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A question for you atheists

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Reply 60

Psyk

Original post by Sphipsta

There is definately a sector of fashion atheists, those who halfheartedly beleive in atheism on the one hand and then quickly go and take part in the religious ceremonies simply because they want to

People like that sound more like fashion Christians (or whatever religion). A "fashion atheist" would be someone who believes in god but pretends not to be fashionable. I'm sure there are some people like that, but it sounds like the opposite of what you're talking about. You're talking about someone who really is an atheist, but sometimes pretends to be religious to take part in religious ceremonies.

Reply 61

AndrewFromTheNorth

Those things are only religious because religion has a much stronger history than atheism. If they were things that didn't stem from a belief in god and simply became tradition, you'd not refuse to do them being a christian simply because they're not religious enough.

Reply 62

joey11223

Funeral. Well yes...it's not as if ceremonies/day of burial are solely a religious thing. Obviously it would have no religious connotations. Just a day friends and family would gather to see me off basically.

Marriage. If my partner was religious and wanted it I'd do a Church wedding but assuming we're both Atheist I'd only have one for legal reasons really, I suppose it does also seal a bond traditionally, again festivals of two people entering a life long commitment are very ancient, but it would be a registry office....well I say that, I think a perfect place would be on top of a cliff overlooking a beautiful ocean, something like that, outdoors.

Reply 63

tripleeagle

Funerals are a simply a gathering where people close to the deceased meet up for a last time. What else are you meant to do with a dead body?

Marriage, on the other hand, is recognised by the British government and so it is convenient to be legally bound. So what if it's religious? It is - to some people anyway - a good idea so I don't see why non-religious people shouldn't have weddings.

I think marriages and funerals a good ideas and it's not because I'm atheist and they come from religions that I won't make use of the ideas. I think you should return any product you use which was made by an atheist.

Reply 64

Mm_Minty

Those sacraments have almost become more of a tradition than anything else these days.
But I'm not planning on ever getting married and the idea of people singing hymns for me makes me feel a bit ill, a memorial service outside seems like a much nicer idea.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 65

Curzon

One of my friends always brings up stuff like this. He says that it's hypocritical to celebrate Christmas if you are not religious. There are many aspects of modern culture that have their roots in religion, but that doesn't mean they necessarily need to be viewed in the modern world from a religious viewpoint.

Reply 66

christine18

Marriage is a piece of paper!
When one gets married, they get a marriage certificate. They are not signing up for some sort of divine intervention. This is completely secular.

Funerals... I will have a funeral. No priest, rabbi, or iman will be officiating it though.

Both funerals and marriages are not religious events, respectively. They can be if you choose for it to be officiated by religious representative.
ps. Funerals are merely burying a body in soil. Point final.

You're quite ignorant, tbf.

Reply 67

Cll_ws

I don't believe in anything, I have no reason to believe in anything. Nobody has ever given me any evidence that God exists, but nobodys proven to me that he doesn't.

Although in that frame of mind I think you naturally swing to thinking it's nothing, no god exists.

Marraige doesn't have to be religeous, it can just be 2 people comminting to each other. Funerals can just be a celebration of somebodies life or a saying goodbye, there doesn't have to be any mention of where that person is heading now or anything like that.

I'm pretty sure marraige is a big thing in every country, to all religeons and all religeous people and all non-religeous people. So how you can question how non-christians can get married I don't know.
What's the difference between a Christian wedding and a Muslim wedding? and if that religeous ceremony can be passed between different religeons, then why can't it be passed to non-religeous?

Reply 68

Sprockette

I don't care really. I don't mind whether I get married or not, I can't see the point in it really - I also think it 'belongs' to religion in a way... except for tax cuts for married couples! I will get married as it's seen as the next step by society basically.

And funeral? I don't care either, I'll be dead, it's for them really in my opinion. But I don't know of what other options there are for when you die.

Reply 69

allybaba

Original post by Sphipsta

How strong is your beleif that god doesn't exist, will you have a funeral when you die ? will you marry. Both very religious things yet it puzzles me as to why atheists who claim to rubbish the existance of god that you still take part in these sacraments

Well I understand about your point about marriage. It does not have to be for religious reasons though. Also legally you are alot better of being married, and with religious people outrageously lobbying government for tax breaks for married couples it makes sense economically.

Reply 70

Shinji

Original post by Sphipsta

Since when do you have to believe in God to have a funeral?
It's only polite to have one, it's not necessarily a religious sacrament.
To get married you don't have to believe in God, you have to hold love for the other person. I find it quite insulting that you say that just because I don't believe in God, it's traditional to get married and have a funeral etc etc. Traditions are for everyone!