Well, I thought I would present the fact that I am an atheist, and wonder how many here are fellow non-believers like myself. :3

You all may be wondering why I am an atheist. I can explain very simply that I am an atheist because Nature shows no sign of design, no need for design, and that humans currently are better off dealing with themselves than to attempt to deal with that which they cannot clearly define.

Moreover, even though I am an atheist, I don't make it my business to bash other's religions, faiths, or ideas. I think people beat themselves up enough already, and I don't think it's necessary for me to be the grand pooh-pooh'r of what others do with their lives.

-- Brede

I don't necessarily consider myself an atheist.  I believe that God, as it were, is a symbol of mankind's potential.  Anything that is based in compassion and social progress is "the work of God", or "the work of Humanity".  My beliefs allow me to preach within the guidelines of just about any religion that serves a human purpose at its fundamental.  I often like to tell people that the moment they think God is as petty as they are, they're wrong. 

I've always had my own sensible theories rooted in science and spirituality about how things work.  My brain is constantly trying to strike a balance between the physical and metaphysical, and I'm fairly confident I figured out the meaning of life, the universe, and everything, all on my own.

When I was fourteen, I had my first revelation about the meaning of life on the schoolbus.  It simply occured to me that the meaning of life was "pursuing happiness and fulfillment."

Eight years later and I don't feel the need to revise the assesment. 

So...  yes, I suppose I'm an atheist.  However, I do believe God exists in all of us.  (S)he can appear as whatever form or symbol brings us most comfort and inspiration.  God is progress, God is motivation, God is enlightenment.  God can take on any form, because God takes refuge in the deepest part of the human imagination.

~ Blair

im a devout atheist! 

a former post:

Quote from: Katia on January 28, 2007, 01:14:55 AM


hate and intolerance? just because i'm an atheist doesn't mean i'm [hateful or intolerant]. for me it wasn't really a matter of choice. i was overwhelmed by the evidence that my religious beliefs were based in outright [falsehood] at worst and [baseless assertion] at best.
but i can tell you what has changed in my life as a result. the many hours a week i was [serving the church] now go into making a difference in my community. and the money i once gave to [build churches] and pay staff now pays for treatment of children with cancer, and after school programs, and safe homes for battered women and kids and a college education for an orphan. the hours i spent [studying myths] and fantasy and debating over minutiae of religious dogma and notions of apocalypse and the god's will now go into relationships and making a difference and [not] screening my friends based on religion has sure enriched my life.
my growth, joy and maturity [were stunted] by christianity. in other words, all the time, treasure and thought i put into a [lie] and a [fraud] is now put into enjoying life and enjoying people and trying to make something of this life and this world because there won't be another. i [no longer have to struggle] with the concept of a god of torture who demands flattery and who gives eternal agony for temporal errors. i no longer have to struggle with a god whose ego is more fragile than my own, who is jealous, vengeful, petty and whose best offer to his children's an eternity of kissing his butt and telling him [how pretty] he is.
but at its [essence], i left the church because the claims were either probably false or improbable, and the notion of a god that gives us a brain and tells us not to use it, a god who [embodies] some of our [own worst traits], just made [no sense]. any one can change their life with any religion. moslems and jews and buddhists would all say their religion changed their lives. but for me, religion had to be more than a lifestyle that changed how i felt and what i did. it also had to be objectively true and it simply is not.  sorry if this post offends you but it's just how it is and how i feel.  and no, i haven't found hatred or intolerance here and you won't either if you decide to stay.

I don't give deity credit for things that I don't understand.  I simply accept that there are things that I don't understand. I am deeply spiritual. I do believe in the power of faith and I admit that is a belief.

I don't deny that God may exist. But I see no "evidence" of God either.  I thought that I was an atheist once, but I don't consider myself to be one now.  My hubby says he's a bochalist.  I tell people I'm a druid.  Neither have any basis in reality

Cindi

I became an atheist at age 12, at 20 evolved to agnostic. I am Jewish, and that's an important part of my life, however I'm also still agnostic.

zythyra

I just find it amusing how Americans distrust atheists more than muslims, gays, and etc. :3

It's like my strange worship of matter must be evil. Yet, we're all made of matter. We all use matter to make things. We all need matter to exist. We are simply matter. Some will claim I have a subjective, morality, yet my morals depend on one universal constant: human reasoning. So long as things are objective in their properties, to be isolated and integrated as knowledge, there will always be a code of behavior for which I will obey to ensure my life, liberty, and property here on Earth. And that probably makes me a moral [not the only moral though, I think old Penn Jillette is... :3] compare to most people that tend toward doing what they feel like without regard to consequences. Yet, still I am called immoral, amoral, and evil. Go figure.

