Anonymous wrote:Do you think you'll enjoy Hell?

I am not OP, but this made me laugh!
Hell doesn't exist silly!

Signed,
Another atheist on DCUM

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is there something and not nothing?

That, my friend, is an EXCELLENT question. I suppose I would be religious if I could answer, because if I could answer that, I'd be god!

P.S. You are my kinda poster. I grew up listening to the allegory of the cave, debating objective vs. subjective truth, discussing metaphysics, and just generally enjoying the heck out of philosophy with my dad.

Sounds like a fantasic childhood.

On a related note, when did you become a pompous twit?

Anonymous wrote:Do you ever wish that you believed in God? Wouldn't it be easier sometimes? Writing off injustice or tragedy as part of God's bigger plan, giving you someone to pray to when you felt the need, etc.?

Hmm, thoughtful question. I suppose in a way it would be easier, in that I'd have a culturally prescribed way of dealing with negative circumstances. However, I would consider it inauthentic for myself (full disclosure: I used to feel terrible when I was a Christian and had to lie about feeling Jesus's love, saying I'd pray for someone when I started to suspect god didn't exist and it wouldn't do anything, etc).

I do think that praying can really benefit some people and that faith can have profoundly positive effects on people's lives.

Anonymous wrote:Why is there something and not nothing?

That, my friend, is an EXCELLENT question. I suppose I would be religious if I could answer, because if I could answer that, I'd be god!

P.S. You are my kinda poster. I grew up listening to the allegory of the cave, debating objective vs. subjective truth, discussing metaphysics, and just generally enjoying the heck out of philosophy with my dad.

Serious inquiry:

How do you answer your children when they ask about God?

Anonymous wrote:When you have a mind blowing orgasm, instead of yelling oh god oh god, what do you say?

DH's name, of course

Anonymous wrote:Why do so many of you come on to DCUM to trash christianity? And why don't you guys ever trash any other religions? I'm expecting the answer will involve something about "dominant cultures" but really, my specific question is this:

Why isn't respect a two-way street for many atheists?

I don't know. I was a Christian and 90% of my friends are, so I don't trash it. Furthermore, I would never trash anyone else's beliefs.

I do believe that some "atheists" are merely reactionaries against religion. They seem to be the type who wore anarchy t-shirts in high school and dyed their hair purple in college, or have popular right-wing radio shows in late-mid-life () -- reactionaries who thrive on discord and anger and who contribute more heat than light to the public discourse. I am not that type of person. I'm moral, liberal, and believe we can all benefit from learning about other religions and the values at the heart of those religions (even if we don't believe in the religions ourselves).

How do you deal with stress and pain in your life? What brings you inner peace?

Related question--how can I comfort atheist friends/family when they're down? For me, sayings like "it's all in God's plan" are very comforting, so I find myself at a loss for words when I'd like to offer emotional support to a loved one who doesn't find religious aphorisms at all comforting.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What will happen to you after you die (your soul)?

I don't think I have a soul. I hope that when I die, people remember me and the positive impact I had on their lives.

I think when I die I will cease to exist, except for the influence I leave on the people I love.

Which will be nothing becuase once you die you never existed

Anonymous wrote:Is there even maybe 1% of you scared you are wrong? Have you ever once thought I'm in deep shit if they are right?

Haha, no. That's a funny way to put it, I LOLed

I literally can no longer imagine feeling worried about what I consider an imaginary deity's hurt feelings if I don't believe in him. But I can appreciate the place the question comes from, as I think that motivates a lot of people to be religious, even if it's only nominally.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can you be 100% sure God doesn't exist?

Let me answer with a question: how can you be sure the god you worship exists, and not some other jealous, vengeful god that hates the worship of false deities?

Short answer, though: Occam's razor.

Occam's razor doesn't establish anything to a certainty.

Anonymous wrote:Did you grow up with any faith or belief in your household? If so, is your family saddened?

Yes, like I mentioned, I grew up Christian.

I am lucky to have very enlightened parents. They do not mind that I don't believe in god and think everyone should decide for him or herself what their beliefs are. However, they do pray for me because they believe in god.

Anonymous wrote:Do you celebrate Christmas?
Easter?
Observe Lent?
Do you judge Christianity more harshly than other religions?

Yes, I celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday (and believe me, I know that there's lots of opinions about this!)
Sort of. Easter is a big deal for my family culturally. I don't attend services, but I do have Easter dinner with my extended family and help with the kids' egg hunt, etc.
No, never observed Lent (my father was Catholic but converted when he married my mother).
No, I think there is a lot that is good about all religions, and I don't think Christianity is any worse than most others. One of the things I don't like about Christianity, though, is that -- as part of the religion -- followers are supposed to convert others. I personally think this leads to a loss of cultural heritage when Christians go on missions and convert people in other countries.

Do you ever wish that you believed in God? Wouldn't it be easier sometimes? Writing off injustice or tragedy as part of God's bigger plan, giving you someone to pray to when you felt the need, etc.?

Why is there something and not nothing?