Atheist Love? Does it actually exist?

[sephodwyrm]

Are Atheists capable of feeling real love, self-sacrifice and care for others?

The religious following claim that atheists believe in no deity or objective moral values, and hence degrade love (and other good moral behavior) into a "mere survival instinct". Atheists are therefore incapable of "truly loving others". Only by believing in God/other supernatural entity would we be able to "glorify our Love" and make it "worthy".

I myself hasn't met an opportunity to "love" anyone. But I think many self-professed atheists in this board must have had the opportunity and can perhaps share it with us.

PS: I do not think that Atheist Love is anyway cheaper, banal or lacks in meaning compared to Theistic Love. In fact, I think that we should take away the adjective of Theistic or Atheistic from Love and just treat it as what it is - Deep affection and the ability to sacrifice for the recipient.

[Eofor]

What the hell are you doing? You're just going to get another thread where a handful of theists try to convince atheists that they're actually nihilists/closet theists and how only through a deity whose existence isn't confirmed we can love other people like it's some sort of creepy supervillain.

[Akar]

Are Atheists capable of feeling real love, self-sacrifice and care for others?

The religious following claim that atheists believe in no deity or objective moral values, and hence degrade love (and other good moral behavior) into a "mere survival instinct". Atheists are therefore incapable of "truly loving others". Only by believing in God/other supernatural entity would we be able to "glorify our Love" and make it "worthy".

I myself hasn't met an opportunity to "love" anyone. But I think many self-professed atheists in this board must have had the opportunity and can perhaps share it with us.

PS: I do not think that Atheist Love is anyway cheaper, banal or lacks in meaning compared to Theistic Love. In fact, I think that we should take away the adjective of Theistic or Atheistic from Love and just treat it as what it is - Deep affection and the ability to sacrifice for the recipient.

What are you smoking? Of course they are, they are Humans just like everyone else and are capable of having the same emotions as everyone else.

[Hobbes]

Objective morality does not exist. It all has to do with the society, for example it was perfectly moral for the Aztecs to sacrifice humans and then eat their body parts. Emotions and religion are irrelevant (well except fear, which is the basis for all religions). Love is just a natural instict. There is no degradation since there is no need to glorify our love through the belief in fairy tales and god since the only gods around are humans.

[Manco]

define love...

[Taiji]

What an amusingly absurd question

[sephodwyrm]

I got more hits and responses in a set time duration than other threads.

You're just going to get another thread where a handful of theists try to convince atheists that they're actually nihilists/closet theists and how only through a deity whose existence isn't confirmed we can love other people like it's some sort of creepy supervillain.

This is a LOVE thread.
Post about love, man.

Like love between a Dutch Atheist feminist with an American Irish Catholic girl. I mean, boy.

What are you smoking?

Awesome things. Too bad I'm in Taiwan, so I can't give you some.

[XIII]

Actually, it's atheists themselves who affirmed this by denying the existence of objective moral values and duties. It's not that atheists are incapable of love, that's not what we're arguing. It's that love is not good on atheism because on atheism, good and evil do not exist. Look above where we have just such a declaration.

The logical apex of atheism is moral nihilism. Few though have the courage to follow this through.

[Exarch]

gervais becomes poetic when describing seeing mountains; clearly atheists feel love

and as an atheist i will prove i feel love by making love to christians, their sisters, daughters, mothers, aunts, grandmothers etc etc

[Hobbes]

Actually, it's atheists themselves who affirmed this by denying the existence of objective moral values and duties. It's not that atheists are incapable of love, that's not what we're arguing. It's that love is not good on atheism because on atheism, good and evil do not exist. Look above where we have just such a declaration.

The logical apex of atheism is moral nihilism. Few though have the courage to follow this through.

Good and evil do not exist? When did I say that? It's just that good and evil are different in each society. For example an anarchic society would consider property to be theft (something "evil"), but capitalist societies consider it very normal and desirable ("good").

[Tankbuster]

The logical apex of atheism is moral nihilism. Few though have the courage to follow this through.

The logical apex of theism is wanting to kill children so they get to heaven faster and with certainty.

Man perverting logic for polemical purposes is so fun.

[justicar5]

Actually, it's atheists themselves who affirmed this by denying the existence of objective moral values and duties. It's not that atheists are incapable of love, that's not what we're arguing. It's that love is not good on atheism because on atheism, good and evil do not exist. Look above where we have just such a declaration.

The logical apex of atheism is moral nihilism. Few though have the courage to follow this through.

just like the apex of chrisitianity is following the bible and murdering all non-believers except female virgins who are to be raped first.. few have the courage to follow gods words tho.

[Ancient Aliens]

Actually, it's atheists themselves who affirmed this by denying the existence of objective moral values and duties. It's not that atheists are incapable of love, that's not what we're arguing. It's that love is not good on atheism because on atheism, good and evil do not exist. Look above where we have just such a declaration.

Good and evil are subjective, and non existent. This is correct.

The logical apex of atheism is moral nihilism. Few though have the courage to follow this through.

You are incorrect here, moral nihilism is the logical apex of nihilism. The logical apex of atheism is moral skepticism.

However, I do believe that an atheist, when deciding what actions one must undertake, should neglect subjective morality in favor of societal constructivism, although this is in and of itself a form of morality.

[sephodwyrm]

It's that love is not good on atheism because on atheism, good and evil do not exist.

Has the concept of LOVE anything to do with good or evil?
How would love be "not good" on atheism?

The logical apex of atheism is moral nihilism.

I don't think so.
Atheism is just an idea, maybe rooted in certain scientific/philosophical arguments, that a supernatural entity does not exist or dictate moral behavior. That moral behavior is based on what is best for society or the biological species.

That would make Atheists social beings. And social beings will socialize and share affections with one another. LOVE is just one of those expressions.

Given, LOVE can be pretty much amoral.
I am just wondering if there are atheists here in the TWC with a great love experience to share.

[XIII]

Has the concept of LOVE anything to do with good or evil?
How would love be "not good" on atheism?

It was you, in your OP, who inserted a moral dimension to love. You accused us theists of claiming that atheists are incapable of love because love is degraded to mere instinct on atheism, remember? Now, we never claimed that atheists are incapable of love, mind you.

More importantly though is that love would not be good, on atheism, because atheism is incapable of furnishing a warrant for our belief in the existence of moral facts. You affirm this as well by reducing love to a merely a social expression (your words), implicitly stripping it of a moral dimension.

[XIII]

I gave reasons for why I think that, you know. There was no polemic involved here.

[Eofor]

oh hey this looks fun can I join in?
The logical apex of theism is brutally murdering people for not being theistic enough.
wow this is fun! ^_^

[XIII]

Any reasons for why you think that? I think that the apex of atheism is moral nihilism because there's no warrant for moral beliefs on atheism. What's yours?

[Denny Crane!]

Any reasons for why you think that? I think that the apex of atheism is moral nihilism because there's no warrant for moral beliefs on atheism. What's yours?

I see people post this a lot and I reply Buddhism. Funny no one likes to respond to it...

[Eofor]

I was mocking you.
But because I want to get into an argument I'll bite. Despite the supposed benefits that theists have (in this case, a solid moral code) it's never stopped theists from doing things like setting up brutal theocracies or killing people because they didn't follow their certain brand of nonsense.