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	<title>Comments on: How can an atheist come up with the concept of equality among men with an atheistic mindset?</title>
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	<link>http://mindsetofwinners.com/how-can-an-atheist-come-up-with-the-concept-of-equality-among-men-with-an-atheistic-mindset/</link>
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		<title>By: Michael</title>
		<link>http://mindsetofwinners.com/how-can-an-atheist-come-up-with-the-concept-of-equality-among-men-with-an-atheistic-mindset/#comment-980</link>
		<dc:creator>Michael</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:12:58 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description>It can be done.

Eg the French Liberté, égalité, fraternité</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It can be done.</p>
<p>Eg the French Liberté, égalité, fraternité</p>
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		<title>By: I've Got My Eye On You!</title>
		<link>http://mindsetofwinners.com/how-can-an-atheist-come-up-with-the-concept-of-equality-among-men-with-an-atheistic-mindset/#comment-981</link>
		<dc:creator>I've Got My Eye On You!</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:12:58 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description>More of your usual nonsense.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>More of your usual nonsense.</p>
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		<title>By: &#60;3 Rickidie</title>
		<link>http://mindsetofwinners.com/how-can-an-atheist-come-up-with-the-concept-of-equality-among-men-with-an-atheistic-mindset/#comment-982</link>
		<dc:creator>&#60;3 Rickidie</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:12:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mindsetofwinners.com/how-can-an-atheist-come-up-with-the-concept-of-equality-among-men-with-an-atheistic-mindset/#comment-982</guid>
		<description>lack of a belief in God allows them to have belief in people, family, truth, beauty, friends, kindness, jell-o and all the other amazing things in the world...and you can be moral without believing in God. I am an atheist, and in my mind there are no Gods to stop me doing bad things, but that doesnt mean i do bad things, I dont walk around and kill everyone i see.
Morality is completely outside of religion.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>lack of a belief in God allows them to have belief in people, family, truth, beauty, friends, kindness, jell-o and all the other amazing things in the world&#8230;and you can be moral without believing in God. I am an atheist, and in my mind there are no Gods to stop me doing bad things, but that doesnt mean i do bad things, I dont walk around and kill everyone i see.<br />
Morality is completely outside of religion.</p>
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		<title>By: JStrat</title>
		<link>http://mindsetofwinners.com/how-can-an-atheist-come-up-with-the-concept-of-equality-among-men-with-an-atheistic-mindset/#comment-983</link>
		<dc:creator>JStrat</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:12:58 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description>1.) There is no &quot;atheist mindset&quot;... atheists are just people who don&#039;t profess a belief in a supernatural being, and they are come in all shapes, sizes, and mindsets.

2.) Morality is not &quot;subjective&quot; to an atheist by default, and I daresay many do not adhere to the idea of moral relativism.

3.) Ethics are derived from biology and culture combined.  Biological imperatives... live, reproduce, and protect our friends and families so they can live and reproduce... those give a sound, non-relative basis for a code of decent human ethics.  Cultures will have the relative parts, such as whether or not a cow is sacred, for instance... but that will not affect basic ethics relative to one&#039;s right to life, or to be treated equally among peers.

4.) The moral constant is the biological drive to live, and it behooves us to grant others the rights we would like to have in return.  We have also, over many generations, come to realize the benefits of altruism, and so we extend the biological &quot;family&quot; circle out to encompass all humanity.

