Is Atheism a guilt response?

Discussion in 'Religion Archives' started by rjr6, Oct 22, 2008.

  1. Simon Anders Valued Senior Member

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    Communists tend to be athiests. So if atheists, who also happen to be communists can guilt trip and feel guilty, then one does not have to be religious to feel and try to instill guilt.

    I was responding to a claim that guilt was purely a religious phenomenon.

    I read your link. The fact remains that communists have a much greater tendency to be atheists than other people.

    But let me ask a direct question.

    Do you think guilt would end if religions ended?

    (And by the way, I have communist friends, some of whom are religious some are not. Most are not. I just want to be clear that I am not saying atheists must be communists or that communists must be atheists.)
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2008
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  3. glaucon tending tangentially Registered Senior Member

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    I didn't mean to imply that religion was required for guilt to be present; merely that (as you point out..) it does a good job at disseminating it.

    My problem with this thread, and the POV of its creator, is that it expresses some sort of intrinsic relation between atheism and guilt. The two are clearly not necessarily related. An analogous question would be: 'Is Democracy a response to lack of confidence?' The OP doesn't seem to understand the syntactical applications of words.
     
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  5. swarm Registered Senior Member

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    So I'm still a bit vague here. Does unresolved guilt mean you ran out of gold leaf before you were done or does it mean you still have some left?
     
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  7. StrangerInAStrangeLand SubQuantum Mechanic Valued Senior Member

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    It means you're trapped in a gilded cage.
     
  8. Simon Anders Valued Senior Member

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    gilt
    guilt
     
  9. Carico Registered Member

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    Anyone who goes to the extreme of having to make up his own history to deny that Jesus is Lord has a guilt problem because that isn't even a good reason to deny Jesus.

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  10. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    How exactly are atheists making up their own history ?
    And even if so, how is not having a good reason for it signifying a guilt problem ?
     
  11. Balerion Banned Banned

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    I'm sorry? Dude, can you cite me some statistics that would demonstrate this?
     
  12. rjr6 Devout Theist Registered Senior Member

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    It has a random origin but does not have any meaning intended to be inferred or decrypted.
     
  13. rjr6 Devout Theist Registered Senior Member

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    What is the basis of your categorizing guilt into "types"?
     
  14. Balerion Banned Banned

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    Based on their causes.
     
  15. Mr. Hamtastic whackawhackado! Registered Senior Member

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    I killed a bug=I feel there is no God?

    Anger response, maybe

    A bug killed my lover=I feel there is no God.

    I can see that happening.
     
  16. Mr. Hamtastic whackawhackado! Registered Senior Member

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    Or wait, Are you trying to say God should feel guilty for not evidencing to Atheists better?
     
  17. Mr. Hamtastic whackawhackado! Registered Senior Member

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    Your position is simply unclear, rjr6, despite your sig"theists". Perhaps you are seeking the attentions of theists, perhaps just provoking a debate over something that doesn't seem to have any grounds. What is your position, specifically?
     
  18. rjr6 Devout Theist Registered Senior Member

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    The thread topic could be interpreted as a provocation, though it originated as an honest thought/question.

    This thread is simply investigating guilt and it's maybe connection with atheism, or the act of seeking and holding atheistic beliefs. Since you invoked my position, I simply don't have one, completely, I am seeking information.

    I will change my sig if it is causing confusion. What is your definition of theists? If my question sounds patronizing it is not meant to. I firmly and wholeheartedly believe that confusion arising from definitions of words is at the root of most disagreements. It is really a superfulous problem that is easily corrected, allowing that both parties are not hiding behind their words.
     
  19. rjr6 Devout Theist Registered Senior Member

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    Are there different types of guilt or different causes of guilt?
     
  20. Simon Anders Valued Senior Member

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    Guilt is generally about something you did or something you want to do. So it atheism somehow had guilt at its root, I think one would need to show what the atheists did that they feel guilty about and in relation to whom.
     
  21. Simon Anders Valued Senior Member

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    Best I can find so far is this:
    http://www.jstor.org/pss/3712507
    (you can't even read the whole article, but the abstract and the opening give some sense.

    Both Lenin and Trotsky were very anti-religious and this had strong effects on Soviet and other communisms.

    But you know I only raised the issue when it seemed someone was saying: end religion, guilt ends. Once we cleared up that was not what he meant, I lost interest.
     
    Last edited: Oct 26, 2008
  22. Mr. Hamtastic whackawhackado! Registered Senior Member

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    rjr6-theists implies that there are more than one of you, or you are stating it in a-smack self in the head,"Theists!"-way. My issue is that I don't know how to help you without you being more specific. It infuriates people when I say things like,"What is blue?". It's tough to answer an amorphus question. What information would you like? I think the matter of whether a study has been done has been beaten sufficiently to a pulp. Your newest question, are there different types of guilt or just different causes, can be answered simply, or with complexity. Simply guilt is one thing which can be caused by many things. A drop of complexity for you, Things which make me feel guilty probably have little or no effect on Simon Anders. Perhaps if he was my best buddy from next door who I did everything with... Even then, totally different paths to guilt. I step on a bug, I feel guilty. Does he feel guilty for me stepping on a bug? How about that he didn't stop me? Maybe he liked the squish, and feels guilty for liking it.

    And I'd just like to point out to the side discussion about communists being atheists, communist governments which try to impose atheism have a hard time controlling their populace's thoughts and beliefs. Individuals who are communists are probably split between theists and atheists.
     
  23. swarm Registered Senior Member

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    OK, so unresolved guilt means you feel bad about having run out of gold leaf before you were done or does it mean you still have some left?
     

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