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| Atheism Revisited | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 12 2008, 12:41 AM (549 Views) | |
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Sep 12 2008, 12:41 AM Post #1 |
~Out on the Tiles~
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Not too long back there was a great thread about atheism here, but instead of just reviving that one I decided to make a new thread for a few reasons. First of all, I want the subject matter to be a bit different in this one. We all know what atheism is at this point, but I would like to know how it has effected your life. Believe it or not, the lack of belief in a deity has changed the social standing, friendships, romantic relationships, and many other factors of every day life for a huge amount of people. I also wanted to elaborate my views on atheism, and hear what you all have to say about it. Though technically, I am an atheist, I personally consider myself to be a very religious person. Herein lies and there begins the trouble between myself and the atheists. Rabid atheists don't like religion, as a general rule. Sometimes they give a break to "nicer" Eastern religions, like Buddhism or Taoism, but just as often, they declare the whole kit and kaboodle to be rubbish and rot for those soft in the noodle. So, reasons a rabid atheist, because religion is just for small-minded child-like dumb-dumbs who don't know any better, once you graciously teach people about REASON, they won't need their silly fairy tales anymore. The first problem is, it's not quite that simple. Not everybody who's ever adhered to a religion has been a retard or a child; some religionists have been and are incredibly intelligent and sensitive people. And some people, no matter how hard they try, will always gravitate to religion in one form or another, even to the point of turning their secular hobbies and interests into spiritual affairs. In fact, some people, if you drag them away from their religion, will suddenly flip out and become a danger to themselves and others! The second problem is, just as nobody wants to have some obnoxious Christian witness to them, nobody wants some snotty atheist to lecture them. Some atheists have a nasty habit of going on and on and on about how stupid and wrong Christianity is. Note, this angsty phase is only acceptable and tolerable if you're between the ages of four and nineteen, and then, only if you indulge in it for a *maximum* of about three-and-a-half years. Atheists who can't let Christianity go are utterly boring, and they make me want to go hang out with mainline Christians. Rabid atheists are often hardcore empiricists and eagerly-self-described "skeptics." This means they troll anything that can't be confined to a test tube. Of course, anybody who isn't quite as skeptical as one of these True Skeptics is automatically a "rube" who's fallen for some trick or ruse. It doesn't matter if something unproven turns out to be useful or interesting in some way. If it's unproven, it's not the Truth, and therefore, a sham. So, taking all of this into consideration, atheists, as a general rule, throw bigger hissy fits about Satanism than the Christians do, because we've had the gall to invite ourselves to the freethinker-atheist-skeptic party, even though we clearly have no intention of wearing the full standard-issue uniform, nor playing the party games according to official atheist tournament rules. So, as a result, they really wish we'd take our ball and go die. I find atheist fundies to be just as tiresome as any other kind of fundie. HOWEVER, I am thankful for atheist groups, activists, movements, and lobbyists who are out there trying to fight creationism, fundamentalism, and theocratic rule (though I may not always agree with their methods or their personal reasons, note). While I might personally find atheist activists tiresome or puzzling, I also think they can be useful to me, and to all of us. So, if a rabid, good-guy-badge-polishing, yay-for-our-team-screaming atheist is out there taking a stand against creationism in schools, I'll take care not to look a gift horse too hard in the mouth, provided he's getting the job done. Edited by Haze55, Sep 12 2008, 12:46 AM.
