I don't get Atheism

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I realized I didn't believe in God as an early teenager. Yes, I do think I am more intelligent than religious people. I also realize that is obnoxious and try not to engage much with religion. The idea of God just doesn't make sense.

I believe religion was created by man as a crutch and a way to explain things we could not understand. Now it has stuck around out of fear and politics.

The only reason God is capitalized is because of iPhone autocorrect .

You are what's wrong w/ Atheism today. Nothing but delusional upper middle class white folks with a chip on their shoulders

funny- it seems like it's the religious who are delusional and have the chip on the shoulder

Funny...I've heard atheists echo the same thing about these millennial's who practice Atheism. They're arrogant and look down on others who don't agree w/ them.[/quote]

Religious people can be that way too. No one group corners the market on arrogance.

No shit, but bot sides think the other corners the market.

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sez you

Truth hurts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why?

I'm 23 and supposedly most my age aren't religious, but I don't understand how you can just say you don't believe in God anymore? Do you think you're more intelligent because you're an Atheist? I'm pretty free thinking myself, so I obviously don't let religion influence my thinking. So what is it about Atheism that is appealing to you all?

I've always been a Christian and have a close atheist friend. As we've talked over the years I've come to feel that faith / atheism for us is kind of like sexual orientation; I believe in God and don't think I can just wake up some day and become "atheist", because I believe. He doesn't believe and cannot just decide to believe. He doesn't believe in God. The label simply reflects what we believe/don't believe. We don't really get to "choose".

[Anonymous]

^^^Then how do you explain Agnostics AKA the bisexuals of the religious world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why?

I'm 23 and supposedly most my age aren't religious, but I don't understand how you can just say you don't believe in God anymore? Do you think you're more intelligent because you're an Atheist? I'm pretty free thinking myself, so I obviously don't let religion influence my thinking. So what is it about Atheism that is appealing to you all?

I've always been a Christian and have a close atheist friend. As we've talked over the years I've come to feel that faith / atheism for us is kind of like sexual orientation; I believe in God and don't think I can just wake up some day and become "atheist", because I believe. He doesn't believe and cannot just decide to believe. He doesn't believe in God. The label simply reflects what we believe/don't believe. We don't really get to "choose".

Perhaps that applies to some people and perhaps you and your friend are examples of this, but it will be hard to tell as long as most children are taught that they must believe a certain way and the society looks down on people who don't have religious beliefs. It makes it harder for people to examine their real feeling when there is strong societal pressure to feel a certain way.

Besides, people don't usually just "wake up" one day believing or not believing -- it's a process or an orientation, not a quick decision

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^Then how do you explain Agnostics AKA the bisexuals of the religious world.

Not sure what you mean. I think agnostic means they don't think the nature and origins of the universe (God) can be known.

Yes, people usually start with their parents' beliefs as a frame of reference. I like to think as adults living in America, that we have the freedom to grow and experience life, which may lead us to change what we believe. Or not believe. I don't think anyone has to defend or justify what they believe as long as they keep it to themselves.

[Anonymous]

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It's honestly frightening to me that for [some] religious people, the only thing stopping them from killing or raping their fellow humankind, stealing from them, or causing any other harm towards another, is a very old book compiled from some loose stories about men thousands of years ago. If a book is all that stands between you and committing violence or grief towards another, that's fucking terrifying.

You have no internal moral compass? Do you only do things for a selfish reward when you die? Do you really have that little compassion for your fellow humanity?

Well said.

Are you implying atheists are automatically equipped with a moral compass? Who's to say the only thing that stops you is not the fear of punishment? Stop this nonsense.

It's saying that most human beings are equipped with an internal moral compass. It's the fact that some people religious have what appears to be just a book standing between them and doing harmful/dangerous things - which is really pretty damn flimsy.

And narcissistic, to only be decent because you fear being punished by Dad.

Do you seriously have nothing in you that makes you want to be a compassionate, decent human being, for its own merit? You only do good to avoid punishment or because a book says so? That's pretty scary.

Did you ignore my question on purpose, or did you fail to comprehend it?

BTW, no, people are not born equipped with morality. It's instilled in new human beings by older human beings according to their custom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^Then how do you explain Agnostics AKA the bisexuals of the religious world.

I'm agnostic and it's easy to explain: I just don't think I know what's going on. I don't have faith in a higher being (though I would like to), but I can't say for sure there isn't a higher power.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not the OP, but the fastest growing minority is hispanics and please don't say minority. Most Atheists are white folks.

You don't know what minority means. One can be in the racial minority or the religious minority or some other minority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the OP, but the fastest growing minority is hispanics and please don't say minority. Most Atheists are white folks.

You don't know what minority means. One can be in the racial minority or the religious minority or some other minority.

