I don't get Atheism

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'll bite the bullet. You're very young, or very dumb, or both.

And it has nothing to do with you being religious. You sound like you believe because that's what you think you're supposed to be (ie, "was born and will die a Catholic"). Like you don't have an option, and that it's the paradigm you're in no matter what.

There are a lot of intelligent religious people who make informed and educated understandings about faith and religion. They really research. They believe they have a choice about what to believe and identify as. They don't just go to church because it's what they're supposed to be and die as, but because of a sincere search.

So maybe you have some growing up to do, or maybe you should really study religion (not just Catholicism, but other traditions) so you have an informed understanding. You could be young, you could be dumb, but it has nothing to do with belief/unbelief.

I have an option and I've made my choice. At the same time I openly question my faith because their are parts of it I don't agree with and more stuff I'd like to understand. Why did God make me this way, why don't I look like this, why do I have go through these trials and tribulations...that stuff. I'm fairly knowledgeable about other religions, so I don't know why you would think I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, God is real, my Atheist dad is in heaven, the rest of my family is in heaven and there is no reason to think otherwise.

But why did you start the thread?
Did you accomplish what you'd hoped?

Pretty sure that she/he did. It's a good day to troll .

OP here, I'm not a fucking troll you asshole. I started this thread because I don't get why people are turning to Atheism more and more as time goes on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, they assume I'm dumb specifically because I'm religious. Don't act like Atheists are somehow more tolerant than religious folks because that is bullshit

Yes, we are. We never waged a war in the name of god, or allah, or whatever.

But history's mass murders are all...Atheist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never get the weird obsession some people who identify as religious have with atheism. Why are there so many threads about atheists? It's so odd.

I would imagine that they either take it very personally or are genuinely concerned for the afterlife of people who do not believe. I had a friend who really believed that people who did not believe in God (as she understood God) were going to an actual, real, physical hell. She did not want people she cared about to experience that kind of suffering. It wasn't smug, it wasn't dismissive. She treated it more like the concern I would feel for someone who was driving drunk or playing Russian Roulette, but without the outside chance of survival involved with those things.

Me, I don't believe, but it's not a big part of my life what other people believe. If the OP feels comforted by her Catholicism, I think that's great. If the OP is getting shit from her friends for her Catholicism, I think that's terrible, not because I think that Catholicism is great but because people who criticize religion for being too judgmental should know better than to judge.

1. I'm not a girl

2. I don't get shit from my friends because they aren't the one's talking shit about me and my views. They're all Atheists, but they aren't intolerant assholes like most I've encountered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'll bite the bullet. You're very young, or very dumb, or both.

And it has nothing to do with you being religious. You sound like you believe because that's what you think you're supposed to be (ie, "was born and will die a Catholic"). Like you don't have an option, and that it's the paradigm you're in no matter what.

There are a lot of intelligent religious people who make informed and educated understandings about faith and religion. They really research. They believe they have a choice about what to believe and identify as. They don't just go to church because it's what they're supposed to be and die as, but because of a sincere search.

So maybe you have some growing up to do, or maybe you should really study religion (not just Catholicism, but other traditions) so you have an informed understanding. You could be young, you could be dumb, but it has nothing to do with belief/unbelief.

I have an option and I've made my choice. At the same time I openly question my faith because their are parts of it I don't agree with and more stuff I'd like to understand. Why did God make me this way, why don't I look like this, why do I have go through these trials and tribulations...that stuff. I'm fairly knowledgeable about other religions, so I don't know why you would think I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, God is real, my Atheist dad is in heaven, the rest of my family is in heaven and there is no reason to think otherwise.

But why did you start the thread?
Did you accomplish what you'd hoped?

Pretty sure that she/he did. It's a good day to troll .

OP here, I'm not a fucking troll you asshole. I started this thread because I don't get why people are turning to Atheism more and more as time goes on.

I think the better question is why it is taking the U.S. so long to become more atheist/non affiliated. http://www.gallup.com/poll/142727/religiosity-highest-world-poorest-nations.aspx

Developed countries tend to have lower percentages of religious people because they don't need it as much. We have science to explain the world around us, healthcare to keep us from dying young, abundant food, and just less uncertainty and despair in general. There is less need to believe in something else when everything is going well. If your life is really difficult then it is comforting to believe that there is something better awaiting you once you die, or that there is a grand plan or purpose for your life.

As for the whole "there are no atheists in a crashing plane" trope: 1. How many plane crash survivors are out there that can attest to this kind of bullshittery? 2. Fear as a primary motivator for belief is not very convincing to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'll bite the bullet. You're very young, or very dumb, or both.

And it has nothing to do with you being religious. You sound like you believe because that's what you think you're supposed to be (ie, "was born and will die a Catholic"). Like you don't have an option, and that it's the paradigm you're in no matter what.

There are a lot of intelligent religious people who make informed and educated understandings about faith and religion. They really research. They believe they have a choice about what to believe and identify as. They don't just go to church because it's what they're supposed to be and die as, but because of a sincere search.

