I am an atheist

[R_P_A_S]

So after nearly a year of searching, reading, discussing, watching and learning I have decided that is time for my family and friends to know that I am an Atheist. however I don't want to come off as if I am better than them. or have them feel like their religion is "wrong" or any thing condescending.

I'm aware that many hard core bible pumpers will take offense to this regardless and will damn me and discriminate me. (it has happen before) But this time around I want to have a good firm stance and reason. The simple religion and god bashing won't work.

I'm trying to put together a few sentences as to why I don't believe in god, but I still consider my self a respectful person, caring and loving. And how I am happier with out religion or god on my life.


any help?

[spartan]

I am guessing that your family must be really religious then as you seem to feel the need to tell them that you arent religious (Like a Homosexual person "coming out").

Also where are you from as i am guessing that this is somehow affecting your decision to "come out" as non-religious?

Where i am from most people dont give a shit about religion (Indeed most people's, in my area, only experience of religion is when they are bapitised when they are kids and when they smash church windows to steal valuables when they are teenagers :D ).

If this is going to cause problems for you then perhaps it isnt a good idea to "announce" to those close to you that you are an atheist.

[R_P_A_S]

Originally posted by [email protected] 16, 2007 08:43 pm
I am guessing that your family must be really religious then as you seem to feel the need to tell them that you arent religious (Like a Homosexual person "coming out").

Also where are you from as i am guessing that this is somehow affecting your decision to "come out" as non-religious?

Where i am from most people dont give a shit about religion (Indeed most people's, in my area, only experience of religion is when they are bapitised when they are kids and when they smash church windows to steal valuables when they are teenagers :D ).

If this is going to cause problems for you then perhaps it isnt a good idea to "announce" to those close to you that you are an atheist.

well everytime around the holidays people wanna pray more and go to church more and some friends are always puzzle as to why im not exited about xmas or all that religious shit that is tied with it.

my parents wont care. its my other family and some friends that are just not gonna get it. and well i just want to show them that being an Atheist is not bad or is gonna make me worst. the other way around I am more open to people and in doing good. as opposed to doing it because I dont want to go to hell

[Freigemachten]

You don't owe any one a reason. You are an atheist. that's all that needs to be said. Do you go around asking random christians to justify themselves? Unless you are gonna be one of those almost evangelical atheists who tries to discredit religion (such as myself) it doesn't really matter much more than a pile of shit what you are and why. It's a personal philosophy, if you want to keep it personal, do so and fuck any one that wants to give you shit for it. If it becomes an issue, explain the process by which you became an atheist. If it's still an issue, educate yourself scientifically, historically, and philosophically why religion is crap (it's not hard) Look on YouTube for videos that talk about religion and things, look at Vloggers like TheAmazingAtheist, Gisburne2000, TheoreticalBullshit, g0at, FakeSagan, and CapnOAwesome. They are good places to start. Gisburne is great for showing why the Bible sucks. TheoreticalBullshit is great for philosophical reasons why religion is inherently flawed, he's one of my favorites. Also, look into proponets for religion and work on refuting them. Look at VenomFangX and JesusFreek007 or something of the sort, they're probably the best known christian vloggers out there. If you're at all interested in evolutionary biology and refuting Young Earth Creationists, look at people like Kabane52 and ExtantDoDo.

Hopefully you find something in there helpful.

[Ol' Dirty]

do you need to tell them about it? I don't think it'll matter if you tell them if you're close. Besides, talking about religion and politics makes some people very upset/antsy/angry/sad. i'd just leave it be, if I were you. I think that it's good to keep your political and personal lives separate.

[crimsonzephyr]

I have the same problem. I don't care if other people are religious, its just not me for various reasons. I'm more of a realist. it is kinda annoying being forced to go to church or pray when i dont agree with it.

Anyway i have never mentioned my views to any family members only friends that share similar views. Things are going fine with me, i just cope with being forced to do things i don't want to. There are bigger problems in the world than and hour of church every sunday. just think that and practice the self control

[lacysquid]

simply go about your business and respect others beliefs. If the opportunity arises to fully explain your beliefs, then simply state them. Dont attack others, it can be seen as being kind of the whole "grr i'm angry at god, rage rage rage" and i dont think anyone truly wants to come across as that.

i've truly never felt a need to explain myself in regards to my beliefs. I'm not an athiest, more along the lines of a really skeptical agnostic, I try not to get into religion with some of my family, they're evangelical.

