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Why do so many supposed atheists buy into the economy being a morality play?

 
 
 
Don't understand the question.
 
I think many libertarians lean towards atheism. Did their atheism cause them to question their political beliefs (leading to the morality question) or did their libertarianism cause them to question their religious beliefs, or did one have nothing to do with the other?
 
Sorry, I couldn't finish the article. Too boring and pointless. This guy claims to be a professional writer?
 
I think the answer is that there is no necessary incompatibility in an atheist and an insufferable judgmental prig.
 
Most people are uncomfortable with the notion that the value of money is a belief. Or that it can be created.
 
boneyard bill said:
Sorry, I couldn't finish the article. Too boring and pointless. This guy claims to be a professional writer?
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How can you say that it's boring?

It was written by someone who hates freedom, hates America, and wants us all to live under a socialist dictatorship complete with re-education camps! I can understand why that would make you angry, but bored?
 
GenesisNemesis said:
Don't understand the question.
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Let me see if I can elaborate a little:

Atheists reject the idea of supreme beings being the arbiters of morality and of supreme beings deciding if someone is "good enough" to get into heaven or "bad enough" to get thrown into hell.

However some atheists, when talking about the economy they often talk about how those with a lot are smart, good, and deserving while those with little are slothful, lazy, and not deserving.

When it comes to the economy they seem to have adopted a hyperized version of the Protestant Work Ethic.

All they've done is replace godly salvation with market salvation.

It is evident in many posts of our resident conservative atheists.
 
Not all atheists believe in fairness.

To think that workers should be paid and treated fairly, that is, in accordance to the value their labor produces and in safe conditions, does not necessarily flow from a rejection of human made gods.
 
ksen said:
Atheists reject the idea of supreme beings being the arbiters of morality and of supreme beings deciding if someone is "good enough" to get into heaven or "bad enough" to get thrown into hell.
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All they've done is replace godly salvation with market salvation.

It is evident in many posts of our resident conservative atheists.
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I don't agree with your premise. As an atheist, I do not reject what gods can or cannot do. I fail to be convinced by claims that gods even exist. IF they existed, they could perfectly well arbite morality and pass judgment. But they just don't exist.
 
Rhea said:
ksen said:
Atheists reject the idea of supreme beings being the arbiters of morality and of supreme beings deciding if someone is "good enough" to get into heaven or "bad enough" to get thrown into hell.
[/url].

All they've done is replace godly salvation with market salvation.

It is evident in many posts of our resident conservative atheists.
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I don't agree with your premise. As an atheist, I do not reject what gods can or cannot do. I fail to be convinced by claims that gods even exist. IF they existed, they could perfectly well arbite morality and pass judgment. But they just don't exist.
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I won't bother with a comment as this addresses my (and many other here) view on that.
 
Rhea said:
ksen said:
Atheists reject the idea of supreme beings being the arbiters of morality and of supreme beings deciding if someone is "good enough" to get into heaven or "bad enough" to get thrown into hell.
[/url].

All they've done is replace godly salvation with market salvation.

It is evident in many posts of our resident conservative atheists.
Click to expand...

I don't agree with your premise. As an atheist, I do not reject what gods can or cannot do. I fail to be convinced by claims that gods even exist. IF they existed, they could perfectly well arbite morality and pass judgment. But they just don't exist.
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My point is that atheists reject god(s) but some are just fine with erecting the Economy to fulfill that exact role in society.

Invisible gods? Phooey!

Invisible hand? Preach it!
 
I think just being an atheist gives some a sense that they are somehow better, smarter, less likely to be gullible and more likely to be rational actors. We are constantly reminding theists that an atheist is someone that doesn't believe in god - that's it. Period. So when we meet another atheist that seems to believe in something without even token skepticism, we're disappointed somehow.

We have to remind atheists and ourselves that being an atheist doesn't make you less gullible, smarter or more likely to be rational in analyzing a situation. We have to remind them, and ourselves quite often and strongly. Atheists are still capable of blindly following dogma.

