peoples' faith, which seems to be the general tenets of Atheism? ESPECIALLY at an inter-faith memorial?
eShirl
(18,504 posts)Apparently.
Matariki
(18,775 posts)The question was why would a group of people who are adamant that their beliefs are explicitly NOT 'Faith' want to be included in an inter-faith memorial?
And, I've noticed that many atheists, or probably just the vocal ones, seem to only be able to define their beliefs in terms of denigrating others' beliefs. I absolutely respect everyone's right to hold whatever philosophy they choose, including atheism - but that respect doesn't extend to either fundie religious bigotry or to snarky comments about 'invisible sky wizards'.
All you have to do is look at threads here at the DU to see that. I don' t get the need to ridicule people here who have spiritual beliefs, especially here where we're supposedly tolerant of others...seems to be an exception for good Dems who happen to be believers of an afterlife, or even those who are just pondering these concepts.
SomeGuyInEagan
(1,515 posts)I know a few atheists who openly challenge and sometimes attack those with a differing belief system. But I know far, far more who quietly go about their business and only discuss it when asked and do so politely if pressed.
Matariki
(18,775 posts)And my respect goes with them. Everyone has their own way of dealing with the big questions in life and it seems like that's a deeply personal thing.
Matariki
(18,775 posts)sadly common DU snark
JVS
(61,935 posts)barbtries
(28,811 posts)(just not in gawd), hence the people belonged at the gathering.
JVS
(61,935 posts)believe.
i thought this was to remember the victims.
Phillip McCleod
(1,837 posts).. but most of the time it means that non-believers are welcome, too.
don't let that get in the way of piling on the hate, tho.
Rex
(65,616 posts)Some really sad posting going on in this thread.
JVS
(61,935 posts)nt.
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)We are all coldly and unemotionally logical all the time, Spock-like you might say.
sarisataka
(18,779 posts)mocking and ridicule I have received for believing in a fairy tale made up guy in the sky and told how prayer causes more harm than good
I believe if there is an atheist/humanist/whateverist group with their own beliefs and a chaplain/minister/wise woman they should be included in an interfaith service.
To do otherwise is 'un-American'
agree with you on all accounts.
Rex
(65,616 posts)What a bonehead move.
Agnostic UU here, but I totally agree!
Rex
(65,616 posts)That was a slap in the face to those that want to mourn with the community.
Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)To make a speech about the ridiculousness of "invisible sky monsters"?
Rex
(65,616 posts)doesn't mean it is strictly for religious persons.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,045 posts)"Memorial" has the same root as "remember" and "memory".
blackspade
(10,056 posts)It is a Memorial service, not a religious service.
Some can talk about how their loved ones are in the arms of Jesus and others can talk about what great people they were.
As an agnostic I have no problem with folks being memorialized by people of faith.
They remember folks one way, I remember them another.
Excluding these folks was decidedly uncool.
Llewlladdwr
(2,165 posts)Remind everyone that there is no afterlife?
Point out the foolishness of adults who believe in fairy tales?
hunter
(38,328 posts)If not gods, then family, friends, community, humanity, or even simple things like their own physical existence.
As humans it's not in most of us to live as simple machines doing what we were programmed to do without any self reflection.
Frankly, I think Humanism is one of the deeper, more robust faiths. Religious people who've had their own faith "tested" or "shaken" are not comfortable with faiths that are either firmly rooted in physical reality, or those that see the entire universe as a shimmering, shifting illusion superimposed upon an entirely spiritual and mostly unseen landscape.
These "faithful" who would exclude these humanists from this memorial service want to live in a world that they can touch, and a world touches them, but they also want to distance themselves from it. They are frightened of those who root their faiths firmly in this reality with no gods to guide them.
Demo_Chris
(6,234 posts)LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)And the non-believers in deities may also demonstrate theirs by stating "we of no religious faith have not been invited to an religious memorial..."
Seems everyone gets the righteous opportunity to poke everyone else in the eyes, and even better-- rationalize it to themselves.
Demo_Chris
(6,234 posts)cemaphonic
(4,138 posts)Snarky posts on the internet about invisible sky faeries = Atheists are just a bunch of bitter mean bullies who just want to ruin everyone's day.
Actual discrimination in the real world = What's the big deal? Why should atheists care about memorializing the dead anyway? They probably just want to show up to start ranting about religion.
JVS
(61,935 posts)Is there some kind of way they're able to tell who at the inter-faith service is an Atheist and eject them?
cemaphonic
(4,138 posts)"The Harvard Humanist Community was shocked Thursday when their members were, in the carefully-chosen words of New York Times best-selling author Greg M. Epstein, blown off and excluded from an inter-faith memorial ceremony for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing."
Llewlladdwr
(2,165 posts)I can't see comments about the invisible man who lives in the sky or the foolishness of believing in Iron Age fairy tales being very welcome at such a function.
HangOnKids
(4,291 posts)Did they state they were going to talk about the invisible man in the sky or whatever blather is in your post?
Llewlladdwr
(2,165 posts)I've never known an atheist to miss a chance to needle a person of faith. Why invite them in to do so?
You can see examples right here in this thread...
HangOnKids
(4,291 posts)How sad.
Llewlladdwr
(2,165 posts)Again we see that disparaging people of faith should be considered acceptable behavior.
And atheists wonder why so many people have a negative view of them...
HangOnKids
(4,291 posts)No, I did not but thanks for playing.
Phillip McCleod
(1,837 posts)the double standard is disgusting. you don't have to look at the whole thread to see it. just click on the 'my posts' tab at the top of your page.
for fuck's sake. then the religious wonder why we treat them like children.
JRLeft
(7,010 posts)and I wonder why anyone would worship someone who has been on vacation permanently for millenniums.
DonCoquixote
(13,616 posts)I do not care why the atheists were not allowed, they should have been. They mourn like everyone else.
Phillip McCleod
(1,837 posts)the attitudes on display are unbelievable.