I've read a few of the responses some of the more notable people have written recently when it comes to a humanist/atheist response to tragedy and none of them have touched on it the way I see it (or I just didn't understand it as intended).
One of the problems that theists see with a nontheist point of view is that there is not a valid alternative to their idea of a source that will eventually even things out and reward all the right people while punishing the rest. They also claim that this is part of an unknown master morality that will eventually be understood by us after we die. The idea is that there is an all-perfect and ideal source of some kind that does exist out there somewhere and is the keeper of perfection. This thing, whatever it is, holds the key to a perfect morality and, therefore, an everlasting state of bliss if only we can discover this code that's currently being kept from us. Unless those with a godless outlook can offer a competing path to unlock this supernatural secret of perfection, we don't count--at all. Since we don't even make the attempt, given our view that assumptions of supernaturalism aren't worthy of consideration, we seem at best irrelevant.
What I wish people from "our side" would say is that our view of existence is not going to offer a direct alternative because it's not supposed to. Since we don't operate under the assumption there is an ultimate moral code-giver, it would be silly to insist we offer a way to discover this thing we think in all likelihood doesn't even exist. We base our search for meaning and happiness on something completely different.
It would be similar for someone who gets the most happiness and meaning in life from music to insist someone who gets the most meaning and happiness in their life from cancer research to show them how to appreciate music with it, otherwise it's invalid. It's a nonsensical idea.
The notion that nonreligious people need to provide an alternative within their narrow religious parameters is illogical at its core. We should be more open about saying so and hope they'll eventually understand.
One of the problems that theists see with a nontheist point of view is that there is not a valid alternative to their idea of a source that will eventually even things out and reward all the right people while punishing the rest. They also claim that this is part of an unknown master morality that will eventually be understood by us after we die. The idea is that there is an all-perfect and ideal source of some kind that does exist out there somewhere and is the keeper of perfection. This thing, whatever it is, holds the key to a perfect morality and, therefore, an everlasting state of bliss if only we can discover this code that's currently being kept from us. Unless those with a godless outlook can offer a competing path to unlock this supernatural secret of perfection, we don't count--at all. Since we don't even make the attempt, given our view that assumptions of supernaturalism aren't worthy of consideration, we seem at best irrelevant.
What I wish people from "our side" would say is that our view of existence is not going to offer a direct alternative because it's not supposed to. Since we don't operate under the assumption there is an ultimate moral code-giver, it would be silly to insist we offer a way to discover this thing we think in all likelihood doesn't even exist. We base our search for meaning and happiness on something completely different.
It would be similar for someone who gets the most happiness and meaning in life from music to insist someone who gets the most meaning and happiness in their life from cancer research to show them how to appreciate music with it, otherwise it's invalid. It's a nonsensical idea.
The notion that nonreligious people need to provide an alternative within their narrow religious parameters is illogical at its core. We should be more open about saying so and hope they'll eventually understand.
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