I stopped believing when I was around 12 or 13 and realized that there was no higher power to help me out of my miserable situation. It made me self reliant and stronger.

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Anonymous wrote: Me too op. Super religious upbringing here. I totally get why people believe etc. Try as I might, I just do not feel it. It's made me more able to live in the moment. You really value life when you think this is it!

It's not supposed to be something you "feel." And no one values life more than one who believes he was created by God for a purpose.

What about those people whose purpose seems to die of a dread disease at a young age? Or those whose purpose is to be born into a life of abject poverty? How much do they value life?

It depends. How well do they know God?

nice display of Christian empathy

I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean, but I think this is a logical question. If PP is asking how much someone who is dying at a young age values life, I don't think you can answer that across the board. It does depend on whether or not they know God.

pp here, was asking how a person can value life if they thought God made them for the purpose of suffering in the various ways described while God made others who don't have to suffer. Am suggesting that no good god would be involved in such capricious treatment.

How do you "know" that what God does is capricious?

I don't think there is a god, but a god who allows some innocent people to suffer would certainly be capricious - and selectively cruel

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Anonymous wrote: Me too op. Super religious upbringing here. I totally get why people believe etc. Try as I might, I just do not feel it. It's made me more able to live in the moment. You really value life when you think this is it!

It's not supposed to be something you "feel." And no one values life more than one who believes he was created by God for a purpose.

What about those people whose purpose seems to die of a dread disease at a young age? Or those whose purpose is to be born into a life of abject poverty? How much do they value life?

It depends. How well do they know God?

nice display of Christian empathy

I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean, but I think this is a logical question. If PP is asking how much someone who is dying at a young age values life, I don't think you can answer that across the board. It does depend on whether or not they know God.

So how much you value life depends upon how much you know God?

An atheist can't value life?

An atheist cannot experience life to the fullest, for which s/he was created, no. Value life, sure. But truly live it in all glory and freedom, no.

You may have been taught this, but you have no way of knowing it - or of knowing that type of thing about anyone.

That's what you religion teaches, apparently, but it does not reflect the experience of many atheists who feel freer and happier about life once they leave religious beliefs behind.

Anonymous wrote:Each of us has an understanding of the world that depends on the way our mind works, on our life experiences, on our chemical/hormonal make-up, and probably other things. Whether God is real is a question we'll never all agree on, even if the answer is clear to many of us.

The world I see is simply not the world you see.

Part of the life experience of many of us these days, is that we've beeb taught one view of the world through religious belief as children and continue to believe as adults without studying religion the way we do most everything else (if we're educated). This can be stifling and can cause people to think that have THE answer without having looked into other ways of thinking.

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Anonymous wrote: Me too op. Super religious upbringing here. I totally get why people believe etc. Try as I might, I just do not feel it. It's made me more able to live in the moment. You really value life when you think this is it!

It's not supposed to be something you "feel." And no one values life more than one who believes he was created by God for a purpose.

What about those people whose purpose seems to die of a dread disease at a young age? Or those whose purpose is to be born into a life of abject poverty? How much do they value life?

It depends. How well do they know God?

nice display of Christian empathy

I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean, but I think this is a logical question. If PP is asking how much someone who is dying at a young age values life, I don't think you can answer that across the board. It does depend on whether or not they know God.

So how much you value life depends upon how much you know God?

An atheist can't value life?

An atheist cannot experience life to the fullest, for which s/he was created, no. Value life, sure. But truly live it in all glory and freedom, no.

Each of us has an understanding of the world that depends on the way our mind works, on our life experiences, on our chemical/hormonal make-up, and probably other things. Whether God is real is a question we'll never all agree on, even if the answer is clear to many of us.

The world I see is simply not the world you see.

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Anonymous wrote: Me too op. Super religious upbringing here. I totally get why people believe etc. Try as I might, I just do not feel it. It's made me more able to live in the moment. You really value life when you think this is it!

It's not supposed to be something you "feel." And no one values life more than one who believes he was created by God for a purpose.

What about those people whose purpose seems to die of a dread disease at a young age? Or those whose purpose is to be born into a life of abject poverty? How much do they value life?

It depends. How well do they know God?

nice display of Christian empathy

I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean, but I think this is a logical question. If PP is asking how much someone who is dying at a young age values life, I don't think you can answer that across the board. It does depend on whether or not they know God.

So how much you value life depends upon how much you know God?

An atheist can't value life?

