Today I learned not to be afraid to be called Atheist (page 2)

franzy

nice post, gopher.

like brinjen, i've been inching that direction. truth is, i
think i'm there, but i've never actually said it, so why don't
i just say "I'M AN ATHEIST!" (and damned proud of it, too) :)

i've never said to my 9 year-old son categorically that god
doesn't exist. but usually when the topic of god and religion
comes up, he'll say "you mean the god that isn't?"

franzy

Gopher

MQ: Thank you for the discussion we had about atheism and the fact that an atheist group existed in your area. When I heard of the group here, I just had to go. Just for you, here's a definition of pharyngula: "Pharyngula" is a term coined by William Ballard to describe a particular stage in the development of the vertebrate embryo. You may have heard that embryos go through a blastula stage, then a gastrula stage, then a neurula…pharyngula is next in the series. More at http://pharyngula.org/index/weblog/about/

franzy: Did you say it, for real? It's a life-changing statement. You have a very perceptive son. It sounds like you've done well implanting a sense of realism. However, I hope he's ready to be different from some of his peers. Growing up a JW I know that being different can be hard (esp. in primary and middle school years).

bigdreaux:

greendawn

Though I don't agree with atheism every person is entitles to believe as they see fit. Most atheists are reasonable people though some nutters like Hitler were partly inspired by evolutionism when formulating their beastly policies eg the strong has the right to ruthlessly swallow up the weak.

Caedes

Gopher,

Congratulations, It's quite refreshing in here isn't it?

Greendawn

Though I don't agree with atheism every person is entitles to believe as they see fit. Most atheists are reasonable people though some nutters like Hitler were partly inspired by evolutionism when formulating their beastly policies eg the strong has the right to ruthlessly swallow up the weak.

Hmmm... perhaps that is what Hitler meant by the following quotes, (courtesy of www.brainyquote.com)

Who says I am not under the special protection of God?

Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator - by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.

As a Christian I have no duty to allow myself to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice

GD, care to comment on that nutter being partly inspired by theism when formulating his beastly policies e.g. that his sky daddy is going to ruthlessly torture everyone who doesn't worship him? or was your comment a drive-by posting for the lord?

PEC

Welcome, Brother Gopher.

After leaving the dubs, I didn't think about God or religion at all, I had more than enough of that growing up in dubdumb. I believed what I was told as a child; but, never had faith, I guess that explains why I was never dunked. I can't say exactly when I became an Atheist, over time, science and healthy skepticism, have turned me into a Atheist, reality has overruled fantasy.

Philip

Gopher

Greendawn -- You could also say many religionists are reasonable though some nutters like the Catholic Hierarchy were partly inspired by belief in hellfire and subjected unbelievers to excruciating torture during the Inquisition. And some Protestants, being the fine Christians they were, also did some Inquistioning of their own. These campaigns by those in power ruthlessly swallowed up the weak!

Caedes -- I'm still getting used to it. But at least I'm clear on what I believe, and it's important for everyone to be able to articulate their belief (or go do more homework and meditation on it so as to be able to articulate something at least).

Philip - We grew up in a religion where a lot of people go through the motions. I haven't ever spent time with other religions, but I assume they have their fair share of people who attend because they're expected to.

under_believer

Gopher, today you made me realize something about myself.

While I have not adopted the label of "atheist," 99% of religious people would consider me one if I explained my beliefs to them. I've stuck with "agnostic" thus far because I don't really farking care anymore at this point, one way or another. Is there a creator of the universe? There very well may be. If there is, does he/she/it appear to give two shits about what we're doing over here? Or even know we exist? Nope, not in the slightest.

It occurs to me that the belief that there is no God and the belief that there is no God who cares are functionally identical beliefs. So while I reserve the right to believe that the universe may have had intelligent origin, I appear to be an atheist. Though I don't FEEL like one. How is it supposed to feel, to be an atheist?

Does that make any sense?

Gopher

UB,

I've been asking myself the same question since I had the "Eureka" moment yesterday that I really am an atheist.

I guess like anything new, you just keep inwardly repeating it over and over till it sounds natural. After all the word "atheist" is merely a combination of sounds. It's the meaning that is important. The meaning is that one chooses to live life without the threat / reward model offered by religions or holy books. One faces life in a mature manner, head-on, without imagining that there is some mysterious force or spirit making you do what you do or helping.

As you correctly point out, there's an uncertainty. But God will never reveal him/her/itself during our lifetime.

The way I can reconcile it is that I'm both agnostic and atheist. It's making the transition a bit easier.

It's just that the combination of sounds ay - thee -ist sounds a bit scary because to society at large it carries negative connotations. Those connotations are largely undeserved, BTW. Did atheists start the Inquistion, or World War 1 or 2? I could go on, but a lot of terrible things have been done in the name of God or with the support of some church.

If you have an atheist fellowship in your area, it might make you feel like you're not really so alone.

YoursChelbie

So while I reserve the right to believe that the universe may have had intelligent origin, I appear to be an atheist. Though I don't FEEL like one

Under_beliver, Maybe you feel like this because both categories (believers and non-believers) are rather broad and give little information about the person being described. These labels tell us more about what a person is not rather than what a person IS.

There have been absolute jerks who are atheists (such as Hitler as was mentioned.)

And there are abosolute jerks who are very religious (such as the GB.)

So when I want others to know about me and what I'm devoted to, I try to be more specific. I might say I'm a "devoted mom." "funny" or "great cook." A single person might say they are "devoted to their carreer" or they are "environmentalists," etc. you get the idea. So, you might decide to avoid categorizing yourself into those two very broad labels and just think of your self as __________________________ (Whatever your life focus happens to be.)

YC

Hortensia

I haven't called myself an atheist just because it puts me in a category for other people that they think they understand. I don't believe - and I am not worried about it. I have more important things to think about. I find it interesting that on this forum believers and non-believers can still relate to each other without too much hostility.

Today I learned not to be afraid to be called Atheist

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