Why Atheism?

[Julina]

maybe this has been asked before but i'm just curious. why don't you believe in anything?

 

[PassionFruit]

maybe this has been asked before but i'm just curious. why don't you believe in anything?

Just because someone is an atheist that doesn't mean they don't believe in anything.

 

[Holy Roller]

That's correct. Atheists who practice their religion are actually blasphemers.
How so?
By not 100% disbelieving in G-d, that's why. And having some belief goes against everything Atheism stands for.

I fathom the primary reason for the faith is actually intellectual and moral pride: by pointing their fingers at the few Christians or Jews who fall into sin, they can direct attention away from the jaw-dropping amount of sinning they do.
They can also claim Charles Darwin as their first saint, not even knowing that Charles Darwin was a Christian and a mighty man of G-d; Darwin's father a Lutheran minister.
This they do to placate the presumed Christian or Jewish stance that evolution is a false belief. We, for the most of us, make no such claim. I myself know that there's an evolutionary process to life, with G-d directing it all.

Einstein claimed Atheists got there by a sort of rebellious stance; that some people, upon being brought up Christian, will turn Atheist because they're erroneously taught in liberal institutions that Christianity (and religions in general) was a force of dissension and conflict and not one of peace. You know, a sort of misguided teenage angst. I disagree with this stance because the richarddawkins forum is cram-packed to the rafters with all sorts of immoral, unethical and rude, disrespecting posters. Misguided teenage angst cannot cause this conduct. I have to go, but there's another reason why I disagreed with Einstein's sentiment. I'll post it tomorrow...

 

[uberd00b]

maybe this has been asked before but i'm just curious. why don't you believe in anything?

Oh I believe many things, that buses should run on time for example, or that my football team is mediocre.

But why atheism? Because I'm honest.

Because there are no good reasons to think gods exist and many good reasons to think they do not.

It's all about honesty really.

 

[XChristian]

Why not? Some people actually require proof of something to believe in something. I've never heard or seen proof of ANYTHING supernatural. So I am supposed to base my beliefs on the words of others and old books instead of my own experiences? I'm not saying God/s cannot or do not exist but I have never seen any. If the God of the Bible is in so desperate need of being known and loved and worshipped all he would have to do is make himself known to me, but he hasn't. Which means the God of the Bible does not exist or he doesn't care. Just my two cents.

 

[uberd00b]

That's correct. Atheists who practice their religion are actually blasphemers.
How so?
By not 100% disbelieving in G-d, that's why. And having some belief goes against everything Atheism stands for.

I'm going to have to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're simply ignorant and not actively lying here.

I fathom the primary reason for the faith is actually intellectual and moral pride:

Then you fathom wrong, I can see why you would need to believe this though. It allows you the illusion of the moral high ground. It also allows you to whine "but atheism is just a religion toooo" which is just wrong (dishonest or ignorant?).

by pointing their fingers at the few Christians or Jews who fall into sin, they can direct attention away from the jaw-dropping amount of sinning they do.

Being honest is a sin now?

They can also claim Charles Darwin as their first saint, not even knowing that Charles Darwin was a Christian and a mighty man of G-d; Darwin's father a Lutheran minister.

Of course Darwin was a Christian, most people were in that day and age. Heck we'd only just managed to persuade the religious that killing people was wrong back then. People probably still regarded it as dangerous to "come out" with their atheism. A saint though? Is that the best you've got?

This they do to placate the presumed Christian or Jewish stance that evolution is a false belief. We, for the most of us, make no such claim.

Indeed creationism is only held by a small minority of Christians, vocal though they may be.

Atheism is not about rebellion, it's about honesty.

 

[Eudaimonist]

maybe this has been asked before but i'm just curious. why don't you believe in anything?

Thank you for the question.

I believe in many things. I believe in being true to one's convictions and judgment. I believe in developing one's creative talents and living a productive life. I believe in pursuing self-knowledge and wisdom. I believe in earning one's own self-respect.

I believe in many things. I simply don't believe in supernatural things.

Why? Because I'm not rationally convinced that they exist. It's a matter of intellectual integrity to me.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Morcova]

maybe this has been asked before but i'm just curious. why don't you believe in anything?

I believe in many things, I just don't believe in your, or anybody elses god.

 

[Eudaimonist]

Einstein claimed Atheists got there by a sort of rebellious stance

You wouldn't happen to have a verifiable quote handy so that we may see Einstein's exact words?


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Erfan777]

Maybe because, when people become atheist their life becomes easier and more fun than people with faith.

 

[Eudaimonist]

Maybe because, when people become atheist their life becomes easier and more fun than people with faith.

Not so in my case.

I can't say that my life is any more or less fun since I became an atheist, but life is certainly no easier. My standards for what I aim to achieve in life are still high -- perhaps even higher than when I was a Christian.

One aspect of my life that is neither easy nor fun, but rewarding in the long run, is critically examining my own beliefs and assumptions. Doing this consistently and well is perhaps the most difficult thing one can ever do in life. I feel sorry for Christians that they (usually) feel that they can't critically examine their own belief system, but must simply have faith.

