Religious or Atheists?

[ridicule]

I don't mean to antagonize anyone about their beliefs that are held so dear but I am interested in how people with this condition think religiously and how that helps/hurts them. Me, I'm an atheist, in a tongue and cheek way devoutly, because I live in a very religious region and sought to understand and came to this conclusion. Like I said, I just want to know what role it plays in your life.

 

[Dr. Doom]

I'm an atheist. My SA doesn't have anything to do with it though, like "oh I can't talk to people, there is no god!!" I just find mainstream religions to be very irrational. I don't like what people do in the name of religon, I hate how some kids are forced to follow thier parent's religion. I have issues with some of the religous laws and rules that immoral to me, such as homosexuality being wrong or sinful.

As for an afterlife, I'm not really sure what happens after we die. I don't like thinking that I cease to exist because I can't even fathom that. As much as I would like there to be one, I'm doubtful that there is one.

Why am I an Atheist? I just find an extreme lack of proof. Not to mention that there were and still is countless religions besides Christianity, Islam, Judaeism ect. What was considered to be truth and fact is now just entertaining myth.

I would like to respect everyone's choice whether or not to believe in whatever they want to believe in, but I think that what people do with religion is more harmful than it is good.

 

[Steppen-Wolf]

I'm an agnostic, in case you don't know about it, it's a little like a middle ground.

I certainly don't believe in a god, and I don't like dogma and organised religion, but saying there is no good without proof makes no more sense to me than saying there is a god without proof.

 

[SeniorRedrings]

I don't really care either way.
If it happens,it happens.
That's my religion.

 

[panicsurvivor]

I'm an agnostic, in case you don't know about it, it's a little like a middle ground.

I certainly don't believe in a god, and I don't like dogma and organised religion, but saying there is no good without proof makes no more sense to me than saying there is a god without proof.

I second that!!
Everyone has their beliefs, and you are entitled to them. I don't mean any offense, but I personally think that thinking you understand the nature of the universe, is arrogance. I think that anything can be true, and too close yourself off to possibility is.......unwise. I come pretty close to being a buhdist, I have read alot books on it, and it makes the most sense to me. But even if you are a buhdist there is still room for a creator, or none. I just don't understand how you can think you KNOW. That type of thinking is just so, unknown to me. I will say this, to really truly devoutly religious people, I ENVY YOU!!!

 

[coyote]

many organized religions seek to establish rules of order for their members to follow so that they will live their lives in accordance with the faith

but in my heart, i do not believe that fear, judgment, division, and coercion are the most effective ways to spread love

"you MUST do this and NOT that"

"if you don't follow these teachings, YOU are a BAD person"

"there is only ONE right way to believe, to think, to act..."

"if you don't behave in this manner, you will NOT be accepted by the rest of the community, you will NOT be accepted by the church, you will NOT be accepted by God, and you will go to hell to burn for eternity"


this very practice is the sort of thing that causes me the most anxiety

which is why I have never been able to embrace religion

 

[ridicule]

Quick note: theism has to do with belief and gnosticism has to do with knowledge. That is to say, if you can't claim absolute knowledge on any belief, you are an agnostic on that belief. But it follows into four different categories: those who say they don't believe, but can't necessarily say there's not a god for certain, that's an agnostic atheist; so who believes in no god and knows there can't be a god, that's a gnostic atheist; someone who believes in god, but cannot claim knowledge just belief, that's an agnostic theist; and the last one (my personal favorite), the ones who believe and KNOW there's a god, that's a gnostic theist.

 

[Captain_Lethargy]

If God is interpreted as "vague intelligent presence that created the universe", then I don't see any reason he/she/it couldn't exist, but I also don't see any evidence of he/she/it existing. Whereas I'm pretty sure the Judeo-Christian God doesn't exist (and I actually kind of hope He doesn't, for my sake...I have an aversion to thunderbolts), but I'm not completely sure. I'm not completely sure of the non-existence of fairies and elves, either. I'm not trying to bring that up to ridicule the belief in that particular God-I just find fairies and elves similarly difficult to either prove or disprove.

Fairies or "little people", after all, have been supposedly sighted for thousands of years in most cultures; there are a number of people in Iceland, for example, who still believe in fairies or elves, and that they still interact with humans occasionally. Maybe it's just because I come from a secular upbringing, but I don't really see the difference between elves and, say, angels. I'm not trying to belittle religious people; I legitimately don't see a difference between the two. I don't really see how believing in the literal truth of Noah's ark is any different than believing in ancient Greek mythology-perfectly sane, intelligent people used to believe those things, too. In the case of Noah, it seems plausible that there could have been a "great flood" in the ancient Middle East, but I don't believe one boat could contain two of every single species of animal in the world (including insects) any more than I believe in Zeus, or Apollo, or Thor, or any other character from mythology or folklore.