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| Rockman | Sep 12 2008, 01:29 AM Post #2 |
hoighty-toighty
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I've learned a lot of things about being an atheist in the time I have been one. One of the things i've learned is how much i dislike arguing with people because someone always coming up with something against what you have to say no matter how much ground it holds. It becomes tiring to be honest. I try to stay away from it. Doing so has given me a new outlook on the matter. So if I'm not going to argue with anyone, why would I care what anyone does in their personal life? Think of it as embracing social Darwinism and hoping for the best I guess. And no, I believe you fully. Your right. Being or becoming an atheist has changed my life completely from how I used to think and act. Social standings haven't changed because I've always made it a point to go out of my way for other people, but as for, "friendships, romantic relationships, and many other factors of every day life for a huge amount of people." Let me explain. I have literally lost friends on the basis of religion. Because I chose atheism, they no longer wanted to associate themselves with me. Now don't get me wrong I have a lot of christian friends. I even used to attend a christian college groups activities, (other than bible banging), just for fun. Even after every single one of them knew completely that I believed the complete opposite. But I know for a fact that friendship isn't as strong as it could be because I don't regularly attend their church or one for that matter. It shows when I don't get invited to weddings and events of importance to individual friends. Let's assume that I was not dating someone who grew up an atheist. If I was to go looking for a relationship the first place i'd look is for someone to share that very specific thought process. I hold that over all else. I really doubt that i'd ever get along with someone who believed in a higher. It would interfere with every aspect of our lives. They say love conquers all but in general, it does not conquer religious beliefs. You get the idea without the details. And forget me every attempting to join a fraternity. The large majority are christian based and there doesn't seem to be a group based on non-religion. The fact of the matter is I seek people with the same thoughts as myself. If I analyze that fact about me, it makes me realize that other religions do this as well. We all try to gain acceptance from people in some way. Joining groups is one of those ways. This is why I refuse to join any groups or make groups based on atheism. I like how you have atheists categorized. It kind of makes me laugh about it. I guess I've never encountered that before. I'm just used to people attacking me with scriptures, as if an ancient book could prove why sex before marriage is immoral. And don't get me started on Marines. I've known and worked with quite a few in the past, and the ones that were Christians were looking for a reason to militarize their thoughts and tear me a new one. One went so far as to not call me by my first name and instead just call me, "the atheist" there forward. I think over the last year or so i've become quite tolerant of other people and how they think. I'm still a full atheist, but I don't think I have any more right to tell someone else what to believe as they have any right to tell me what to think. Edit: I wanted to add something a friend told me a few days ago, that I think I would like to try to understand more. This was during a blog comment about something else.
Edited by Rockman, Oct 30 2008, 04:46 PM.
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| * Light | Oct 30 2008, 05:41 PM Post #3 |
Yo
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This annoyed me, so let me guess, your in your early twenties and believe you know everything? be not wise in your own eyes you damn young'un! *anyway, your arguement complains about atheists generalising religious people as being ill-informed, slow or childlike, when there's an equal amount of religious people generalising atheists with the same remarks. It's obvious you've been targeted by some atheists, and now have a biased view on atheists, rather than taking a less narrow minded view, you become what your complaining out, generalising all atheists as atheists generalised you.
* Atheism hasn't really affected me at all, my morals remain the same, I have religious friends, who accept me as an atheist and I accept them as religious. The community I live in is a small one, where the vast majority is Christian but during holidays, I still participate during the chapel sessions. I think religion doesn't play as bigger part in day to day life like in America Edited by Light, Oct 30 2008, 05:42 PM.
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| * Mitas | Oct 30 2008, 07:50 PM Post #4 |
It truly was a Shawshank redemption
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If I had to put myself in a category it would be Agnosticism, however I don't claim myself to be Agnostic. I am open really to anything and enjoy hearing the views others have and forming my own opinions on them. I haven't ruled out the possiblity of a God or a deity, but at this moment in time I don't personally believe there to be one. As Light said, religion doesn't play as big a part in England as it does in America. I have never experienced anybody being cast aside or singled out because of their religous views in my time at multiple schools. In my secondary school there was a guy who was a devout Christian. He attended church services regularly on holidays such as Easter and Christmas and every weekend. He did get a little stick from people but not because he was a Christian, but because he would go to Church all the time. It never went to the extent that people didn't like him as he was liked by most people (I only say most because despite not knowing someone who didn't like him, there was bound to be somebody as nobody is liked by everyone). I have never personally been affected by my religious view, or rather my lack of it. However I can see how it may have an impact later in life if I get into a serious relationship with somebody who has strong religous beliefs that I do not agree with. Haze55, you only really talk of the "hardcore" atheists but there are plenty of people in all religions who are exactly the same. Christians who are in disblief that somebody could even consider the possibility of there being no God. You only have to look at terrorist groups such as Al-Quaeda to see how far some people go for their own religion. However, I do understand where you are coming from. I have a friend who gets on my nerves when he completely discards any theist views claiming the people who believe them to be "stupid" and "naive". He however claims to be Agnostic, when quite clearly he is an Atheist. As an open-minded person I find it annoying that people, and these people are from any religious or non-religous group, turn their noses up at an idea before considering it and reading about it (I am not accusing you of doing this if it sounded like it :P) |
