My name is Katia, and I'm an Atheist

[katia]

although many people believe that atheists believe in nothing (as evidenced by some answers on this board), most of us know that's not true. atheists simply don't believe in god(s). period. but we believe in something and god is certainly not everything. what do you believe in?

i believe more in atom-ism than anything. it is the idea that we're all made of atoms, which are indestructible, but modifiable. these eternal building blocks get changed and reused (like soda cans, bad analogy, but oh well) over time. so, i'm a collection of particles from the universe and once i die, i will slowly decay and become a part of it again. here on earth it means that i am made of the same stuff as the planet, the plants, animals, air, sky, the molten core. i am made of the same stuff as the dinosaurs, and as the first man. it's the idea that i am one with the universe, not removed from it in any way.

I still respect the regular customs though, as in even though i believe this, and the most efficient way to deal with death would be a sky burial, i'm not planning to go that route. i still say i'd rather go with cryogenics after i die, in the slim hope that i may be brought back, because in the end i like being me.

i also believe in genetics and evolution. the idea that everything that was before (sort of) is in me, and the idea that i am one in a long string of those that came before, and those that will come after.

as for other stuff, supernatural stuff, i'm not so pompous as to think i know everything. there's plenty out there that is yet to be understood, even on planet earth, and to think otherwise is just to be a pompous jerk. i do believe that there's a lot of people who want to deceive though, and that's a right shame.

so those are my views.

[rhonda13000]

Of necessity, it's a 'belief system'.

Not a rational one, but a belief system nonetheless.

You're pretty cool, Katia. 

[MeganRose]

Nihilism is a concept that I find to be intrinsically unsettling, and ultimately impossible.

I think that humanity tends to define itself by what it considers to have had a hand in its creation, whether it be through faith in an omniscient God, or acceptance of a pure science model of creation, or anything in between.

We all believe in something. And we are all human.

Megan

[rhonda13000]

Nihilism is a concept that I find to be intrinsically unsettling, and ultimately impossible.

I think that humanity tends to define itself by what it considers to have had a hand in its creation, whether it be through faith in an omniscient God, or acceptance of a pure science model of creation, or anything in between.

We all believe in something. And we are all human.

Megan

I still believe in Santa Claus. Does that count for anything?   

[Renae.Lupini]

I too am an atheist (big shocker there) and believe that science outweighs religion in how how our world is constructed. I do not put down others for their religious beliefs as long as they keep them to themselves. I have a long in depth reasoning for my beliefs that would take up way too time to write out here. One thing i can say that is a benefit of being an atheist is that i don't have the self-consciousness of going hell or not. I live a good life and treat people with respect not because i want to go to heaven but because it is the humanitarian thing to do.

[Dorothy]

Hi Katia, Great thread.
There are so many things that I believe in.  I believe in the power of human commitment. I believe that the human mind is a very powerful device if one is able to harness its full potential. I have faith just like everybody else, but that faith lies within me. I feel that I am the master of myself and in absolute control of my future. I know right from wrong and have good values. Some people need religion in their lives to instill such discipline, to inspire themselves; others can find their own guidance and direction. If you believe what someone else preaches to you, you are surrendering your freedom. One should only accept what he or she in their own capacity can justify. Blind faith suggests vulnerability. Faith is a powerful phenomenon and is necessary for human existence, but it must be well founded and have some basis that you can actually get a grip on.

[MeganRose]

I still believe in Santa Claus. Does that count for anything?   

As long as you don't consider him to be the creator of the universe .

Megan

[Cindi Jones]

What?  None of you believe in "Intelligent Design"? 

Cindi

[Shana A]

My name is zythyra, and I'm agnostic (started out as an atheist) 

z

[Intertween]

I believe the universe is like a giant hologram. If a hologram is printed on glass and you break that glass, each piece contains the entire original picture (though with less resolution). I believe that we're each pieces of the universal hologram. Within each of us is everything else.

-- Sue

[cindybc]

Hi Katia

Just found this old thread and I am hopping to revise it. A very thought provoking thread

Two main hypotheses

The two main hypotheses agree that Homo erectus evolved in Africa and spread to the rest of the world around 1 - 2 million years ago; it is regarding our more recent history where they disagree.

Where do we come from?" This has been one of the fundamental questions asked by humans for thousands of years. DNA is present inside the nucleus of every cell of our body but it is the DNA of the cell's mitochondria that has been most commonly used to construct evolutionary trees. Evolution, could it be in our genetics? Even the genes beginning all he way back from  man #1 and woman #2

We still have the same genetic code within us as they did, Let's call them the first civilization. missing link from the higher order primates to the Neanderthal man.  The trail from Neanderthal to Cro-magnon, ostensibly the first human to walk upright with a more evolved mind, is pretty clear, as is on to Homo Sapiens. For the last 15 years or so, molecular anthropologists have been comparing the DNA of living humans of diverse origins to build evolutionary trees. Mutations occur in our DNA at a regular rate and will often be passed along to our children. It is these differences (polymorphisms) that, on a genotypic level, make us all unique and analysis of these differences will show how closely we are related. However, different approaches used by molecular and physical anthropologists have led to opposing views on how modern humans evolved from our archaic ancestors.