Dont compromise your beliefs for anyone else.

[Coprolal1an]

One way would be to avoid the social stigma associated with 'atheist' altogether. Call yourself a secular humanist, or a universal unitarian.

Also, when it comes to arguing with the religious, I find that using scientific evidence is rarely the way to go. many people will shrug them off, "where is the proof?", "that is just a theory", etc. I'd start by explaining why worshiping this 'god' is immoral (since proving him immoral by their own standards makes it impossible to ignore);



God will send billions upon billions of humans, many of whom were no better of worse than you, and simply grew up under different circumstances, to a fiery lake of burning agony to experience eternal torture. I wouldn't. This makes me more loving and kind than god, so why should I worship this god?




If a father said that he loved his son, and then said that if his son did not devote his entire life to loving him back, that he would burn him alive, would you then call that dad a loving father? No, you'd call him a lunatic and would lock him up. You certainly would not worship him. Why then should I worship god?


Or recite some famous atheist/desist/skeptic quotes (http://www.chrisbeach.co.uk/viewQuotes.php):



Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

- Epicurus




We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who creates faulty Humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes

- Gene Roddenberry




Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man -- living in the sky -- who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do.. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time! ..But He loves you.

- George Carlin




Blind faith is an ironic gift to return to the Creator of human intelligence.




I have examined all the known superstitions of the world, and I do not find in our particular superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature. They are all alike founded on fables and mythology.

- Thomas Jefferson




The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also

- Mark Twain



(One for if people claim the united states is a christian nation)


The Government of the United States is in no sense founded on the Christian religion.

- John Adams




God created men in HIS IMAGE, so he created the gays in is image too, therefore god is bisexual...

- Anon


Biblical quotes (http://dwindlinginunbelief.blogspot.com/2006/08/how-many-has-god-killed.html):

(Killed for yankin' it)


38:9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.
38:10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.

- Gen 38:10


(Killed for picking up sticks on sunday)


15:32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
...
15:35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
15:36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

- Num.15:32-36


(raep)


31:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
31:2 Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.
...
31:7 And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.
...
31:9 And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.

- Num.31:1-35


(Bear kills kids)


2:23 And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
2:24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

- 2 Kg.2:23-24

[jake williams]

I've addressed (a couple) similar issues. I think the best way to go is to just recognize that you do think your ideas are better, even more intelligent, than those with theistic views, and especially those with extreme religious views.

The fact is, people just think that they're correct and that people who disagree with them are wrong, that's just what "believing" means.

What it doesn't mean is being sure, or refusing to discuss, or change your position if you're given good reason, and it certainly doesn't mean you have to dislike people, or treat them poorly. You shouldn't (though you likely will be) considered "arrogant" for having views about the universe that aren't religious or theistic. You can act arrogantly or not act arrogantly with all kinds of viewpoints. I will say, however, that I think claims about "humility" are at odds with a belief that the creator of the universe loves you personally and interacts with your life.

[Comeback Kid]

Sigh.


"Im aware that many hard core bible pumpers will take offense to this regardless and will damn me and discriminate me."

Turn around and kick the living shit out of them. No fuckstain backwards theist is going to tell you or me or anyone else how to live your own life.

"I'm trying to put together a few sentences as to why I don't believe in god, but I still consider my self a respectful person, caring and loving. And how I am happier with out religion or god on my life."

One sentence. ' Shut the fuck up to backwards, homophobic pathetic excuse for human life'

'i just cope with being forced to do things i don't want to. There are bigger problems in the world than and hour of church every sunday. just think that and practice the self control'

Lame.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division Uniform Crime Reports HATE CRIME - 1995
Table 2. - Number of Incidents, Offenses, Victims, and Offenders by Bias Motivation, 1995
Bias Motivation Incidents Offenses Victims Known Offenders
Anti-Other Religious Group 102 122 196 36
Anti-Multi-Religious Group 20 25 25 4
Anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc. 1 1 1 1
Sexual Orientation 1,019 1,266 1,347 1,273
Anti-Male Homosexual 735 915 937 1,031
Anti-Female Homosexual 146 189 191 131
Anti-Homosexual 103 125 182 80 A
nti-Heterosexual 17 19 19 13
Anti-Bisexual 18 18 18 18

Do these people show 'self-control'. While this form of hate exists you cannot sit idly by and keep your mouth shut while religion causes so much pain and suffering.

