A Confession

[Maze1125]

I'm an atheist, I've only ever had sex with one person, who I'm now married to. I don't drink or do drugs and the idea of sharing a room with someone I don't know, regardless of their gender, is abhorrent to me.

That being said, if other people do want to be promiscuous or are willing to share rooms with people of the opposite gender they don't know. I see no reason to not let them.

 

[peanut Bond]

I haven't bothered to read the rest of the replies, so this is directed straight at OP.

Atheism, to me, is simply the lack of belief in a god (or gods). That's it. The rest is up to you. Don't feel as if you should share your opinions on certain topics with other atheists, because atheism doesn't require that. That would be like saying two people have to share the same opinion on global warming just because they both work in the same place.

Also, regarding the atheists who you saw being promiscuous, drinking underage, doing drugs etc. The main reason I think they label themselves at atheists is because they are simply rebellious. In the US I know that many adults (especially those with kids, I'm assuming) are theists. The kids doing all of the "immoral" and illegal things are simply rebelling against their parents and authority to attempt to gain social status. (If they were just doing it to enjoy it, then they could just wait a few years to drink and party legally). Naturally their rebellion will cause them to also abandon the beliefs that their parents have, or the beliefs that they grew up with.

I hope this clears some stuff up, if I repeated anything that anyone else said, it's cause I didn't read the other posts

 

[the_hessian]

I view myself to be more of an agnostic than an outright athiest...
I went to catholic primary and secondary school, then almost a catholic sixth form...
I wanted to be baptised at one point in primary school just to be part of the happyness...
But as I've grown older, I've become far more logical, cynical, and scientific...
I believe that science will eventually prove everything in the universe, but that does not rule out that there still could be a creator out there.
There is just too much evidence, in nature, to completely write it off.
Even if our creator is a far more advanced alien race, dead or alive at this point, rather than a magical guy on a cloud with white hair and a beard.
But there is also enough evidence to suggest that we are the biggest fluke in all of time.
Or that life is so possible and the universe so vast that there must be millions of life forms out there at any one instant.
But I side the OP...
I believe, and have always done so, though out of some romantic ideal more than anything, that and I have never had the urge to, that sex should be between people that really love each other, not just two drunk teens being all hormonal, drunk, lusty, and experimental.
That you should drink when your of age, though I did a little before I was, it was only a little and very rarely. Why not wait and enjoy it more when you're finally allowed it.
Drugs... I do have to say if they were all legal and I knew I was get pure un-cut, whatever it is I wish to try at any given time, I would... but because it is illegal, I don't.
Now I'm not saying this is for everyone and should be inforced, nor will I ever try and force my ideas upon anyone else, I'm just expressing them, people can do what they like, and aslong as they can live with it on their own conscience then fine by me, also so long as they don't hurt anyone else.
But I do find that almost every "athiest" is of some alternative scene, like emos, goths, punks, etc etc etc... there are less of them amongst the trendies and charves that I know, bu there still are some... but every single one of them takes drugs, or atleast has done once or twice, drinks, and did when they were underage, most of them smoke, and alot of them are the most promiscuous feckers I know.
I think they just accosiate the wrong things with athiesm... but there is no other word for them short of anarchists... in the true sense... not the punk communisty sense... or hedonists... they seem to have to have renouced all religious, and alot of the time spiritual or moral, even logical, bindings to just go do what they like.
I find it annoying... and almost hypochritical... but it's their lives... everyone has their own views, ideas, beliefs, and they are as entitled to them as anyone else.
Okies... rant over... sorry all...

 

[Danzaivar]

You're a better social conservative than a religious person. You may have the same views as them but yours is from what you think rather than from what a book has told you to think.

I kind of agree with you in a way, I fiercely believe that people should be allowed to do what the hell they want, but I personally think sex should only be in a committed relationship, a child should be brought up in a secure (probably married) family and that drugs are a bad thing and should be kept away from. Atheism isn't a strict correlation with Liberalism, it's a correlation with reason and logic (if anything).

 

[Maze1125]

That's the thing, though. The theists tend to not break the rules. Whether rebellion is appropriate and right, or unconscionable is the topic of another thread (which I made ;-)). My experience has been that the people who are most secular are the most likely to engage in hedonistic counter-culture/rebellious/rule-breaking behavior of any kind, while those who are more religious tend to be the "good" kids.

That probably has very little to do with their religion, and far more to do with their own mindset.

Most people were brought up to be Christian, so the majority of people who are atheist in college have rejected their upbringing and the majority of Christians have maintained it.

So the majority of Christians are people who stick to the rules, and the majority of atheists are those who reject them, but not because they are Christian or atheist.

 

[Ken Korda]

'Moral rules' have been created by society to prevent behaviours which have been judged to be harmful to said society. For example, previously behaviour such as divorce and homosexuality were judged 'immoral' because it was beleived they were detrimental to society. That's why things such as monomgamy have been included in texts such as the bible; so those in power can use it to enforce the rules they believe they need to maintain power.