Prior to the Neanderthal is all a thick fog. Genetics may have had a big roll in this and adaptation, but then what was it that induced our genetics to change from a limited in intelligence Cro-magnon man to a more sophisticated highly intelligent being modern day man? To this day we still have some the genetic strands that go all the way back to those primitive times. Some identify them as inactive genetic strands. Was there some sort of genetic manipulation in progress all the way back in the earliest day of Cro-magnon man? Could this be the missing link? If so then who and what was it that did the genetic manipulation? Could it be that we were a product of supervised evolution? Possibly by a much higher intelligence then us?

Our Ancient DNA cousins from another galaxy on the other side of the universe. Highly intelligent benevolent  beings seeking only to reproduce their kind through us? North American Natives have a legend that says, we came from the stars, we are starseed who one day will return to the grandfather stars.

Cindy 

[lisagurl]

atheists simply don't believe in god(s). period.

An Atheist is someone who lacks the belief that there is a God or Gods.

This does not necessarily mean someone who is not religious, as for example Buddhism teaches that there is no God or Gods. Buddhists are often atheists.

Epistemological arguments
Further information: Agnostic atheism, Theological noncognitivism
Epistemological atheism argues that people cannot know God or determine the existence of God. The foundation of epistemological atheism is agnosticism, which takes a variety of forms. In the philosophy of immanence, divinity is inseparable from the world itself, including a person's mind, and each person's consciousness is locked in the subject. According to this form of agnosticism, this limitation in perspective prevents any objective inference from belief in a god to assertions of its existence. The rationalistic agnosticism of Kant and the Enlightenment only accepts knowledge deduced with human rationality; this form of atheism holds that gods are not discernible as a matter of principle, and therefore cannot be known to exist. Skepticism, based on the ideas of Hume, asserts that certainty about anything is impossible, so one can never know the existence of God. The allocation of agnosticism to atheism is disputed; it can also be regarded as an independent, basic world-view.[47]

Other forms of atheistic argumentation that may qualify as epistemological, including logical positivism and ignosticism, assert the meaninglessness or unintelligibility of basic terms such as "God" and statements such as "God is all-powerful". Theological noncognitivism holds that the statement "God exists" does not express a proposition, but is nonsensical or cognitively meaningless. It has been argued both ways as to whether such individuals classify into some form of atheism or agnosticism. Philosophers A. J. Ayer and Theodore M. Drange reject both categories, stating that both camps accept "God exists" as a proposition; they instead place noncognitivism in its own category

[cindybc]

This reality is an illustration representation within a "grid" of energy. It is the very essence and fabric of the universe. It is the energy that connects all. In the illustration the grid has boundaries. It had to be drawn that way for the sake of explanation. It has no beginning, no ending. I am of and in the Grid and when I have unconscious awareness. The grid shimmers with "current" or grid flux.

If you place the grid vertically you will see it makes a four-sided diamond shape, following creational/sacred geometry. It is the interlaced woven matrix of Universal Essence. When energy flows unobstructed the flux remains relativity even, though there is always intonation at all times. You can also see examples of how the shape forms other geometry for manifestation. Human DNA is configured by this geometry. In order for the flux to have different levels of intonation there must be a catalysis of some kind.

Space tells matter how to move. Matter tells space how to curve. Matter is the "diversification" of energy. Thought and action are two of the different types of catalysts. There must be movement of some kind to effect change. Change as we perceive it differs universally. Different "Laws" affect the consciousness of the grids - balance, neutrality as well as immutable laws - codes of energy that once put into motion cannot be stopped and must play out to the end of the program. How the laws effect us is in equal ratio to our own energy patterns.

Laws of Attraction apply here and what determines them is all our thoughts and actions and the types of experiences to which we have engaged whether it is this lifetime or another (The oneness of all sentient beings). Immutable energies can not be stopped, there are loop holes and they can be, in certain incidences, be alteration as to the way the event is channeled (to some degree) but not stopped completely Future event's can be manipulated in the same manner. All are within the oneness where all realities reside in.

Cindy

[Cindi Jones]

I was born, I will live, and I will die.

Somewhere in between, I'll have a margarita and enjoy spending time with some friends.

That's about all there is to it

Cindi

[cindybc]

"Hee, hee, hee!" Pass me a glass of some of that bubbly stuff sis Cindi

Cindy

[Stephen]

Like the thread.

While I am pagan I like learning, especially about other peoples beliefs. I have a friend who is atheist and find it fascinating. I would however, like to point out just because I happen to believe in the spirits (which I sometimes interchange with gods/goddesses) I do not believe in a hell nor a heaven just reincarnation. After reading about atom-ism, which I find fascinating I would like to learn more about it, I thought about reincarnation and while it doesn't work nearly the same way it does have the same basic idea that what is in the universe stays in the universe.

I understand things change and as more is found out and I learn more, my beliefs have room to grow and I tend to incorporate the new things I learn. In a sense I have my own religion. Really I should be using ideas instead of beliefs because as it was said in Dogma by Rufus, "You can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier. Beliefs anchor you to certain points and limit growth; new ideas can't generate."