I am not going to go into any kind of debate as to whether God exists. No, I want to talk to you about a bigger problem, the problem of religion. The problem of what it is like to tell people you are an atheist and your life after you come to the realization. For me, I suppose I have always been an Anti-Theist. Like most school children today I questioned the story of the Bible and asked questions about death, life, life after death, etc. It just never really stuck with me, I saw through the false pretense and thought it was amusing. My parents were accepting (thankfully) and it was the end of it, up until now. At the age of 25 I realized, I had been living a lie. I had never spoken to my friends about religion, I would say things like “god willing” or “thank god” but only because it has so cleverly worked its way into our language. I was also so careful as not to offend, “are you religious” or “no offense” would always come before my opinion, as if I was fearful of the wrath I would incur as a non believer. Then it hit me, a “non believer”…….. being an atheist puts you in a category completely distant from a religious person it is not a matter of faith it is just a reaction to a story or idea. You either believe it or you don’t. But what happens when you don’t believe it?

Certainly a person who accepts a god, has no trouble associating with atheists. I mean, there are no atheists threatening to kill them right? In fact, to illustrate what I said earlier, atheists are going out of their way NOT to offend the religious. No atheist suicide bombers ( for the most part). Atheists never really burn books. No, the only thing an Atheist does wrong, is say that you might be wrong.
So what does it mean to not believe religion? I had friends on myspace that stopped talking to me. I had other friends tell me that they were as well, they just never said anything. When I post this I will be getting death threats. I will also have people telling me that I will burn forever. Most people will read this and think, “I wonder what happened to him to turn him away from god?” or “Oh, that poor fool” The fact is, Atheists get less respect than Satanists. The reason being, Satanists at least acknowledge that god is real.
It is a battle for supremacy and I am glad. In the end, logic will win…it may take some time, but it always does.

Atheism as Theism are just two points along the same path to enlightenment, most people who attain enlightenment have stopped at all points along this path at different times in their lives.

Like factbeforefiction said, atheism is just another part of learning process. If you stick with it as a belief system you will ultimately become what other religions become. Atheism itself is a religion and logic is only one side of the coin. To just say 'logic will prevail' is just as ignorant as saying 'jesus will show me the way'. Why? Because logic is flawed and so is religion. Instead of following something that will only make you chase your tail, grasp it, take with yourself what you will and move forward. Atheism, just like other religions hold no real answer. Lead yourself and stop being misguided by others.

[edit on 20-10-2009 by jvm222]

Originally posted by hyperion.martin
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Certainly a person who accepts a god, has no trouble associating with atheists. I mean, there are no atheists threatening to kill them right? In fact, to illustrate what I said earlier, atheists are going out of their way NOT to offend the religious. No atheist suicide bombers ( for the most part). Atheists never really burn books...

You should consider studying Mao's "Cultural Revolution" where the peaceful atheists burned countless books and religious shrines and ended up murdering an estimated 70 million people.

The lesson is that any ideology can and generally has been used at some point to justify evil.

I've also wondered why Atheists are sometimes reluctant to even admit to believers that they are Atheists, is it fear of being loathed, or proselytized to, a lack of conviction in their own belief of being a non-believer?

Believers aren't shy about admitting their beliefs, regardless of which flavor they are, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Mormon, whatever.

Atheists will often partially admit to it by saying they're Agnostic before they will admit to being an Atheist, I've wondered why.

well theres no arguing with you now mate?

Originally posted by Rhetoric


Atheists will often partially admit to it by saying they're Agnostic before they will admit to being an Atheist, I've wondered why.

I think for some people it is fear to be honest. I mean an atheist uses logic above faith, so one may tend to reason "what if I am wrong" Also in today's culture is seems that the word agnostic is more respectable than "atheist" but everybody has their reasons.

[edit on 20-10-2009 by hyperion.martin]

I read about a survey once where it was determined that parents are least likely to approve of their children marrying atheists. Out of all of the possible labels a person can fit into, atheists get the least approval.

I've been an atheist ever since I was old enough to look at the garbage fairy tales in the Bible and analyze them with logical thought. With the exception of a very small number of narrow minded Christian cultists I've never really felt any of this massive anti-atheist sentiment that is supposedly out there. Admittedly, I'm probably more intolerant of their nonsensical hogwash than they are of me.

Maybe I get left alone because I own a crap ton of guns and I don't believe in hell.

You're welcome up here. I've lived in Canada all my life, I don't think I've met as many Christians as I have fingers in that time. I'm sure they're around, but unless you seek them out, you'd never know it.

I wouldn't lose sleep over those "friends" who stopped talking to you, they're children, you can do better.