is it cool to be an athiest these days

shadowcomplex

Firstly let me just say im an agnostic, I give this subject alot of thought and I like to play devils advocate with each side.I think its possible to believe in a God and and afterlife and not subscribe to any religion, I just feel there are alot of jump on the bandwagon atheists that are so because its in fashion to be one, alot of the arguments pro atheism are due to human beings being flawed as a species, perhaps im ranting but I dont think most people give it much thought

Ickle Magoo

Yay - it's been over 30 years now, it's like flares and platforms - hang on to them and they'll come back round again. :cool:

AhSureTisGrand

shadowcomplex wrote: »

I like to play devils advocate with troll each side.

FYP

Dinner

It seems like it's more 'in fashion' to ask "is it cool to be an atheist?" than it is to actually be an atheist...

shadowcomplex

AhSureTisGrand wrote: »

FYP

your an idiot

AhSureTisGrand

shadowcomplex wrote: »

heres something im not debating. your an idiot

Oh the irony

Webmonkey

No, It's not cool to be religious.

The Mad Hatter

shadowcomplex wrote: »

your an idiot

The irony of this surprisingly common statement is always hilarious.

jimmycrackcorm

As cool as not believing in Santa Claus....

Ickle Magoo

Webmonkey wrote: »

No, It's not cool to be religious.

Dude, wrong thread - if not wrong forum.

ArtSmart

shadowcomplex wrote: »

Firstly let me just say im an agnostic, I give this subject alot of thought and I like to play devils advocate with each side.I think its possible to believe in a God and and afterlife and not subscribe to any religion, I just feel there are alot of jump on the bandwagon atheists that are so because its in fashion to be one, alot of the arguments pro atheism are due to human beings being flawed as a species, perhaps im ranting but I dont think, most people give it much thought

FYP.

only kiddin.

main thing is to have a good hobby / job that you enjoy.

after that it gets a bit, well, messy. so best just stick with the nice hobby/ job thingy.

MagicMarker

Oh man, I've been waiting for an entertaining thread on here for a while and now I get 2 in a matter of minutes!!

Is it my birthday?

MagicMarker

shadowcomplex wrote: »

your an idiot

Please don't ban him A&A Gods, I shall sacrifice a lamb for you if you don't! With chips.

ArtSmart

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

As cool as not believing in Santa Claus....

Q is when is it no longer cool not to believe in Santa? According to Hollywood it seems to be around child bearing age, but I wonder.

i really, really

do.

shadowcomplex

AhSureTisGrand wrote: »

Oh the irony

Oh,the irony.:rolleyes:

MagicMarker

shadowcomplex wrote: »

Oh,the irony:rolleyes:

oh, the irony :rolleyes::rolleyes:

AhSureTisGrand

shadowcomplex wrote: »

Oh,the irony.:rolleyes:

Oh, the irony.

AhSureTisGrand

MagicMarker wrote: »

oh, the irony :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Oh snap in ahead of me

Dave!

Ghost Buster

Im still wondering what race Adam and Eve were...... any news on that OP?

Nollog

AhSureTisGrand wrote: »

Oh the irony

'you seriously calling someone an idiot for not using punctuation on an internet forum?

People put more thought into disbelieving than into believing.
Atheism is cool, but I don't think it's the main factor in its expansion.

strobe

The definition of cool......... ;A short posh English teacher with glasses....

..........ehhhhhhh

Ickle Magoo

/\/ollog wrote: »

People put more thought into disbelieving than into believing.

How do you reach that conclusion? I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest you just made it up...

I can only speak for myself but I haven't actually put much thought into disbelieving - mainly because I didn't have anything to believe in, in the first place. Having failed to be convinced to believe in anything as a child it was a remarkably short and trouble free journey to still not being convinced to believe in anything as an adult...

shadowcomplex

Ghost Buster wrote: »

Im still wondering what race Adam and Eve were...... any news on that OP?

hey werent irish anyway so thats your dad(s) are in the clear

Nollog

Ickle Magoo wrote: »

How do you reach that conclusion? I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest you just made it up...

I can only speak for myself but I haven't actually put much thought into disbelieving - mainly because I didn't have anything to believe in, in the first place. Having failed to be convinced to believe in anything as a child it was a remarkably short and trouble free journey to still not being convinced to believe in anything as an adult...

You put no work into believing and no work into disbelieving?
Most organised religions get parent's children. They put no effort into it and when census comes around they'll put down whatever their parents believed.
Others practice the religion too.
Atheists usually go from a religious family to disbelieving.
That'll change in a generation or too though, and since it's easier to not pledge your beliefs to anyone but yourself, religion most likely won't get any people back via children.

Ickle Magoo

/\/ollog wrote: »

You put no work into believing and no work into disbelieving?

I.have.never.believed. Ever. Not even for a second.

Nothing convinced me as a child and nothing has come to light to change that. So no, zero work. How hard do you work on believing/disbelieving in the tooth fairy?

