Why are you an atheist?

Originally posted by Astyanax
reply to post by Astarfaraway

 

Father of Jesus, love's reward
What rapture will it be
Prostrate before thy throne to lie
And gaze and gaze on thee!

I had to sing that in my school chapel choir when I was about ten.

'Cripes,' I thought, 'heaven sounds duller than ditchwater. Nothing to do for all eternity but stare at God... I'm out of here.'

My journey away from faith began there.

You're looking for character cues on ATS? Unless one of your characters is a paranoid fantasist, this is probably the wrong place. As a source of plot ideas, however, it's absolutely amazing.

If my own experience and the others detailed above don't float your boat, you might consider the paradigmatic example of Charles Darwin, who clung to his faith despite the evidence of his own studies, until the death of a beloved daughter drove him away from religion.

Your character could have had something happen to him - the death or disappearance of a loved one - that convinces him that God is either cruel, heedless or nonexistent.

One of my best friends was caught in the 2004 Asian tsunami. He survived and his behaviour through the succeeding days of chaos and desperation was that of a hero. Literally dozens of people owe their lives to him. But when it was all over he'd lost the staunch Christian faith he'd had before.

It happens a lot.

Astyanax, I'm actually gaining so much from this thread...very informative and helpful, to better create my character...and I'm really surprised at all the reply posts...ATS has grown greatly from when I first joined...

Yes, I agree that something seems inherently wrong with a belief system whereby a certain being must be gazed at continuously...this seems more from the dark side than the light side, you know? light, one would think, cheers freedom and peace, dark seeks self adoration and slavery...

Originally posted by Monger
I don't necessarily identify as atheist, but rather as agnostic. Close enough for government work I suppose.

While I'm open to the idea of some higher intelligence in one way or another governing nature, I see no evidence to support this in the world around me. I see trees, animals, insects - nature's creation. I also see cars, streets, homes - humanity's creation.

I don't feel like I need to answer at the end of my life for actions I've taken during my life, and because of this I refuse to live my life according to the antiquated ideals of religious zealots who died centuries ago.

Biblical life has no relevance to modern life beyond that it represents a historical period in the history of mankind.

In the next few centuries I genuinely believe that organized religion will become rarer and rarer, until it eventually disappears. And the world will surely be a better place.

Perhaps in a thousand years, humans who have advanced technologically beyond anything we can currently imagine will look back at humanity's history of praying to assorted Magical Men in the Sky and laugh at how foolish we were.

Call it a dream for the future.

You make some very good points. Thank you.

I have a friend who claims to have been visited by alien or interdimensional beings for most of her life. These beings encouraged her to put up a web site (though last I checked the site no longer exists, but some copy site does, let me know if you need more info) explaining that alien beings and their interactions with humans inspired the writings in the bible.

Maybe in a few years, not thousands of years, we'll find out the real truth, but I don't think we'll be laughing...if our government has been involved with alien entities, which I believe is the case, and finally admits to it, a lot of explanations and myths are going to rise to the surface...

I am an athiest, because there is just as much, if not more proof of the existence of Santa Claus, as there is god, or jesus.
Both have holidays, and Ive never seen either of them.
And neither has anyone else.

from Pauligirl

The universe is too vast for me to know everything in it. If there is anything out there that cares about humans, it's never made its presence known to me or to anyone I know, so I find just no reason to believe. I’ve also read the bible ( wanted to see what I didn’t believe in), but that experience just left me wondering how anybody could believe it.

Very insightful, makes much sense.
I think overall those claiming to be atheists are original thinkers, who definitely "think outside the box". It is at once refreshing and disturbing (disturbing for a theist)...but releasing too...

The path, I think, is unimportant. The thing is that I came to a very penetrating question, one that made me rethink my entire perception of reality. "Why do I believe what I believe?"

I couldn't answer because this religion was pushed on to me by religious parents and a church. I have to make my own decisions, not have it done for me, that's taking advantage of the trusting nature of children. I can't be kind about this.

I'm sorry again. It is too bad that some parents do this. I have seen it before, and some children accept it and continue in their adult years serving God, living a Christian life, while some children completely rebel against this life, even harming or disowning their parents in the process...it is complicated and I guess based upon the individual child and their wants and needs...and the parents too, and their behavior...

