Atheism in Five Minutes - Teemu Taira
62. What Do Atheists Value in Religion, If Anything?
Atheism in Five Minutes - Teemu Taira
Teemu Taira [+]
University of Helsinki
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Teemu Taira is Senior Lecturer in the Study of Religion, University of Helsinki. His publications include Media Portrayals of Religion and the Secular Sacred (Ashgate 2013, co-authored with Kim Knott & Elizabeth Poole), Taking ‘Religion’ Seriously: Essays on the Discursive Study of Religion (Brill 2022) and more than 70 articles in journals and edited volumes.
Description
This chapter shows that some atheists see the relevance in meditation practices and community building. Others value the ability of religious institutions to offer support for life passages, provide services that other societal institutions do not offer, and participate in public discussions about the common good. Yet others appreciate the historical contribution religious traditions may have made to present-day societies. Critics maintain that all the benefits are attainable without religious traditions and institutions.