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I have found myself reflecting on my interest in participating in this forum, and how some people can't understand what an atheist is doing here in the first place. Why do I exchange thoughts, opinions, facts, reason and logic with so many people who are obviously here because they are religious? Unlike me. Why all the poking and prodding with questions? Why do I bother considering the thoughts, opinions and beliefs of religious people?
Giving this some thought, I have to admit that at least part of my interest is born from an age-old challenge of overcoming what I was taught as a very young person. There is an element of danger that was always instilled in me about even suggesting there is no god. Religious people will often reinforce that fear in one way or another. Imagine; concern about eternal damnation, hell, or worse. Missing out on heaven...
Having grown up with a real sense about all that, who among you can really know what it takes to consider and actually disconnect from those sorts of thoughts and beliefs? Not to be weighed by fear or intimidation or what one is supposed to think and believe according to so many others. Of course, now I am an atheist, so I have come to terms with the reasons why I am an atheist. Still, at the same time given the gravity of being wrong about this sort of thing, why would any atheist not be interested in making sure they didn't miss something? Are not missing something?
It's always an interesting experience to consider all the thinking, experiences and beliefs of others in any case, and who knows? Maybe some day someone will be able to come up with something that will make believers of all atheists. I certainly don't want to miss out on that occasion if it ever comes to be.
So is it fair, do you understand, why an atheist like me likes to visit this forum on a regular basis? Aside from all the other reasons I take some pleasure from this forum, is not the above explanation plenty good enough all considered?
Weird Al Yankovic, who became a fairly strict vegetarian around ten years into his career, was once asked why he continues to perform at events like barbecue festivals even though he no longer eats meat.
Al’s response: “The same reason that I continue to perform at colleges, even though I’m no longer a student.”
I think the same sentiment can apply here.
Incidentally, Weird Al is a practicing Christian (what kind, I do not know).
I have found myself reflecting on my interest in participating in this forum, and how some people can't understand what an atheist is doing here in the first place. Why do I exchange thoughts, opinions, facts, reason and logic with so many people who are obviously here because they are religious? Unlike me. Why all the poking and prodding with questions? Why do I bother considering the thoughts, opinions and beliefs of religious people?
Giving this some thought, I have to admit that at least part of my interest is born from an age-old challenge of overcoming what I was taught as a very young person. There is an element of danger that was always instilled in me about even suggesting there is no god. Religious people will often reinforce that fear in one way or another. Imagine; concern about eternal damnation, hell, or worse. Missing out on heaven...
Having grown up with a real sense about all that, who among you can really know what it takes to consider and actually disconnect from those sorts of thoughts and beliefs? Not to be weighed by fear or intimidation or what one is supposed to think and believe according to so many others. Of course, now I am an atheist, so I have come to terms with the reasons why I am an atheist. Still, at the same time given the gravity of being wrong about this sort of thing, why would any atheist not be interested in making sure they didn't miss something? Are not missing something?
It's always an interesting experience to consider all the thinking, experiences and beliefs of others in any case, and who knows? Maybe some day someone will be able to come up with something that will make believers of all atheists. I certainly don't want to miss out on that occasion if it ever comes to be.
So is it fair, do you understand, why an atheist like me likes to visit this forum on a regular basis? Aside from all the other reasons I take some pleasure from this forum, is not the above explanation plenty good enough all considered?
I don't see all atheists as being absolutely, positively, 100% ALWAYS certain of their decision, ANY MORE than I see believers as being absolutely, positively, 100% ALWAYS certain of their decision.
I once told a priest about my doubts sometimes, half expecting he'd go ballistic at the idea that I sometimes doubted. Imagine my surprise when he chuckled and told me that HE had doubts sometimes, too! He said that it's only human to doubt occasionally. And so, I imagine that while Christians may sometimes doubt, so do atheists. Ain't nuthin' wrong in either case.
Who knows, LM. Sometimes we can hear the same thing, over and over again throughout the years, dismissing what we hear at every turn. But one day, the planets line up, and all of a sudden, the thing we heard suddenly makes sense.
Kind of like, "Where's Waldo?" Seems like as soon as we stop looking for Waldo, THAT'S when we see him!