I suppose I was fortunate in that my parents never pressed me to go, really, although my dad and mom drove me to Sunday school at our local Baptist church every Sunday, dropping me off by myself...it was for the most part a really enjoyable, happy experience for me...I actually think back very fondly of those years...

It wasn't until I started studying with Jehovah Witnesses that I developed fear and unease with the bible and certain Christian beliefs...

[edit on 17-5-2009 by Astarfaraway]

[edit on 17-5-2009 by Astarfaraway]

reply to post by jenny21


LOL, good point! Thanks :-)

reply to post by Astarfaraway


I have disowned my father and after talking to mum, she's sorry and can't imagine doing what she did again if given the opportunity.

It's just so hard for people who've had their minds assaulted since childhood to make fair and unbiased conclusions in adulthood. A child's mind isn't something that a person has the right to abuse. Sunday-school/christian-factory/indoctrination-class is so abhorrently evil, it sickens me.

It took 20 years to undo the damage.

[edit on 17-5-2009 by Welfhard]

reply to post by Astarfaraway

as well as using the best descriptive, non-lengthy words (you want to write at a 7th or 8th grade reading level for fiction) is best helped through some guidance...
You should write that fiction book!

I still have another non-fiction in me, but would love to write a mystery at some point. I write my non-fiction at a lower level also, because I don't want the reader to get lost on the $25 words! Sometimes the words lose the message.

Thank you for your encouragement! I wish you the best also.

reply to post by Welfhard

It took 20 years to undo the damage.

Yes, often we live the rest of our lives through the eyes of an 8 or 12 year old. We are always trying to make it up to that kid who was abused.

I am neither agnostic or athiest or believer. I am not human in that sense.

It is all about answer that comfort your mind at that point of time. Waste of energy discussing my belief is better than yours debate.

grow up humans.

reply to post by jenny21

I am an athiest, because there is just as much, if not more proof of the existence of Santa Claus, as there is god, or jesus.
Both have holidays, and Ive never seen either of them.
And neither has anyone else.

Do you realize how much this is just a parroting of what EVERY atheist says?

Here is an example of religious chanting. Please come up with something original. It doesn't say anything, nor validates or confirms your argument. Rather than using silly metaphors, give us proof that God doesn't exist, or at least intelligent reasoning.

''Why are you an atheist?''

To be Free and in control of our lives and our futur...

You know these days I am a spiritual agnostic myself but I used to be a hard core athiest.

You know my parents were athiests....thats why. Well my mom was agnostic and my dad was athiest. They wanted to send me to Sunday school so I could learn the Bible (but secretly just for historical purposes) but I would have rather had a BBQ on Sundays so thats what we did instead (no regrets).

They know the Bible back to front....and the historical context behind it. I suppose these days they would be called "secular progressives" or "liberal elite". They respected everyones religions....and then I ended up going on to study cultural anthropology. So really its not that I think everyone is "wrong"....I just don't think one religion only can be right. So they are either all wrong or all right. I used to think they were all wrong and now I think they're all right...phew.

But growing up, even though they never said anything, I saw what was happening politically in the world and how it was tied to religion.......and I'm sure you can imagine where it goes from there.....

I'm not sure how effective this would be for character development though....

I'm an "athiest" because there is no god. There might be more to us than the physical but it has nothing to do with religion. Religion is something that helps people feel taken care of or something to turn to when things aren't all roses. I have a conscience, therefore no need for belief in a religion and when things aren't going so great...it makes me appreciate the good times when they are apon me.
If I counted all the sinners that sat in church on sundays...I'd lose track. It's crazy to think that you can commit adultry, steal or what have you and pop in to church and all is forgiven...you are kidding yourself, not to mention missing out on an amazing thing called self awareness.

I am an atheist because I don't "feel" a God. I was in church once and kids were going up to kneel and be "saved". It was creepy, and what they discribed feeling seemed a whole lot to me like adrenaline.

I find religion creepy, I stood in a wedding last summer and I swear, the service was the longest hour of my life. I felt ....physically uncomfortable. After LOTS of soul searching, I came to the personal decision that I do not believe in a personal God. A universal concious?? who knows, but the abrahamic God, nope...not real.