It seems to me that atheists are deluded in thinking that it’s possible to keep one’s religion private, or “between consenting adults” as you sometimes put it. Religion is not simply a set of beliefs about how the world is. My faith provides me with a set of ethics, influencing how I live my life. Am I supposed to forget my values when I leave my house?
Posted: June 9th 2010
bitbutter www
I agree with the sentiment of the questioner. To me, secularists’ requests that believers keep their metaphysical convictions to themselves betray a lack of understanding. As Sam Harris said “people really believe this stuff”.
Some people genuinely believe that a place of eternal suffering exists, and that you can end up there by doing the wrong things on earth. For these people, introducing the right kind of religious indoctrination in state schools is an urgent humanitarian project.
Appeals to keep religion out of policy making and public life should hold no weight when directed at people who take their holy texts seriously.
Posted: July 5th 2010
Eric_PK
It would help if you said why you think that atheists think this.
Given how important your faith is to you, this may come as a surprise, but the vast majority of atheists don’t spend much time at all thinking or talking about religion. Most religious people have a hard time discussing religion with atheists, so I avoid doing that in most cases.
Or, to put it another way, I’m fine that you act as you feel compelled to act. Whether you are religious or not probably won’t enter into my mind unless your beliefs in a specific area collide with mine. I’d really prefer that you don’t spend your time telling me about your religion, since you’re wasting both of our time.
As for ethics, I do not think that word means what you think it means. What you are talking about is following the rules that somebody has told you are the right rules. That is certainly one way to figure out how to act, but doing something because somebody told you to do it is not an ethical decision.
Posted: June 24th 2010
logicel
For me, a religious believer who keeps his religion private was the Christian who was the liaison between us and the Church which owned the Manse which we were renting.
Everything he did, from answering our questions, setting appointments up so various repairs can be done, chatting with us, bringing me flowers when I was sick, expressing envy that the birthday gift for my mother-in-law was a week’s stay in Paris with some of her kids, not once, did he utter the word Christ or that he was Christian. I just took it that he must be. Maybe he wasn’t!
Another example, was an acquaintance who invited us to stay at her old Chateau which was being renovated. Again, she did everything, to picking us up at the bus stop, showing us how various appliances including the solar water heater worked, how to water the garden, feed the horses, etc. without once mentioning the word Christ or that she was Christian. Only later did I realize she was, as she had a crucifix hanging on an wall. When she mentioned that a very lovely, old stone church that we drove by was the one she attended, I asked her details about its history and how frequently it was open for worship. Again, she answered my questions without once mentioning any religious beliefs or values.
Both of these people have I am sure what they would define as Christian values. And all I could see was that they PRACTICED THEM without ever talking about their values or their beliefs.
I had many Jewish friends in New York City, and not one of them ever mentioned their faith or values. Again they practiced them in silence. It seems that the Jewish faith is a very private one. Maybe the Christians could learn from that approach?
My Hindi co-worker also, practiced her faith by living it through her actions. I knew she was Hindi, and that was it. No mention whatsoever of her values or her beliefs.
My husband, though an atheist, also practices his values. He is an inspiration, example par excellence, and continuing role-model after twenty years of marriage because he consistently applies his values through action.
Posted: June 10th 2010
SmartLX www
No, but you don’t have to name-check the source of your values every time you apply them. For example you don’t have to preach to the recipients of your faith-inspired charity. An ethical issue with a lot of religious charity work is that it’s done at least partially in order to preach to people, not only for its own sake.
When atheists tell the religious to keep their views private, and they occasionally do in editorials and such, it’s usually regarding attempts to insert religious views into politics or education. The reason atheists tell them this is that these attempts are ultimately attempts to impose religious teachings, or deference to them, on those who do not share the particular religion or are not religious at all.
I don’t know of any atheists who begrudge the religious their attempts to spread their religion to others, as we understand many are compelled to do. It’s when those who haven’t bought into religion are affected by it in practical ways nonetheless that people tend to get upset.
Posted: June 10th 2010