5.) Atheism has no ideology, and I present this only as my own perspective.  As it happens, I am an atheist.  Secular Humanism, the Brights, the Church of Reality, and more are organizations that offer ideologies for non-theists.  There are also older, non-theistic religions, such as Zen Buddhism.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>1.) There is no &quot;atheist mindset&quot;&#8230; atheists are just people who don&#8217;t profess a belief in a supernatural being, and they are come in all shapes, sizes, and mindsets.</p>
<p>2.) Morality is not &quot;subjective&quot; to an atheist by default, and I daresay many do not adhere to the idea of moral relativism.</p>
<p>3.) Ethics are derived from biology and culture combined.  Biological imperatives&#8230; live, reproduce, and protect our friends and families so they can live and reproduce&#8230; those give a sound, non-relative basis for a code of decent human ethics.  Cultures will have the relative parts, such as whether or not a cow is sacred, for instance&#8230; but that will not affect basic ethics relative to one&#8217;s right to life, or to be treated equally among peers.</p>
<p>4.) The moral constant is the biological drive to live, and it behooves us to grant others the rights we would like to have in return.  We have also, over many generations, come to realize the benefits of altruism, and so we extend the biological &quot;family&quot; circle out to encompass all humanity.</p>
<p>5.) Atheism has no ideology, and I present this only as my own perspective.  As it happens, I am an atheist.  Secular Humanism, the Brights, the Church of Reality, and more are organizations that offer ideologies for non-theists.  There are also older, non-theistic religions, such as Zen Buddhism.</p>
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		<title>By: Bobby Jim</title>
		<link>http://mindsetofwinners.com/how-can-an-atheist-come-up-with-the-concept-of-equality-among-men-with-an-atheistic-mindset/#comment-984</link>
		<dc:creator>Bobby Jim</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:12:58 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description>Peer Pressure. With no supreme being to belive in, an honest evaluation of self reveals that no one is better than another; only circumstances make a difference.

honesty with self can work to bring one to equality among others.
But don&#039;t lose sight of the fact that morality at its base, is simply the knowledge of good and evil. And THAT is something bestowed upon all mankind since sin entered the world.

Atheists are moral because they are human beings. God has not said that only Believers get the knowledge of good and evil.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Peer Pressure. With no supreme being to belive in, an honest evaluation of self reveals that no one is better than another; only circumstances make a difference.</p>
<p>honesty with self can work to bring one to equality among others.<br />
But don&#8217;t lose sight of the fact that morality at its base, is simply the knowledge of good and evil. And THAT is something bestowed upon all mankind since sin entered the world.</p>
<p>Atheists are moral because they are human beings. God has not said that only Believers get the knowledge of good and evil.</p>
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		<title>By: Maria</title>
		<link>http://mindsetofwinners.com/how-can-an-atheist-come-up-with-the-concept-of-equality-among-men-with-an-atheistic-mindset/#comment-985</link>
		<dc:creator>Maria</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:12:58 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description>Yep I&#039;m atheist and I LOVE abortions! You are so right! I get em all the time. You know us atheists! Ok seriously, that was the most immature comment I&#039;ve seen. You know how many Christians I know that have gotten abortions? And none of my atheist friends have gotten one. Explain that! Grow up!</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Yep I&#8217;m atheist and I LOVE abortions! You are so right! I get em all the time. You know us atheists! Ok seriously, that was the most immature comment I&#8217;ve seen. You know how many Christians I know that have gotten abortions? And none of my atheist friends have gotten one. Explain that! Grow up!</p>
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		<title>By: Linda G</title>
		<link>http://mindsetofwinners.com/how-can-an-atheist-come-up-with-the-concept-of-equality-among-men-with-an-atheistic-mindset/#comment-986</link>
		<dc:creator>Linda G</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:12:58 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description>Say what?  Its the christians that are setting up the differences and saying certain groups aren&#039;t equal - including other christians.
Typical christian thinking:
I&#039;m a (fill in the blank) christian.  I am going to heaven.
You are an atheist/buddhist/etc so you are not equal to me and will go to hell.
You are a christian but not the right kind (my kind) of christian so you will go to hell.

