Great Atheist Teachers

[MerlinsByte]

Debating is a good thing, for example in my rounds with pooey something has occurred to me. Most people defends secluar humanism as a good thing. I think its a benevolent thing neither good or bad. However in religion we have many great teachers that practiced love and the redemption of mankind. Also most were advocates for the needy. How many secular humanists (I referring to atheists) have promoted or dedicated their life to helping mankind? I am curious and have not researched this topic at all. Does anyone know of any great humanist atheist teachers?

[Gorgo]

Many atheists don't make a big deal out of their atheism. It's not really a big part of our lives. I don't make a big deal out of the fact that I don't believe that aliens have probed me or that I don't believe in Santa Claus.

I am an atheist because I am a skeptic. I am a skeptic because I was taught to be eithical. I was taught that if you respect life, then you respect reality and you respect truth. Religion of course, is a lie.

Here is a list of atheists that we know to be atheists. You decide whether they've actually contributed anything. http://www.celebatheists.com/

I would put any of them against people like Mother Teresa, Jerry Falwell Oral Roberts or George Bush.

[G. Adams]

Marx and Engels. Now what happened because of their writing may have been a miserable, often lethal, experience, but their aims were noble.

David Hume.

JP Satre, Simone de Bouvoir, Albert Camus, Nietzche.

Germaine Greer (as best I know of)

[RickSp]

Quote by: MerlinsByte Debating is a good thing, for example in my rounds with pooey something has occurred to me. Most people defends secluar humanism as a good thing. I think its a benevolent thing neither good or bad. However in religion we have many great teachers that practiced love and the redemption of mankind. Also most were advocates for the needy. How many secular humanists (I referring to atheists) have promoted or dedicated their life to helping mankind? I am curious and have not researched this topic at all. Does anyone know of any great humanist atheist teachers?

One should stipulate that here has been considerable predjudice against anyone with the courage to acknowledge that he or she is an atheist. In some periods in history, it could be illegal. (I have no doubt some evangelicals will contest this. Of course they also claim that as part of the overwhelming religious majority, that they are the ones being persecuted. Bizarre.)

The easiest example of an influential secular humanist is Thomas Jefferson. He was as close to an atheist as one could be in the time in which he lived.

[Gorgo]

Quote by: MerlinsByte I think its a benevolent thing neither good or bad.

The first definition of benevolent that I see is
'Characterized by or suggestive of doing good. '

What was your definition?

[Samildanach]

None of us can see the ultimate result of an action therefore there is no such thing as good or bad when it comes to actions.

[tusaki]

In the Netherlands, a mostly atheist/deist country, there are countless people who are working as volunteers to help those in need. Both in the Netherlands as well as abroad. Religion does not have a monopoly on sympathy and compassion.

[RickSp]

Putting aside for a moment the obvious implied slur in this post - only theists are great teachers, humanitarians etc, it does occur to me that the question makes about as much sense as asking "Who were the great atheist third basemen?" One set of beliefs has very little to do with a specifi set of skills or interests, unless your point really is to claim that secular humanists, as the evengelicals like to call us, have no redeeming social value.

[Gorgo]

Quote by: tusaki Religion does not have a monopoly on sympathy and compassion.

I would suspect that in fact religion takes a lot away from what could be done. Religious people give of their time and money but a lot of it goes to build churches and buy air conditioners for the church and to put new driveways in the church and to paint the church, etc.

There's a lot of talk about religious-based hospitals, but most of them are not free, and most of them are subsidized by the government, etc.

Lots of people, religious and non-religious and not so religious do a lot of good things. Most of those things don't hit the newspapers, and none of them are accomplished by spirits.

[MerlinsByte]

By RickSp...One should stipulate that here has been considerable predjudice against anyone with the courage to acknowledge that he or she is an atheist. In some periods in history, it could be illegal. (I have no doubt some evangelicals will contest this. Of course they also claim that as part of the overwhelming religious majority, that they are the ones being persecuted. Bizarre.)

Merlin...I am ansereing the easy ones first..I would take some jail time as compared to being eaten by lions. Admiting to being Christian was often lethal. And according to the bible it soon will be again...

MB

[MerlinsByte]

Many atheists don't make a big deal out of their atheism.

Yes, Gorgo I agree and admire their confidence. I will have a look at the hyperlink you provided. BTW I consider Swaggert and his Ilk no better than a demon.

mb

[MerlinsByte]

Marx and Engels. Now what happened because of their writing may have been a miserable, often lethal, experience, but their aims were noble.David Hume.JP Satre, Simone de Bouvoir, Albert Camus, Nietzche.

Merlin...I know a little bit of Marx (who was actually brought up as a Christian) and even less of Nietzche, but from what little I've read I find their words interesting uplifting even. Marx had a vision of utopia and mans greed ruined every application of his works. Marx while out of favor now in the west as opposed of his great popularity in the 60's and early 70's) was a great man of genius

mb

[MerlinsByte]

Quote by: MerlinsByte
I think its a benevolent thing neither good or bad.

By gorgo...The first definition of benevolent that I see is 'Characterized by or suggestive of doing good. 'What was your definition?

Hmmm' that was confusing and a misuse of the term benevolent! I did mean to say/imply its a neutral thing not good or bad with no hidden agenda.
mb

[MerlinsByte]

by tuski...In the Netherlands, a mostly atheist/deist country, there are countless people who are working as volunteers to help those in need. Both in the Netherlands as well as abroad. Religion does not have a monopoly on sympathy and compassion.

I think the Netherlands R cool. I have no doubt of the God instilled good in all of us, from Atheists to Satanists to Snake handling Christians to even religious terrorists.
I'm just looking to expand my horizons that's all.

mb

[Sonart]

The Dalai Lama doesn't believe in God. How about him? Or Confucious? Aristotle? Plato?


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[miena]

"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction" -Blaise Pascall