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Post by magic9mushroom on Oct 12, 2014 19:02:47 GMT -8
Most atheists are open to being proven wrong. It's specifically the lack of proof that most of us have a problem with. There's a few crazies who claim to know that no gods exist, but we mostly just ignore them. (Deism, to take just one example, is literally impossible to disprove.)
Anyway, so you figured out that religion's not actually true. Good for you; one less delusion clouding your thinking. I don't really know what else to say; as I've never been religious, I've never really paid too much attention to the whole thing.
Well, besides this: Just because you don't hold to a religion doesn't mean you need to throw out all values and become a nihilist. It just means you have to think a little more about what you value. You might want to talk to some other atheists about their ethical systems.
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Post by piexplode on Oct 12, 2014 22:03:53 GMT -8
The nature of God pretty much is that it's something that you'll never have proof even on the scientific level of. Either you believe in God or you don't. As a consequence whether you feel or believe is a God or what qualities that God may possess is kinda down to you. So obviously it makes sense to recognise that changes in yourself don't indicate the existence of God. Nothing really indicates it apart from belief from many places.. and take with that what you will, an acknowledgement of that doesn't subscribe you to theism, atheism, or even any association with religion whatsoever.
My personal opinion on who God is is that they are who you speak to when you have no-one else that you want to or can at that moment and feel the need to talk. I guess the feeling of the existance of a higher power, however irrelevant it is to science and the like, can be comforting. As it is I'm very laid back about religion (I am jewish though so you are aware) and I appreciate why some people are or aren't religious. All I can say is that I won't try and change your point of view, and I'd rather you not try to change mine, and just accept that the ways in which we each see the world are different.
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Post by jorgen on Oct 13, 2014 5:56:03 GMT -8
Welcome to the dark side brother. It's nice to have values and notions of the world that aren't constrained by doctrine.
I was never explicitly hurt by the Church either. Most of my experiences were mildly positive, the people I knew mostly friendly and respectable. I just never really bought it. The main thing that had me holding out as long as I did was family and friends at home. I assumed I was missing something and that I should go along with it, maybe it'd eventually become clear. Then I wouldn't even have to cause shock and awe by expressing my skepticism!
University then exposed me to other non-religious dudes and modes of thought. This allowed me to realize that, no, I wasn't nutso for thinking that both the ontological and epistemic bases for this whole religion thing held by everyone else back home were kinda sketch. The main thing that makes Christianity so prevalent, I realized, is that it maintains unwavering faith and evangelism as among the highest virtues.
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Post by cheese on Oct 13, 2014 8:09:38 GMT -8
Firstly I want to wish you good luck when (or if?) you decide to go public on this. There's no reason why there should be any problems, and I hope friends or family don't have any issues with it. Remember that if God exists then he's given you a brain with which to make this kind of decision. You can't believe something because someone tells you to believe, or because you want to believe.
Remember that there are plenty of atheists/agnostics/others about with all kinds of experiences if you want to talk. You are not alone!
I disagree with this, I think it's a sliding scale from absolute certainty to absolute non-belief. I don't think people wake up one day going "there's no God" and the next day thinking "there is a God". (Or vica versa.)
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Post by piexplode on Oct 13, 2014 10:58:20 GMT -8
I'll concede that point
lol post 69 I don't care that I'm 18 I still find it funny.
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Post by magic9mushroom on Oct 13, 2014 15:08:57 GMT -8
Since everybody's talking about how the Church didn't hurt them, I might as well say that I was hurt by fundamentalists... because I was an atheist already (at the age of 8). Still nothing to do with why I'm an atheist; the actions of a religious group have nothing to do with the truth or otherwise of their beliefs.
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Post by piexplode on Oct 13, 2014 22:55:46 GMT -8
My girlfriend was hurt to an extent by her parent's catholicism. Not gonna elaborate though
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Post by CrapAtRBY on Oct 14, 2014 10:32:24 GMT -8
I haven't had too much experience with religion, everyone in my family either is or was protestant and my school made us recite the lord's prayer every day, but that's about the extent of my experience, I was raised being told that god exists but it was never forced on me, the only times I've been to church were after I stopped believing. When I found out that religion was a belief and not objectively factual (for want of a better phrase) I realised pretty quickly I'd never really believed, I'd just been taking things at face value because authority figures had told me about them and never really bothered too question things too much.
I hope things go well with your churches, are you not allowed to help out if you leave?
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Isa
Member
FOREVER SECOND
Posts: 1,479
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Post by Isa on Jan 8, 2015 6:53:46 GMT -8
I'm glad that you're still living comfortably and that you've been able to talk about some of your closest members of family about it.
Before you talk to your parents, I'd advice talking to your siblings for support and strength. Especially the agnostic brother seems like he'd be able to help you, especially if he is open with it towards your parents.
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