Why are you an Atheist? (disclaimer included)

[Andiferous]

What made you an atheist? Or if not an atheist - what made you recognise your frame of reference? Or maybe you're still thinking on it?

Was it one epiphany? A slow and continuous evolution of little bits, or have you changed your beliefs at all?

As a child I was infatuated with imagination and play, and such was my religion. I knew the answers to the questions, but over time I found it difficult to explain how they were rational (or anything else other than rote). I used to go to Confession and challenge my priest with questions. I can't say I've really ever 'believed' despite a lifetime of Catholic schooling and familiar expectations (why I pffth a bit at the idea of indoctrination. ) The only thing that caused me to say "I think this is right" in regard to belief was overcoming the fear of what would happen otherwise.

In a nutshell, the underlying argument for me was "I can't respect or strive to emulate any superior being who would spank his kids eternally." Religion told me that right was correct; but when god was incorrect by being a tyrant, I couldn't accept him/her as right, either.

Fortunately this also stopped my nightmare problem.

 

[Thomas Doubting]

I never believed in God.. or Santa or any of those stories.
Born in a mixed marriage between Muslim mother and Christian father, it was a difficult decision to make between the 2 religions, so the easy way out was dismissing both of them.
They didn't brainwash me and always tried presenting as many facts as possible to encourage my brother and me to think for ourselves.. My mother less than my father.. she tried to force her "rituals" on us once in a while and would love to see us drop on our knees for Allah 5 times per day.. my father insisted that we use our own heads instead of letting brainwashed ones think in our stead and if he "forced" me to do anything in my life, that was to not let anybody force me to do anything i don't think is right and to not believe anything i don't have a reason to believe.

In short, I am an atheist because I have faith in reality.. and yes, reality may be harsh and unfair, but it is real and liberating, as soon as i stopped giving their Gods even a chance to exist, i sleep better, without even considering that i have the eternal stalker in my brain i have no troubles thinking about any topic and don't plague myself with the "what if's".
'

 

[Andiferous]

As an aside (interesting comment to me): It seems to me that you've also escaped the pitfalls of supposed 'indoctrination' by thinking for yourself. So how do you feel about the idea of religious 'indoctrination' of children in light of this?

 

[Thomas Doubting]

I'll quote myself.

What is God?

The early self-conscient brain constructed "GOD" to have explanations for the uncountable unknown things, it, was a pacifier for the humans, an explanation for things until, they replace "GOD" with knowledge, things like thunders, storms, earthquakes and pretty much everything.

What religions did was enslaving uneducated, and illiterate people, abusing the feature "GOD" to mesmerize them into blind obedience, taking their ability away to replace "GOD" with knowledge..
Almost unbelievable that religions are stronger than ever in this modern world full of educated people where science showed us that it is better to look for answers than to make them, up.. and that GOD is neither the cause nor the end of anything, as long as we don't prove God, or which one it is!! But the indoctrination is too strong for reason and humanity to flourish..

A lasting tragedy.

in short. A tragedy.. i am sick of that and i always say it would be a "blessing" if we could forbid them to brainwash their children.. and try to do the same with ours. But we should be glad that they don't exorcize us anymore, now we have to work on the raping of "infidels" and violence and hatred for a start.. and murder of people who apostatize.
Later there will hopefully be such laws.. and in the end there should be psychological support for believers.. but for now it is a good start that atheists can come out of the closet in many parts of the world.

 

[Andiferous]

Oh yeah, I do agree that extreme measures like exorcism, exile and the like are deplorable answers to kids with questions. And I do celebrate free thinking everywhere and in every form. I have had to live a big portion of my life avoiding confrontation and I've even pretended to believe in situations when I knew I would incite harsh criticism. In my situation, I think my punishments were less severe (but I am well versed in the art of appeasement).

I would probably be a lot louder if the basic human rights of free thinking in debate. In my experience, arguments were nothing more than a fight of personalities.

But when it's just words, I just like the practice of thinking for oneself. That's why I try to give leniency for everyone's personal belief system - as a show of their own practice in free thinking.

 

[Thomas Doubting]

As long as it is not threatening me actively.. or appears to be inhumane, i can absolutely tolerate or at least ignore their beliefs, but then you see things like this:

Hey guys, just started watching your show on youtube a few hours ago and I think it's absolutely awesome! It has shed new light on me on about why I am not serious about my Catholic religion. Although sometimes I still scare myself with the "What if?" thought. Why? My parents raised me to be Catholic, I was forced to go to church on Sundays in exchange for a breakfast, I even did my holy communion and confirmation! Why does that question scare me?

Bribing a child to undergo brainwashing for a breakfast? A person having nightmares about burning in hell? And the concept of hell is interpreted into other scriptures, basically it doesn't even exist in their religion..
Well this is just one example, and not even a bloody and horrific one, and we know there are many of those..
But how can i tolerate even this? how can i "give leniency" for that?

