Who is an atheist here, just wondering?

by spectromize 49 Replies latest jw friends

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  JanH

  I'm an atheist.

  And, Englishman: An atheist is one who does not believe in any gods. Certainty or lack thereof does not come into it. In the west, atheism is a rejection of the belief systems of the monotheistic religions Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

  The reason I avoid the word 'agnostic' is that most people don't understand what Huxley meant by coining it. Some people seem to think it means someone who thinks the evidence is 'unclear'. Not so. The evidence against theism could not possibly have been stronger than it is. There simply is no evidence for theism, and until such a thing shows up, we consider the existence of god(s) comparable to any other supernatural claim. Until I see evidence for god(s), the tooth fairy, the loch ness monster or dubya's intelligence, the only rational course of action is to assume these to be non-existant.

  - Jan
  --
  "Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen"
  -- Albert Einstein
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  JanH

  I'm sure not an Atheist. Atheism is a religion, takes as much blind faith to follow as the JW's.

  
  If atheism is a religion, then health is a disease.

  - Jan
  --
  "Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen"
  -- Albert Einstein
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  hippikon

  I now lean strongly to atheism. If God dose exist he doesn’t get involved so may as well not exist.
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  larc

  I am an apathetic agnostic. I don't know and I don't care, and furthrmore, I think it is a waste to give the concept of God any time and thought. I would rather study the knowable, e.g., science, history, and current events. My thinking is most similiar to the following people here: jan, rem, norm, and JAVA. I think I am in good company here. On the subject of the emotional and political issues of the JWs, there are several good contributers here. Of these, I think JT is one of the most knowledgable and savy.
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  jezebel influence

  hello...I am still deciding what to believe.
  As others raised in JWS will understand I for a time had the right to find my GOD taken from me.Now it takes time to decide if i disbelieve something becouse I was told to and the distaste for it is still there ,or if I truly chose to believe it.Topics such as THE TRINITY,SPEAKING IN TOUNGES,THE WORLD ORDER VS HEAVEN and loads more. To top it all of I cant say with out a doubt that I believe in God,but I mostly do.Its hard to bring life into the world and not wonder about such miracles.But I Keep an open mind or try to...unlike the watchtower society!
  Listening to other thinking people certainly helps too ,Thanks guys.
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  shalom

  I also find it hard to believe that God or some higher power doesn't exist. I don't know much about evolution but find it a hard concept to come to grips with. Especially when I look at my very own little miracle of creation!
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  larc

  Shalom,

  Special creation is also a hard concept to accept. The miracle of our children's birth is just as amazing through the beauty of evolution.
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  digderidoo

  I tend to agree with larc, is it worth any time and effort to try to come to terms with a god?

  May be there is a god, may be not. If we accept there is a god, do we need an organised religion to show us the way??? I do not think we do.

  We are here with a free will, a mind that allows us to think independantly, so to believe in god or not, is our own personal decision. I would not criticise anyone to think one way or another.

  What's important to me is the here and now...accept that one day we will die...and try to cram in as much knowledge, as much experiences as we can.

  Yours dig;)
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  COMF

  How long does a witness knock on a door before he determines that nobody is home? Is 45 years long enough?

  myMichelle said:
  

  if there is a god and he/she wants to get in touch with me, then he/she knows where I live and he/she can stop on by and chat

  Exactly. I'm willing to be convinced. All he has to do is keep his word. Answer a prayer (it would have to be an old one, there aren't any new ones), give me knowledge, cause me to be aware of him, demonstrate that he does exist and cares enough about me to show it. Act like a father, in other words. Whenever he's ready; I'm not going anywhere. Until then, though: I have invested 45 years in crying out to him without ever getting an answer. That's enough. And please, don't regurgitate that tired old "maybe he answered you and you didn't like the answer" bullshit. That kind of reasoning is for people in headlong retreat from reality back to the comfortable familiarity of denial.

  Idaho said:
  

  But is it necessary to throw out the baby with the bathwater?

  I carefully removed the water a drop at a time, examining and straining it, until I had emptied the tub. There was no baby.

  COMF
• 

  teejay

  spectro

  I would like to know who is an atheist here

  
  i wouldn't call myself an atheist but i dont
  believe in the Jehovah's Witness god that
  i grew up 'fearing' anymore, either, so
  what label to i carry?

  why you like to take part in discussions on this board?

  
  good question, one that i wonder about
  myself. some of the people make me laff.
  some even make me think. others give
  me cool insights that i can pass on to my
  dub relatives so maybe they will start
  thinking, too. others, like Es, i 'pray' for,
  that they 'make it' thru whatever jw
  inspired ordeal they are currently.

  i guess mainly i'm here 'cause i'll always
  be an ex and will be interested in the goings
  on of the people i grew up with. i wonder
  what i'll do when the organization crumbles.

  peace.