Why are you an atheist?

Rasheed

RMD wrote: »

Although the thread is 10 pages in I'll offer my reasoning for why I'm atheist.

1) Science offers a lot more answers than religion does. IMO religion is an answer for those who are too scared to truly explore the possibilities of the entirety of humankind and life as we know it, from the tiny spectacle that is earth to the ever expanding existence that is space.

2) Religion prevents progress. It can't be denied a major bar to progress in many scientific areas is religious barriers and those who follow it. Stem cells offer huge leaps and bounds for all humankind yet the major resistance comes from the religious lobby groups. Religion prevents choice (abortion) and discriminates (homosexuals, women) through the justification of what was written in a millennia old book. The same can be said euthanasia. It was only this year that a stroke victim who could do next to nothing in his life and made it well known he wanted to die was granted to right to be killed. His story can be read here. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/world/europe/stroke-victim-in-great-britain-wins-right-to-seek-legal-euthanasia.html

Furthermore to this story, the BBC did a very interesting documentary on him and others like him. A woman suffering from MS wanted to die and made it well known, she couldn't bare living the life she was living knowing it was going to get steadily worse. Her family also wanted to grant her wish but they couldn't as it would be considered murder. So ultimately what happened is she drove her motorized wheelchair into a river and suffered an agonizing death as she drowned. Nobody would have been hurt by her euthanistion as it was the wish of both her and her family. Yet due to religion preventing progress, she died and in a horribly painful and undignified fashion.

3) When I was a child I was told God was loving, God would look after us, God was great and would allow us up into heaven and all that stuff. Then my 4 year old cousin became terminally ill. What did my 4 year old cousin do? Nothing to deserve whatsoever, where was this loving god then? After this happened I ended up with another cousin, she was born blind and heavily handicapped. She had no choice in the cards he was dealt, she has no future in life and is essentially a tomato with a slight knowledge of stimulus around her but nothing to grant her a life worth living. Where's this loving god yet again? What was her sin to bring her to such a position?

I have no problem with people believing in something that offers them hope and comfort but please don't tell me God loves us or God loves me. From my experience that is nothing but utter bull.

See this is why I started this thread. I'm not an atheist but I think it's everybody's right to decide what they want to believe in.

It was a curiosity in my that made me start this thread and the above answer is actually the exact kind I was looking for and 95% of people have kept to this and just simply put across why they believe what they believe and as stated before, I'm very thankful for this.

I didn't want to turn it into another thread of 'Religion vs Atheism'. Nobody is right, nobody is wrong can we not all get along?!?

Malari

It doesn't really matter if "treat others as you would like to be treated" is the central message of the bible or not. It was a concept around long before the bible was written and it doesn't require a belief in a god to comply with it. In fact I think a belief in a god can sometimes make acting on this tenet difficult, depending on your religious bent.

Dades

PBroderick wrote: »

I only waded in here tonight, but already had two jibes at me and some 'hilarious' picture posted too. That's after three or four posts by me?

No moderation, no warnings....is that supposed to represent atheism....schoolboy pot-shots like that?

I'm at a loss as to what posts you would have seen moderated.

You made some comments (in a thread about "why you are an atheist") about how the biblical message is very simple. You got called on it, and people challenged your assertion. Some banter followed, and some question dodging - and now you want protection?

You're more than welcome to post here, but you need to realise neither posters or their ideas are protected from enquiry.

swampgas

Rasheed wrote: »

I didn't want to turn it into another thread of 'Religion vs Atheism'. Nobody is right, nobody is wrong can we not all get along?!?

Actually, we can't all be right (that doesn't mean we're not all wrong). That's why we discuss these things - to try to find the truth.

And religion is one of those things that can prevent us all getting along.

Galvasean

Dades wrote: »

I'm at a loss as to what posts you would have seen moderated.

You made some comments (in a thread about "why you are an atheist") about how the biblical message is very simple. You got called on it, and people challenged your assertion. Some banter followed, and some question dodging - and now you want protection?

You're more than welcome to post here, but you need to realise neither posters or their ideas are protected from enquiry.

Is it just me or has there been an increase in visitor paranoia on the forum lately?

Dades

Galvasean wrote: »

Is it just me or has there been an increase in visitor paranoia on the forum lately?

It seems to go hand in hand with righteous indignation.

Bannasidhe

Galvasean wrote: »

Is it just me or has there been an increase in visitor paranoia on the forum lately?

It's just YOU.


:pac:

A_Sober_Paddy

Because I don't particularly like fairy tales about a man in the sky who we are supposed to worship...

Also the whole thing of science disproving everything religious is also a big one too, and the fact that millions die in the name of religion. Also the abuse of children, women and non believers...

Religion is pretty awful and has no redeeming qualities.

old hippy

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

Because I don't particularly like fairy tales about a man in the sky who we are supposed to worship...

Also the whole thing of science disproving everything religious is also a big one too, and the fact that millions die in the name of religion. Also the abuse of children, women and non believers...

Religion is pretty awful and has no redeeming qualities.

Apart from Bach, Michaelangelo, Da Vinci etc and some beautiful architecture to be found around the world, I completely agree.

