Atheists: Lost With Out Rituals?

[Dathu]

Updated!

Maybe I'm alone on this, but does anyone feel a little lost about what to do to deal with important moments in life?

~~~~If there is any good side to organized religion it is that it gives you a ritual to deal with big events like death, mariage, and manhood for example. As an Atheist, I don't really know what to do for some of these events. If I die, I don't really know what I should have done to my body: cremation, burial, bronzing, or shot into space? And what about honoring the dead? Should I even visit the graves of my family? I know they are not there, but I feel I should honor them just to keep them in my mind.

~~~~I'm sure there are plenty more example that I can't think of. Anyway, do you find anytime when religious rituals still help in life? What are some good alternatives? What ritual do you like and dislike the most.? Do you think one have religious rituals with out religion? Etc.  

[Din_of_Serenity]

WEll theres marriage. Do you get a priest?  

[Din_of_Serenity]

I'd have my body shot into space.  

[Foetus In Fetu]

Being an atheist, you aren't bound to any rituals in the same way that a Christian might be. You don't find the same meaning in them, but you aren't precluded from doing them, either, for whatever reason you want. If it comforts you to remember the dead and honour them, then you should do that in whichever way you feel is most appropriate, even if it's just to think of them from time to time.

Performing a ritual can bring a sense of 'closure' about a death or other change, make it more real and help you adjust to it: there's nothing wrong with performing a ritual just because, just because it makes you feel better. On the other hand, performing some kind of ritual like marriage can celebrate and solidify your relationship (as well as bring certain privileges that unmarried couples don't have). Rituals don't play a large part in my life, but I won't say that they shouldn't in any agnostic's or atheist's, or that they serve no purpose.

Finally, what you do with your body when you die is your choice. It's your body, do whatever you want with it, whether you believe you'll be around to enjoy it or not.  

[Dathu]

Foetus In Fetu

Finally, what you do with your body when you die is your choice. It's your body, do whatever you want with it, whether you believe you'll be around to enjoy it or not.

silverspart7

I'd have my body shot into space.

I think I agree with him. sweatdrop  

[caustic 0_0]

As far as visiting graves, the purpose going is to honor them for your own healing. Obviously though, atheists wouldn't be thinking 'oh you're in a better place' etc, so that bit of 'consolation' is gone, but at the same time you'd still know they aren't suffering...

I've wondered about the marriage thing before too. Mainly though, it's been on the changing your name aspect of it. I'd probably want my wedding outside anyways.  

[Bazyl]

Dathu

Maybe I'm alone on this, but does anyone feel a little lost about what to do to deal with important moments in life. If there is any good side to organized religion it is that it gives you a ritual to deal with big events like Death, for example. As an atheist, I don't really know what to do. If I die, I don't really know what I should have done to my body: cremation, burial, shot into space? And what about honoring the dead. Should I even visit the graves of my family? I know they are not there, but I feel I should honor them just to keep them in my mind.

There are plenty more example that I can't think of, so do you find anytime when religious rituals still help in life? What are some good alternatives? What ritual do you dislike the most.? Can one have rituals with out religion? Etc.

You can have a ritual without religeon.. ritual isn't all religeon... it can aslo be traditions in cultures, daily/monthly/annual scheduals, etc.

I dislike the ritual of going to church on Christmas and Easter... I'm not christian... but my parents make me go... all I do is sleep... but then they wave around the insense stuff and make me get up to get the bread and wine *shivers and falls off chair* iiihhh... communion was the worst day of my life... torture... to much family and catholic religion all around gonk  

[Din_of_Serenity]

When my mom wants to celebrate christian holidays i say no. Then my da says soething lame like "there arent any atheists in a foxhole."  

[aufheben]

silverspart7

WEll theres marriage. Do you get a priest?

Marriage, at least in America since the Gilded Age, has been a legal contract, not a religious binding. Religion has held on to the right to perform ceremonies only at the grace of the state.  

[Caffienated]

I have daily rituals, I'm autistic. I just don't find things that other people find important as important. I'm a purely logical person, so the most efficent and routine schedule is my 'ritual'.  

[The Amazing Mr. Tommyos!]

silverspart7

I'd have my body shot into space.

I want to die without a recognizable corspe. Like, in a house fire, or flesch eating bacteria in the amazon.  

[The Amazing Mr. Tommyos!]

I find I get along fine without any "rituals" per say. You need to find you're own way to deal with things, or else you become dependant on someone elses way of thinking.  

[EngelerDeamon]

Rituals can be a comforting thing, in a way. I have dead family members and doggies, but in order to keep my memory alive because I took/take so few pictures of people, I do visit their graves. I simply politely told my family I would not be attending the burial service because of my agnostic/atheist views. Of coure, this pissed them off (republicans and christains... eck...)

As for marriage, it's a wonderful thing you can have a judge do. It's not religious anymore, least not in the U.S.

Anyway, just pick what rituals help you. Sometimes, it's best to come up with your own ways of creating stuff. Like my ritual for whenever a pet dies: I bury them, sit next to the grave for about an hour just thinking about them, how much I enjoyed their company, leave a few of the favorite fruit/food on top, and go on my way. While I know that they are no longer, it helps to just have some time to reflect and do silly little things that have meaning to me and no one else.

As for death, I'm going for cremation, then having me ashes taken to some remote mountain and set off on a breeze for one last journey.  

[Kharybuce]

Rituals, huh? I guess I get what you mean. I make oaths to myself the same way people swear on the bible. Someone should make a handbook for Atheists.  

[EngelerDeamon]

Kharybuce

Rituals, huh? I guess I get what you mean. I make oaths to myself the same way people swear on the bible. Someone should make a handbook for Atheists.

hell yeah! ^___^ that would rock... though i don't think anyone else would see it as nice to swear on as the bible or graves and suchlike.