The Athiest/Other thread.

[Jamster]

Hi gang, just thought I'd create a thread for us to talk in.

I'm not an athiest myself (deal with it), but a humanist.

I believe in the fact that we are all moral creatures without needing external rules to define this and believe in finding our own knowledge on all matters (it owns). Some may be surprised by this.

This thread is about to talk on your own beliefs that are NOT based on "normal" religion, or even if you have no real "defined" group you feel you belong to. Talk on up. If you are religious you may join in if you want but please note the TITLE of this thread.

Re anyone thinking this is a troll: No, this is not. :|

[Wooh]

I'm an atheist.

Are you down with the animes?

 - Link

[Kjirsten]

I agree with the OP, though I do call myself an Atheist. I don't think I would call the two mutually exclusive.

I find a lot of beauty and value in things, especially nature, to a degree that almost seems spiritual, though really it's just a sense of wonder that this planet, this universe, even exists. I find a lot of peace and happiness in that. I think the word "atheist" sounds sort of dark, but it's still what I consider myself.

[Jamster]

@Wooh, lol.

@Kjirsten, indeed, I don't know if it's because I am a creative sort of person but feel the same way about nature. Also, yeah, Atheist (spelt wrong in the OP) seems a pretty bad word to most which is a shame, I think the hardcore (like in any group) give it a bad name.

[Dean]

I think it is important to examine a deontological (the will and action is important, the consequence is not) approach and a utilitarian (only the consequence is important) approach separately to determine morality. It will help you to understand the quandaries that face you and can actually perform most of the things that religion will do.

[Stingray Sam]

Hi my name is Blurry aka Stingray Sam and I am an agnostic

(hi blurry)

Basically what I believe is this: I don't know if there's a God, but if there is, then He/She/It is unknowable. Something that could create a universe of such complexity cannot be described in terms of human emotions / thoughts / etc.

yup

EDIT: other than that, be good to one another, the meaning of life is to make life meaningful, live long and prosper.

[Jamster]

I would also like to discuss maybe, if we can without getting too heated, how you feel when trying to communicate ideas or just general discussion to people who may be religious. Through work and such it is never a problem for most, but when beliefs, morals and such comes to the surface I am always afraid to even mutter my thoughts, I don't know why I am like this, I should be proud in a way of what I think, I think? I don't know. On other subjects I will happy be vocal but when it comes to this I really do shy away from it and I hate myself for it a lot of the time.

I feel if I do try and discuss these things, I myself can get very irrational and not understand some of THEIR own thoughts. Like how can you think that, etc. :|
I can get pretty angry about some peoples beliefs is what I am getting at, I guess, which I do not like in myself but I cannot help in a way.

[Steve]

I doubt there's a god, since the concept makes no real logical sense at all, needlessly complicates any conception of the universe in counter intuitive ways, and there's no reason to even suspect one exists.

I ultimately don't give a damn either way and tend not to spend much thought on the subject, because what difference does it make?

[Marcipan]

Agreeing with Kirsten. Can can be an atheist and still very connected and in tune with the world around you on a kind of wonderment and spiritual level. Being an atheist doesn't make you a robot.

[bata]

This thread is ironic. I don't define myself by my lack of belief. Having a thread for it is even sillier.

[Jamiepatra]

Atheist all the way. I was raised agnostic and desperately wanted to understand what belief in something was like but never really was able to. I came across this NPR bit, finally felt like it was ok to not believe in something, and am generally much happier now.

[Jamster]

Originally Posted by Steve

I doubt there's a god, since the concept makes no real logical sense at all, needlessly complicates any conception of the universe in counter intuitive ways, and there's no reason to even suspect one exists.

I ultimately don't give a damn either way and tend not to spend much thought on the subject, because what difference does it make?

Yeah, I totally understand. I honestly would lump myself in the "who gives a shit" category for a long time. I know labels in a way are kinda stupid but what I think about things in general is what I would say I am (humanist).

[Human]

I don't know what to call myself. If someone asks, I usually just call myself a nontheist. I want to believe in SOMETHING, but there's no evidence and so much religion doesn't make sense to me. People say to just submit or let things come to you, but that isn't who I am.

I want to believe there is justice and purpose in the world but it just feels random and pointless. I do think there might be something "more" maybe, but it could just be my delusions and I don't feel like there's anything guiding it.

[Jamster]

Originally Posted by bata

This thread is ironic. I don't define myself by my lack of belief. Having a thread for it is even sillier.

It is not "ironic".

[Steve]

Originally Posted by Jamster

Yeah, I totally understand. I honestly would lump myself in the "who gives a shit" category for a long time. I know labels in a way are kinda stupid but what I think about things in general is what I would say I am (humanist).

I would, if pressed, also refer to myself as a humanist. Since humans are what people should give a shit about.