Atheists are moral because we know the difference between right and wrong and keep to our standards because its the right thing to do.
Christians only do the right thing because they either expect a reward or fear punishment.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Say what?  Its the christians that are setting up the differences and saying certain groups aren&#8217;t equal &#8211; including other christians.<br />
Typical christian thinking:<br />
I&#8217;m a (fill in the blank) christian.  I am going to heaven.<br />
You are an atheist/buddhist/etc so you are not equal to me and will go to hell.<br />
You are a christian but not the right kind (my kind) of christian so you will go to hell.</p>
<p>Atheists are moral because we know the difference between right and wrong and keep to our standards because its the right thing to do.<br />
Christians only do the right thing because they either expect a reward or fear punishment.</p>
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		<title>By: they're at war for your mind</title>
		<link>http://mindsetofwinners.com/how-can-an-atheist-come-up-with-the-concept-of-equality-among-men-with-an-atheistic-mindset/#comment-987</link>
		<dc:creator>they're at war for your mind</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:12:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mindsetofwinners.com/how-can-an-atheist-come-up-with-the-concept-of-equality-among-men-with-an-atheistic-mindset/#comment-987</guid>
		<description>morals are based on societal standards, not religious doctrine.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>morals are based on societal standards, not religious doctrine.</p>
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		<title>By: MVD34</title>
		<link>http://mindsetofwinners.com/how-can-an-atheist-come-up-with-the-concept-of-equality-among-men-with-an-atheistic-mindset/#comment-988</link>
		<dc:creator>MVD34</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:12:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mindsetofwinners.com/how-can-an-atheist-come-up-with-the-concept-of-equality-among-men-with-an-atheistic-mindset/#comment-988</guid>
		<description>It would seem that you are making assumptions without actually bothering to read anything on the subject by actual atheists...?

You cannot be taken seriously when you say things like &quot;morality being subjective in an atheistic mindset&quot; when what you actually mean to say is &quot;I think morality is subjective for atheists.&quot;   Atheists do not say that moral views are subjective -- that is existential nihilism or, specifically, moral nihilism which is almost universally rejected by thinking people, including atheists, as not a sensible option.

Try reading:
Atheism Explained by David Ramsay Steele

Atheism: A Very Short Introduction by Julian Baggini


I would argue that an atheist who philosophizes about the differences between religious ethics and atheistic ethics would say that atheists are forced to be ethical or not unlike believers who have the additional opinion of just knowing that he ought to look ethical.

Specifically with regard to equality an atheist is left with no other opinion: all human beings are equal or he is a hypocrite.  The believer has the option of looking to &quot;holy&quot; texts and tradition to argue that God&#039;s order has another way of looking at things that is &quot;higher&quot; or &quot;better&quot; than equality.

For example:

&quot;Slaves obey your earthly masters in everything;...It is the Lord Christ you are serving.&quot;  Colossians 3:22-24

&quot;He that gathered much did not have too much, and he that gathered little did not have too little.&quot;  2 Corinthians 8:15 (quoting Exodus 16:18).  Everything that you have is as God wishes it to be.


To argue that higher modern ideals like equality and justice come from a theistic tradition that isn&#039;t compatible with atheism is to miss, entirely, that those modern ideals became fixed into modern religious tradition by rebellion -- rebellion that was by and large denounced at the time by religious leaders as...atheistic (placing man&#039;s law above God&#039;s law and the tradition of the church).

