Quote:
Originally Posted by mordant
. In generations to come, as theism weakens, any random atheist will be as likely to be the artsy-fartsy type as the intellectual or philosophical type of person. And they will need their rituals and artistic expressions of their feelings and subjective experiences. And while not believing in deities they will probably be just as desirous to wax transcendent about something else -- existence, the universe, life itself, the human yearning for meaning.
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I had not thought this through to the degree that you have, and I think that you are right. There will be a difference between the pioneering class of atheists and those who would follow if atheism were to become mainstream. The trailing generations, having had atheism handed to them as a legacy rather than as a goal to be achieved, would indeed be more likely to contain a wider array of personalities and the artsy fartsy aspects you referenced would probably begin to materialize.
A generational wedge may well develop with the original atheists developing a mindset in which they view themselves as the "true" atheists while those that follow are seen as atheist freeloaders. Suddenly it is the "YNMYDAY" phenomena being served up by proud pioneering rationalists. "Why in my day 90 % of the population was against us." "Why in my day politics had to cater to fundamentalists." "Why in my day ...etc" Most of it will be designed to convey the message that the trailing generations are now enjoying the fruits of a victory won by the originals.
Egads...what a horrible future, me turning into that which I currently mock.
Thanks a lot for the vision, now I'll have trouble sleeping.
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