what is wrong with my brother? or is he crazy?

Question

he is an aethist who has a guilty conscience about using products that are made from child labor or slavery in other countries. he wants to boycott things like gw bush and oil....he is going to live on a socialists commune this summer...he believes the us is a terrible country full of rich white republicans ruining everything... he believes we should live off land and be one with nature...he believes he should have been born in another time...he thinks he can make a difference....he says he knows how it feels to hurt like all the children around the world hurting....my question is if your an aethist why in the hell would you care..you dont believe in spirit or something higher to attain. isnt an aethist on survival of the fittest kick? hasnt the world been messed up since humanity and hasnt there always been corruption and hatred? Is my brother crazy or just a kid in college doing way too much drugs?

he was a vegan but stopped once he proved he could do it after 5 yrs,,,,,

Answer 1

Just because he's an aethiest doesn't mean he's immoral. With him it's a question of being a good and just person, not for some heavenly reward, but just because it's the right thing to do. That said, I think he's been brainwashed. By who or what, I don't know. You say he's in college, meaning the prime suspects are his instructors. Universities in the U.S. are hotbeds of liberal ideoology and if he's getting a daily dose of that, plus campus visits by Greenpeace, PETA, et al. it's not surprising he's that way. Unfortunately those people lose all capacity for logical thought and just regurgitate all of the garbage they've been taught. Has the U.S. government done things that are awful and horrible? Of course they have at times. But the world is not a place of black and white, and looked at on balance, we're a force of good in the world. All of those places that your brother thinks are fantastic are usually full of brutality on a scale we can only imagine and the fact that they put on a good face to the world is merely a facade. As far as socialism goes, that's just a failed experiment and basic human nature will show that it will never work. There is no motivation for success. If you can never get ahead and you will never have more that someone else, where is the motivation to work? If you don't work, you won't go hungry since everyone is treated equally, and everyone else is working to take up your slack. But what if everyone else has the same idea? Then everybody goes hungry. I wouldn't worry about it though, it's probably just a phase he's going through. While he's in college he has the luxury of indulging himself while your parents foot the bill, but once he graduates and finds himself faced with the hard cold reality of supporting himself, I think you'll find out how quickly he can change his views.

Answer 2

I too believe that it is best to live off the land. But your brother sounds like a wacko. He sounds like the democrats have him brain washed into thinking that the U.S. is a terrible place ruled by terrible people. It's the democrats that are terrible. They even emitted to wanting to destroy the U.S. economy and take power of the country. How their doing this is raising taxes and making everyone poor. Then they are blaming it on the Republicans. After every one hated the repubs. then they will take over and send this country to hell. They will raise taxes making them filthy rich and leaving everyone poor. Also they are going to get rid of out military and will refuse to fight back against terrorism. Leaving us open to attack. And if this country is so terrible why didn't the Democrats leave like they said they were going to if bush won the elections. Those guys want to get rid of tax cuts having my dad paying 15,000 a year in taxes at the end off the year on top of the hundreds they take out of each pay check. They just sent a bill to the president asking for billions of tax payers dollars to use it for things like better ways to crack a peanut and to pay a guy that makes painting of deformed people because he can't get any business. He doesn't know what pain is. Tell him to get off the meth. Also he should educate himself more in politics. Sorry you have an insane brother.
All the best!!!

Answer 3

While I agree with some of the things your brother is into, he also sounds like he's going through the sort of revolutionary phase that lots of kids go through in college, especially as evidenced by the fact that he stopped being a vegan after he "proved" he could do it for 5 years. Some of it he may still genuinely follow in a few years, a lot of it he'll probably outgrow.

Answer 4

Atheists can and do care for people and the world. Some Christians lie when they claim that atheists have no morals and other convenient-for-christian type fictions
You can be an atheist and know about the human spirit and believe in a higher cause or calling

Answer 5

Ok well maybe he will grow up but if not then he has got some issues going on in there and he needs to deal with them. the thing is that we cant all live off the land or we wouldnt have a land to live on anymore so juust tell you brother that he really needs to look at the whole picture instead of just part of it

Answer 6

Look, it sounds like your brother has some wires crossed in the sense that he believes in two completely different things. But, I would have to say- more power to him. If he thinks that he can make a difference, let him do it! He might just make the next big change in the world!

Answer 7

One doesn't have to believe in a deity in order to believe in a greater good. Not believing in a deity does not make one evil or self-centered. What seems to be your problem, anyway, that you feel compelled to put your brother down for his beliefs and intentions? If there is an implied mental instability here, it's in you.

Answer 8

I think his ideals are admirable but I would caution you to be very careful that the place he is going isn't really a cult. Just because he's an athiest doesn't mean he is without morals.

Answer 9

Bush is an idiot, and gas prices are insane and shouldnt be no matter what they say, its ALL ABOUT THE MONEY in the USA. Honestly it is.
Just let him do what he wants to do, its his life & there isnt anything you can do about it...unless he does something illegal, then obviously something will be done :oP

Answer 10

Sounds like he is working out
his own personal belief system.

You may not agree with his way
of doing that, but I respect his way
more than anyone who lets someone
else tell them what they should believe.

.