Also, I don't think any scientist believes modern 21st science can explain everything. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try, though. There are so many things about the universe that our brains may never be able to comprehend no matter how "advanced" we get technologically, but again, that doesn't mean there isn't an explanation. We just may never know the explanation. I hope that makes sense.

I do think that there is a sort of...I don't know, "spiritual malaise" or lack of purpose in, at least, mainstream American (and I'm going to assume first world in general) society. I do think people need to have something...bigger in their lives other than making money and other day to day stuff, and that's why myths and legends are still extremely valuable because of what they can teach us about ourselves. I think a person can find (or attempt to find) purpose purely through science, but I also think a more mystical approach may work better for some people. I don't know...however, I like not knowing...I think we all need to admit to ourselves that we don't know everything, and that we should keep trying to know as much as we can.

 

[upndwn]

I wished I could believe in something beyond the physical, and I have explored spirituality for the most of my life. Personally I would call myself a Pantheist, mostly leaning towards monist physicalist pantheism but my foray into spirituality has made me lean more and more over to dualist pantheism.

I absolutely abhor religion. I have nothing against religious people. People can believe what they want. What I absolutely cannot tolerate is religious organizations who exploit people, undermines free will, teaches people to be ignorant and bends truths to fit their own ideology.

 

[BlueDays]

I'm an atheist. My SA doesn't have anything to do with it though, like "oh I can't talk to people, there is no god!!" I just find mainstream religions to be very irrational. I don't like what people do in the name of religon, I hate how some kids are forced to follow thier parent's religion. I have issues with some of the religous laws and rules that immoral to me, such as homosexuality being wrong or sinful.

As for an afterlife, I'm not really sure what happens after we die. I don't like thinking that I cease to exist because I can't even fathom that. As much as I would like there to be one, I'm doubtful that there is one.

Why am I an Atheist? I just find an extreme lack of proof. Not to mention that there were and still is countless religions besides Christianity, Islam, Judaeism ect. What was considered to be truth and fact is now just entertaining myth.

I would like to respect everyone's choice whether or not to believe in whatever they want to believe in, but I think that what people do with religion is more harmful than it is good.

^I agree with this, well said.

 

[Luke1993]

Well if I was a betting man I'd say the atheists have it right. There could be a God and I would like there to be, but I definitely don't think its the God in any of the big religions.

 

[Plz]

I'm an atheist because, well, that's what my environment has taught me. That's really the case for everyone no matter what they believe. As obvious as it is a lot of parts of us are simply products of our environments but nobody stops to think that religion is one of those things. When my grandma died I tried to believe, but nothing could convince me it wasn't all bs. But when people ask why I'm an atheist I just say that if the Bible were true, word-for-word, I would hate to worship a "loving" God that's done more cruel, harmful things to humanity than the "evil" devil. It's a lot easier than trying to explain my real reasons--things that some people will never understand.

The SA is entirely unrelated. Can't really figure out how it could be, in my case anyway.

 

[ridicule]

I assume this is applies to most of you

 

[Pyrophosphate]

I'm an atheist. I obviously can't say with absolute certainty that there is no God or higher power, but I live my life under the assumption that there's not one. To me, it isn't even a question worth thinking about until someone has some evidence.

 

[coyote]

i walked along the bay last night at dusk

the sky looked like it had been painted by Maxfield Parrish - a deep cobalt in the east fading to a brilliant orange in the west, dramatically punctuated by clouds in every hue of pink and purple

wild birds stirred the otherwise still water of the bay, and i felt as Li Po must have when he reached out to embrace the reflection of the full moon

that's my idea of "going to church"

 

[dean01]

im a christian and sorry to offend anyone but i find the whole religious side of things a bit of a joke. its been playing on my mind recently as i triggered bipolar and a common symptom is to recieve messages from god or to believe i am god.
i done some research and found that king henry the eighth created christianity when the pope refused to let him re-marry. he knocked down all the catholic churches and built his own religion which allowed him to do as he pleased.
at the moment my religion has no effect on my illness but its deffinatly is a subject that is closely linked to illness all over the world.

 

[Thelema]

I've been an atheist since I was 13 or 14. I didnt know what atheism was, I just knew there weren't invisible people with magic. I've never met another atheist in real life.

 

[fitftw]

I'm with Coyote on this. My goal in life is to be enlightened. I try pretty hard sometimes but it's very hard when you live in America and are surrounded by distractions.

People who believe in god are just as dangerous to me as people who don't.

 

[pebblesdundee]

I've been an atheist since I was 13 or 14. I didnt know what atheism was, I just knew there weren't invisible people with magic. I've never met another atheist in real life.

I haven't met enough people for me to say "I've never met an ___" and make it sound amazing ::.

I've met about 3 people in life

 

[ridicule]

While we're on the subject, what do you think about "spirituality"?