Nollog

Ickle Magoo wrote: »

I.have.never.believed. Ever. Not even for a second.

That's my point though.
At one point you declared yourself an atheist.

Ickle Magoo

/\/ollog wrote: »

That's my point though.
At one point you declared yourself an atheist.

No, I told my dad when I was four that I didn't get the whole god gig, nothing has changed - and because parents/peers/whomever (my parents aren't very religious btw) failed to convince me I should share their beliefs by default I earn the title atheist...it's not like deciding aged 21 I'll get baptised and declare to the world I'm christian <shrug>

Zombrex

shadowcomplex wrote: »

Firstly let me just say im an agnostic, I give this subject alot of thought and I like to play devils advocate with each side.I think its possible to believe in a God and and afterlife and not subscribe to any religion, I just feel there are alot of jump on the bandwagon atheists that are so because its in fashion to be one, alot of the arguments pro atheism are due to human beings being flawed as a species, perhaps im ranting but I dont think most people give it much thought

Someone doesn't have to give it much though. Do you accept the claims of any religion? No. Ok you are an atheist.

Why you are is a different question.

bnt

Oh, what an original question - I don't think we've seen it here before, have we?

Me? Glad you asked. I went through a "teenage rebellion" phase, just like any other teenager, but the question of religion came and went very early in that process. My mother's religion never really took hold of me, and she died before I turned 13, so that was the end of that. I had bigger fish to fry by the time I hit 16 and was concerned with "coolness". Not that I ever actually managed to find any cool, as it happened ... I might have, had there been any discussion of religion or atheism at school, but it was a secular school (in South Africa) and it just never came up.

What's an athiest, is it like a christain

Zillah

shadowcomplex wrote: »

is it cool to be an athiest these days

Yes.

It's incidental to my reasons for being an atheist, but the answer is yes.

axer

shadowcomplex wrote: »

Firstly let me just say im an agnostic

and so are many atheists - me included.

Do you hold a belief that god(s) exists?
Remember I am not asking you whether you know or think it is unknowable as to the existence of god(s).

Davidius

I think to a certain extent it is perceived as 'cool' to be an atheist, or rather that being religious is undesirable. I like that more and more people have begun to realise that they are atheist or have reasoned themselves out of faith.

I do worry about how robust some people's positions are. Acknowledging that atheism is ideally the default position, I worry that some atheists fail to truly recognise the fact that religious claims are unsubstantiated.

An example being somebody who might leave the Catholic Church because of the child abuse and adopt a position of atheism without really acknowledging why a lack of faith is a rational position. That's not to say I don't think this is a valid reason to leave the church, nobody needs a reason. However it worries me that people who don't fully see the rationality behind non-belief might just end up falling for other extraordinary and unverified claims without thinking about it.

Basically I think it's silly seeing atheists that believe in ghosts.

Stercus Accidit

I think the OP is cool

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GYnd3Qp-UA

AhSureTisGrand

Davidius wrote: »

I think to a certain extent it is perceived as 'cool' to be an atheist, or rather that being religious is undesirable. I like that more and more people have begun to realise that they are atheist or have reasoned themselves out of faith.

I do worry about how robust some people's positions are. Acknowledging that atheism is ideally the default position, I worry that some atheists fail to truly recognise the fact that religious claims are unsubstantiated.

An example being somebody who might leave the Catholic Church because of the child abuse and adopt a position of atheism without really acknowledging why a lack of faith is a rational position. That's not to say I don't think this is a valid reason to leave the church, nobody needs a reason. However it worries me that people who don't fully see the rationality behind non-belief might just end up falling for other extraordinary and unverified claims without thinking about it.

Basically I think it's silly seeing atheists that believe in ghosts.

A friend of mine recently said he was an atheist, and that atheism is "when you believe there is no god" :facepalm:

Agricola

If it is perceived to be cool, then its because its seen to be the position that thinking / analytical / sceptical people take. Also because organized religion is wrapped up in so many ancient rituals and is headed by people who believe they are a moral authority on many matters, its seen to be inherently 'uncool'

Nollog

Wicknight wrote: »

Someone doesn't have to give it much though. Do you accept the claims of any religion? No. Ok you are an atheist.

Why you are is a different question.

Atheism is the disbelief in a Deity.
Not the disillusionment with organised religion.
If that were true, I'm pretty certain the whole world would be atheist given all the crap organised religion does.

ShooterSF

If only it was cool to be skeptical; It would help eradicate all those other crazy beliefs.

Galvasean

Are we cool because of our atheism or despite it?
One of life's great questions.

Turtwig

shadowcomplex wrote:

I just feel there are alot of jump on the bandwagon atheists that are so because its in fashion to be one

Cognitive scientist and writer, Daniel C. Dennett, Professor Of Philosophy, Tufts University, explains why. Jumping on the bandwagon because of those pesky amoral seleb role models.:mad:


Always wanted to make a statement seem more valid by listing someone's academic position and the initial letter of their middle name:) .

omen80

Uncool people are the ones trying to figure out which people are cool.

