Why Atheism? And what it means for you.

Gbear

Seeing as "atheist" just means you don't believe in god(s), it can be reached as a conclusion through many paths.

In my case, I was never inculcated with Catholicism or anything else - a 2nd generation atheist, if you like.

How about you? And do you think how you came to be an atheist effects the way you think about things in general?

In otherwords, is your atheism a product of a more general outlook?

This isn't about who's atheism is "better".:p

Sarky

Doesn't particularly mean anything to me. I'm not religious for the same reason most people don't rape children, or throw themselves into bonfires.

Gbear

Sarky wrote: »

Doesn't particularly mean anything to me. I'm not religious for the same reason most people don't rape children, or throw themselves into bonfires.

Well you say that but theism isn't the only silly thing lots of people believe.
There are lots of religious people but few rapists and auto-immolators.

magicbastarder

Sarky wrote: »

Doesn't particularly mean anything to me. I'm not religious for the same reason most people don't rape children, or throw themselves into bonfires.

you're atheist because you're afraid of prison and third degree burns?

iseethelight

I have an open inquisitive mind which never sat well with the blind belief and following of religion, so as I got older and looked into the catholic religion I basically realised it didn't really make any sense and upon an admittadly cursory glance at some other religions I made the same conclusion about them.
Contrary to some others I've no problem with people who choose to believe and in some ways am quite envious of the comfort they can draw from belief.

Zamboni

I am really just an avid secularist who has lost the will to make any statement on any god because I simply don't care anymore.

RichieC

Means feck all to me. I wouldnt be the type of Atheist that joins groups or anything like that. I simply look at the world and deduce that there's no need for a god. Indeed, the idea that a god would make the world the way it is is absurd.

I mean, if this is, as Christians would have us believe, mearly a test reality before moving on to a life of bliss, or hell, as the case may be, then this is not actually a reality at all. the after life would be. so why is there disease and famine?

Why do we need to do things like poop and pee?, why is our hearts so poorly made that most of us die from complications with it? what the hell is cancer?

Is God just a crappy programmer?

imo It is much more satisfactory to think we are part of this massive natural system, warts and all.

Penn

I don't believe in any god or gods, therefore, I'm an atheist. Didn't choose it, and didn't choose to not believe in gods. I just can't believe in something I don't believe in.

Yet at the same time, if it was a choice, if I could choose to be an atheist or follow any religion, I think I'd rather be an atheist. I prefer to see the world for what it is. I prefer to discover how things came to be rather than dismiss it as "Oh, my God did that". I like to look at something like a tree, and know that with the smallest of changes millions of years ago, just one little tiny change, I could be looking at something completely different. I could be looking a red tree with blue leaves, and because that would be the way trees have always looked, I'd find it equally as beautiful, and would probably look at it and wonder "Wouldn't a brown tree with green leaves look silly". I prefer to know that the relationships and friendships, trials and tribulations, ups and downs etc all matter now, and effect now, rather than it being an entrance exam for everlasting life in some magical place. I like this life, and how it works. I'd rather not have to live my life in fear of doing something so arbitrarily small but which could jeopardise my chance at infinite happiness and instead condemn me to everlasting torment if I don't confess to a priest on time. I'd rather form my own opinions instead of having to decide what opinions I'm told to have can be interpreted differently or aren't relevant today. And I'd rather not look at the world in such a restricted way, unable to accept scientific changes and instead be able to marvel at their incredible complexity and how the very fact that we can look and travel past where we were told Heaven was and see the whole universe outside it, waiting to be discovered and explored is f*cking amazing.

Atheism isn't a religion, but if it was, it'd be the one I choose.

(several ideas in this post are similar to famous quotes and stuff from others)

Sarky

magicbastarder wrote: »

you're atheist because you're afraid of prison and third degree burns?

Who isn't?

But also, it just doesn't make any sense to go do those things. They're not beneficial to anyone. Well, I'm sure someone could argue there's benefit to me jumping into a furnace, but I like to think those folks are just crazy...

Gregor Samsa

I'm an atheist for the same reasons most adults are aclausists.

