Are these not, even in some small way, contradictory? One of the advantages of being an Atheist is the knowledge that there is only one life to live, and after that...oblivion (or 'Wormfood' as the less poetical of us will intone). This is all there is, so we'd best make the most of it.
That's certainly my stance. I'd also like to consider myself an Environmentalist...and recently I've been questioning why it is I care so much. In my lifetime there is likely to be some detrimental effect to the Environment, but not nearly as much as my next generation and the generation after that. Yet it's natural for me to have these concerns.
I suppose a lot of the pendants will tell me that all Atheism is the lack of belief in God, no more no less.
Anyway, what is your stance towards Athiesm and Environmentalism?
2007-12-12 00:25:31 · 19 answers · asked by Golgi Apparatus 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Atheism and environmentalism must go hand in hand... would you really trash this planet and leave it that way for our children?
There's no magical being who will come out of the sky and fix everything... we must take care of this planet, or we have nothing.
2007-12-12 00:32:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
I am atheist and environmental. I don't think there's a correlation. Well, maybe one: I don't believe in any god that gave man "dominion" over the earth. We rule because we are the most intelligent, not due to some divine mandate. So let's rule intelligently.
I am environmentalist for several reasons: 1. it just plain makes sense. There's no reason NOT to use resources wisely. How can there even be a debate about whether we need clean air and clean water? This isn't to save the spotted owl or whatever -- WE need 2. I believe in personal and collective responsibility. Not to some higher power, but to our descendants. It's not mysterious that I want my grandchildren to be able to enjoy life.
2007-12-12 00:45:38 · answer #2 · answered by David Carrington Jr. 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't really see the co-relation in the two terms to be honest. I am pretty much both of those terms, but do not see that being an atheist necessarily makes you any more or less selfish than someone who is religious. I personally don't want to screw up the planet because my children (my genetic legacy...the part of me that will live after my death) will be there to deal with any problems that i leave behind. And for that matter, my genes will continue to my grandchildren and so on and so on...in that sense part of me will be living eternally on earth so it becomes much MORE important for me not to screw up the planet that I (or my genes) will live eternally on. A religious person has the escape road of heaven and supernatural intervention to fall back on and can do exactly as they please as god will ultimately sort it out. In my atheist view the only person who can save me (or my genes) is me.
I would definately recommend reading Richard Dawkins "The Selfish Gene" for more information on this. You can order it on amazon and was something that really helped me.
2007-12-12 00:39:27 · answer #3 · answered by blah de blah de blah... 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What good is life for lifes sake, if there is no environment with which to enjoy life within?
Religious people seem to have more of a problem with environmentalism because a lot of them seem to think that god will solve the problems of; over pollution, over crowding, overuse of resources etc etc. (apparently this 'god of good' did it before, the great flood)
2007-12-12 00:36:46 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Being an atheist doesn't mean that you don't care about what the world will be like after you've gone. Well, it doesn't to me anyway. I want my kids to have a nice, clean planet.
Having said that I'm not an atheist because to me atheism is just as arrogant as theism. I'm an agnostic who leans towards atheism. I care about the planet but I also think that climate change is not entirely down to human activity and that climate change has happened throughout the ages. Humans are arrogant - they believe everything revolves around them.
2007-12-12 00:31:55 · answer #5 · answered by Katya Z 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Atheists have to eat just like every one else, so preserving an environment that supports life here on earth is consistent with atheism.
2007-12-12 00:34:54 · answer #6 · answered by ? 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
atheists do have children and therefore a stake in the future.
It's also a moral issue, are you allowed to mess up things for other people? Contrary to the opinion of some, atheists do have moral values.
I don't think there is a specific connection between atheism and environmentalism.
2007-12-12 00:31:38 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
we are born spiritual, emotional, mental and physical... religions damage what we don't understand... spirit has a natural purpose... when we leave religion we become healed and reconnected to our environment.. it is a sense of the whole ... it's a connection to the living earth..and our environment... for generations religion have been taking credit for spiritual phenomena.. but that's not what it is there for.. their consideration for the earth and environment is nil for they allow religion to take credit for their work so they also allow religions to take credit for nature's work... they are so ignorant about the enviornment that they would seek to have the teaching of evolution removed from our schools... learning about evolution is environmental... learning about our world, learning about nature, evolution is a law of nature just as gravity is a law of nature... when we get the christians out of the way, out of influencing our societies our scientist our lives there will be so much more to learn.. there is so much beauty on the other side of religion it's unimaginable...
2007-12-12 00:40:49 · answer #8 · answered by Gyspy 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i don't see a correlation between atheism and enviornmentalism.
i don't throw garbage onto the side of the road. i don't use aerosol products. I seperate my paper/plastic/glass for garbage pick-up. thats the extent of my environmentalism.
no matter what humans do...the earth is gonna be here for a long time, with or without us.
remember this........man has only been keeping track of the weather for about 150 years AT MOST!! and since the earth is million and millions of years old, how can anyone with a straight face say theres a global warming trend that is affecting the climate, when we haven't even been a civilized people long enough to even begin to see any kind of trend?
2007-12-12 00:37:04 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Why are you questioning why you care so much? If we destroy the environment, we make things harsher on ourselves. Its not rocket science to understand that. Its only the Christians that think they can do whatever they want to the planet and get away with it because they think their god put the planet here for them to use and abuse.
2007-12-12 00:42:53 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is apocolyptic Christians who have the least reason to care for the environment, as they are expecting Rapture any moment, and expect God to provide for us in the meantime, no matter what we do to the planet. There is nothing about atheism that preculdes caring for the wll being of our children and our children's children.
2007-12-12 00:34:24 · answer #11 · answered by Fred S - AM Cappo Di Tutti Capi 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