Atheist Acceptability on the Rise in America

[james&olya 1,121]

Exactly. Why do so many militant Atheists stay so worked up about something they don't believe in. Geez just live and let live. They liken a beilief in a God to a like in Santa Claus, then get fanatical if anyone chooses to believe in it. They really are fanatics. Their anti-relgion is a religion in itself. They practice they same form of dogma that they claim to oppose.

It is unfortunately quite possible to be ridiculous and fanatical with any belief, no matter how reasonable or unreasonable that belief is on its own!

[james&olya 1,121]

i have been chastised for my religious beliefs for just mentioning that i was doing something for my church over the weekend. the argument that i find from most people who call themselves "athiest" is very flipant and deeply un intelligent. i have studied my faith, i have spent years attending church, reading books and having discussions. can atheists do the same thing.

I am an atheist (or more accurately a 'non-theistic christian') and came to that position after many years of daily bible classes and study, weekly church attendance, etc.!

[james&olya 1,121]

What I understood by what was said is that Christians study religious books and have like conversations but do atheists study books and engage in talks that support their non beliefs.

Yes.

[james&olya 1,121]

my question to him would be....so where does it all come from? if God doesn't give us meaning....what has?

as human beings we have a deep desire for answers. this man does not give me any answers. Jesus does give me answers and thats why I follow him over this man.

We all seek meaning. You have externalized the innate human impulse to lead a moral life and you find meaning in that. You have also indulged in a belief that you will be rewarded with eternal life for your actions and/or profession of belief. I find meaning in the same impulse to lead a moral life. I differ in that I don't need to externalize this part of my psyche. I believe in this moral life even without having that imagined carrot of getting an eternal life in heaven dangled in front of me!

[rocks 494]

We all seek meaning. You have externalized the innate human impulse to lead a moral life and you find meaning in that. You have also indulged in a belief that you will be rewarded with eternal life for your actions and/or profession of belief. I find meaning in the same impulse to lead a moral life. I differ in that I don't need to externalize this part of my psyche. I believe in this moral life even without having that imagined carrot of getting an eternal life in heaven dangled in front of me!

I linked them to a video on the subject but they either only watched 2 seconds of it or didn't grasp what was said.

[Dakine10 5,452]

We all seek meaning. You have externalized the innate human impulse to lead a moral life and you find meaning in that. You have also indulged in a belief that you will be rewarded with eternal life for your actions and/or profession of belief. I find meaning in the same impulse to lead a moral life. I differ in that I don't need to externalize this part of my psyche. I believe in this moral life even without having that imagined carrot of getting an eternal life in heaven dangled in front of me!

Sounds like you're doing OK. According to Dante's Inferno online test, even if you are wrong, you still have a pretty good chance of going to Limbo. That's almost as good as heaven - except everyone's sad and there's no God there.

[Pooky 3,830]

Sounds like you're doing OK. According to Dante's Inferno online test, even if you are wrong, you still have a pretty good chance of going to Limbo. That's almost as good as heaven - except everyone's sad and there's no God there.

Limbo?

I'd rather reach Nirvana, 'cos everything Smells Like Teen Spirit.

Edited July 1, 2012 by Pooky

[DandT14 272]

then you are quite rare and in fact your the only atheist i have spoken to who has ever studied.

They aren't rare, they just choose not to debate with the faithful. Funny, religious people see faith (belief in something despite lack of evidence, or evidence to the contrary) as a good thing. Atheists see believing in something despite the evidence as silly and/or stupid. Sometimes I think that's the biggest difference between the two.

Anyway, my husband was raised as a Catholic. Forced to go to church, be an altar boy, the whole deal. He chose to gain knowledge, study and research religion, mostly because there were too many things that didn't make sense to him. He knows more about christianity and atheism than any person I've ever met. Through his studies he came to the conclusion that there probably is no god, and certainly no god as defined by any major religion. You would never run into him on the internet because you're not going to the sites where people like him debate.

On the topic of people getting in your face about their beliefs - well, people who agree with you aren't going to get in your face, are they? It only makes sense that an atheist would have negative experiences with the religious and vice versa, doesn't it? I've been called absolutely vicious names by "good christians". And I've slammed the door in the face of mormons and jehovahs witnesses.

[rocks 494]

They aren't rare, they just choose not to debate with the faithful. Funny, religious people see faith (belief in something despite lack of evidence, or evidence to the contrary) as a good thing. Atheists see believing in something despite the evidence as silly and/or stupid. Sometimes I think that's the biggest difference between the two.

Anyway, my husband was raised as a Catholic. Forced to go to church, be an altar boy, the whole deal. He chose to gain knowledge, study and research religion, mostly because there were too many things that didn't make sense to him. He knows more about christianity and atheism than any person I've ever met. Through his studies he came to the conclusion that there probably is no god, and certainly no god as defined by any major religion. You would never run into him on the internet because you're not going to the sites where people like him debate.

On the topic of people getting in your face about their beliefs - well, people who agree with you aren't going to get in your face, are they? It only makes sense that an atheist would have negative experiences with the religious and vice versa, doesn't it? I've been called absolutely vicious names by "good christians". And I've slammed the door in the face of mormons and jehovahs witnesses.