this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2023
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I am Ganesh, an Indian atheist and I don't eat beef. It's not like that I have a religious reason to do that, but after all those years seeing cows as peaceful animals and playing and growing up with them in a village, I doubt if I ever will be able to eat beef. I wasn't raised very religious, I didn't go to temple everyday and read Gita every evening unlike most muslims who are somewhat serious about their religion, my family has this watered down religion (which has it's advantages).

But yeah, not eating beef is a moral issue I deal with. I mean, I don't care that I don't eat beef, but the fact that I eat pork and chicken but not beef seems to me to be weird. So, is there any religious practice that you guys follow to this day?

edit: I like religious music, religious temples (Churches, Gurudwara's, Temples & Mosques in Iran), religious paintings and art sometimes. I know for a fact that the only art you could produce is those days was indeed religious and the greatest artists needed to make something religious to be funded, that we will never know what those artists would have produced in the absence of religion, but yeah, religious art is good nonetheless.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Biblical wisdom mostly. Certain parts definitely don't hold up to modern morality, but there is a lot well-thought-out advice buried in it that has helped people in Judeo-Christian areas for thousands of years.

One of the Proverbs in particular comes to mind: "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Hard to argue against the inherent wisdom in such a statement.

Also, like you, I have an appreciation for old churches and some religious art.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Not really. I try very hard not to let myself fall prey to so-called "cultural religion." I don't celebrate any religious holidays like Christmas. I try to be as aware as possible of the religious influences in my daily life and avoid them. It's not easy, though! Religion has infested so many facets of every culture, it becomes increasingly difficult to separate.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Western culture is (as is every other culture) indeed infused with religion. There are lots of good things that come from it. Are we to throw them away because they are "tainted" by some religious element in their origin or development?

We've ended up in a very culturally poor place because in moving away from religion we throw so much out. Babies with bath water, as it were.

We've moved to a rationalist mentality without a good understanding of how man is an inherently cultural animal. And culture until recently was very hard to separate from religious aspects.

Note that I am an atheist myself, not brought up religious, and I don't have answers to how to resolve this awkward place we have gotten to. But I'm quite sure that avoiding cultural elements simply because there is a religious taint is not helpful. Are we to throw away all of Bach's music?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I would never suggest doing away with Bach's or any other sacred music or art. They can and should be appreciated in their proper historical context.

I don't think it's at all fair to say we have ended up in a "culturally poor" place. People are still producing all kinds of cultural contributions without religion. If anything, it is capitalism that has commodified culture causing some of the decline we see today.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

I was raised entirely non-religiously, but I still still celebrate "cultural Christmas" since that's what we do in the UK. I don't go to midnight mass or watch Songs of Praise, but putting up the tree and having a big roast dinner is good times.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (3 children)

But yeah, not eating beef is a moral issue I deal with. I mean, I don't care that I don't eat beef, but the fact that I eat pork and chicken but not beef seems to me to be weird. So, is there any religious practice that you guys follow to this day?

No more half measures walter

go vegan

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

https://www.slurrp.com/article/why-india-has-the-worlds-lowest-meat-consumption-per-person-1670058643313

Also, I am not having as much effect on the environment by eating meat. I eat once or max twice every month. Not every day like some americans (soap opera americans)

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

The american expectation is to have meat with every meal. Bacon/sausage with breakfast, ham sandwich with lunch, then a roast or steaks for dinner.

Americans will literally view a plate of food without meat as a snack. Like, its not a meal unless there is meat. Meat is very inexpensive here because soy and corn are heavily subsidized. All animal products are roughly half the price of what they would be without the subsidies.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (13 children)

go vegan

nah I love meat! Can't live without it. I thought I would eat factory manufactured meat, but that sounds like just a bunch of fucking chemicals bunched into one. I thought they would just grow meat like in the lab, but no. Pretty misleading ads out there.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I used to be deeply religious, I even got tattoos.

Haven't covered them up because the symbology is pertinent.