-- Bridget

Im an atheist because:

1. Why would a superior being want us to constantly feed glory to him?
2. Why would a superior being create a world just to let it get on with things without his intervention?
3. Why must we pray to a superior being? Does that imply that by doing so, we are able to change his mind or influence him?
4. I believe religion tends to explain things that science cant. Now, science is able to rationalise, so religion is becoming increasingly illogical.

I am not an atheist.
To me, the Universe is my Divine Being. Not a thinking person, not an entity, but a divinity. It doesn't think in itself, but everything is part of it, and thinking creatures are some of the many, countless things that are a part of the Divine.
It is an 'it;' it doesn't have a gender, it doesn't have a will, and it doesn't think. It doesn't speak. But it opens up to people; it has opened up to me. That sounds.. Prophetic, and sadly insane, and I don't mean anything... 'Divine' with it, or miraculous. It's just the feeling of.. One-ness; being loved simply for being a part of something. Being precious because you are a part of everything...

Okay; this does look like I'm losing my mind... *grumbles*
No; I don't worship a god. I wouldn't worship a god if I were to be religious. And I don't think there's a higher being or a higher force or a whatnot. To me, it's just everything, and everything is all there is. And there's something nice to think of.. Everyday stuff is holy. Because it's part of everything. Everywhere is something shiny and beautiful to see, if only you'd look.

Quote from: Fer on March 31, 2007, 11:34:38 PM
Im an atheist because:

1. Why would a superior being want us to constantly feed glory to him?
2. Why would a superior being create a world just to let it get on with things without his intervention?
3. Why must we pray to a superior being? Does that imply that by doing so, we are able to change his mind or influence him?
4. I believe religion tends to explain things that science cant. Now, science is able to rationalise, so religion is becoming increasingly illogical.

Fer,

I'm reading from the same book! God would not require servitude. Why would God need our support and adoration? 

We have invented many things in the name of religion to define things we can not explain.

Cindi

I was brought up atheist. Have remained so. Just missing the god gene I guess. I don't care if others believe. It's just not my thing.

Dennis

Quote from: Tink on April 01, 2007, 02:20:34 AM
I will probably be questioned for saying this since I have never posted anything of this nature on these forums.  In the last year, I have been examining things, questioning events, observing how the world is going, wondering about stuff, and right now, I feel that you may all be right; there might not be a God after all.  Am I becoming atheist?  is this possible?  I don\\\'t  know.  I am still extremely confused about this and don\\\'t be surprised if I decide to edit this post later on.

tink

It seems that youre realizing the truth, that theres nothing up there. I was  brought in a strict catholic family and served as an alter boy several times a week. But lost faith in the Catholic church around 9 - 10 years old.  I saw that very few people seemed to think about the strong statements they were making in mass. I saw my mother compelled to put money in the plate twice every Sunday, even though she was raising five kids on a widows pension.  I saw them changing the churchs definition of truth to suit the times. 
Every week, during the readings from the bible and in school I would be puzzled by the bibles contradictions and how totally wacky the old testament was. By the time I was 13 - 14, I had realised if Jesus existed, that he was just a man. I searched through all sorts of philosophies and religions trying to find somthing that seemed to make sense.  One day when I was about 18, it hit me. There is no supreme being or higher intelligence, and when you die youre dead.  Once it hit me, it seemed so obvious. It is the only thing that makes sense and can be backed up by physical evidence.  It has given me a great sense of freedom and a realisation of just how important it is to make the most of life.  youll do fine tink.

Growing up in church, I was always struck with the sense something was very wrong with the people there. Even as a child, I could sense that their need to believe in a God shorted out their rationality.

Today, I basically feel the same way, only more strongly. It's not so much that I'm convinced that God doesn't exist, because I don't think there's data either way. What I am convinced of is most Christians are fools, liars and generally evil. Maybe it's the same in other religions, but I wasn't raised in them.

So - my belief is not so much that God doesn't exist, because I don't know. My belief is that Christians are  insincere, delusional, and dangerousl. That's what I am certian about.