Questions of religion or sprituality, while not being particularly relevent to the real world or useful for anything concrete, matter a great deal in so far as they are social tools or grounds for human motivations

[skyknyt]

I was agnostic for a long time. I finally just concluded that no explanation or definition of god made much logical sense at all - the word itself is almost meaningless because everyone uses it differently. So I just started calling myself atheist and was done with it.

Folks can believe what they want, and I'll explain my disagreements if they want.

[Gwildar]

I find the believing in a supernatural being without really any proof to be ludicrous, therefore am atheist. However should solid evidence be presented of another conclusion, then i would change my mind.

[BRAVE OR GRAVE!]

I am of the opinion that even if a god as described in many religious texts showed itself, as in it said "Hello I am God" to the universe; I'd honestly have a hard time worshiping it anyway. Unless it laughed/scowled at its own religion.

Anyway, secular humanist is the closest thing I'm comfortable with.

[Wooper]

so poor they can't even afford gods

[Jimmy McForum]

Other, I suppose. I believe in a quasi-Catholic cosmology and ethos, with elements of Gnosticism, Taoism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeanism, and Deism.

Not to be vague or anything. Sorry, dudes.

EDIT: Forgot some. DEAL WITH IT SHEEPLE

[TiltingWindmills]

I am an atheist because I don't believe there is a god. I am agnostic at the same time because I believe that it is ultimately an unknowable thing. I can't prove or disprove it but it would be untrue to say that I am not an atheist.

I am a secular humanist. I believe that human beings have a greater responsibility to each other because I don't believe there is anyone else out there watching out for us. I believe in a search for truth about the universe around us and in a humanist type moral code and try to live my life by those principles.

I don't want to tell people what they should believe or not, but I have a difficult time dealing with the subject of religion and reconciling my thoughts on it with how many people within it conduct themselves and treat other people.

[Jamster]

Originally Posted by Jimmy McForum

Other, I suppose. I believe in a quasi-Catholic cosmology and ethos, with elements of Gnosticism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Deism.

Not to be vague or anything. Sorry, dudes.

Whoa, this is pretty heavy! You were brought up as a pretty strong Catholic right? I gather you did some real searching in your days.

[Kjirsten]

Originally Posted by Jamster

I would also like to discuss maybe, if we can without getting too heated, how you feel when trying to communicate ideas or just general discussion to people who may be religious. Through work and such it is never a problem for most, but when beliefs, morals and such comes to the surface I am always afraid to even mutter my thoughts, I don't know why I am like this, I should be proud in a way of what I think, I think? I don't know. On other subjects I will happy be vocal but when it comes to this I really do shy away from it and I hate myself for it a lot of the time.

I feel if I do try and discuss these things, I myself can get very irrational and not understand some of THEIR own thoughts. Like how can you think that, etc. :|
I can get pretty angry about some peoples beliefs is what I am getting at, I guess, which I do not like in myself but I cannot help in a way.

I have the same problem of getting too heated when trying to talk about such things. I feel very strongly about religious beliefs and am working on just living by example and not being too bullish, because that's the same thing that really rubs me the wrong way about a lot of religious people I know. Not all, but evangelism or trying to "help others to find God" is often the nature of the beast and so it does happen sometimes. Same as it does with Atheists trying to direct people to reason.

Originally Posted by bata

This thread is ironic. I don't define myself by my lack of belief. Having a thread for it is even sillier.

First of all, there's nothing ironic about it.

Secondly, you don't define yourself by your lack of belief, great. To some of us, atheism or humanism is deeper than a lack of belief. I firmly believe God or any higher power doesn't exist. A lot of my morals and worldviews center around this fact and some of the things I mentioned earlier in the thread, and that is one of my defining aspects, like it is with a lot of people.

[Jimmy McForum]

Originally Posted by Jamster

Whoa, this is pretty heavy! You were brought up as a pretty strong Catholic right? I gather you did some real searching in your days.

Oh, it was definitely a crisis; for quite a long time I was wracked with shame trying to shake off the indoctrination, and come to grips with what I believed. I tried calling myself an atheist, but it felt fake. I dated a Wiccan, and flirted with learning more about it, but that wasn't me. Then, one morning, walking home after a night out, I saw the sun rise, and it snapped something into place in my heart. I went out, learned all I could about all the faiths I could, took what made sense, and left the rest.

Worked out pretty well.

As for my upbringing, it was all the oppression and none of the uplifting shit. NICE.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by Jimmy McForum

Oh, it was definitely a crisis; for quite a long time I was wracked with shame trying to shake off the indoctrination, and come to grips with what I believed. I tried calling myself an atheist, but it felt fake. I dated a Wiccan, and flirted with learning more about it, but that wasn't me. Then, one morning, walking home after a night out, I saw the sun rise, and it snapped something into place in my heart. I went out, learned all I could about all the faiths I could, took what made sense, and left the rest.

Worked out pretty well.

As for my upbringing, it was all the oppression and none of the uplifting shit. NICE.

I always find stories like this, of transforming and shifting religious or ideological views within people, really interesting.