by Velour 31 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
umm, religion and its beliefs require us to think something is true with NO EVIDENCE.
This is what turned me into an atheist ,,, not the abusive relationship I had as a witness,,,,
it just doesn't make sense!!! (no offense to the g*d-believers) ,,, but
no, you are normal ,,, whatever that means ...
tal
The percentage of atheists that disbeleif because of coming from an abusive religion must be minimal.
Most atheists I know have very sound and intellectual reason why they don't believe in ANY God.
Others have emotional, but no less valid, reasons for not believing.
I am not an "Atheist" by definition, but It does bother me when I hear it.
It is just the same, when I hear how one becomes gay because of sexual abusive when they were younger.
PSacramento: The two are not mutually exclusive (Abusive Religion, Intellectual Reason).
The abuse can motivate a person to investigate their strongly-held beliefs and assumptions.
In my own case, I never had reason to turn my critical thinking skills towards the topic of faith until I realized that WT has spiritually abused me. Moreover, most people have had a positive experience with religion, so why would they ever question it?
It only takes a few google searches of deconversion stories, and you'll find stories from every religion.
PSacramento: The two are not mutually exclusive (Abusive Religion, Intellectual Reason).
The abuse can motivate a person to investigate their strongly-held beliefs and assumptions.
In my own case, I never had reason to turn my critical thinking skills towards the topic of faith until I realized that WT has spiritually abused me. Moreover, most people have had a positive experience with religion, so why would they ever question it?
I never had any reason to question my original RC upbringing, untill my Mom became a JW and started giving me bible studies to bring me over.
Of course Her mistake was thinking that I would ONLY question my RC upbringing with THEIR literature and that I would NOT question what the JW's were teaching.
That didn't work out for her with me, but did work out for my Dad, sister and her Husband.
PSacramento: The two are not mutually exclusive (Abusive Religion, Intellectual Reason).
WT -- good point, and I agree wholeheartedly .... the religious abuse was the least of my problems,,, but my logic always said ...WTH???
t
I have seen it often myself. It is sooooo ironic from where it most often originates. From the mouth of another person who has accepted without investigation the cultural religion that he/she has learned from childhood.
I really have to wonder out loud here: If there was a nation, I mean an actual nation of millions of people who had really believed and raised their children to believe in The Invisible Pink Unicorn, how would the rest of the world view them?
This is exactly how religion now appears to me [and perhaps to many other atheists, for I don't wish to presume upon them]. Christians, Muslims, Jews, would laugh you out of the room if you professed belief in IPU, and meant it with a straight face. But the delusions of those major religions and many other 'minor' ones, are no less comical when viewed from a sober perspective.
I still find it utterly amazing that my personal investigation, and the lack of a single shred of REAL EVIDENCE to support belief in invisible beings interested in mankind and having made 'arrangements' for our 'salvation', is taken as a reaction to my exit from a cult. The exit from a cult is traumatic, and as such, it begins the process of investigation, serious investigation, into religion, god, theology, for many, as it did for me. But it is not the reaction to such exit that has formed my atheism. I have openly invited any who think so to provide EVIDENCE to prove God's existence. No one has, nor can they.
To make such assumptions is, to me, tantamount to assuming that a policeman, wounded in the line of duty, who later leaves the police force has done so out of fear. While that is possible, it is certainly not ALWAYS the case. He may have many other intelligent reasons for leaving - perhaps not the least of which is a desire to watch his children grow up for instance. But to assume his motives based on a single trauma, and without careful discussion about the matter with the individual, is foolish IMHO.
Jeff
But Jeff what about all of the mysterious lights in the sky they must mean something or gasp someone is out there...
I'm an Atheist because I don't believe in sky people and hell people.
A religious person hears the voice of god and he's a prophet, an Atheists hears voices and he's got mental problems.
