Discover Atheism

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a pretty non religious place and no one I knew really took religion or god seriously, in fact it was weird if you did, and it still a functioning society with laws and justice etc. I find all the current religious ideas of god very lacking. I used to want to be religious, but now I'm very much at peace as an atheist. like the PP I find the universe/nature awe-inspiring.

FWIW, I was raised without religion until I was a teen, when my father became a full on Christian. Then I got all the "you're a heathen" bollocks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a pretty non religious place and no one I knew really took religion or god seriously, in fact it was weird if you did, and it still a functioning society with laws and justice etc. I find all the current religious ideas of god very lacking. I used to want to be religious, but now I'm very much at peace as an atheist. like the PP I find the universe/nature awe-inspiring.

This is pretty much me. I had a close friend in middle school who was mildly religious and I joined her at church a few times out of curiosity and also went on a youth group trip. I liked the sense of community but never bought into the "faith" side. Around that same time I had some extended family members join a "born again" church and to me it they seemed like they went mad. Even now I really don't understand some of their actions. And they've been very hateful to me and other members of my family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a pretty non religious place and no one I knew really took religion or god seriously, in fact it was weird if you did, and it still a functioning society with laws and justice etc. I find all the current religious ideas of god very lacking. I used to want to be religious, but now I'm very much at peace as an atheist. like the PP I find the universe/nature awe-inspiring.

This is pretty much me. I had a close friend in middle school who was mildly religious and I joined her at church a few times out of curiosity and also went on a youth group trip. I liked the sense of community but never bought into the "faith" side. Around that same time I had some extended family members join a "born again" church and to me it they seemed like they went mad. Even now I really don't understand some of their actions. And they've been very hateful to me and other members of my family.

PP here - I can relate to that. Praying in tongues the whole bit, raving on about sin and how god will punish us all for our sins and how every natural event is because god is angry...yeah. it seems very odd to me too.

that said, I've known some religious people in my life who are fantastic people.

[Anonymous]

Gradual process beginning with Catholic school. Doubt with lessons that were contradictory, weird rules, and women's status. Eventually and the threads of belief wore thin, I finally just gave up trying.

The universe is interesting and fascinating and I waver between atheism and agnosticism. But Christianity to me is equivalent to believing in the tooth fairy. A tooth fairy who is angry and arbitrary and narcissistic; if adore me enough and beg me through prayer and I may just help you out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was always agnostic. One day I was watching Law and Order SVU and I turned atheist. Nobody care about my beliefs, my grandmother is praying for me, she wishes I was baptized, but it doesn't have any impact on our relationship.

If you read the Bible, you'll read where God tells us not to have sex outside marriage. I've seen SVU. It's about people committing sex crimes, which God not only doesn't condone but commands against. So you decided there's no God because you watched a TV show that shows the ugly consequences that occur when people disobey Him?

If you DID believe in God, would you appreciate it if He made you always do the right thing, or always kept you from doing the wrong thing? I doubt it. Much of what you think is no big deal, He does think is a big deal. Jesus said to even lust after someone is to sin. But you have free will, which includes the will to harm yourself and others. I don't know why the bad things happen, but they don't happen because it's God's idea, and the fact of them happening doesn't mean there's no God, or that He can't sort out justice in due time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a pretty non religious place and no one I knew really took religion or god seriously, in fact it was weird if you did, and it still a functioning society with laws and justice etc. I find all the current religious ideas of god very lacking. I used to want to be religious, but now I'm very much at peace as an atheist. like the PP I find the universe/nature awe-inspiring.

This is pretty much me. I had a close friend in middle school who was mildly religious and I joined her at church a few times out of curiosity and also went on a youth group trip. I liked the sense of community but never bought into the "faith" side. Around that same time I had some extended family members join a "born again" church and to me it they seemed like they went mad. Even now I really don't understand some of their actions. And they've been very hateful to me and other members of my family.

PP here - I can relate to that. Praying in tongues the whole bit, raving on about sin and how god will punish us all for our sins and how every natural event is because god is angry...yeah. it seems very odd to me too.

that said, I've known some religious people in my life who are fantastic people.

Well...

1. The speaking in tongues thing as it's practiced in pentecostal churches is not modeled on anything biblically. You can see the references to it in Acts as speaking a known language. This is not what is practiced in this strain of Christianity.
2. God will indeed punish unforgiven sin, but He gave us a way to be forgiven through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, Christians are told to judge fellow believers, because believers are both a living temple of God and because they are a testimony of their belief. But we are not told to judge unbelievers. You can see this in 1 Corinthians 5:11-12. We are all sinners, and Christians are told to offer the good news of Christ's forgiveness, not condemnation.
3. Jesus said bad things will happen in this world, but he cautioned people against thinking that everything is a judgment, as in Luke 13:1-5.