Missing the vile contempt of the religious establishment for such critical thinkers as Thomas Hobbes, Benedict Spinoza, David Hume, Thomas Paine, and John Stuart Mill also means missing that the central pillar of The Enlightenment -- reason is the primary source and legitimacy for authority -- is a direct and open challenge to the moral authority of religion
.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It would seem that you are making assumptions without actually bothering to read anything on the subject by actual atheists&#8230;?</p>
<p>You cannot be taken seriously when you say things like &quot;morality being subjective in an atheistic mindset&quot; when what you actually mean to say is &quot;I think morality is subjective for atheists.&quot;   Atheists do not say that moral views are subjective &#8212; that is existential nihilism or, specifically, moral nihilism which is almost universally rejected by thinking people, including atheists, as not a sensible option.</p>
<p>Try reading:<br />
Atheism Explained by David Ramsay Steele</p>
<p>Atheism: A Very Short Introduction by Julian Baggini</p>
<p>I would argue that an atheist who philosophizes about the differences between religious ethics and atheistic ethics would say that atheists are forced to be ethical or not unlike believers who have the additional opinion of just knowing that he ought to look ethical.</p>
<p>Specifically with regard to equality an atheist is left with no other opinion: all human beings are equal or he is a hypocrite.  The believer has the option of looking to &quot;holy&quot; texts and tradition to argue that God&#8217;s order has another way of looking at things that is &quot;higher&quot; or &quot;better&quot; than equality.</p>
<p>For example:</p>
<p>&quot;Slaves obey your earthly masters in everything;&#8230;It is the Lord Christ you are serving.&quot;  Colossians 3:22-24</p>
<p>&quot;He that gathered much did not have too much, and he that gathered little did not have too little.&quot;  2 Corinthians 8:15 (quoting Exodus 16:18).  Everything that you have is as God wishes it to be.</p>
<p>To argue that higher modern ideals like equality and justice come from a theistic tradition that isn&#8217;t compatible with atheism is to miss, entirely, that those modern ideals became fixed into modern religious tradition by rebellion &#8212; rebellion that was by and large denounced at the time by religious leaders as&#8230;atheistic (placing man&#8217;s law above God&#8217;s law and the tradition of the church).</p>
<p>Missing the vile contempt of the religious establishment for such critical thinkers as Thomas Hobbes, Benedict Spinoza, David Hume, Thomas Paine, and John Stuart Mill also means missing that the central pillar of The Enlightenment &#8212; reason is the primary source and legitimacy for authority &#8212; is a direct and open challenge to the moral authority of religion<br />
.</p>
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		<title>By: Fitz</title>
		<link>http://mindsetofwinners.com/how-can-an-atheist-come-up-with-the-concept-of-equality-among-men-with-an-atheistic-mindset/#comment-989</link>
		<dc:creator>Fitz</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:12:58 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description>Your question is flawed:
&#039;an atheistic mindset&#039; is a meaningless phrase in this context, since by necessity the only common feature all atheists share is a lack of belief in gods.

&#039;How can an atheist come up with the concept of equality among men&#039; is also a flawed assumption. You might as well ask &#039;How can non-French speakers like ice-cream?&#039;

You are making sweeping, bigoted generalizations (which ironically is demonstrating your own practice of inequality) apparently in a thinly veiled attempt to criticize, &amp; doing so using the deliberate deceit of pretending to present it as a question.

It&#039;s worth pointing out that Warren Buffet &amp; Bill gates, the two individuals to have donated the most to charity, have pledged approximately £35 billion - they are both non-religious &amp; yet are willing to contribute more than any single religious organization (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/5115920.stm). Numerous charities are specifically or incidentally non-religious e.g. Amnesty International, Red Cross, Gates Foundation, Oxfam, UNICEF, World Health Organization.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Your question is flawed:<br />
&#8216;an atheistic mindset&#8217; is a meaningless phrase in this context, since by necessity the only common feature all atheists share is a lack of belief in gods.</p>
<p>&#8216;How can an atheist come up with the concept of equality among men&#8217; is also a flawed assumption. You might as well ask &#8216;How can non-French speakers like ice-cream?&#8217;</p>
<p>You are making sweeping, bigoted generalizations (which ironically is demonstrating your own practice of inequality) apparently in a thinly veiled attempt to criticize, &amp; doing so using the deliberate deceit of pretending to present it as a question.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s worth pointing out that Warren Buffet &amp; Bill gates, the two individuals to have donated the most to charity, have pledged approximately £35 billion &#8211; they are both non-religious &amp; yet are willing to contribute more than any single religious organization (<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/5115920.stm" rel="nofollow">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/5115920.stm</a>). Numerous charities are specifically or incidentally non-religious e.g. Amnesty International, Red Cross, Gates Foundation, Oxfam, UNICEF, World Health Organization.</p>
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