Ellis Dee

I'm an atheist because - wait for it! - I don't believe in a god or any other immaterial, invisible sentient being. That's been the position ever since I could think rationally, despite some serious indoctrination by nuns and priests at school. And I don't believe in such a being because I have never seen any evidence whatsoever that one exists. I don't believe in aliens, either, but will if I ever see any credible evidence that they actually exist.:):)

Chuck Stone

I'm not an atheist I just don't believe in all that crap.

dlofnep

Atheism is the only logical conclusion for me. Along with it, comes a profound respect and interest in science. That can only be a good thing.

Penn

Chuck Stone wrote: »

I'm not an atheist I just don't believe in all that crap.

I hate to have to break it to you....

Gbear

So you're all empiricists then?

I was just curious whether the rationale for atheism informs other beliefs you have.

Do any of you use alternative medicine, for example? Do you believe people when they tell you trivia like "the flight of bumblebees defies the laws of physics"?

Is your atheism a function of being an empiricist or have you come about by, for example, being so disgusted by the actions of whatever religion that you've reasoned that it's so immoral it must be incorrect?

Penn

Gbear wrote: »

So you're all empiricists then?

I was just curious whether the rationale for atheism informs other beliefs you have.

Do any of you use alternative medicine, for example? Do you believe people when they tell you trivia like "the flight of bumblebees defies the laws of physics"?

Is your atheism a function of being an empiricist or have you come about by, for example, being so disgusted by the actions of whatever religion that you've reasoned that it's so immoral it must be incorrect?

I don't believe anything that can't be proven (ghosts, supernatural etc), or has already been disproven ("alternative" medicine etc). Whether it's moral or not, if it's something which requires a person to believe it exists/works, then it's most likely false. If it exists/works, it should be able to do so regardless of opinion or belief.

Dades

magicbastarder wrote: »

you're atheist because you're afraid of prison and third degree burns?

You don't rape children because you're afraid of prison? :pac:

Gregor Samsa

Gbear wrote: »

Do any of you use alternative medicine, for example? Do you believe people when they tell you trivia like "the flight of bumblebees defies the laws of physics"?

For me, no and no.

Gbear wrote: »

Is your atheism a function of being an empiricist or have you come about by, for example, being so disgusted by the actions of whatever religion that you've reasoned that it's so immoral it must be incorrect?

I was brought up a Catholic in the 70s and 80s by fairly actively practicing parents (mass every Sunday, confession once a month, my mother in particular was interested in the Theology behind Catholicism, volunteered to clean the parish church, etc.). But from a young age, much about it didn't make any sense to me. And I actually really wanted it to make sense, because I particularly wanted there to be justice in the world, and at a young age (from 6 to 12), I thought that a God could be the source of that justice.

But I just couldn't make the many square pegs of theism fit into the round holes of life. So by about 14 I thought of myself briefly as a deist, then by 15 has shed the last vestiges of relying on the supernatural for anything. And I haven't looked back.

kylith

Gbear wrote: »

Do any of you use alternative medicine, for example? Do you believe people when they tell you trivia like "the flight of bumblebees defies the laws of physics"?

I think most people on this forum would ask for proof of those statements, but being an atheist doesn't mean that you don't or can't believe in complimentary treatments (I can't bring myself to call it 'alternative medicine'), fairies, or whatever. Atheism refers only to gods.

Is your atheism a function of being an empiricist or have you come about by, for example, being so disgusted by the actions of whatever religion that you've reasoned that it's so immoral it must be incorrect?

For me it was hearing a priest blather on about the correct way to rear children. Even at the age of about 12 I couldn't help think 'why is he talking about something he knows nothing about? If he thinks himself qualified to talk about this what else does he think he's qualified to tell us?'

Cheers, Fr. Liddane, you were the kick start that got me out of the Catholic church.

smokingman

I don't believe in gods, luck, destiny and anything else that is used to absolve people of personal responsibility for their own actions and way in life.

It's more of a "if you don't like it, do something to change it yourself instead of whinging about how things are outside of your control" kind of thing for me.

amacachi

I wouldn't be atheist only the farm takes up most of the day and at night I just like a cup of tea.

oldrnwisr

Why atheism?

Because what is true is important. I'm happy to say what I honestly know and can show to be true and leave it at that. I'm not scared to say I don't know. Not knowing is important. Not knowing motivates us to find the truth. Only when we discard the magical answers do we stand any chance of finding the real one.

What atheism means to me?

Independence. Not relying on someone else's false history or morality to make decisions. Understanding the universe we occupy and our place within it using solid evidence.

