Religion

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)

64. The 'no atheists in foxholes' meme is generally considered offensive and bigoted.

Wed Jul 9, 2014, 07:19 PM

Jul 2014

Some of this is just willful misinterpretation, however:

"If a loved one dies, even many anti-religious people usually feel a need for a farewell ritual, complete with readings from old books and intoned declarations that are not unlike prayers."

Author is assuming this is for the dead. It is not. It is for the living. When I get together with other people to mourn a dead person, it is not for the dead, we do it for each other, to help us deal with our loss. This is not in any way analogous to a prayer or faith. So that part was just plain stupid.

But 'no atheists in foxholes' implies we break down in the face of our mortality, and either convert to, or reveal long hidden religious faith. It's a lie, and a smear, and a vicious thing to say to someone.

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Scientists discover that atheists might not exist, and that’s not a joke [View all] rug Jul 2014 OP

Sounds like a matter of semantics to me. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Jul 2014 #1

Pfffffft ... Trajan Jul 2014 #2

I await the research. rug Jul 2014 #3

That WOULD be an interesting research project. longship Jul 2014 #5

Let there be parameters! rug Jul 2014 #7

All we need is children growing up in an atheist society. DetlefK Jul 2014 #6

That's like saying you can't do astronomy unless you're outside the exosphere. rug Jul 2014 #8

I don't get why that should be something bad. DetlefK Jul 2014 #9

That's not his premise. rug Jul 2014 #12

That premise is not obvious in the short excerpt above. Which mostly suggests hard-wired values. Brettongarcia Jul 2014 #19

That's why there's a link. rug Jul 2014 #34

"Nonmaterial" isn't the same as "religious". DetlefK Jul 2014 #20

At best he's illustrating that there can be a spectrum of belief as well as non-belief AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #21

That immediately raises the question about the origin of religion. Jim__ Jul 2014 #25

Religion could have started out as science. DetlefK Jul 2014 #27

With dogma, science turned into religion. AlbertCat Jul 2014 #97

In theory... Prophet 451 Jul 2014 #35

It is predisposed to social organization Trajan Jul 2014 #40

They lost me at "militant." Goblinmonger Jul 2014 #4

Atheists are "militant" when they criticize religion Distant Quasar Jul 2014 #22

Apparently the author has problems with English, or editing skills Brettongarcia Jul 2014 #24

Interesting article long on speculation but... TreasonousBastard Jul 2014 #10

He refers to Graham Lawton's article in New Scientist. rug Jul 2014 #14

At least the portion quoted seems to assume everyone is the same. Schema Thing Jul 2014 #11

so by extension, we're all atheists under the hood... mike_c Jul 2014 #13

I exist. SamKnause Jul 2014 #15

Therefore rock Jul 2014 #17

Ignorant pro-religious bigotry - what fun Distant Quasar Jul 2014 #16

^^This^^ nt mr blur Jul 2014 #95

I don't believe in the existence of an immortal soul. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #18

What does the existence of a soul have to do with religion or belief in a god? Starboard Tack Jul 2014 #47

Did you read the article? Or even the four paragraph lede? AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #48

And there, perhaps, is where we differ. Starboard Tack Jul 2014 #50

What is 'a soul' to you? AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #51

Good question Starboard Tack Jul 2014 #52

I have never found anything metaphysical. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #53

Require? No. Starboard Tack Jul 2014 #90

Metaphysics is not religion. [n/t] Maedhros Jul 2014 #23

Exactly. djean111 Jul 2014 #26

I have a friend that does this to me. Maedhros Jul 2014 #29

My sister used to say that anything I did that was good, that was because her god put djean111 Jul 2014 #30

Two thoughts. - ****** SPOILERS for The Road ******* Jim__ Jul 2014 #28

I wonder what he makes of Beckett. rug Jul 2014 #33

Surely that Estragon and Vladimir are in no danger of hanging themselves. Jim__ Jul 2014 #36