Pushtrak

/\/ollog wrote: »

'People put more thought into disbelieving than into believing.

Ickle Magoo wrote: »

How do you reach that conclusion? I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest you just made it up...

I actually agree with it. For me, being made to go to mass... When I bothered to listen to what the priest was rambling off with, I thought it was nonsense. I thought about the stuff we were supposed to believe, and I found nothing of value there. Just nonsense.

The point is a religious person doesn't have to do much thinking, just sees there is a lot of thinking that'd have to be done if looking for answers elsewhere. You don't have to do much thinking to get to where ever you end up than that which most theists do to get where they end up. That is the point.

AhSureTisGrand wrote: »

A friend of mine recently said he was an atheist, and that atheism is "when you believe there is no god" :facepalm:

Well, that is strong atheism VS weak atheism. At least it was an atheist, and you weren't being asked to prove a negative. That'd be a different kettle of fish entirely.

Daftendirekt

To an extent, I think it's perceived as cool to be an atheist (in some circles at least), but perhaps "cool" is putting it a little strongly. Rather, I'd say that because atheism is more acceptable than it once was, but because it isn't quite "normal", it's sort of seen as a novel position to hold.

Obviously this depends on your social group, and I'd imagine it applies more to young adults or teenagers than older generations, but that's my experience anyway.

guitarzero

I dont see why someone would decide on being an atheist just to come across as cool. If anything, the loss of God or the idea of God is a pretty big thing for many people, it was for me. Yes, they may be very vocal when it comes to religion and belief but behind that is still the plague of uncertainty and loss.

seamus

Pushtrak wrote: »

I actually agree with it. For me, being made to go to mass... When I bothered to listen to what the priest was rambling off with, I thought it was nonsense. I thought about the stuff we were supposed to believe, and I found nothing of value there. Just nonsense.

There are separate arguments here.

In general, those who have declared themselves as atheist or non-religious have had to put more work into it. Raised in religious families, they've had to think and challenge those beliefs to bring themselves to the point of realising that they don't believe. There will always be outliers like Ickle, but the vast majority of us were raised in some form of religious framework - be that home or school enforced (or both) and as such have had to challenge that framework internally.

I've used a very specific word above to illustrate that there's a philsophical argument here. Just because someone puts down "Roman Catholic" on the Census form and will lazily say, "Ah yeah, whatever" if they're asked if they believe in God, doesn't mean that they actually believe. They just haven't realised yet that they don't. Not in any true sense of the word. In that sense, being a non-believer requires no effort because there's very much a philosphical argument there to say that if you have not considered the doctrine specific to yuor specific sect, then you're not a believer.

Queried on the specifics of their particular sect (think transubstantiation and the immaculate conception for roman catholics), most "followers" would either have no knowledge or an incomplete knowledge of the concept. And if you don't know of some of the core concepts of a sect's doctrine then you cannot realistically be a believer, regardless of whether or not you identify yourself as one of their adherents.

It's philosophical equivalent of signing a contract before you're allowed to read it. If the person subsequently doesn't read the contract, then they're not subject to it. If they do read it and accept it, then they are.

Whether it's "cool" to be an atheist would probably depend on a number of factors. Thinking back to secondary school, it certainly wouldn't have been cool to go around like a holy joe, but at the same time you would have been subject to an almighty torrent of abuse if you had declared yourself as atheist.
In reality it's a challenge to an accepted norm, which will usually single you out for better or worse. It's only "cool" to be a rebel if you're not being an intellectual rebel.

Ickle Magoo

I've never been referred to as an outlier before... :P

theg81der

Its definetely cool to be an atheist - I have a sister who even pretends to be and she really isn`t.

Two factors contribiute to the rise of Atheism -
1) young demograohic in Ireland wait till there sick/dying/old they`ll be crying for God like the rest of us.
2) What the church has done, people are recoilling in what they perceive as the opposite direction. It is natural and common sense would dictate it was going to happen.

I don`t believe in organised religion, I think it`s only organised hate, but I believe in God or "something" simply because the evidence I have gathered during my life proves to me there is.

theg81der

theg81der wrote: »

Its definetely cool to be an atheist - I have a sister who even pretends to be and she really isn`t.

Two factors contribiute to the rise of Atheism -
1) young demograohic in Ireland wait till there sick/dying/old they`ll be crying for God like the rest of us.
2) What the church has done, people are recoilling in what they perceive as the opposite direction. It is natural and common sense would dictate it was going to happen.

I don`t believe in organised religion, I think it`s only organised hate, but I believe in God or "something" simply because the evidence I have gathered during my life proves to me there is.

We'd love to see your evidence

Sea Sharp

Jedi is where it's at tbh.

MagicMarker

bluewolf wrote: »

We'd love to see your evidence

I think this calls for another popcorn gif, who wants to do the honours?