Atheist with crisis of conscience. Please help.

by parakeet 70 Replies latest jw friends

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  parakeet

  I'm an atheist having a serious crisis of conscience. Please help.

  I've read many, many posts that talk about atheism as a faith as distinct as any other faith. There has also been much made of the atheist lifestyle.

  My dilemma -- I don't know what the atheistic faith entails. What are its tenets of faith? What are its doctrines? In what manner is an atheist supposed to worship?

  As to the atheist lifestyle, I'm not sure I'm living it correctly. Are there rituals involved? certain clothing that must be worn? songs that should be sung? foods that must be eaten?

  Those who know the answers to these questions, please enlighten me. I really want to get it right.
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  Titus
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  purplesofa

  
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  zoiks

  I think we're supposed to hate God, somehow. And talk about how much we hate Him, all the time.
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  SirNose586

  We're supposed to be worshiping Charles Darwin, and his prophet, Richard Dawkins. Worship services are held in any house of ill-repute. Make sure you keep up your personal duty to be cross and contrarian to everyone you meet.
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  parakeet

  zoiks: I think we're supposed to hate God, somehow. And talk about how much we hate Him, all the time.

  But how can we hate God when we don't believe in his existence?

  I'm so confused.
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  Terry

  Without---God.

  That is Atheist.

  No rules. No tenets. No philosophy. You ARE FREE.

  You don't even have to ask other people what you are supposed to do.

  Ain't it sweet?
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  parakeet

  SirNose: We're supposed to be worshiping Charles Darwin, and his prophet, Richard Dawkins. Worship services are held in any house of ill-repute. Make sure you keep up your personal duty to be cross and contrarian to everyone you meet.

  All of this is very helpful. Special T-shirts, Darwin as deity, Dawkins as prophet, bad manners to all.

  There are no brothels in my small town (that I know of). Any suitable alternative sites? Remember I'm female and in my late 50s.

  It would be especially nice if those who insist atheism is a faith and a lifestyle to weigh in on these questions. I want to be the very best atheist I can be.
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  parakeet

  Terry: Without---God...That is Atheist....No rules. No tenets. No philosophy. You ARE FREE....You don't even have to ask other people what you are supposed to do....Ain't it sweet?

  You see, Terry, that right there is where I run into trouble.

  On the one hand, I'm told atheism is NOT a faith or a belief, but is in fact the absence of belief in a God.

  On the other hand, I'm told by others (mostly Christians) that atheism is belief in the non-existence of a God.

  Is it a belief or isn't it? If it is a belief, I want to know how to believe to the best of my ability. I don't want to be a "Sunday-morning" type of atheist.
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  jwfacts

  I think you are supposed to feel unfulfilled and show it. This can lead to practicing one of the two forms of atheism:

  1. Appearing miserable and doing whatever you can to tear down happy followers of God
  2. Being Hedonistic, sin as much as possible as therein lies true happiness for the non-believer