politics, sociey, nationalism, organisationI ask this out of interest because I note in a globalised world both business and organised religion broach national boundaries and organise on a global scale, while we as a community largely tend to organise on a local scale.
In essence, for example, is a christian that is American an American christian or a christian American?
Is a non believer a non believer first or a nationalist first?
It’s hard for me to answer since I was never a believer, and never a nationalist.
I do think however that most atheists and skeptics are leaning towards the political left and are often quite liberal humanists and are on average more educated than believers. All of this usually makes such people less nationalistic.
Atheists are probably proud of different things like their own, or human accomplishments, and don’t need to be proud of their city/race/nation/culture to feel accomplished. They usually have much less prejudice to different “races”, nations or cultures than religious people, whose sectarianism often comes from their religion.
That shouldn’t however mean that atheists will not support their own country in times of war and trouble, when their own freedom and rights are in danger of being destroyed from the outside.
The issue of religion as a “bonding force” has been discussed a few times already in this forum. It definitely acts as such, uniting people across nations and ideologies. You only need to see ecumenical events, even between very different denominations, that attract massive numbers of people from different countries and continents.
I think that, in the absence of religion, people tend to scatter around, and it’s harder to bond them together. As I explained in my answer to this question, atheists do not share a common belief, and therefore there is little background on which to build identity.
On the other hand, my intuition tells me that atheists also tend to be low on the nationalism scale. Myself, I am atheist and not nationalist at all. I was born in Galicia, Spain, but I have lived overseas for extended periods of my life and felt at home. I don’t think that the place where I was born is special in any way; I just happened to be born there. In fact, I don’t like it that much. I often think that people who say things like “I couldn’t live anywhere else but in XXX”, where XXX is their hometown which they have never abandoned, should travel a bit more.
My conclusion is that I am not sure whether nationalism is weaker than belief in general for atheists. In my case, both are nil.
I am neither first. I don’t define myself as either a non-Believer or as a Canadian. My own sense of identity is linked more to my sub-cultural groups (part French-Canadian, part Italian), my ethical sensibility (post-religious, but influenced by the best elements of Catholic ethics, such as a sense of social justice) and my attitude to the world (Metaphysical Naturalism), then by my attitude towards religion, theism, or the flag of the country where I happen to be born.
National identity is so often tied to the beliefs that are held in that region into which you were born. Lose one and you may automatically lose the other as you cease to identify with those around you. Both types of designation are arbitrary.
I personally wouldn’t call non-belief a ‘social tie’, even taking into consideration what you may call the ‘global community’ of atheists. For me, it’s not enough for me to create a bond with someone; there has to be more in common that we share to create a tie.
… is a christian that is American an American christian or a christian American?
Yes.
Is a non believer a non believer first or a nationalist first?
As an atheist, my nationality comes first because it the only one that has any real meaning; defining where I was born.
I like thinking about these sorts of questions. I am Scots born (Glasgow) but one of the huge turn off’s for me was the Catholic/Protestant divide, you surname or choice of football team could get you stabbed if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I hated it and on a recent visit the subject of the Art Gallery was on that very subject.
I now live in New Zealand. I talk fondly of Scotland but am disgusted by the idiotic behavior. I now find it hard to meet Atheists and know of none as a fact because no one talks about religion. It just never comes up, the christian people I know are great and never talk about their faith. They turn out to be closet homosexuals and divorce just like the rest of us.
viva New Zealand.
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