Unitarian Unaversalism and Atheism

[felixthecoach]

Many people in this forum tend to be hardcore atheists, some even to the point of militant objection to any religious belief whatsoever.

This question is for anyone, but particularly to those who see religion as a black and white, yes and no, completely right or completely wrong issue.

Is there any acceptable religious stance other than atheism?

From experience, I know a number of people who seem to be doing better in life because they have a church to go to (it got them off the street and into some kind of work). Additionally, my mother is a secular humanist in everything she says and does with the exception that she goes to a Unitarian Universalism church. My understanding is that she accepts homosexual rights, is very much a philanthropist and accepts atheism as completely logical. She just believes that there is a God who is good and wants us to be as good as we can be.

 

[Ozymandyus]

I am all for the existence of certain belief systems that do not have any bad effects on human behavior. The sort of belief system your mom adheres seems to be one of those. I'm also fine with people that believe that candy corns are good. Someone's got to eat all those nasty candy corns for me.

To be honest, I think a belief in a good being that rewards you and punishes you can be a good thing, as long as it is open to amending what it will reward you and punish you for. The biggest problem with most religions is that they were claimed to be founded upon things that are universally true that just AREN'T.

A God that rewards people who promote scientific understanding, human understanding, and general peace, love, caring... I have no problem with in the least.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

It depends on what you mean by "acceptable" doesn't it? I'm against all religious belief on principle. I accept people's right to believe whatever they want. I even recognize that even though all religion is wrong, some are more dangerous than others.

 

[Aught3]

I also object to religious belief on principle. However, I've said before that there are certain belief systems that I'm perfectly happy to coexist with because I recognise that they are not doing any harm. Your mum seems to have one of those.

 

[Mazzerkhan]

I don't reject to religious belief as long as its a personal thing. I do object to religion being any part of the state. Religion can not dictate peoples rights as it does at the moment. I do object to religion stiffling our society and education. I don't give a toss what anybody believes once the state is secular and built on reason.

 

[Penguin_Factory]

I reject religious beliefs because of their faith based nature, but I certainly don't think it's "unacceptable" to believe in God (and I would count myself as one of the militant ones). I don't respect the belief of someone like felixthecoach's mother, but I don't have any problem with it either. The same goes for any theist who doesn't use religion to try and control other people.

That said, there are two other positions I have respect for: agnosticism and deism. Agnosticism is, I feel, a perfectly reasonable stance to take on the matter, just not one I personally subscribe to.

You might find it surprising to hear an atheist say this, but I find the idea of deism very reasonable. I don't believe it, I don't think there's any real intellectual justification for it, but I can see why desists believe what they do. I also like deism because it's (from what I've seen anyway) free of the usual cavalcade of irrationality that seems to plague theism.

 

[irmerk]

An adult choosing to believe whatever he or she wants to is perfectly fine - but still dumb and inconsistent with reality and day-to-day living. However, indoctrination and imposition of one's beliefs on others is absolutely wrong. I would like to shamelessly direct anyone interested in my further opinion to my blog post on the matter here (Part 1 out of 3).

 

[Mapp]

Well most Unitarian Universalists, like my grandmother for instance, are essentially Deists that get together once a week. Essentially their argument boils down to the belief that the universe has some kind of first cause. The only dogmatic stance I've ever really seen them take is a rejection of the Trinitarian concept. The rest of their belief system seems to be the advocacy of an objective morality based on social justice, universal human rights, and universal human dignity. From what I've read it's very similar to Solzhenitsyn's work. Their belief tends to be very personal and they support worthy causes.

I really don't have a problem with deists, other than the fact that their first cause argument is essentially unfalsifiable.

 

[GoodKat]

I really don't have a problem with deists, other than the fact that their first cause argument is essentially unfalsifiable.

And an argument from ignorance.