As time has passed and things like homosexuality, divorce and promiscuity have been observed and many societies now realise these acts actually pose no threat to the established power structure and thus people are not punished for indulging in them.

For some reason the OP has decided that these 'old' rules which are now rejected as meaningless by most people (who do not have them forced upon them by a religion) should apply to modern society. Even the OP admits that they have no idea why these rule should be applied they just have a 'feeling'.

I suggest this feeling is merely a response to the old-fashioned way of thinking which you have had instilled in you either through older people or the media. There is no reason to think the way you do and the actions of your friends are not harming society this they should be allowed to continue.

 

[bjj hero]

*snip* I find sex to be something which should be shared between devoted (even if unwed) partners, rather than something to be done recreationally. But, the nail in the coffin was this article:

http://article.nationalreview.com/print/?q=YTk5NGFjOTY3YjFmYmIxNzY3NThmMWJjNTU3O%20TMyMTM

As I read it, I found myself agreeing with the woman writing it. She's a conservative Catholic, and I'm agreeing with her wholeheartedly. No college should be encouraging co-habitation between strangers of opposite genders, and no student should be requesting it. I have no reason for this belief (no theism to fall back on, and no secular logic to defend it).

*snip*
Maybe it's an issue of who I know, but most of the atheists (and especially agnostics) I know are the people going around drinking (especially underage), partying, doing drugs, and having promiscuous sex.

As an clean living athiest who steers clear of drugs and drinks infrequently, I think you have a right to your own opinion and morals.

You dont think promiscuity is right? Then dont do it. Does it matter or affect you what your peers do within the law? Let them get on with it. If your best friend is getting laid night after night its no skin off your nose. The laws are there to protect your freedoms, in side of those anything else is fair game.

I don't think mixed dorms is an issue. If two people want to have sex they'll find a way no matter what the living set up. I've been away at work for training events. I stayed in the womens dorm, with everyones consent. The reason? 7 hairy arsed men and one bathroom for 3 days. It wasnt for me. There was no sex.

Hopefully as an athiest, not being ordered about by some spiteful all powerful dictator, you can see that peoples freedoms should be respected, even if their morality differs from yours. Unlike the Christian right who'd like to outlaw everything.

 

[The Infamous Scamola]

As an clean living athiest who steers clear of drugs and drinks infrequently, I think you have a right to your own opinion and morals.

You dont think promiscuity is right? Then dont do it. Does it matter or affect you what your peers do within the law? Let them get on with it. If your best friend is a getting laid night after night its no skin off your nose. The laws are there to protect your freedoms, in side of those anything else is fair game.

I don't think mixed dorms is an issue. If two people want to have sex they'll find a way no matter wht the living set up. I've been away at work for training events. I stayed in the womens dorm, with everyones consent. The reason? 7 hairy arsed men and one bathroom for 3 days. It wasnt for me. There was no sex.

Hopefully as an athiest, not being ordered about by some spiteful all powerful dictator, you can see that peoples freedoms should be respected, even if there morality differs from yours. Unlike the Christian right who'd like to outlaw everything.

I couldn't have put it better myself.

 

[Kpt._Rob]

Maybe it's an issue of who I know, but most of the atheists (and especially agnostics) I know are the people going around drinking (especially underage), partying, doing drugs, and having promiscuous sex.

That's funny, because a hell of a lot of the theists that I know are doing exactly the same thing. Here's the skinny, no matter how many times people say that they get their morals from the bible, they don't (except for some of the really nutty ones, who do), and we should be really glad that they don't, because there is some crazy ass shit in the bible. I'm talking death penalties for tying knots on the wrong day.

Getting a little more serious though, Sam Harris' Letter to a Christian Nation at one point discusses whether theists are more moral than atheists, and finds that there may actually be an inverse correlation on the whole. If you want a more in depth discussion, you should read the book, it's a really short read (only 2 hours if you decide to go the audio book route, as I did since I'm frequently busy) and it's really really good.

 

[Skeleon]

Maybe it's an issue of who I know, but most of the atheists (and especially agnostics) I know are the people going around drinking (especially underage), partying, doing drugs, and having promiscuous sex.

Must be.
I myself as well as the atheists/agnostics I know have very high moral standards.
I guess there's dickheads in every group, including atheists. Atheism is no blank cheque for superiority. And neither is Christianity or any other religion.

 

[CoziestPigeon]

If you are an atheist, where do you get your morals? If it's not from some sort of life guide (ie religion) where does it come from?

 

[Alex_P]

If you are an atheist, where do you get your morals? If it's not from some sort of life guide (ie religion) where does it come from?

Same place everybody else does: from the culture around you, filtered by your own perceptions and experiences. (It's not like folks who adhere to religious morality have a magical conduit in their brains that transmits divinely-ordained moral laws to them directly from God. They still base their understanding of what God wants and even what God is on a set of cultural artifacts.)

-- Alex

 

[Thanatos34]

If you are an atheist, where do you get your morals? If it's not from some sort of life guide (ie religion) where does it come from?