Most Atheist are humanist and Humanist are religion in this belief if they engage with other Humanist ..... Even though not all Atheist are humanist..... Where Atheist chose to not believe would say ``just leave me alone I don't what to even hear it ``........ Where Humanist would say ``If God does not exist then why have any religion no one should have any religion``, and link up with other humanist and push their agenda many humanists get together and have leaders to form their belief
For me, having never been a believer, it's a curious insight into how other people's mind tick.
And it's healthy to keep an open dialogue with people that have other worldviews and beliefs.
We should all be doing that.
And I'm the opposite..always believed there was something greater than us...still trying to figure out what though
I read atheist's post to see where they are coming from...tangible, scientific, fact based, etc.
I thought we came to this forum when we wanted to argue. (Evil grin)
Seriously, I would say because it is fascinating to realize what it is some people believe. It mostly goes back to what we are taught as children.
I don't think going to church and being religious makes a person good anymore than being an atheist makes a person bad. I've known good christians and bad ones. What I don't understand is how they can put up with such bad behavior in the people they vote for. Why they don't look at how they behave. I am not a big liberal, either. I just want people to be decent. I don't care who they pray to. Sorry for dragging in politics. It's usually a subject I avoid because no one changes their mind and arguing is pointless.
I have found myself reflecting on my interest in participating in this forum, and how some people can't understand what an atheist is doing here in the first place. Why do I exchange thoughts, opinions, facts, reason and logic with so many people who are obviously here because they are religious? Unlike me. Why all the poking and prodding with questions? Why do I bother considering the thoughts, opinions and beliefs of religious people?
Giving this some thought, I have to admit that at least part of my interest is born from an age-old challenge of overcoming what I was taught as a very young person. There is an element of danger that was always instilled in me about even suggesting there is no god. Religious people will often reinforce that fear in one way or another. Imagine; concern about eternal damnation, hell, or worse. Missing out on heaven...
Having grown up with a real sense about all that, who among you can really know what it takes to consider and actually disconnect from those sorts of thoughts and beliefs? Not to be weighed by fear or intimidation or what one is supposed to think and believe according to so many others. Of course, now I am an atheist, so I have come to terms with the reasons why I am an atheist. Still, at the same time given the gravity of being wrong about this sort of thing, why would any atheist not be interested in making sure they didn't miss something? Are not missing something?
It's always an interesting experience to consider all the thinking, experiences and beliefs of others in any case, and who knows? Maybe some day someone will be able to come up with something that will make believers of all atheists. I certainly don't want to miss out on that occasion if it ever comes to be.
So is it fair, do you understand, why an atheist like me likes to visit this forum on a regular basis? Aside from all the other reasons I take some pleasure from this forum, is not the above explanation plenty good enough all considered?
Why wouldn't/shouldn't the Atheist Religion adherents be on this forum?
In fact...they fervently preach the virtues of their views (and how it is The Superior View, relative to other Beliefs) and proselytize with the best of them.
The depth of their convictions, their prolific pontification, and the endurance of their evangelizing is impressive.
They certainly belong here.
Having been on both sides of the fence and finally settling on the atheist side because of what I have uncovered about Christianity, I try to make sure prospective members of the faith get both sides of the story before signing on the dotted line, so to speak. I have been reading much of late about the psycho-sexual side of Christianity and the Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS) that results when someone tries to leave the faith--the intense suffering most go through during the deprogramming process. Jesus is one of the most powerful memes on earth. Breaking away from him can be ten times worse than an ordinary divorce from a spouse. Occasionally I see a story like this and it's very interesting.
Most Atheist are humanist and Humanist are religion in this belief if they engage with other Humanist ..... Even though not all Atheist are humanist..... Where Atheist chose to not believe would say ``just leave me alone I don't what to even hear it ``........ Where Humanist would say ``If God does not exist then why have any religion no one should have any religion``, and link up with other humanist and push their agenda many humanists get together and have leaders to form their belief
That post is incoherent even for you.
In my experience humanists are generally tolerant of religion, they just think they can do good in the world more simply without religious motives, so they choose to go that route, and like anyone who chooses an ideology, they tend to advocate for it.
Are you suggesting that Christians (for example) don't have leaders, teachers, and followers to "push their agenda"? I'm quite certain they do, and I think they have every right to so long as they go about it honestly and kindly and respectfully as, presumably, Jesus would want them to.
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