Religion

dmallind

(10,437 posts)

19. Religion aside, I think the writer mistakes the point of grief

Fri Jun 29, 2012, 02:27 PM

Jun 2012

Grief is not for the dead but for the living. For traditional believers, the grief-worthy dead are in a better place. For typical nonbelievers, they are completely gone and unable to experience anything. The survivors may say they grieve for the dead, but that's just verbal shorthand; in reality all grief over death is that the dead are no longer living and among the living. Since regretting this loss is a perfectly explicable response both from an evolutionary (one less group member to assist in survival) and cultural sense, as well as from an entirely selfish point of view (the deceased is no longer there for me), belief or lack of it has nothing to do with it.

If response to death was all about the dead themselves, believers should celebrate not mourn.

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Why Are Believers Willfully Ignorant About Atheists? [View all] rug Jun 2012 OP

Do you think it's true, rug? n/t trotsky Jun 2012 #1

No. With some exceptions, no. rug Jun 2012 #2

What are these exceptions? n/t trotsky Jun 2012 #3

"Willfully Ignorant" usually means you know better. rug Jun 2012 #4

So you think it's just plain ignorance to believe that atheists are sub-human monsters... trotsky Jun 2012 #5

That question has to many assumptions to answer. rug Jun 2012 #6

It's the core issue. trotsky Jun 2012 #13

No it isn't. rug Jun 2012 #14

Not even talking about that. I asked you two specific questions that you didn't answer. trotsky Jun 2012 #16

All right, this stops at "childish, petty attempts". rug Jun 2012 #22

Great to hear you'll drop that. trotsky Jun 2012 #25

I'm dropping this discussion. rug Jun 2012 #26

Trouble is, rug, once you join in, mr blur Jun 2012 #39

Frankly, this particular subthread fell apart when he introduced the notion of sub-human monsters. rug Jun 2012 #40

Atheists have a reason to grieve EvilAL Jun 2012 #7

That's a good point. rug Jun 2012 #9

That's the way it should be EvilAL Jun 2012 #10

The argument the minister is making is creepily similar to an argument made by a DU'er here Heddi Jun 2012 #8

^^THIS^^ Goblinmonger Jun 2012 #15

Could you give us the total score at this point? cbayer Jun 2012 #20

WTF? trotsky Jun 2012 #21

Yeah, I can Goblinmonger Jun 2012 #32

1 to 1 then cbayer Jun 2012 #33

It's pretty easy to say that a generic author is right about something Goblinmonger Jun 2012 #34

Ruh oh. 1 - 3 cbayer Jun 2012 #36

Watch out, you're quote-mining rug Jun 2012 #37

Thats how I roll. cbayer Jun 2012 #38

Thanks for those. Goblinmonger Jun 2012 #42

When do you start confronting anti-atheist bigotry like you said you would? Heddi Jun 2012 #43

I have had ONE Christian ask me to explain why I am an Atheist. SoutherDem Jun 2012 #11

I've yet to meet a fellow atheist who thought that reason and virtue mr blur Jun 2012 #12

Nor have I. LeftishBrit Jun 2012 #17

Is what true - that atheists don't experience grief, or that religious people suspect them of not LeftishBrit Jun 2012 #18

The latter. Thanks for your answer. rug Jun 2012 #23

Religion aside, I think the writer mistakes the point of grief dmallind Jun 2012 #19

I don't blame the author for being enraged by this. cbayer Jun 2012 #24

even dogs grieve, ffs. unblock Jun 2012 #27

That's very true. rug Jun 2012 #29

And elephants. cbayer Jun 2012 #30

This looks to me like one of those arguments meant to demean a subgroup rurallib Jun 2012 #28

My wife died...I am an atheist...yet I still grieve...why? Uben Jun 2012 #31

Those arguments are familiar to those who know the history of hatred of Jews. dimbear Jun 2012 #35

Dunbar preaches nonsense intaglio Jun 2012 #41