 

[Andiferous]

As long as it is not threatening me actively.. or appears to be inhumane, i can absolutely tolerate or at least ignore their beliefs, but then you see things like this:

Hey guys, just started watching your show on youtube a few hours ago and I think it's absolutely awesome! It has shed new light on me on about why I am not serious about my Catholic religion. Although sometimes I still scare myself with the "What if?" thought. Why? My parents raised me to be Catholic, I was forced to go to church on Sundays in exchange for a breakfast, I even did my holy communion and confirmation! Why does that question scare me?

Bribing a child to undergo brainwashing for a breakfast? A person who rejected the religion still having nightmares about burning in hell? And the concept of hell is interpreted into other scriptures, basically it doesn't even exist in their religion..
Well this is just one example, and not even a bloody and horrific one, and we know there are many of those..
But how can i tolerate even this? how can i "give leniency" for that?

Well, my upbringing wasn't much different, except I didn't even have breakfast as an option in the mix. I went to mass every Sunday without fail, even if I was wearing my pajamas. Mass was painfull (and given that a bunch of it was in Latin) I don't think I really got much out of it. There was no Sunday school for kids, I wasn't allowed books, toys or distractions, and I used to play with my mother's fingers secretly to get me through service.

On the other hand, religious schooling had me play acting that I was christ reborn while jumping off my bed with vitamin c "power" tablets.

I learned a lot from all that stuff.

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
If I shall die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

That is pretty scary for an eight year old....

 

[Prolescum]

My father impregnated my mother. Eurgh.

 

[Andiferous]

Don't remind me about that bit.

 

[Thomas Doubting]

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
If I shall die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

That is pretty scary for an eight year old....

Free acting classes!! YAY!! well not really free when you consider the mental torment..
But the great thing about my godless childhood is that.. that little bit of morbid poetry only reminds me of Enter Sandman from Metallica :lol:

My father impregnated my mother. Eurgh.

LIES!!! :cry:

this is how i came to be :mrgreen:

 

[Andiferous]

I used to accidentally call daddy 'god' now and then. That must surely put this thread back on topic.

 

[Thomas Doubting]

I used to accidentally call daddy 'god' now and then. That must surely put this thread back on topic.

:shock:

 

[Andiferous]

Yes, it was highly traumatic to see him in his knickers.

 

[Thomas Doubting]

Yes, it was highly traumatic to see him in his knickers.

hahahaha
not sure why but that reminded me of this little jewel :mrgreen:

 

[televator]

Because I think. Therefore, I am atheist. :mrgreen:

That would be a "bad ass" answer.

My progression into atheism was a sort of "mixed ride." My parent's hard catholic indoctrination backfired. Because of it, I harbored a hefty resentment toward god into my late teens. In high school I called myself an "atheist", but it really only was out of anger toward my parents more than anything.

From about age 18-22, I tried to "find god" on my own terms (coincidentally this is also just about where I joined the military). Not really finding satisfaction with any particular belief, I called myself a pantheist. Then, I started really caring about the pursuit of science as the real means to understand the universe. So I called myself a scientific-pantheist from there. Once I started getting into some discussions, I started to realize the problems with my fence straddling position. Around this same time, I happened to find Evid3nc3 on YT. When I heard him say something about Occam's razor, that was pretty much all it took for me to decide that I would try to see what it was like to remove all the mental baggage.

As time went by, I realized how this truly was the default position. Given all the arguments for any god are still unconvincing as they do not meet the burden of proof, atheism is the logical stance.

Also, Andi, this thread is a bit contrary to my first encounter with you. You seemed more of an "isolationist" with your non-belief.

 

[Andiferous]

Also, Andi, this thread is a bit contrary to my first encounter with you. You seemed more of an "isolationist" with your non-belief.

I like to see balance of argument and opinion. This isn't to say I don't have any personal opinions. Just that I don't like hanging them on other people.

 

[Thomas Doubting]

I think. Therefore, I am atheist. :mrgreen:


As time went by, I realized how this truly was the default position. Given all the arguments for any god are still unconvincing as they do not meet the burden of proof, atheism is the logical stance.

I am definitely kidnapping this one
And yeah.. it is sad how they cling on their stupid contradicting stories.. as if they're burnt into their brains.. well they are more or less.. but to call the stupifying books "holy books" and consider the brainlessness in there as "numerous facts" is beyond me.. I wonder if I would get 4 billion people to write down "Your God is fake", if it would count as "numerous facts" or evidence?
Well actually i am sure it wouldn't, but that only proves that their confirmation bias is almost supernatural :lol:

 

[Andiferous]

"Would you jump off the bridge if a hundred of your friends were doing it?"

 

[Thomas Doubting]

"Would you jump off the bridge if a hundred of your friends were doing it?"

Depends on what is waiting under the bridge, how high it is, and what is making them jump down, i might take my chances with a cold river 100 feet below if there was say.. Godzilla after me :lol:
Which again, proves that logic is a better guide to reality than blind faith and obedience to authority and peer pressure.

 

[Andiferous]

Yeah, why I don't like pressing my opinion on other people.