ATHEISTS: What role does responsibilty play in the following, according to your beliefs?

Question

your actions?
your spiritual growth?
your education/knowledge?
your family?
your community?
the world in general?

who is responsible, and what are they/you responsible for?
what do they/you do to fulfill that responsibility & how do you feel about it?

thanks for all your answers... seems as though the religious have some of you a bit on the defensive (understandable!) as it seems some of you thought i was assuming that you would not take responsibility for everything in your life.

i am, btw, a spiritual atheist.

Answer 1

You are responsible for your own actions and everything else on that list just a I am responsible for mine.

As an Atheist I feel my responsibility is to my friends and family, my fellow humans, and the Earth I live on. I would hope to leave the world a better place because of things that I did, however small they might be.

Answer 2

Atheism isn't a belief.

I'm mostly responsible for my actions. There's always the possibility that one may be "backed into a corner" and then whatever action one takes, it's because someone else made it the only viable option available.

What spiritual growth?

The state is responsible for maintaining a functional education budget, the school boards (as far as I understand it) are responsible for hiring quality educators and developing a challenging, comprehensive and realistically feasible curriculum, and the teachers are responsible for passing along the information in such a way that the students retain and incorporate it. Students are responsible for their homework and parents are responsible for encouragement and rules. Since I'm the parent in this picture, well, there it is.

My family? Wow, well, I don't know exactly how I'm "responsible" in this area... I feel like I have standards I should meet, standards for myself so that they can get the best ZER0 that they deserve.

I'm not really too involved in "community", but I do donate lots of clothing whenever I can. Oh, and I volunteer in a free lunch line for the homeless about once a month.

I recycle.

Answer 3

your actions? I'm responsible. They're my actions.

your spiritual growth? Define spiritual if you can as it pertains to growth.

your education/knowledge? My education, my responsibility.

your family? See above

your community? If I live there, I have a responsibility to make my community the best it can be.

the world in general? See above

who is responsible, and what are they/you responsible for?
what do they/you do to fulfill that responsibility & how do you feel about it?

I feel fine about it. I don't expect or hope for anyone to take responsibility for my life or any part of it. I do not pass the buck. I do not plead, pray, beg or whine. Giving up any aspect of your life to a 'higher power' is convenient abdication of personal responsibility and is beneath contempt.

Answer 4

I am responsible for my actions in this world. I am the one who controls my "spiritual" growth and my education in all matters on earth. I determined to learn about everything and all religions in order to make a considered choice and I decided not to accept the church into my life. My family loves me and I love them, my friends and my community are helped by my actions and charitable works. I do not do these things as an act of contrition in order to gain entry into the realm of the holy father but to be a decent human being.

I feel pretty good about that. Don't you?

I don't feel in the slightest bit hypocritical for using the word "spiritual" while denying the existence of "god", I believe in the spirit of humanity, the essence of good and yes even evil - I believe there would be less evil in this world if there were less religion. But I will never in a million years believe in religious writings as the word of "god" or that one religion is better than another. All religion is evil at it's very core regardless of the "good" it purports to do.

Answer 5

We are responsible for our actions, our spiritual growth, and for educating ourselves as best we can. Of course, we share the education responsibility with our communities.

Parents are responsible for the safety and raising of their family. The community members all share responsibility for the community, but inevitably those who are more talented will take on greater responsibility in the community. The world hires leaders to represent us in dealing across international boundaries.

I participate a lot in my community via serving on boards and participating in town government meetings. It's my duty to do so, as is true of everyone who has something to offer.

^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^

Answer 6

My actions are my own. I take full responsibility for everything I do. I attribute it to no higher power.
Spritiual growth? That comes from religion, which I dont believe in, so it has no bearing here.
Education: I went to school, paid for it myself. I took responsibiltiy for that as well.
My family? I hold my children resonsible for their own actions. I dont punish them because someone else tells me to. My kids also know the consequenses of their actions BEFORE they do something. So, they take the responsibiltiy for their own actions in that aspect as well.
My community? I really couldnt care any less. But thats not because I am atheist. It just that I dont like people in general.
The world? See last answer.

Answer 7

I am responsible for my own ideas and beliefs. I do not need a that piece of fiction you call a Bible to teach me right from wrong. Nor do I need a non-existent deity to fall back on if I am having a bad day. I'ms trong enough to work it out myself.

Answer 8

I am responsible for every action and thought I have. I feel great about it. I don't blame nor depend on anyone else but myself.

Answer 9

Atheists are just the same as anyone else,,but we prefer the logical approach to life,where-as,Theists are illogical.Everyone is entitled to believe what-ever they want.I wouldn't dream of trying to convert others to Atheism,because their beliefs are none of my business.I am responsible for my own deeds.

Answer 10

Most of the time I honestly think

"I haven't got any kids, or any responsibilities - so why should I work"?

Then I remember shakespeares

"To be or not to be".

That makes me take a job.