Newsgroups: alt.atheism
Subject: Re: Atheist Marriage - not me!
From: 9051467f@levels.unisa.edu.au (The Eidolon)
Date: 6 Nov 92 15:01:20 +1030
Distribution: world
Organization: That damn kid is still here!

In article <1d2sfkINNoq@shrike.und.ac.za>, bologna@shrike.und.ac.za
(Edwin Bologna) writes:

> Since Marriage is a Relgious belief, why do you atheists get married? 

I WONT get get married. The only reason a large number of atheists still
get married because it is seen is the norm and questioning it has, up
until recently, been considered an extreme nono.

Marriage started off as a property contract between three men: two
fathers and the groom, and was justified by religious beliefs.

Now, just because I don't believe in marriage it does not mean I
will never enter into a permanent relationship - heck, marriage
doesn't guarantee that anyway! - but I feel that if two people
need a peice of paper to make them stay together for the rest of
their lives then they shouldn't be together, there is a lack of
trust between the two. 

Marriage is supposed to lead to families, so here are MY family
values:

In a more outlandish radical belief, I think that children should
not automatically be raised by their biological parents but
be raised by a couple whose way is paid for by the state. They
would raise eight or more kids (not all at once, theye'd get a
new baby to look after every three years). About 10-15% of the
population woud be raising kids, the rest would be out earning
tax to pay for it.

I can hear some objections now, not only stupid religious ones I
shall ignore but valid social ones:

1. "Parents do it because of genetic ties that bind so bio-parents
   are best."
   What BS is this?
   Does this mean we will have damn little love for others with 
   different genes?? Talk about xenophobia IN THE EXTREME!

   And what about the success of adoptive parents? They are more
   loving than the original parents are! There are no problems
   with mother-programming in humans, adoptive children are just
   as (if not more) well adjusted as other kids. When they find
   out they are adopted, they go nuts because they feel they were
   abandoned. I'd say this is because they have been convinced
   that it is bad to 'abandon' kids to other people.

   Ask youself, who were the most important people in your life?
   Your parents.
   Why? They looked after you, fed you, LOVED you, not just because
   they brought you to life. That's secondary! Anyone can bring
   people to life. Loving is a little harder..

2. What about those who are trying to do solely for the money?
   I can assure you, they wont last long, there wont be many
   of them and besides, it would be a DAMN sight better than the
   loveless poverty that MILLIONS of children are currently forced
   to endure.

3. Do teachers do it just for the money? Do nurses do it just for the
   money? Do police do it just for the money? Why should parenting as
   a profession be any different?

4. If the money is only part of it, who cares as long as they do a
   good job and atleast show some love for the children. With any
   luck, the responsibility would change them.

5a.What about those who want to keep and raise their own children?
   If they have enough money flowing into the household, let them.
   If not, then maybe they will want to take in another few kids
   and get somehelp from the state?   

   Those that want to raise their own, can't afford a decent living
   for the children but wont take in others are to be scorned upon,
   not even the most fundie of christians would be like that, they
   are supposed to be charitable. These people would not be doing
   it for the children or the money, probably some twisted religious
   belief that promotes fear and hatred of people who are different.

   Short of ramming these beliefs down their throat, something nobody
   has the right to do, if they refuse to take part in society we
   would kick them out. If, on the other hand, the kids are screaming
   out for help, it is a perfect excuse to step in and rescue them from
   that nightmare (very poor and very xenophobic parents, don't forget).

5b.What of single parents?
   Again, if they have the resources, they can raise their own
   children. They can be come single parent families with all
   payed kids if they want. It will be harder, but that means that
   they care even more!

   (any more questions?)
   
It would wipe out the unfairness of unequal opportunity for children,
there would be NO poor people and a GIGANTIC chunk of the social ills
that plague our society would be wiped out without resorting to the
evils of socialism. Sure it is far from perfect and has it's own
problems (people doing it SOLELY for the money or as a cop out),
but atleast the children would be damn sight better off and that's
what really matters. Todays lifestyle has it's problems, crime
and so forth, but I still think it's the best the world's
people have had it EVER, even with famine and the environmental
problems since we now have the means to solve them! I just think
that we can still improve them greatly.

-- 
John J McVey, Whyalla, Uni S. Australia    9051467f@levels.unisa.edu.au
Electronic Engineering student & Terror Tekkie!
Any email can be posted unless I state explicitly otherwise.
+-----------------------------------------------------+    ________
|  Obligatory disclaimer: UniSA hates my opinions...  |  \/Darwin o\
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An idea is not responsible for the people who believe in it. Marquis