Church on sunday is the bigger crime.

'Dont attack others, it can be seen as being kind of the whole "grr i'm angry at god, rage rage rage" and i dont think anyone truly wants to come across as that.'


hmmm yes. dont attack others while you are being attacked.

GUD PLAN GUIZE.

'One way would be to avoid the social stigma associated with 'atheist' altogether. Call yourself a secular humanist, or a universal unitarian.'

or better yet. An Anti-theist.

Best post in thread though matey.

[MarxSchmarx]

my parents wont care. its my other family and some friends that are just not gonna get it. and well i just want to show them that being an Atheist is not bad or is gonna make me worst. the other way around I am more open to people and in doing good. as opposed to doing it because I dont want to go to hell

I'd just avoid the topic altogether. If they press and ask about your religious beliefs, just say you're secular and lie that you don't give it much thought.
Unless they are liberal clergy or just itching for a fight, there is no sense in reasoning with religious people. As a generality, I've found religious people to have a very shallow understanding of their own tradition and uninterested in serious theological discussion anyway.

My advice is to let them have their little fantasies and move on. I know self-expression is important, but channel it towards remaking society.

[farleft]

Is my understanding of this thread right?

In short your not telling people you are an atheist because you might upset them?

If thats correct, why do you really care? Just tell them and everyone that you're a fucking athiest because you have some fucking common sense.

I agree with Comeback Kid

[Y Chwyldro Comiwnyddol Cymraeg]

But they are his family

[proleterian fist]

You don't have to talk about your religional or political views with the others even if they are your family because everybody's beliefs and thoughts to themselves.
Frankly,My family is religious,too.Truly to be told my father's relatives are too much religious but I don't care about any religion in the planet at all bacause the religion is an opium to the people.
Don't bother yourself about these subjects and try to enjoy from your life.Be a good human for humanity and for nature of world not for god or any propet.
Take care of yourself.

[Y Chwyldro Comiwnyddol Cymraeg]

I may contradict my above post here....I hate the way that people think that religion is beyond criticism. A film, or restraunt (made or run by people) receive terrible critisim and no one thihnks twice that a persons livleyhood could be at stake...for instance if a critic says a restaurant is shit...he looses customers and could have to cut wages of workers. But this apprent "God" is above criticism apparently. Blasphemy is a crime, without a victim...as is critisising religion.



But be carefull with your family...

[farleft]

But they are his family



What!?!?

Have you not read any of Marx's work on the nuclear family?

It shouldn't make a blind bit of fucking difference!

[blabla]

I'm a deist but not religious in the conventional sense. Any deists around here?

[SamiBTX]

Religion has killed millions of people & is still murdering it's followers &
it's non-followers. One less person in the whole mess; way to go!:D

[al8]

Rapas you should just tell it like it is. And debate until you win. Your stance is stronger. You will win in the long run. Your act of truth is a revolutionary act. A small stroke in the larger picture.

Do this as an social experiment and as a honing of character. Learn to speak the uncomfortable truth. And see also how deeply ingraned your families religious views goes. Is their allegiance more to god then to the next of kin?

[Holden Caulfield]

i think that Nietzsche stance on this is basically mine from what i know, (his real stance not some shitty mis-interpretation),

[Dyslexia! Well I Never!]

Here's what you do.

Say "I'm an atheist, I don't care what you think about it. It's my right to believe anything I want. I mean think about the stupid crap you beleive in."

Then point out (as Sartre did) that if there is a god it doesn't matter because he's not doing anything to stop you doing what you want and if there isn't a god you haven't wasted your life praying and oppressing yourself for no reason.

Mention that the bible makes absolutely no sense and the vast majority of the parts that can be have been disproved.

Then if you wish you could gesture wildly and say something along the lines of no matter how many fucking stupid people are deluding themselves it's still not making it true.