Galvasean

Bannasidhe wrote: »

It's just YOU.


:pac:

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get you...

PROVE that ya'all aren't out to get me!

Tomtata

Charles Darwin & very basic Logic

If Religion was removed from Primary education you would see a 80%+ drop in 1 or 2 generations.

Chrildren are indoctrinated in primary education without a choice, question or debate on the subject. Its actually quite disgusting!

Free your mind - the invisible man in the sky doesn't exsist!

PBroderick

Tomtata wrote: »

Charles Darwin & very basic Logic

Evolution does not dismiss religion. How things come about does not explain why things come about, that's the question religion answers.

Next

Tomtata wrote: »

If Religion was removed from Primary education you would see a 80%+ drop in 1 or 2 generations.

Chrildren are indoctrinated in primary education without a choice, question or debate on the subject. Its actually quite disgusting!

The people of India are deeply religious and India is one of the world's greatest emerging ecomonies. It does not stifle education there, it enhances it.

Next

Tomtata wrote: »

Free your mind - the invisible man in the sky doesn't exsist!

Free your mind? You are the one believing only what you are taught or what you see. Your mind is remarkable closed in fact.

Turtwig

PBroderick wrote: »

Evolution does not dismiss religion. How things come about does not explain why things come about, that's the question religion answers.

Evolution deals with how things change. . .

Malari

PBroderick wrote: »

Free your mind? You are the one believing only what you are taught or what you see. Your mind is remarkable closed in fact.

Well, most of the people here have come to atheism despite what they were taught by their parents and teachers and priests. So I don't think that accusation is particularly apt.

Bannasidhe

Galvasean wrote: »

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get you...

PROVE that ya'all aren't out to get me!

We are all out to get you. We're just really really subtle about it.

Like thanking your posts to lull you into a sense of security then some day -wham!

Galvasean

Damn you Sword of Damoclés!!!!

PBroderick

Jernal wrote: »

Evolution deals with how things change. . .

That's what I said

Dades

PBroderick wrote: »

Evolution does not dismiss religion. How things come about does not explain why things come about, that's the question religion answers.

If religion answers it - how come all religions answer it differently? The fact is nobody knows why things "came about" - but at least science is still trying to find out rather than closing the dusty book with a satisfied thump.

PBroderick wrote: »

The people of India are deeply religious and India is one of the world's greatest emerging ecomonies. It does not stifle education there, it enhances it.

Are you suggesting India is an emerging nation because of religion, or in spite of it? Either way I'm not sure what the relevance of India is.

PBroderick wrote: »

Free your mind? You are the one believing only what you are taught or what you see. Your mind is remarkable closed in fact.

What Malari said... Does not compute! Our minds are closed - despite not believing what most of us were taught for a decade as children. Indeed!

oldrnwisr

PBroderick wrote: »

That's what I said

I think what Jernal was alluding to was that evolution does not explain how things (specifically life) come about. That would be abiogenesis. Evolution explains change over time.

PBroderick wrote: »

Evolution does not dismiss religion. How things come about does not explain why things come about, that's the question religion answers.

But the how is important. The why (for the moment) is bull****.

Galvasean

oldrnwisr wrote: »

But the how is important.

Space Jockeys.

oldrnwisr wrote: »

The why (for the moment) is bull****.

"WHAT DID WE DO WRONG?!!?!?!?!?!?"

robindch

Galvasean wrote: »

PROVE that ya'all aren't out to get me!

Impossible, since I am out to get you.

And I know where you live

Galvasean

robindch wrote: »

And I know where you live

Last time I do an open invite house party on Facebook...

Enkidu

Galvasean wrote: »

Space Jockeys.

I was a Jockyist before I converted to Atheism, I WAS SO WRONG!!!

Galvasean

Enkidu wrote: »

I was a Jockyist before I converted to Atheism, I WAS SO WRONG!!!

I still believe that the space Jockeys are elephant people

evidence to the contrary be damned!

PBroderick

Galvasean wrote: »

Last time I do an open invite house party on Facebook...

Is this typical of this forum? I'm trying to see whether anyone will learn anything from these discussions, but my heart sinks a bit when I see threads riddled with this kind of stuff.

Surely they can post this elsewhere?

Sarky

Oh be nice. Where's your sense of humour?

Galvasean

PBroderick wrote: »

Is this typical of this forum? I'm trying to see whether anyone will learn anything from these discussions, but my heart sinks a bit when I see threads riddled with this kind of stuff.

Surely they can post this elsewhere?

People engage you in legitimate conversation, you accuse them of harassing you.

People make jokes, you complain about that.

What do you even want?

Turtwig

PBroderick wrote: »

Is this typical of this forum? I'm trying to see whether anyone will learn anything from these discussions, but my heart sinks a bit when I see threads riddled with this kind of stuff.

Surely they can post this elsewhere?

Ah it's just light hearted banter any bit of dialogue needs it every now and again. Just be glad nobody has thus far mentioned elevators and coffee . . . oops.:o

PBroderick

Galvasean wrote: »

People make jokes, you complain about that.

Jokes? Where?

Galvasean

Are you new to the internet?