Atheism and irreligion thread

[Zauriel]

I noticed a discussion thread about the Bible and Christianity. I wonder if I can make a thread about atheism on this board.

I apologize if my rejecting the God's existence has offended any forum members. If you take offense, then you can close this thread.

I am an atheist and I do not accept any religion in my life. I not only reject the organized religion, but I also do not believe divine beings like gods actually exist.

You can disparage my irreligious thoughts. You can criticize my lack of religious belief but I will not be discouraged to abandon my irreligion.

[jetengine]

I flit between Atheism and Agnosticism depending on my feelings.

[Kusanagi]

Atheist for close to about a decade, happened fairly slowly for me. Started back in my teens when the Religious right were making such a fuss about homosexuality, started questioning if we believed in the same god, then I started looking a bit harder at my own beliefs, started wondering what made my beliefs 'right' and other beliefs throughout history 'wrong'. Found I couldn't really answer that to any satisfaction.

I never had any negative experiences with my own church, I'd say the churches in my community were for the most part positive (not counting super churches which are a blight), and I don't begrudge anyone for believing, I just don't.

[Billy Batson]

In this moment, I am euphoric. Not because of any phony god's blessing. But because, I am englightened by my intelligence.

[Kirby101]

I am a non believer as well. I recently read an interesting article about atheism/agnosticism. It is sometimes mistakenly thought that atheism is that one is sure there is no God. This isn't so. Atheism, by definition is to be without belief in a God, ie, you have no theistic belief. If you don't believe in a God, whether it is the Judiac/Christian/Muslim God or the Hindu Gods or any other, you are an atheist. For example, if you say "I don't believe in any religions Gods, I just don't know what there is." You are agnostic, and an atheist. If you were to say, "I think there is some form of a God or being, I just don't think it is the ones described in the Bible or religious text" you are agnostic, but not an atheist. If that makes sense.
For my I have more of a naturalistic view of the Universe. Which is materialistic.

[stargazer01]

I believe in God (a superio being), but I respect those who don't. I just feel like the universe is so complex and beautiful to believe everything was an accident. Maybe I want to believe in God and life after we die because it makes me feel better and more secure and hopeful.

I used to go to church, but it's been like 20 years that I stopped being a religious person and being part of an organized religion and I feel very happy because I do what I want and think it's right for me and my family. I feel organized religion really just want my $. They aren't better than me. I mean, just look at the news and all the bad things organized religion have been part of for centuries..

I am spiritual. I believe in an spiritual realm. I also love the idea of Jesus and his story. I have read the bible, but I consider myself an independent Christian. As a woman, I often see how organized religion really just benefits men. Women feel like second class and that makes me angry because it's not fair.

[Celgress]

I'm an Agnostic. I'm a spiritual person but I don't adhere to any defined doctrine or known religion.

I find elements of Buddism very appealing both from a spiritual and philosophical point of view. I also find value in the teachings of Socrates and Jesus Christ (his actual teachings not the garbage that has been attached to them over the centuries), among other humanist thinkers.

I believe in the sanctity of all life, especially human life, that it should not be flippantly destroyed or devalued. Life (our own and that of others) is a gift, we should cherish it always.

I believe there is good and there is evil. Evil is rooted in selfishness. Good is rooted in selflessness.

I try to do good not out of fear of any divine punishment nor desire for divine reward but to make the world a better place and by extension myself a better person. If one only does good for selfish reasons you are missing the point of trying to be a better person and improving the world around you. Do good because it is the right thing to do not to gain the admiration of others.

[norj]

Anyone else here been compared to Hitler just because they are an atheist?

[Kirby101]

Anyone else here been compared to Hitler just because they are an atheist?

No, but remind them Hitler was not an atheist.

[Kirby101]

I'm an Agnostic. I'm a spiritual person but I don't adhere to any defined doctrine or known religion.

I find elements of Buddism very appealing both from a spiritual and philosophical point of view. I also find value in the teachings of Socrates and Jesus Christ (his actual teachings not the garbage that has been attached to them over the centuries), among other humanist thinkers.

I believe in the sanctity of all life, especially human life, that it should not be flippantly destroyed or devalued. Life (our own and that of others) is a gift, we should cherish it always.

I believe there is good and there is evil. Evil is rooted in selfishness. Good is rooted in selflessness.

I try to do good not out of fear of any divine punishment nor desire for divine reward but to make the world a better place and by extension myself a better person. If one only does good for selfish reasons you are missing the point of trying to be a better person and improving the world around you. Do good because it is the right thing to do not to gain the admiration of others.

You sound like a Humanist, which is a very good thing.

[Celgress]

Anyone else here been compared to Hitler just because they are an atheist?

No, Hitler's belief system was a weird nutty immoral hybrid between the pseudo-scientific and misinterpreted neo-paganism (more so Himmler in the latter case), from what I understand.

[Celgress]

You sound like a Humanist, which is a very good thing.

Yup, at least that is how I identify (as a Humanist) but I also respect animals. I will only consciously kill another living creature out of self dense, or if I and/or others were starving, or in extreme cases (when there is little if any hope of recovery) to end an animal's suffering.

[Silvermoth]

I tend to be more of an agnostic but I think some parts of religion are interesting in the same way I find Greek myth interesting

[Malvolio]

I consider myself a deist. I find it hard to believe that all the beautiful patterns in nature just came about by chance. That said, I don't believe in any of the nonsense that organized religion sets up as rationalizations for all kinds of evil, from war to greed to sexism and racism.

I was born and raised Jewish, was Bar Mitzahed, but I haven't gone to temple in over a decade for anything other than a wedding or funeral. I still obey a few Jewish rituals, fasting on Yom Kippur and eating matzo instead of bread during Passover, but that's about it. I do what I consider right because I want to help rather than hurt people, not because some deity told me so.

[Zauriel]

No, but remind them Hitler was not an atheist.

Maybe he was not an atheist but he can be considered as a theist who had anti-Christian views.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religi...f_Adolf_Hitler