The problem is that many believers haven't learned Christian theology enough to represent it at all points. We are supposed to learn and know this so we can be good witnesses for the faith. But the solution is not to not believe but to learn what Christianity truly teaches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was always agnostic. One day I was watching Law and Order SVU and I turned atheist. Nobody care about my beliefs, my grandmother is praying for me, she wishes I was baptized, but it doesn't have any impact on our relationship.

If you read the Bible, you'll read where God tells us not to have sex outside marriage. I've seen SVU. It's about people committing sex crimes, which God not only doesn't condone but commands against. So you decided there's no God because you watched a TV show that shows the ugly consequences that occur when people disobey Him?

If you DID believe in God, would you appreciate it if He made you always do the right thing, or always kept you from doing the wrong thing? I doubt it. Much of what you think is no big deal, He does think is a big deal. Jesus said to even lust after someone is to sin. But you have free will, which includes the will to harm yourself and others. I don't know why the bad things happen, but they don't happen because it's God's idea, and the fact of them happening doesn't mean there's no God, or that He can't sort out justice in due time.

wrong thread. go proselytize on a new thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a pretty non religious place and no one I knew really took religion or god seriously, in fact it was weird if you did, and it still a functioning society with laws and justice etc. I find all the current religious ideas of god very lacking. I used to want to be religious, but now I'm very much at peace as an atheist. like the PP I find the universe/nature awe-inspiring.

This is pretty much me. I had a close friend in middle school who was mildly religious and I joined her at church a few times out of curiosity and also went on a youth group trip. I liked the sense of community but never bought into the "faith" side. Around that same time I had some extended family members join a "born again" church and to me it they seemed like they went mad. Even now I really don't understand some of their actions. And they've been very hateful to me and other members of my family.

PP here - I can relate to that. Praying in tongues the whole bit, raving on about sin and how god will punish us all for our sins and how every natural event is because god is angry...yeah. it seems very odd to me too.

that said, I've known some religious people in my life who are fantastic people.

Well...

1. The speaking in tongues thing as it's practiced in pentecostal churches is not modeled on anything biblically. You can see the references to it in Acts as speaking a known language. This is not what is practiced in this strain of Christianity.
2. God will indeed punish unforgiven sin, but He gave us a way to be forgiven through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, Christians are told to judge fellow believers, because believers are both a living temple of God and because they are a testimony of their belief. But we are not told to judge unbelievers. You can see this in 1 Corinthians 5:11-12. We are all sinners, and Christians are told to offer the good news of Christ's forgiveness, not condemnation.
3. Jesus said bad things will happen in this world, but he cautioned people against thinking that everything is a judgment, as in Luke 13:1-5.

The problem is that many believers haven't learned Christian theology enough to represent it at all points. We are supposed to learn and know this so we can be good witnesses for the faith. But the solution is not to not believe but to learn what Christianity truly teaches.

^ example of speaking in tongues?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a pretty non religious place and no one I knew really took religion or god seriously, in fact it was weird if you did, and it still a functioning society with laws and justice etc. I find all the current religious ideas of god very lacking. I used to want to be religious, but now I'm very much at peace as an atheist. like the PP I find the universe/nature awe-inspiring.

This is pretty much me. I had a close friend in middle school who was mildly religious and I joined her at church a few times out of curiosity and also went on a youth group trip. I liked the sense of community but never bought into the "faith" side. Around that same time I had some extended family members join a "born again" church and to me it they seemed like they went mad. Even now I really don't understand some of their actions. And they've been very hateful to me and other members of my family.

PP here - I can relate to that. Praying in tongues the whole bit, raving on about sin and how god will punish us all for our sins and how every natural event is because god is angry...yeah. it seems very odd to me too.

that said, I've known some religious people in my life who are fantastic people.

Well...

1. The speaking in tongues thing as it's practiced in pentecostal churches is not modeled on anything biblically. You can see the references to it in Acts as speaking a known language. This is not what is practiced in this strain of Christianity.
2. God will indeed punish unforgiven sin, but He gave us a way to be forgiven through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, Christians are told to judge fellow believers, because believers are both a living temple of God and because they are a testimony of their belief. But we are not told to judge unbelievers. You can see this in 1 Corinthians 5:11-12. We are all sinners, and Christians are told to offer the good news of Christ's forgiveness, not condemnation.
3. Jesus said bad things will happen in this world, but he cautioned people against thinking that everything is a judgment, as in Luke 13:1-5.