And when Hispanics become a racial majority we'll have to use a different word.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the OP, but the fastest growing minority is hispanics and please don't say minority. Most Atheists are white folks.

You don't know what minority means. One can be in the racial minority or the religious minority or some other minority.

non-believers are the fastest growing religious minority

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It's honestly frightening to me that for [some] religious people, the only thing stopping them from killing or raping their fellow humankind, stealing from them, or causing any other harm towards another, is a very old book compiled from some loose stories about men thousands of years ago. If a book is all that stands between you and committing violence or grief towards another, that's fucking terrifying.

You have no internal moral compass? Do you only do things for a selfish reward when you die? Do you really have that little compassion for your fellow humanity?

Well said.

Are you implying atheists are automatically equipped with a moral compass? Who's to say the only thing that stops you is not the fear of punishment? Stop this nonsense.

It's saying that most human beings are equipped with an internal moral compass. It's the fact that some people religious have what appears to be just a book standing between them and doing harmful/dangerous things - which is really pretty damn flimsy.

And narcissistic, to only be decent because you fear being punished by Dad.

Do you seriously have nothing in you that makes you want to be a compassionate, decent human being, for its own merit? You only do good to avoid punishment or because a book says so? That's pretty scary.

Did you ignore my question on purpose, or did you fail to comprehend it?

BTW, no, people are not born equipped with morality. It's instilled in new human beings by older human beings according to their custom.

Not true, humans and other primates do have an innate sense of morality. It's evident in babies who cannot yet speak.

[Anonymous]

An omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent god doesn't need worshippers. Only humans need that kind of self-esteem boost.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:As I've said before, the unknown is what scares me the most and that's why I color within the lines. I don't think I'll miss anything by doing that.

OP, with all do respect, it doesn't sound like you "don't get" atheism. You get it.

You're just more closeted about it. It's a lot like someone who's gay, but lived their life as straight, and colors between the lines because it's how they were raised, and don't want to disrespect their parents. And it's scary, because it's unknown territory to explore. It's fairly understandable, if you haven't had room to explore.

But I think you "get" atheism - it's just a term that feels uncomfortable to you, because there are labels associated with it that you were maybe raised with, viewing it in a negative light.

My parents wouldn't give a fuck if I chose to be Atheist, but I do for some strange reason. I just do not want to be viewed as abnormal or weird.

I would think identifying as bisexual would accomplish this more than being athiest would. Yet.. you told us you're bisexual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As I've said before, the unknown is what scares me the most and that's why I color within the lines. I don't think I'll miss anything by doing that.

OP, with all do respect, it doesn't sound like you "don't get" atheism. You get it.

You're just more closeted about it. It's a lot like someone who's gay, but lived their life as straight, and colors between the lines because it's how they were raised, and don't want to disrespect their parents. And it's scary, because it's unknown territory to explore. It's fairly understandable, if you haven't had room to explore.

But I think you "get" atheism - it's just a term that feels uncomfortable to you, because there are labels associated with it that you were maybe raised with, viewing it in a negative light.

My parents wouldn't give a fuck if I chose to be Atheist, but I do for some strange reason. I just do not want to be viewed as abnormal or weird.

I would think identifying as bisexual would accomplish this more than being athiest would. Yet.. you told us you're bisexual.

That may have been a different poster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It's honestly frightening to me that for [some] religious people, the only thing stopping them from killing or raping their fellow humankind, stealing from them, or causing any other harm towards another, is a very old book compiled from some loose stories about men thousands of years ago. If a book is all that stands between you and committing violence or grief towards another, that's fucking terrifying.

You have no internal moral compass? Do you only do things for a selfish reward when you die? Do you really have that little compassion for your fellow humanity?

Well said.

Are you implying atheists are automatically equipped with a moral compass? Who's to say the only thing that stops you is not the fear of punishment? Stop this nonsense.

It's saying that most human beings are equipped with an internal moral compass. It's the fact that some people religious have what appears to be just a book standing between them and doing harmful/dangerous things - which is really pretty damn flimsy.

And narcissistic, to only be decent because you fear being punished by Dad.

Do you seriously have nothing in you that makes you want to be a compassionate, decent human being, for its own merit? You only do good to avoid punishment or because a book says so? That's pretty scary.

Did you ignore my question on purpose, or did you fail to comprehend it?

BTW, no, people are not born equipped with morality. It's instilled in new human beings by older human beings according to their custom.

Are you always a hypocrite and ignoring questions, but demanding people answer yours? Geez.

But yikes -- you're admitting that you don't have innate ethics. I don't think that's true for most human beings. Yes, a lot is cultural, but there are some ethical universals that have been replicated in societies in far corners of the earth (before technology made our world smaller).