I've noticed as atheism has become more acceptable and we have more and more people under this umbrella, we also have more woo woo. We are all still human. Even if we have a healthy sense of skepticism, and we are utilizing our critical thinking skills, we are still vulnerable to bias and error.

I mean look at Loren. He's an atheist, and he's wrong about virtually everything! :p (Yet, even as I can feel revulsion at some things he says, he is always civil and doesn't lose his temper. He drives good discussion and prompts others to think, I'm glad he's here even though I disagree with most of what he says.)

There are atheists that believe in crystal power, UFO's, an afterlife, souls, Bigfoot, Nessie and other silly things. Including, the invisible hand of the market.
 
It's an interesting topic because I always thought that atheists should be more pro-capitalists and religious people should be more socialist because the whole point of the primary religions is to sacrifice current rewards for the future reward of heaven. Self-interest and greed aren't principles supported in Christianity.

But from what I see, it's been the opposite.

And one of the different philosophies that I see that applies to raising children. The example would be touching a hot stove. One philosophy is to say don't touch the hot stove while the opposite is finding out that touching a hot stove is bad and don't do it again. And those are the two philosophies of letting the market work.
 
coloradoatheist said:
It's an interesting topic because I always thought that atheists should be more pro-capitalists and religious people should be more socialist because the whole point of the primary religions is to sacrifice current rewards for the future reward of heaven. Self-interest and greed aren't principles supported in Christianity.

But from what I see, it's been the opposite.

And one of the different philosophies that I see that applies to raising children. The example would be touching a hot stove. One philosophy is to say don't touch the hot stove while the opposite is finding out that touching a hot stove is bad and don't do it again. And those are the two philosophies of letting the market work.
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Actually there is a third, educating via poor analogies to obfuscate real world scenarios.
 
Jimmy Higgins said:
coloradoatheist said:
It's an interesting topic because I always thought that atheists should be more pro-capitalists and religious people should be more socialist because the whole point of the primary religions is to sacrifice current rewards for the future reward of heaven. Self-interest and greed aren't principles supported in Christianity.

But from what I see, it's been the opposite.

And one of the different philosophies that I see that applies to raising children. The example would be touching a hot stove. One philosophy is to say don't touch the hot stove while the opposite is finding out that touching a hot stove is bad and don't do it again. And those are the two philosophies of letting the market work.
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Actually there is a third, educating via poor analogies to obfuscate real world scenarios.
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Not quite. Because the belief in the free market is that it shapes over time and not a one single time. So there are chances for the market to try things like burning their hand to find out it's painful and shy away from doing it again. One of the reasons we do have a sluggish recovery is that banks learned to be more prudent in their lending of money.
 
joedad said:
Atheists don't reject god - or gods. They hold that gods aren't real. I don't see how that correlates in the OP.

- - - Updated - - -

coloradoatheist said:
Self-interest and greed aren't principles supported in Christianity.
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What?
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There are two wings of Christianity. The Jesus wing of which nearly no one follows (which would fall under the claim by ca) and the Paul wing, who established the Church as a for profit entity.
 
coloradoatheist said:
Jimmy Higgins said:
Actually there is a third, educating via poor analogies to obfuscate real world scenarios.
Click to expand...

Not quite. Because the belief in the free market is that it shapes over time and not a one single time.
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You know what Net Neutrality taught me? There is no "free market" other than this capitalistic utopia fantasy in the minds of some. It is much like the Utopian communistic Star Trek society. It isn't possible. A corporation will try to corner whatever they can, to manipulate the market, whether it is in their own market or an adjacent market. You have Comcast that is trying to dictate the market for IP media providers.

So there are chances for the market to try things like burning their hand to find out it's painful and shy away from doing it again. One of the reasons we do have a sluggish recovery is that banks learned to be more prudent in their lending of money.
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It did?
 
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