It is frequently the case that I encounter situations where I experience a "call to rise" to do what I don't feel like doing in order to do what I know that I ought to do. My life is not a cozy one of easy conformity to low standards, but of gradual elevation.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[UncleHermit]

maybe this has been asked before but i'm just curious. why don't you believe in anything?

(Assuming that by "anything" you mean "god/gods")

The short answer is, I don't believe because I don't see any good reason to.

 

[UncleHermit]

That's correct. Atheists who practice their religion are actually blasphemers.
How so?
By not 100% disbelieving in G-d, that's why. And having some belief goes against everything Atheism stands for.

I fathom the primary reason for the faith is actually intellectual and moral pride: by pointing their fingers at the few Christians or Jews who fall into sin, they can direct attention away from the jaw-dropping amount of sinning they do.
They can also claim Charles Darwin as their first saint, not even knowing that Charles Darwin was a Christian and a mighty man of G-d; Darwin's father a Lutheran minister.
This they do to placate the presumed Christian or Jewish stance that evolution is a false belief. We, for the most of us, make no such claim. I myself know that there's an evolutionary process to life, with G-d directing it all.

Einstein claimed Atheists got there by a sort of rebellious stance; that some people, upon being brought up Christian, will turn Atheist because they're erroneously taught in liberal institutions that Christianity (and religions in general) was a force of dissension and conflict and not one of peace. You know, a sort of misguided teenage angst. I disagree with this stance because the richarddawkins forum is cram-packed to the rafters with all sorts of immoral, unethical and rude, disrespecting posters. Misguided teenage angst cannot cause this conduct. I have to go, but
there's another reason why I disagreed with Einstein's sentiment. I'll post it tomorrow...

More incorrect generalizations from Holly Roller.

Why not listen to what the nonbelievers here are saying, instead of trying to speak for them?

 

[UncleHermit]

Maybe because, when people become atheist their life becomes easier and more fun than people with faith.

Not in my case. Accepting that I didn't believe while surrounded by people who did (everyone I knew, actually) was pretty difficult. It didn't help that I wanted to believe.

 

[LadyDeflora]

Maybe because, when people become atheist their life becomes easier and more fun than people with faith.

how so?

i've gotta hear this one.

 

[Minty]

I disagree with this stance because the richarddawkins forum is cram-packed to the rafters with all sorts of immoral, unethical and rude, disrespecting posters.

Not only are posters like this found in the Richard Dawkins forum...we have a fair few of them here!! I wonder who I could be refering to?!?!

 

[sidhe]

Not only are posters like this found in the Richard Dawkins forum...we have a fair few of them here!! I wonder who I could be refering to?!?!
[/COLOR]

I have no idea, Minty!

Cookie?

 

[Minty]

Yes please, Sidhe, and thanks

 

[Celticflower]

Thank you for the question.

I believe in many things. I believe in being true to one's convictions and judgment. I believe in developing one's creative talents and living a productive life. I believe in pursuing self-knowledge and wisdom. I believe in earning one's own self-respect.

I believe in many things. I simply don't believe in supernatural things.

Why? Because I'm not rationally convinced that they exist. It's a matter of intellectual integrity to me.


eudaimonia,

Mark

I think atheists believe in many things, most of them self centered (like the boldened words above) while Christians are supposed to be God and other centered. If a person truly does not believe there is someone bigger than they are who is in charge of everything then there is nothing I can do to change their mind. But I do not have to agree with them any more than they have to agree with me. We all make our own choices, we are all free to believe or not believe as we wish. And while atheist throw around words like "rational" and "logical" when explaining their lack of belief in God (or any gods), I just wish they would stop painting people of faith as lacking "intellectual integrity", "delusional", "childish" or "stupid". It is insulting to those of us with fairly high IQs who have chosen a life of faith for our own reasons. I don't throw nasty potshots at non-believers, why should I put up with them thrown my way?

 

[Eudaimonist]

I think atheists believe in many things, most of them self centered (like the boldened words above) while Christians are supposed to be God and other centered.

I was speaking for myself. I am very self-focused in that I seek to improve myself. I am also other-focused in a number of ways. Some aspects of my self-improvement involve how I treat others, and therefore have an other-focus aspect.

I think you'll find that atheists vary as individuals in the extent to which they may be focused on themselves or others.

I think you'll also find that Christians are also self-focused, and admirably so, in their desire to improve their moral character and follow Jesus's example. A complete lack of self-focus would be very odd indeed. Imagine if Christians were to pay no attention to their own experiences or convictions, and believe in Christianity just because others do. Such Christians could just as easily change religion when they change where they live.

I just wish they would stop painting people of faith as lacking "intellectual integrity", "delusional", "childish" or "stupid".

I do not do so. When I say that I am an atheist out of intellectual integrity, I am speaking for myself alone. I am not making any observation whatsoever on the intellectual integrity of Christians.

It is insulting to those of us with fairly high IQs who have chosen a life of faith for our own reasons. I don't throw nasty potshots at non-believers, why should I put up with them thrown my way?

Why are you bringing this up now? I'm hurt. You make it sound like I was taking potshots at Christians. I was not.


eudaimonia,

Mark