So maybe you have some growing up to do, or maybe you should really study religion (not just Catholicism, but other traditions) so you have an informed understanding. You could be young, you could be dumb, but it has nothing to do with belief/unbelief.

I have an option and I've made my choice. At the same time I openly question my faith because their are parts of it I don't agree with and more stuff I'd like to understand. Why did God make me this way, why don't I look like this, why do I have go through these trials and tribulations...that stuff. I'm fairly knowledgeable about other religions, so I don't know why you would think I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, God is real, my Atheist dad is in heaven, the rest of my family is in heaven and there is no reason to think otherwise.

But why did you start the thread?
Did you accomplish what you'd hoped?

Pretty sure that she/he did. It's a good day to troll .

OP here, I'm not a fucking troll you asshole. I started this thread because I don't get why people are turning to Atheism more and more as time goes on.

I think the better question is why it is taking the U.S. so long to become more atheist/non affiliated. http://www.gallup.com/poll/142727/religiosity-highest-world-poorest-nations.aspx

Developed countries tend to have lower percentages of religious people because they don't need it as much. We have science to explain the world around us, healthcare to keep us from dying young, abundant food, and just less uncertainty and despair in general. There is less need to believe in something else when everything is going well. If your life is really difficult then it is comforting to believe that there is something better awaiting you once you die, or that there is a grand plan or purpose for your life.

As for the whole "there are no atheists in a crashing plane" trope: 1. How many plane crash survivors are out there that can attest to this kind of bullshittery? 2. Fear as a primary motivator for belief is not very convincing to me.

Why should the U.S. become Atheist/Non-affiliated? If people want to be religious let them.

[Anonymous]

OP here, I'm not a fucking troll you asshole. I started this thread because I don't get why people are turning to Atheism more and more as time goes on.

I think the better question is why it is taking the U.S. so long to become more atheist/non affiliated. http://www.gallup.com/poll/142727/religiosity-highest-world-poorest-nations.aspx

Developed countries tend to have lower percentages of religious people because they don't need it as much. We have science to explain the world around us, healthcare to keep us from dying young, abundant food, and just less uncertainty and despair in general. There is less need to believe in something else when everything is going well. If your life is really difficult then it is comforting to believe that there is something better awaiting you once you die, or that there is a grand plan or purpose for your life.

As for the whole "there are no atheists in a crashing plane" trope: 1. How many plane crash survivors are out there that can attest to this kind of bullshittery? 2. Fear as a primary motivator for belief is not very convincing to me.

Why should the U.S. become Atheist/Non-affiliated? If people want to be religious let them.

I didn't say that the U.S. should become atheist/non-affiliation, that's a value judgement. I'm simply pointing out that the U.S. is a bit of an anomaly in that it is a wealthy, industrialized country and still very religious. Recent trends in the country are towards less religion, but we are still much more religious that most other industrialized nations.

[Anonymous]

You make it seem like its a problem. Most Christians aren't bible thumping assholes, but you wouldn't know that when speaking to the young Atheists running around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You make it seem like its a problem. Most Christians aren't bible thumping assholes, but you wouldn't know that when speaking to the young Atheists running around.

I never stated that is was a problem. It's an interesting societal phenomenon in the U.S. Some suggest that the high prevalence of religious beliefs in this country are the result of income inequality, but that's probably only part of the puzzle.

[Anonymous]

So what you're saying is: Most blacks are poor; most blacks are religious. The only reason why blacks are religious, is because they are poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what you're saying is: Most blacks are poor; most blacks are religious. The only reason why blacks are religious, is because they are poor.

I never said anything about race. You must be confusing me with another poster, or are deliberately being combative.

[Anonymous]

I'm just taking what you said is a possible reason for America's penchant for religion. Do you deny that black people as a race are mostly poor? Do you deny that blacks are a very religious group?

I can't use this analogy with any other group accept Hispanics.

[Anonymous]

I am as close to agnostic as one gets, but I see why people tend to avoid atheists. The majority of them are young sanctimonious assholes. The degree of self-aggrandizing is astonishing. I'm not sure whether the reason lies withing their faith (humans and their experience is the pinnacle of the Universe), or it is just the Millennials thing. Their self-absorbtion is annoying, if you ask me.

[Anonymous]

Murderous "religious" asshole -

http://www.salon.com/2015/03/24/decapitate_her_head_off_phil_robertsons_vile_message_to_atheists/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm just taking what you said is a possible reason for America's penchant for religion. Do you deny that black people as a race are mostly poor? Do you deny that blacks are a very religious group?

I can't use this analogy with any other group accept Hispanics.

This doesn't even make sense. Black people in the U.S. account for only 13% of the population. There is no way that their religiousness as a group would have more than a minor effect on the overall religiousness of the country. Stop trying to make it about race.

[Anonymous]

OP it seems there is a lot you "don't get" just yet in your life.

It doesn't matter if you understand what I believe/don't believe or not. I'll live my life, you live yours.