I have heard nonbelievers express disappointment or shock when a person in our community, especially those held in high regard, is found to have some very human flaws. Why do we get so disappointed when they turn out to be flawed human beings?
I was speaking with my freethinking friend, True, after we had attended the Blackout Secular Rally in NYC. We were discussing the humanist/atheist community and she shared something she experienced in an online discussion about the Trayvon trial. She shared that someone online professing to be a humanist stated that “thug deserved it” in reference to Trayvon. She expressed disgust and disbelief that a statement like that could be uttered by a humanist. My friend is pretty new to the freethought/humanist/atheist community and expressed her belief that she had entered a community which was completely superior to the religious faith-based community of her past. Unfortunately, I did not find it shocking as her. I told her that I had the same expectations as her when I entered the atheist community, but I learned pretty fast that an individual coming to the conclusion that there is likely no god does not automatically make that individual a rational person in all areas of their life. I have had enough interaction with nonbelievers to realize that they are plagued by the same issues of all other human communities/individuals and definitely don’t, in my opinion, come to conclusions that are evidence based or rational all the time. The same way that there are believers who are extremely rational and logical in other areas of knowledge but don’t apply that same rational and logical mindset to their religious or divine belief. This should be a powerful reminder that NONE of us is completely rational and we must always examine our cherished beliefs and be ready to discard them if proven wrong. After all we are all still human, just a very smart primate, and did not magically become Vulcans after our deconversions. We still have to deal with emotions, shortage of information, and our limited life perspective.
As humanists, we should especially be aware of our human limitations. There should be no reason to erect false idols, either in human form or in the form of dogmatic beliefs, as we have no need for gods.
Is this a real problem in the atheist/humanist community? If so, why do you think we set up these false idols?
Hmm... just as atheism connotes a negative (against theism), it appears we don't have free will - we have free won't ?!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fastcocreate.com/1682962/the-end-of-rational-vs-emotional-how-both-logic-and-feeling-play-key-roles-in-marketing-and-
I don't know if science or philosophy have clearly determined if free will is a reality or not, but are you stating that we have no choice in what we believe in and how strong those beliefs are?
DeleteI'm confused is the guy in the exchange a humanist or a freethinker? In the exchange they seem to be used interchangeably though they are very different. If a freethinker or an atheist there would be no reason whatsoever to expect rational behavior, or even ethical behavior. Since neither of these terms denote these qualities. Humanism does. If someone refers to themselves as a humanist, yes, I would expect them to have an interest in the preservation of life, and if not I would expect them to explain themselves given their humanist professions.
ReplyDeleteI believe he identified as a humanist, so I agree that I would love to hear their explanation for such a response or conclusion.
DeleteAlso, I agree there is a difference in the terms atheist, freethinker, and humanist. Even though I tend to think of humanists as both freethinkers and atheist, even though I am aware there are theists which claim humanistic values. You point is well taken and I will do my best to use my terms more clearly and accurately in the future. Thank you for your feedback.