The problem is that many believers haven't learned Christian theology enough to represent it at all points. We are supposed to learn and know this so we can be good witnesses for the faith. But the solution is not to not believe but to learn what Christianity truly teaches.

I assume this is the reason that Trump enjoyed 80% of the evangelical vote?

I know, this is not a political threat...I'm sorry to bring it up. I promise I am not making assumptions about how you personally vote, PP. It's just I'm the atheist that great up evangelical (though it was called "fundamentalist" in the 90s) and so I do have a solid base of knowledge about what the Bible teaches. A Christian's life is their testimony and the strongest witness to the "truth" of the Bible. I still believe that, actually. In that the way one acts is a testament to what is in their hearts. And I do believe the message of Christ is worthy of following, I just lack the faith part.

And so with that, I am absolutely disgusted and appalled at the marriage of politics and modern American Christianity. It's not all Christians, obviously, but it's nearly all that I grew up knowing. And their testimony of late has made me even more at peace with state of nonbelief.

PP, I don't know you or what is in your heart. But as you are in an atheist here representing Christianity, I just need to make sure you understand how Christians are being perceived.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a pretty non religious place and no one I knew really took religion or god seriously, in fact it was weird if you did, and it still a functioning society with laws and justice etc. I find all the current religious ideas of god very lacking. I used to want to be religious, but now I'm very much at peace as an atheist. like the PP I find the universe/nature awe-inspiring.

This is pretty much me. I had a close friend in middle school who was mildly religious and I joined her at church a few times out of curiosity and also went on a youth group trip. I liked the sense of community but never bought into the "faith" side. Around that same time I had some extended family members join a "born again" church and to me it they seemed like they went mad. Even now I really don't understand some of their actions. And they've been very hateful to me and other members of my family.

PP here - I can relate to that. Praying in tongues the whole bit, raving on about sin and how god will punish us all for our sins and how every natural event is because god is angry...yeah. it seems very odd to me too.

that said, I've known some religious people in my life who are fantastic people.

Well...

1. The speaking in tongues thing as it's practiced in pentecostal churches is not modeled on anything biblically. You can see the references to it in Acts as speaking a known language. This is not what is practiced in this strain of Christianity.
2. God will indeed punish unforgiven sin, but He gave us a way to be forgiven through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, Christians are told to judge fellow believers, because believers are both a living temple of God and because they are a testimony of their belief. But we are not told to judge unbelievers. You can see this in 1 Corinthians 5:11-12. We are all sinners, and Christians are told to offer the good news of Christ's forgiveness, not condemnation.
3. Jesus said bad things will happen in this world, but he cautioned people against thinking that everything is a judgment, as in Luke 13:1-5.

The problem is that many believers haven't learned Christian theology enough to represent it at all points. We are supposed to learn and know this so we can be good witnesses for the faith. But the solution is not to not believe but to learn what Christianity truly teaches.

This is a solution for people who are Christian or who want to become Christian or stay Christian. It is not a solution for people who were never Christian or who have rejected Christianity or all religious belief.

[Anonymous]

I TOLD ALL OF YOU THAT ATHEISM WAS A RELIGION!!!!!!

SEE???????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was always agnostic. One day I was watching Law and Order SVU and I turned atheist. Nobody care about my beliefs, my grandmother is praying for me, she wishes I was baptized, but it doesn't have any impact on our relationship.

If you read the Bible, you'll read where God tells us not to have sex outside marriage. I've seen SVU. It's about people committing sex crimes, which God not only doesn't condone but commands against. So you decided there's no God because you watched a TV show that shows the ugly consequences that occur when people disobey Him?

If you DID believe in God, would you appreciate it if He made you always do the right thing, or always kept you from doing the wrong thing? I doubt it. Much of what you think is no big deal, He does think is a big deal. Jesus said to even lust after someone is to sin. But you have free will, which includes the will to harm yourself and others. I don't know why the bad things happen, but they don't happen because it's God's idea, and the fact of them happening doesn't mean there's no God, or that He can't sort out justice in due time.

This line of thought can be successful with people who want to maintain or renew their faith, but fails with people who do not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I TOLD ALL OF YOU THAT ATHEISM WAS A RELIGION!!!!!!

SEE???????

Explain, please

[Anonymous]

After I had children. I realized that no God could allow something innocent and perfect to suffer the way so many children do (abuse, hunger, neglect). Humans are in charge and they are generally terrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I TOLD ALL OF YOU THAT ATHEISM WAS A RELIGION!!!!!!

SEE???????

Idiot.