(Please read this

Bri

I guess in a sence Im atheist....

I dont believe in god persay... I dont necicarily believe in a greater power... so technicly Im not agnostic.
What I do believe in is the power of the human spirit, hence my saying that man is god... which really bothers some people for some reason...  But the universe existed before us and will exist after us... unless ofcorse it only exists in our imagination in which everything came and goes with us LoL.

Im a very spiritual yet scientific person, seemingly totaly unique in my opinions of faith. Its wierd but I like it.

Dear Friends,

I am not an atheist.  However I am not a believer in fire and brimstone either.

I have found that insensitive humans create harm to fellow human beings not God.

I have been made to feel ashamed for being different by fellow human beings.  God loves me regardless of my gender.  I hide from people not from God.

People tell me Jesus Christ was a peaceful conservative human.  Jesus Christ was the most radical human being that ever lived.  His friends came from all walks of life including tax collectors, thieves, prostitutes, murderers, and any one else that asked to be his friend.  At one moment of his life he turned over the money tables at another moment he reattached an ear to one of his captures before he was crucified. 

An agnostic is a person that does not know if God exists.  An atheist is absolutely sure that God does not exist.

The bible is as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago.  When all is hopeless for me then God sends me few atheists to save me from myself.  This is rather ironic.

God does not place you here to suffer.  People make other people suffer.

I see miracles every day.  I do not see a heaven and hell as is tradtionally preached.  I see heaven and hell as a place for spiritual beings to exist.   If you have faith to believe in goodness and kindness then  your spiritual being will live in goodness and kindness and vice versa.

God sent a nonbeliever fellow atheists so that the nonbeliever would believe.

And yes I love you regardless of your beliefs because you are my friends.   

Wendy

QuoteI will probably be questioned for saying this since I have never posted anything of this nature on these forums.  In the last year, I have been examining things, questioning events, observing how the world is going, wondering about stuff, and right now, I feel that you may all be right; there might not be a God after all.  Am I becoming atheist?  is this possible?  I don't know.

Tink,

I think it's truly wonderful that you're asking these questions. I am a deeply spiritual person, and being Jewish is a very important part of me, however I also am agnostic, and have been for 30+ years, lol. I really don't know if g-d exists at all, or whether humans simply created g-d because we need the idea of g-d to exist, as some great philosophers have suggested. Perhaps it's some of both. I suppose that I'll find out the answer someday, when I take leave of this earthly reality. Until then, I'll enjoy asking questions and discovering my purpose in llfe, and learning how to use  this gift of my transgender nature.

zythyra

I went through an atheist phase when I was in high school, after I went thru the agnostic phase, which came after recovery from Catholicism. Yep, I too was raised a Catholic.
Later I became taoist, and then a spin in the MCC, after which I became a pagan/Goddess worshipper.

Tonight I do my Full Moon Ritual, so I'll pray for you all [kidding, just kidding....]

I try my best to be respectful of everyone's spiritual beliefs, or non-belief as it were.

So, is atheism a secular religion?   >

Thundra <== button pusher

Quote from: Thundra on April 03, 2007, 12:30:49 AM

So, is atheism a secular religion?   >

Thundra <== button pusher

I think for some people it is. They're as fervently atheist as others are fervently religious. For others, it's just a question of not having that in your life. For me, I don't define myself by it, it's just not there. I don't play golf either and the absence of golf in my life is no more notable to me than the absence of a god or goddess.

Dennis

Nah, my religion is Life. As long as I'm alive I'm worshiping every day! :3

-- Brede

Quote from: Fer on April 02, 2007, 07:56:11 PM
It seems that youre realizing the truth, that theres nothing up there.

^{*raises eyebrow*}

The 'truth' for you is not the 'truth' for everyone dear.

What makes you think that what Religion says is what really is? Are you sure they are not just like you, doing the best that they can with the information that they have?

Could it possibly be that there is more than you realize, in a context that you have no basis to understand?

What happens if all 'God' wants is to be loved? Nothing else, just loved.



Believe what you wish of course, but I, among others, do care.


Fyi, I started out basically atheist. ^*smile* I find that rather amusing really.

Truth: That which conforms to Nature.
So there is one truth, it's just a matter if you accept the definition, because I'm a Naturalist, thus my definition is as defined. :3

-- Brede