Daftendirekt

Gbear wrote: »

So you're all empiricists then?

I was just curious whether the rationale for atheism informs other beliefs you have.

Do any of you use alternative medicine, for example? Do you believe people when they tell you trivia like "the flight of bumblebees defies the laws of physics"?

Is your atheism a function of being an empiricist or have you come about by, for example, being so disgusted by the actions of whatever religion that you've reasoned that it's so immoral it must be incorrect?

I kind of 'grew into' atheism from being pretty religious, so for me at least, I think losing my religious beliefs actually led me to a more rationalist worldview.

These days, though I'll rarely ever get into a discussion on religion in real life, I'm the sort of person who gets a real kick out of saying things like "Actually, that's just an urban legend", or "You know there's absolutely no evidence for that, right?"

Pretty sad, I know.

The flip side of that is that I'm now also the sort of person who relishes having deeply entrenched beliefs torn out from under them by argument or evidence. Changing your mind about something is a really great feeling. It's how you grow as a human being, and you know you have nothing to lose from having your views challenged.

I'm not sure if this is on-topic anymore. I'm quite drunk.

swampgas

Gbear wrote: »

<snip>
Do you believe people when they tell you trivia like "the flight of bumblebees defies the laws of physics"?

The bumblebee thing shows how many people simply don't understand how science and engineering operate. Many useful theories are approximate to a certain degree and are designed to work at a particular scale.

For example, when analysing fluid flow in a river surface tension can pretty much be ignored, but when looking at the way insects can "walk" on water, surface tension is critical. You have to choose a theory/model that is appropriate for the scale at which you are working.

If you take the aerodynamic models that work for the airflow over the wing of a 747 and apply them to a bumblebee, they don't work - and that shouldn't be a great surprise to anyone.

However anti-science idiots like to go "Ha ha, see, your theory is wrong! - and therefore all your other arguments are invalid and god must exist!".

Red Hand

I was big into dinosaurs and paleothology as a child and so learned a lot about evolution and science. Slowly, by the time I was 10 or 11, I realised that church and God and all that supernatural stuff was the same as vampires and fairies. Still have to pretend to believe in it all for appearance sake though whenever I am home.

cowzerp

Doesn't mean anything to me, if anything it just means live life for now as when your gone your gone.

seamus

At this stage it's a matter of, "Why not Atheism?"

No religions actually provide any reason/explanation/knowledge of substance, so I would be a de facto atheist unless someone can show me something which isn't a big load of gibbering nonsense.

bothyhead

I have no need for a god in my life
I am not afraid of dying
I take nothing for granted
I believe in the empirical evidence of science
I believe in honesty
I respect those who believe in a god
I respect those who do not believe in a god
I do not like bullies
I do not like rudeness
I do not like war and fighting
I am an atheist

EGAR

Why does everything has to be put in a box?

I do not believe in any higher being , regardless of what you may call it, and never did. Nor do I care what people call me. Religion never played a role in my life and never did for my parents.

Stercus Accidit

I couldn't believe in Yahweh or Allah if I tried, utterly ridiculous notions that haven't provided a shred of actual evidence in thousands of years.

darealtulip

It meant nothing to me until I send my child to school and the school forced it down my child's throat.

Since then it means to me that there is an absolute need for a secular state and education.

This was the moment I started to identify myself as an atheist while before I would have said I just do not have a religion.

And I hope that my children don't need to be an atheist but can just have no religion and do not believe in a god (if they wish to do so)

MagicMarker

Stercus Accidit wrote: »

I couldn't believe in Yahweh or Allah if I tried, utterly ridiculous notions that haven't provided a shred of actual evidence in thousands of years ever.

FYP

Gbear

darealtulip wrote: »

It meant nothing to me until I send my child to school and the school forced it down my child's throat.

Since then it means to me that there is an absolute need for a secular state and education.

This was the moment I started to identify myself as an atheist while before I would have said I just do not have a religion.

And I hope that my children don't need to be an atheist but can just have no religion and do not believe in a god (if they wish to do so)

This is interesting. It's kinda why I started this thread.

It'd be boring if we all became atheists simply by virtue of being empirically minded.:pac:

Hokuto

I choose atheism because religion causes a lot of problems in my life. It's because of religion that I developed OCD.I choose to learn the cold hard empirical truth about life than to be swaddled in comfortable delusions and out-and-out bullcrap.