Listen to some religious music, I like some classical Christian music.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago

Music, especially singing in groups. Once I shrugged off the religious trappings associated with music, it turns out there are very many wonderful songs that have nothing to do with God. The feeling of oneness transcends religion, and is a human experience that we all need to feel once in a while.οΏΌ

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (5 children)

I am a non-theist Norse pagan and have been a Norse pagan since I was single digits in age. I was raised by a Catholic mother (her mother was Irish Catholic and her father was Roman Catholic), my father's mother was a Mennonite. I was not raised religiously, but i still have Catholic guilt, and use religious curses.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago

Personally, I was raised muslim, but now I don't eat pork (or meat in general) for ethical/environmental reasons rather than religious.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The Belgian minister of Justice (Koen Geens, Christian party) wrote a column about Christianity, where he nicely summed up what it means to be a good Christian:

Try to align every decision and action with your system of morality, and be consistent in this.

Even as an atheΓ―st/humanitarian, this is a constant struggle. It nicely sums up how we need to weigh our options and consciously try to do the right thing. To me, it was a profound observation.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

"Good must prevail even if you suffer directly for it."

In every day life, this is voting for parties that would increase my taxes but provide benefits for a greater number of people. Giving to charity, supporting the creators I like directly (as much as possible, Patreon still takes their cut). Using FOSS/privacy based software instead of the mainstream data syphons. Encouraging repair instead of replace, doing car maintenance for friends.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Not 100% sure this answers the question, but here goes.

Closest I can say that stuck with me, as someone born in a Christian household would be the original Veggietales and how some of the messages have stuck with me. You take away the Christian aspect from some of the messages and you get messages that I think could still apply to a general audience.

  • Small people can do big things (Dave and the Giant Pickle)

  • Despite your differences, you can still be friendly with others (Are You My Neighbor)

  • You should forgive others (God Wants Me To Forgive Them!?!)

I may not follow them to a tee but I am at least somewhat trying.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I don't buy into all the soul mumbo-jumbo, but it makes for good stories. Also, the Catholics made some good music back in the day.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

damn, yes another thing I like is the religious music too. I have heard Richard Dawkins say he likes the bible for it's old English poems etc.

not only of Hindus but muslims have some nice songs as well. My muslim friend was laughing after I was humming a quite nice muslim prayer song (Hindi), long ago, but that moment was quite funny.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (4 children)

Yeah, about that...

Catholics used to castrate the choir boys so their voices wouldn't change.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

That's interesting because I only became a vegan long after I became an atheist and I think if it happened the other way around there wouldn't have been such a delay seeing as so many Catholic religious feasts in my culture have an entire roasted animal as a centerpiece. That would have definitely forced me to confront my religion. It's weird too because we are taught that we are stewards of animals and to take advantage of them in such ways seems contradictory to the faith.

Something that has stuck with me though is religious music, especially the stuff with darker vibes. Music targeted at a religious demographic with religious messaging like Christian rock is not what I'm taking about, just the classics that we used to sing in church and choir. I also enjoy religious precessions, I don't see them as cultish rituals as I think a lot of atheists do. There is something meditative about processes like the giving and receiving of communion.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Fellow Indian here. I'm agnostic. I wasn't raised very religious either. I am ok with eating beef and have tried it a few times. My main thing is that I sometimes do a token prayer when I pass a temple. I also feel icky if my feet touch books.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I think everyone should feel icky if they stepped on a Book

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

i like hanging the bit about jesus telling people to respect gender divergence over people's heads

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

I was born in a Hindu family, i don't believe in God but i really like and keep deities statues and pictures as Art. I also read religious text bcz i found there are lots of good things which can be learned from it and i am also fascinated about how old these scriptures are and still tells about lots of good things about human mind, life and society.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (3 children)
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[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I was raised in a Buddhist family and we all celebrate christmas til this day. Just the part with the tree and the gifts, none of the other religious stuff that comes with Christmas.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Christmas is largely a pagan tradition that was turned into a christian tradition to make it easier to convert them to christianity.

The christmas tree is not a christian tradition. Santa is not a christian tradition. Nothing really is, except for Jesus allegedly being born on the exact date when the pagans celebrated "Jolablot" or the midwinter fest.

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