Hmmm.

[bladespark]

I'm a little calmer now, and I eye my previous post with uncertainty.

On the one hand, it's a bit... ticked off, and not exactly polite. Perhaps I should take it down.

On the other hand, it's true to what I felt at the time, and in less heated words I still feel the same. And deleting it just so I won't look bad is silly, and not terribly mature.

Is leaving it up doing any harm to any? Only to one, and then only if you know who I'm talking about. I tarnish her reputation to no strangers, only to those who already disagree with me, or who already agree. (Well, and to those who care enough to read all the comments, I suppose... But one could always go and read her side, if you're going to be actually paying attention and caring about all this.)

I think I'll leave it. If nothing else because I find it annoying when somebody mentions some entertainingly drama-laden post, and I go to read it, only to find it's been taken down. Far be it from me to remove the amusement of the gossiping, nosy hordes!

Comments

[sphix.livejournal.com]

Yeah, keep it up. Who knows, this could spark the beginning of a revolution, and our grandchildren will want to know what the trigger was! ;)

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

A revolution, huh? I'm not sure what kind of revolution I'd spark. I'm not really a revolutionary sort.

[sphix.livejournal.com]

Revolutionaries never start out as great leaders, though. ;P

On another subject, looking at all these videos, how can these people even get out of bed thinking that death is the absolute end? A wrong turn and everything goes black. Forever. It's just not comprehendable (is that a word? It's 4 AM XP)

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

I know where you live now! Well... I know what time zone you live in. It's only 3 here.

Comprehendable isn't a word, I don't think. You could try comprehensible though, that works.

And I've no idea. I'm sure if you're used to it, then that's just how things are. But man... funerals are depressing enough as it is. Funerals where you're sure you're never going to see them again ever, in any way, would just be awful.

[sphix.livejournal.com]

Oh, I hate funerals already. That would be unbearable. I would live in constant paranoia that everyone I love could die at any second. But that raises a whole new set of issues... Do many atheists let themselves get truly close and open to someone for fear of losing them permanently? And what about acts of bravery where one life is sacrificed in exchange for another? Would those EVER occur if everyone in the world (their mission) were athiest?

Oh, I live in Utah, btw. I move between Salt Lake City and Cedar, where I go to school at the university there. Yay, Mormon central!

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Heee. Yeah, I'm recently escaped from Utah myself. Born and kinda sorta raised there. (I moved about a lot, but lived there more than anywhere else.)

And really... most people just don't think about death. They put it out of their minds, avoid it, try not to talk about it. I'm sure there are atheistic heroes, and atheists who have real love and relationships. A lot of the best ones I know have a philosophy of living this life to the fullest as it's all they have.

[sphix.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you're definitely right on that count. That's a good philosophy for any person. It's impossible to lump everyone into one category like I did there *facepalm*. But it seems strange to me to not talk about death. Is that weird by its own measure? I find that thinking and talking about it decreases the fear of it immensely, and readies me in case it ever becomes a "his or mine" situation. But thinking about it too much makes one morbid. Guess there's a balance to everything, huh?

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Moderation in all things. Including moderation itself. (Which I take to mean a few minor indulgences, excesses, and obsessions are just fine and dandy. Good thing that, given that I certainly indulge in a few.)

And it's all too easy to lump groups together. Most of the people in any given group are at least close to the stereotype. They exist for a reason, and it's a handy shortcut in dealing with people. If you know what group they fall into you know things they're likely to enjoy, things you can discuss around them and things it might be polite not to.

But, of course, that's just a place to start, and it's way too easy to never move beyond that stage.

[sphix.livejournal.com]

Yes, I agree wholeheartedly, given that the stereotypes are neutral in nature. There can be the positive and negative ends of the spectrum, which can both have horrific consequences.

[rimspace.livejournal.com]

You seem to be making the assumption that love, altruism and self-sacrifice only occur because people believe in an afterlife with the implicit 'heaven/hell' split, post-death judgement and the ability to be with loved ones forever.

In fact, atheists are capable of doing all these because their frame of reference may not include what will happen after they die but it does include what will happen 'now' and how it will effect their life in the future. Believing in the afterlife is not necessary for someone to give up their life for another, only the belief that the sacrifice will save someone else. They can love as hard as anyone, and perhaps the belief that this is all there is will make them treasure the love. They can happen without any spiritual belief at all, really. Whether some people would be have differently without or with it is questionable, but you don't need the belief in the afterlife.

In fact, you don't even need to be an atheist to dismiss the concept of an aferlife - belief in god does not necessarily imply the presence of an afterlife, and similarly the lack of belief in god doesn't necessarily prevent you beliving there is something after death. It's not conventional, but I have known people like that on both sides.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

"It's impossible to lump everyone into one category like I did there *facepalm*." I think she realized how silly what she'd said sounded immediately after saying it.

[aoanla.livejournal.com]

The same way as you do. It's not like you think "oh, when I die, I'll end" every morning or anything.

Well, some people might, but it's not normal amongst atheists, I can attest.

[sphix.livejournal.com]

That's definitely true. When I think of death, I think of it only as a step that has to happen. A big step, granted, but it's only a step into something greater, after all.