Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I became an atheist, there was a period where I felt very empty, too -- mostly because you have to shift your thinking from a worldview where there is a god to one where there is not. At first it feels like there's a hole, something missing.

After a while, though, it no longer feels that way. Now, as the pieces of my worldview are in place without religion, it feels solid and steady and whole to me in a way that it never did when I was religious (I should add, I went to church every Sunday, I was not casually religious). The way things fit together for me make sense and feel "real" now. I don't really know how to explain it other than that, but I hope that gives you some solace that your troubled feelings are normal and transient.

I agree with this.

When you're accustomed to going to church and other religious traditions it's a bit of an adjustment. Feeling "empty" has nothing to do with not being religious, it has to do with stopping something that you're accustomed to doing.

After a while when you realize that you can still socialize, have friends, be moral, do good, live a complete life even without the religious piece you no longer feel "empty".

Anonymous wrote:When I became an atheist, there was a period where I felt very empty, too -- mostly because you have to shift your thinking from a worldview where there is a god to one where there is not. At first it feels like there's a hole, something missing.

After a while, though, it no longer feels that way. Now, as the pieces of my worldview are in place without religion, it feels solid and steady and whole to me in a way that it never did when I was religious (I should add, I went to church every Sunday, I was not casually religious). The way things fit together for me make sense and feel "real" now. I don't really know how to explain it other than that, but I hope that gives you some solace that your troubled feelings are normal and transient.

Anonymous wrote:A lot of atheists seem to have spent a lot more time studying and trying out religion than the devout. Atheists seem a heck of a lot more informed about religion than most believers!

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We're more efficient at treating each other more compassionately too -- consider the end of slavery, the advent of minority rights, advances in medical science. We humans are a strange species, but overall, we are getting better, not worse

You are making your claims based upon a very small sample. Not a good approach.

No, it's based on a book by cognitive psychologist, Steven pinker. The better angels of our nature

Interesting, I wonder how he squares this with his previous book "The Blank Slate" where he argues that in the nature versus nurture contest, nature wins. The nature part of the equation is in our DNA, which changes very slowly. Our DNA is essentially what it was 100,000 years ago.

If he is arguing that changing social, and governmental structure, and the increased flow of information due to technology is forcing not to act on their base instincts, I can buy that. People haven't really changed they are just being forced by circumstances to behave better.

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Anonymous wrote:Apatheists are just lazy.

Someone posed a question to Christopher H that if he didn't believe in God, why didn't he just stay home. His answer was that religion wouldn't let him.

Think about it, when otherwise rational people invoke God to justify decisions with far reaching impact - such as the electability of someone to political office, it then affects me directly as an atheist and therefore is in my interest to actively participate.

I'm glad there are people like you -- but not everyone is the same and being an apatheist is preferable to being a theist, IMO

I'm the original apatheist poster, and yes I am lazy, but as I said in my post, I have to get off the couch when someone starts trying to legislate their belief systems. That includes electing people who base their legislative decisions on what their religion says instead of on whether something is healthy and sustainable for all people. Don't tell me that gay people shouldn't be married just because your religion doesn't like it - that's not a reason for anything.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apatheists are just lazy.

Someone posed a question to Christopher H that if he didn't believe in God, why didn't he just stay home. His answer was that religion wouldn't let him.

Think about it, when otherwise rational people invoke God to justify decisions with far reaching impact - such as the electability of someone to political office, it then affects me directly as an atheist and therefore is in my interest to actively participate.

I'm glad there are people like you -- but not everyone is the same and being an apatheist is preferable to being a theist, IMO

Anonymous wrote:Apatheists are just lazy.

Someone posed a question to Christopher H that if he didn't believe in God, why didn't he just stay home. His answer was that religion wouldn't let him.

Think about it, when otherwise rational people invoke God to justify decisions with far reaching impact - such as the electability of someone to political office, it then affects me directly as an atheist and therefore is in my interest to actively participate.

Anonymous wrote:I consider myself an apatheist. I don't know if there is a God, and I don't care. I think many people think that atheists are actively rejecting God and trying to get other people to do the same. I think many people think that agnostics are people that don't want to come out to the harsher interpretation of atheist.

I find that many believers are people that would rather rely on tradition than think for themselves. They like the community of their organized religion, and don't care to take it any further. For me, there is room for everyone until they try to legislate their belief systems, then I do have to get up off the couch.