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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jacques Chitte who wrote (25691)	10/28/1998 7:43:00 PM
From: Rick Julian	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 108807

"If not from others, from where should the atheist extract his philosopy?" Maybe from reflection on the data of their life experiences? The human mind seems compelled to create and/or recognize patterns--don't these meld to form our individual philosophies regarding the nature of existence? (Maybe I'm assuming too much based on my personal inclination to ruminate on such matters.) "There is no atheist scripture. So - to ask for a statement from some central atheist text or mythos is imho not gonna work." It has been explained, and I understand that there is no atheist text or scripture. I'm seeking to understand any individual atheist's philosophy beyond the definition of "the denial of the existence of _________(God, Higher Power, Creator, Spirit, Tao . . .) Because there are no texts to reference, does this mean atheists have no philosophy? I don't think so. E, for example, says she is an atheist (a second or third generation atheist even), and I'm simply interested to hear her personal philosophy within the context of atheism. Does she have an ethical/moral code beyond the Golden Rule? Is so what is it based on? "Rick vs. The Atheists" As I mentioned, E has stated she is an atheist, as has Craig, and perhaps Steven. Sam appears to be a theist. You appear to be an agnostic. Cool. You and I have had some interesting exchanges about the distinctions between the scientific and spiritual modes of existential inquiry. I am hungry to hear about individual atheists' individual philosophical constructs. In our working lives, our beliefs, perceptions, and the work they inform are what pay the mortgage. Our employers would not take a lot of shoulder shrugging when they asked for specific answers to problems we were assigned to address. We synthesize the data of our "experiments" to reach conclusions or provide "product". If we aren't able to do so with some degree of regularity, we're not far from the unemployment line. Doctors give "diagnoses" based on their training and experience, as do astronomers, economists, chemists, detectives . . . yet when articulate, intelligent minds are asked to assert their existential philosophies, based on the accumulation of their life experiences, can one really feel comfortable saying "I dunno, but I know there isn't a 'god'."? Is such an issue really so taboo? Are we really so overwhelmed by the question that we are paralyzed to posit an answer (or even a working thesis)? Is there any value to be gleaned from the exercise of examining our beliefs in the company (cyber or otherwise) of others? I think this forum suffers from our not being able to look into one another's eyes. If we could, for my part, others would see a sincere gaze which reflects my genuine curiosity in their thinking. I am assertive, I goad, but it reflects the depth of my interest in hearing others communicate their deeply held personal beliefs. Hearing others speak their personal "truths" turns me on. Rick