Coping with becoming an atheist? (page 2)

steve2

A local woman was murdered on her brief walk home after work a few nights ago. People prayed that "the Lord" would comfort her shocked and grieving family. Funny, I thought. Then I thought, no it's more than funny; such prayer is cruel and stupid. "The Lord" didn't prevent this loving mother and wife from being viciously murdered, but is called upon to do the lesser deed: Comfort her loved ones. That crazy sentiment alone has me vigorously critical of belief in God. People bang on about God reaching out and comforting them. Whoop de poop! Comforting survivors in one scenario, allowing vicious murders in another. Religion truly is for stunted mentalities desperate for comfort over deeds the All Powerful One tolerates.This is a promising start - but is insufficient to make me an athiest. But boy do I detest the religiously inclined outlook.

punkofnice

Religion truly is for stunted mentalities desperate for comfort

I wonder if it's an evolutionary thing where the human mind needs to feel protected in some way to avoid despair.

When you realise you're all alone, no god, no protection at all in any way from the horror of the outside and also of death itself then you can be a raw nerve. I know I am at times.

transhuman68

IDK. All these questions seemed really important when I first discovered them... but the questions of god, the afterlife, and the meaning of life on Earth really don't have any concrete answers, so I think it's best to just concetrate on living life- while it's there.

It's like the guys in a firing squad- one of them has a blank bullet in his gun- but they never find out who, so they can never be absolutely sure that they were the one who killed the condemned man. Likewise, there might be a god who is a really nice guy with a beard who says 'Welcome to Heaven'... but the odds of that are pretty remote.

KateWild

I still believe a higher power created life but can see now how it doesn't really care about us.-crazyguy

I am the same. It was a gradual thing for me. I wouldn't say I was atheist though. The adjustment to change in beliefs was a natural progression. The things I saw and heard inside the WT lead me to first of all believe that holy spirit was not directing elders and then by extention not guiding the GB. Once I was out the WT, I prayed a lot for holy spirit to help with our family circumstances, to no avail. This was when I gradually changed my belief that God doesn't care about anyone.

So I would say that it wasn't a case of coping with new beliefs. I just believe what I believe, and my kids believe what they believe.

Kate xx

bigmac

i was born an atheist

Phizzy

A totally changed world-view is not an easy thing to take on at first.

I hesitate to put labels on myself, like Atheist, because people assume so much about how you view things if you do. (I sometimes label myself Atheist here,as a form of shorthand, but you are all sensible folk and won't go off saying but "You......" this and that, when I don't).

Because I have decided that the only sensible way to conduct my life is Evidence based I am in no way a believer, belief being in the sense of trusting that something is true without evidence.

I am though, open-minded, show me satisfactory evidence and I will accept the Truth that is before me.

Two things I found hard at first in particular were, No1, facing old age and death, and, No 2 having no "Higher Power" to thank for Life and all the wonderful things in it and about it. I was always thanking God for "blessings", and I did not think I would grow old (and silly) and die.

I have learned to adjust to my mortality, and as for my thankfullness for so many good things I have learned to still consider and appreciate them, I just don't direct my thanks to an imaginary Sky-Daddy.

I find two major pluses about this, firstly because I know my life is finite, I try to do my best each day, and to make the most of it, and, secondly, my gratitude for all things good and beautiful is more directed now at who actually has provided those things.

Living in Reality is so much better than the LaLa Land of "belief", which can only lead to disappointment.

Terry

Imagine walking into somebody's kitchen and exclaiming:

"I have an announcement to make and I hope I don't offend anybody. THERE IS NO BED IN THIS KITCHEN!"

At that point, someone pops up and says, "Of course there isn't--this is the kitchen!"

God isn't a bed and our life is not the kitchen.

Heaven

bigmac is bang on. EVERYONE is born an atheist... and then we are moulded to believe. It's only after we grow up, conduct research, and apply reason that we realize we've been manipulated; basically lied to.

When I was little, I used to believe in the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and Santa Claus as well. But then I grew up.

Seraphim23

To except any conclusion as the truth is a belief! Newton’s conclusions were true, however Einstein’s conclusions were truer I.e. more accurate. Which one has “the” truth is a matter of belief, despite the fact that whatever choice is made is a conclusion also.

Viviane

To except any conclusion as the truth is a belief! Newton’s conclusions were true, however Einstein’s conclusions were truer I.e. more accurate. Which one has “the” truth is a matter of belief, despite the fact that whatever choice is made is a conclusion also.

You probably could not have picked a worse example. Newton's laws of motion did not accurately predict the motion of Mercury, everyone knew it mostly worked but every now and then didn't. It required a radical shift in thinking to get to a better model. It's not a matter of which someone "believes" in, it's the right tool for the job.

Coping with becoming an atheist?

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