Same place everybody else does: from the culture around you, filtered by your own perceptions and experiences. (It's not like folks who adhere to religious morality have a magical conduit in their brains that transmits divinely-ordained moral laws to them directly from God. They still base their understanding of what God wants and even what God is on a set of cultural artifacts.)

-- Alex

Let me invoke Godwin's Law here, before someone else does it.

If Germany approved of the holocaust, does that make what Hitler did all right?

 

[InvisibleSeal]

I don't really mind about drink, promiscuity etc, but the way I read the article I thought it was more about the parents' disgust at the college not really telling the truth.

Although personally I can't imagine sharing a bedroom with three strangers...

^ I totally agree - the first time you go away from home is already stressful enough, without having to deal with that. Although the principles are good, it wasn't very well carried out, and ended up causing more problems...

About your beliefs, you're entitled to agree with whoever - it's not as though it's your own choice. The point of not being a theist is that you aren't confined to agree with everything within that religion.

 

[savandicus]

Well considering most people in the UK don't really care about religion to any real extent and were not depraved druggies. Though me and my friends do go around drinking , partying, doing drugs, and having promiscuous sex, though only on weekends and were allowed to because were young. We can be boring and morally upstanding when were older.

If by most people you mean a minority then i agree with you. I think you'll find if you look at the facts something like 70%+ of people in the UK say their of some religion so they care enough about it to make a decision.

Drinking and partying ok most people do

Drugs your in the minority again, most people dont do recreational drugs

Having promiscuous sex, once again your minority the majority only sleep with people they feel extremely strong feelings for.

And why would you want to be boring and moral when your older if your not now? infact why would anyone want to be boring.

 

[Lord George]

Well considering most people in the UK don't really care about religion to any real extent and were not depraved druggies. Though me and my friends do go around drinking , partying, doing drugs, and having promiscuous sex, though only on weekends and were allowed to because were young. We can be boring and morally upstanding when were older.

If by most people you mean a minority then i agree with you. I think you'll find if you look at the facts something like 70%+ of people in the UK say their of some religion so they care enough about it to make a decision.

Drinking and partying ok most people do

Drugs your in the minority again, most people dont do recreational drugs

Having promiscuous sex, once again your minority the majority only sleep with people they feel extremely strong feelings for.

And why would you want to be boring and moral when your older if your not now? infact why would anyone want to be boring.

I hope your actually from England and can back that up with personal experience, because if I think of all the people I know I'd say about 2 are deeply religious, most people really don't care one way or another its not really something you even think about.

Most people of my generation do some form of drugs, wherever its poppers or weed. Though I doubt you'll find any statistics to find that out because people don't generally go on about it to surveyors.

As for the promiscuous sex have you seen the teen pregnancy rate for our country? Everyone sleeps around a lot, as "deep feelings" usually translate to you having say the same taste in music, that's usually enough of a bond to screw. Well at a parties anyway. With lots of moral loosening alcohol. You can wave statistics all you want, but I can speak from actual experience and you know living it from day to day. Though I've had to put partying on hold for my A levels

Of course I am referring to the young population here of the 13-25ish group and not to the older generation who as I have already said, are dull.

 

[savandicus]

Well considering most people in the UK don't really care about religion to any real extent and were not depraved druggies. Though me and my friends do go around drinking , partying, doing drugs, and having promiscuous sex, though only on weekends and were allowed to because were young. We can be boring and morally upstanding when were older.

If by most people you mean a minority then i agree with you. I think you'll find if you look at the facts something like 70%+ of people in the UK say their of some religion so they care enough about it to make a decision.

Drinking and partying ok most people do

Drugs your in the minority again, most people dont do recreational drugs

Having promiscuous sex, once again your minority the majority only sleep with people they feel extremely strong feelings for.

And why would you want to be boring and moral when your older if your not now? infact why would anyone want to be boring.

I hope your actually from England and can back that up with personal experience, because if I think of all the people I know I'd say about 2 are deeply religious, most people really don't care one way or another its not really something you even think about.

Most people of my generation do some form of drugs, wherever its poppers or weed. Though I doubt you'll find any statistics to find that out because people don't generally go on about it to surveyors.

As for the promiscuous sex have you seen the teen pregnancy rate for our country? Everyone sleeps around a lot, as "deep feelings" usually translate to you having say the same taste in music, that's usually enough of a bond to screw. Well at a parties anyway. With lots of moral loosening alcohol. You can wave statistics all you want, but I can speak from actual experience and you know living it from day to day. Though I've had to put partying on hold for my A levels

Of course I am referring to the young population here of the 13-25ish group and not to the older generation who as I have already said, are dull.

Yes i am for england i think you'll probably find that there are a 'crowd' who will do alot of the things above but there will also be everyone else who doesnt, i guess it depends on where you are. As for teenage pregenancy all i can say to that is touché, our teenagers are morrons. Surprisingly i'm at uni and find that there arent that many people who are massively loose about sex, it might be the circles i hang around in though.