Lol, that is a pretty sad-looking tree. rug Jul 2014 #37

I can't take my kid to see The Road. I can take him to Rio 2. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #41

Nope WovenGems Jul 2014 #31

I don't think you can make such a edhopper Jul 2014 #46

metaphysics (like philosophy) is quite universal--and thus inescapable MisterP Jul 2014 #32

I don't suppose you plan on supporting any of that assertion? AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #42

Are these atheist scientists? rock Jul 2014 #38

He refers to one of them. rug Jul 2014 #39

I believe the full article is available elsewhere. Jim__ Jul 2014 #43

Thanks, that looks like it. rug Jul 2014 #44

This implies a very strange definition of religion LeftishBrit Jul 2014 #45

That is a very good point. rug Jul 2014 #49

Another religious bigot proudly displaying his scientific illiteracy and intolerance. beam me up scottie Jul 2014 #54

True. I would add that phil89 Jul 2014 #56

Because you do not believe it, of course that can't be true. rug Jul 2014 #58

Exactly. But why let facts get in the way of perfectly acceptable religious intolerance? beam me up scottie Jul 2014 #59

Science 2.0 is a well-known outlet for woo. rug Jul 2014 #57

So is this forum apparently. beam me up scottie Jul 2014 #60

Let's test that. rug Jul 2014 #61

Done. beam me up scottie Jul 2014 #62

Already read. rug Jul 2014 #63

AtheistCrusader summed it up nicely in post 64 beam me up scottie Jul 2014 #66

Which was already answered. rug Jul 2014 #68

Spreading misinformation about a group's beliefs or practices ... beam me up scottie Jul 2014 #74

This too, is a bigoted lie. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #67

And where does he state he mistrusts atheists? rug Jul 2014 #69

He is promulgating a bigoted belief, as if true. He's begging the question on an assumption. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #71

That's circular. He's promoting a bigoted belief because he's a bigot. rug Jul 2014 #75

That is NOT circular ... Trajan Jul 2014 #86

Saying a statement made by a bigot is bigoted is circular. rug Jul 2014 #88

Except, I didn't say that, did I? AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #92

"Religious communities grow faster, since people behave better" AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #72

That's getting closer. rug Jul 2014 #77

He's saying that atheists behave worse. That is categorically untrue as a society. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #78

Don't bother. This is acceptable intolerance in this forum because it comes from a believer. beam me up scottie Jul 2014 #81

That inference doesn't necessarily follow. rug Jul 2014 #82

Keep reading. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #84

To elaborate... AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #87

The 'no atheists in foxholes' meme is generally considered offensive and bigoted. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #64

I don't see that assumption at all, particularly given his thesis that humans are so predisposed. rug Jul 2014 #65

But he describes the 'intonations' as not unlike prayer. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #70

The intent of prayer is an appeal to a god. rug Jul 2014 #73

Um, he's deliberately bending over backwards to accomodate people of faith in that eulogy. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #76

He acknowledged his own beliefs in that eulogy as much as he respected his grandmother's. rug Jul 2014 #79

Not even that. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #80

No she doesnt. Electric impulses reside in the brains of those who knew her. rug Jul 2014 #83

Um, no. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #85

And memories are not grandma. rug Jul 2014 #89

Again, obvious poetry. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #91

Message auto-removed Name removed Jul 2014 #55

My bullshit meter is too good. Gore1FL Jul 2014 #93

Interesting take. cbayer Jul 2014 #94

Given that they were flat wrong twice before the first sentence got going Lordquinton Jul 2014 #96

"WHILE MILITANT ATHEISTS like Richard Dawkins ...." AlbertCat Jul 2014 #98

Dawkins defines and describes himself as a militant atheist, and urges others cbayer Jul 2014 #99

I searched that document for "militant" Goblinmonger Jul 2014 #100

Disingenuous much? AlbertCat Jul 2014 #101

I don't consider myself religious libodem Jul 2014 #102

I know what you mean, and from time to time I find myself hoping cbayer Jul 2014 #103