 "Then you've got the chance to do better next time." "Next time?" "Course. Doing better next time. That's what life is." | |
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Nov 6 2008, 07:01 PM Post #5 |
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~Out on the Tiles~
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And let me guess, you're in your thirties to late twenties, and think you automatically know more than people in their early twenties? But, it strikes me that, in my post, I complained that, in my experience, hardcore atheists are often smug, condescending, and argumentative--and here you are, being slightly smug, condescending, and argumentative. Yes, I am fully aware of how religious people feel about atheists, and yes, it does bother me. If I had made this thread about religionists' treatment of atheists, I would have been more than happy to rant all about that, because that concerns me, too. I endeavored to make it very clear in my post that I was talking about a very specific--but increasingly common--type of atheist, rather than all atheists as a whole. I have many friends who are atheists. I'm an atheist. I'm a fan of atheism. Perhaps I should've emphasized that more strongly. But, it's when people become committed, movement-oriented, hardcore, rabid, activist, uber-Skeptical, chip-on-the-shoulder capital-A Atheists, that you start to see capital-A Attitude. The bottom line is, unfortunately, I have found that people who take their atheism *very* seriously are more often than not hostile to Satanism, because they tend to be hostile towards all or most other religions. And, because I am an atheist, and I genuinely want atheists as a whole to do well, to make strides in society, and to have a good reputation, it irritates me to no end when a certain number of True Unbelievers end up confirming everybody's stereotypes of them by being loud know-it-alls. |
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| * Light | Nov 6 2008, 08:11 PM Post #6 |
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Yo
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You make me feel young again! Honestly though, I'm 16, I just felt you needed taking down a peg  .Please don't take offence, the comment wasn't a serious one and wasn't meant to be taken as such. |
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Dec 18 2008, 06:27 PM Post #7 |
Worst Member of the Year
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See here is something I don't quite understand. You're an atheist, yet you follow the Church of LeVey. I haven't touched up on that in a while so, technically does the Levey cult pay hommage to a deity? Maybe Satan himself? If not then.. a point I'd like to bring up is, shouldn't Bhuddists be considered atheists too? There's no higher involved in their religion. Unless you count that as their belief in Karma and rebirth, but they do no worship god(s).
I lol'd Another thing, why do Eastern Religions get off nicley to atheists, heck why is Christianity the number one target for Atheists. You don't hear atheists mocking the Islamic cult as much often. I have a good friend who is atheist, I bought her a crucifix once too. Though I wouldn't go as far as not invited atheists to my wedding and what not.. anyways there's not many non believers aruond these parts. |
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| Meowth | Dec 18 2008, 06:37 PM Post #8 |
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That's absolute rubbish, the only reason you come to this conclusion is because you only notice it when directed at your religion and block it out when it's other religions. Atheism is the belief in no god, not the disbelief of christianity. Just so you are clear on that in future Punxx. |
 
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Dec 18 2008, 06:51 PM Post #9 |
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Worst Member of the Year
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Where did I say in my post that Atheism is the disbelief in Christianity? Stop putting words in my posts. I said that Atheists direct their anti religious attacks on Christianity, and look. This is not to far from us; just in that other topic.
I think that was Haze
again another bash on my religion. I never called Atheists headaches. How come atheists can't say "Well Religion is a big headache" why do they have top say Christianity is a big headache. What ever happened to respecting the other culture?
That's exactly what I just said; See here is something I don't quite understand. You're an atheist, yet you follow the Church of LeVey. I haven't touched up on that in a while so, technically does the Levey cult pay hommage to a deity? Maybe Satan himself? If not then.. a point I'd like to bring up is, shouldn't Bhuddists be considered atheists too? There's no higher involved in their religion. Unless you count that as their belief in Karma and rebirth, but they do not worship god(s). |
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| Meowth | Dec 18 2008, 07:02 PM Post #10 |
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The reason your religion is being picked up on in that topic is because you where the one who brough it up. If someone else brought up a diffrent religion, that's the direction the topic would have gone. Talking about Islam to someone who is talking about their Christian belifes isn't going to get anywhere. Can you understand that? |
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Dec 19 2008, 01:25 AM Post #11 |
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~Out on the Tiles~
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Give me a reason to answer any of those questions punxx, when all of them could have been easily found by a quick internet search. A twelve year old doing a research report has more resourcefulness then you. |
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Dec 19 2008, 03:09 AM Post #12 |
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Worst Member of the Year
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Because I asked you nicely |
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| Rockman | Dec 19 2008, 01:42 PM Post #13 |
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hoighty-toighty
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The nation of Islam is a more hostile target for atheists. It is against national law in most countries of the middle east to be anything but Islamic. Usually punishable by some sort of appendage breaking or death. The answer to your question is about how North America and Europe view free speech. And because Christianity is more predominant in North America than it is in Europe, there is a great opposition to it. Christians display their religion for everyone to see everywhere. All the time. You see less of other religions doing so in America at least, and so Christianity, being the youngest main stream religion, is super easy to argue with. |
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