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Anonymous wrote: Me too op. Super religious upbringing here. I totally get why people believe etc. Try as I might, I just do not feel it. It's made me more able to live in the moment. You really value life when you think this is it!

It's not supposed to be something you "feel." And no one values life more than one who believes he was created by God for a purpose.

What about those people whose purpose seems to die of a dread disease at a young age? Or those whose purpose is to be born into a life of abject poverty? How much do they value life?

It depends. How well do they know God?

nice display of Christian empathy

I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean, but I think this is a logical question. If PP is asking how much someone who is dying at a young age values life, I don't think you can answer that across the board. It does depend on whether or not they know God.

pp here, was asking how a person can value life if they thought God made them for the purpose of suffering in the various ways described while God made others who don't have to suffer. Am suggesting that no good god would be involved in such capricious treatment.

How do you "know" that what God does is capricious?

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Anonymous wrote: Me too op. Super religious upbringing here. I totally get why people believe etc. Try as I might, I just do not feel it. It's made me more able to live in the moment. You really value life when you think this is it!

It's not supposed to be something you "feel." And no one values life more than one who believes he was created by God for a purpose.

What about those people whose purpose seems to die of a dread disease at a young age? Or those whose purpose is to be born into a life of abject poverty? How much do they value life?

It depends. How well do they know God?

nice display of Christian empathy

I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean, but I think this is a logical question. If PP is asking how much someone who is dying at a young age values life, I don't think you can answer that across the board. It does depend on whether or not they know God.

pp here, was asking how a person can value life if they thought God made them for the purpose of suffering in the various ways described while God made others who don't have to suffer. Am suggesting that no good god would be involved in such capricious treatment.

Everyone suffers. If you live long enough, life will break your heart. I'm not sure how you find that capricious.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Me too op. Super religious upbringing here. I totally get why people believe etc. Try as I might, I just do not feel it. It's made me more able to live in the moment. You really value life when you think this is it!

It's not supposed to be something you "feel." And no one values life more than one who believes he was created by God for a purpose.

What about those people whose purpose seems to die of a dread disease at a young age? Or those whose purpose is to be born into a life of abject poverty? How much do they value life?

It depends. How well do they know God?

nice display of Christian empathy

I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean, but I think this is a logical question. If PP is asking how much someone who is dying at a young age values life, I don't think you can answer that across the board. It does depend on whether or not they know God.

pp here, was asking how a person can value life if they thought God made them for the purpose of suffering in the various ways described while God made others who don't have to suffer. Am suggesting that no good god would be involved in such capricious treatment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Me too op. Super religious upbringing here. I totally get why people believe etc. Try as I might, I just do not feel it. It's made me more able to live in the moment. You really value life when you think this is it!

It's not supposed to be something you "feel." And no one values life more than one who believes he was created by God for a purpose.

What about those people whose purpose seems to die of a dread disease at a young age? Or those whose purpose is to be born into a life of abject poverty? How much do they value life?

It depends. How well do they know God?

nice display of Christian empathy

I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean, but I think this is a logical question. If PP is asking how much someone who is dying at a young age values life, I don't think you can answer that across the board. It does depend on whether or not they know God.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Me too op. Super religious upbringing here. I totally get why people believe etc. Try as I might, I just do not feel it. It's made me more able to live in the moment. You really value life when you think this is it!

It's not supposed to be something you "feel." And no one values life more than one who believes he was created by God for a purpose.

What about those people whose purpose seems to die of a dread disease at a young age? Or those whose purpose is to be born into a life of abject poverty? How much do they value life?

It depends. How well do they know God?

nice display of Christian empathy

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Me too op. Super religious upbringing here. I totally get why people believe etc. Try as I might, I just do not feel it. It's made me more able to live in the moment. You really value life when you think this is it!

It's not supposed to be something you "feel." And no one values life more than one who believes he was created by God for a purpose.

What about those people whose purpose seems to die of a dread disease at a young age? Or those whose purpose is to be born into a life of abject poverty? How much do they value life?

It depends. How well do they know God?

Anonymous wrote:...yet, I feel more empty inside than I ever did before. That is all.

I felt fragile at first, curious to know more about religion beyond sunday school knowledge, amused to find out so many of my friends/family were closet atheists

Anonymous wrote:I hear you. I have tried for the last 2 years to attend, worship and participate in the church my husband and kids love. I'm fine with the community aspect, just not the God part of it.

I know some Episcopal churches that welcome non-believers - and have more than a few in their parish -- but they don't talk about it so much.