Question for Atheists

Originally posted by adraves

Atheism is a phase for many. I die hard cynic will stay in that phase forever. I personally feel sorry for those people. Just because you hate organized religion and this reality as we know it, does not mean that there are some things you will never't know. That may rub you the wrong way, which is okay. Just stay an atheist then.

You got any data to back up Atheism is a phase?

You are way off the mark. Which seems to be typical of many believers.

Originally posted by Annee

Originally posted by adraves

Atheism is a phase for many. I die hard cynic will stay in that phase forever. I personally feel sorry for those people. Just because you hate organized religion and this reality as we know it, does not mean that there are some things you will never't know. That may rub you the wrong way, which is okay. Just stay an atheist then.

You got any data to back up Atheism is a phase?

You are way off the mark. Which seems to be typical of many believers.

Wouldn't it be true that religious beliefs are a phase, as many believers switch from belief to belief at some point in their lives?

Originally posted by Hydroman

Originally posted by Annee

Originally posted by adraves

Atheism is a phase for many. I die hard cynic will stay in that phase forever. I personally feel sorry for those people. Just because you hate organized religion and this reality as we know it, does not mean that there are some things you will never't know. That may rub you the wrong way, which is okay. Just stay an atheist then.

You got any data to back up Atheism is a phase?

You are way off the mark. Which seems to be typical of many believers.

Wouldn't it be true that religious beliefs are a phase, as many believers switch from belief to belief at some point in their lives?

I don't see that.

God believers may switch from one god belief to another - - but they still believe in a god.

You do not need to be a hard core cynic to be Atheist. That statement threw up Red Flags for me.

Atheist is also not anti-religion. A person calling themself Atheist may be anti-religion - - - but Atheism is not.

Atheism simply means lack of belief in a deity. Any embellishment beyond that is individual belief.

Many Atheist do start out religious and in a quest for truth. Once you honestly step out of the "god circle" - - I don't really see stepping back in.

I have found myself wishing there was a god - - especially in emotional life threatening situations. I find myself "praying" to anyone who might have power to help me. HOWEVER - - I am not stepping back in the "god circle" out of desperation.

I agree people in general go through many phases in life. Life is complicated.

I do not agree with people claiming Atheism because they are mad at the church or religion - - because of something that happened to them. That isn't honest Atheism. That is going to the opposite because of a negative reaction. It isn't real.

But to claim MANY Atheists are just going through a phase? Uh NO!

Originally posted by Annee
God believers may switch from one god belief to another - - but they still believe in a god.

How is that not going through a phase? If I listened to rock music, and dressed in all black, then began listening to country music and started dressing as a cowboy instead, wouldn't that be going through a phase? Yet, I'm still listening to music. How is that different than changing religious beliefs?

Originally posted by Hydroman

Originally posted by Annee
God believers may switch from one god belief to another - - but they still believe in a god.

How is that not going through a phase? If I listened to rock music, and dressed in all black, then began listening to country music and started dressing as a cowboy instead, wouldn't that be going through a phase? Yet, I'm still listening to music. How is that different than changing religious beliefs?

They never leave the god belief.

You never stopped listening to music.

Originally posted by Annee
They never leave the god belief.

You never stopped listening to music.

edit on 6-9-2011 by Annee because: (no reason given)

So, switching from believing in Allah, to believing in Yahweh, or Vishnu would not be going through a phase?

Originally posted by Hydroman

Originally posted by Annee
They never leave the god belief.

You never stopped listening to music.

edit on 6-9-2011 by Annee because: (no reason given)

So, switching from believing in Allah, to believing in Yahweh, or Vishnu would not be going through a phase?

It does not apply to the specific subject of discussion.

Atheist is like turning off the radio and never listening to music again.

reply to post by Hydroman


That is still believing in a god.

Originally posted by TruePatriot1685
reply to post by Hydroman

 

That is still believing in a god.

I agree, but it's not going through a phase?

reply to post by Pastafarian

You're just taking one small group of atheists and making a generalization (typical ATS).

I find your retort uncalled for. Firstly I am not American, secondly the face of American atheism that I am exposed to on the media is the 'organised mafia' of atheism and I have no idea how big a group it is, but it certainly seems large enough and lastly I said "But I accept that not all atheists in the US belong to the cult."

What is it about that statement that makes you think I am generalising?

reply to post by bogomil

Something a bit more in tune with the development on this forum would have been more convincing for your 'cause'. Dusting off old, dead chestnuts (always ending in semantic blind-alley quibbles) is increasingly being recognized as pure 'tactical' maneuvers, no matter where they come from.

An addition: Some of your later posts milden this impression somewhat, so don't take this as a frontal attack.

I believe you misunderstand. All I was doing was offering the OP the information that his belief is similar to the Rosicrucian belief and that he should take a look into this. I did not say the OP was a Rosicrucian in fact I don't actually see where there is a problem here unless it is now considered an attack to offer someone some information in good faith that they may not have known?

In what manner was I dusting off an old chestnut or making any tactical manoeuvre.

And what 'cause' exactly would that be when effectively I have said each to his own and we are all entitled to our own beliefs or lack of them. I don't see a 'cause' there.

And no I don't take this as a frontal attack, I am just curious as to why there would be any attack at all because of the information I offered.

reply to post by Hydroman


Not the way you seem to mean it. Each religion is a phase, but having faith/belief in something supernatural is not. Atheism is a lack of faith/belief. Each different religion requires faith so having faith (or being a god believer) never changes ergo having switching religions because each religion requires faith, is not a phase.

reply to post by iterationzero


I have no knowledge of that. Looked him up. Sort of illustrates my point really that atheists are not generally as organised as perhaps the American ones are.

Thanks for the info.

Then according to some, you are an atheist

Originally posted by PuterMan
reply to post by Pastafarian

 

You're just taking one small group of atheists and making a generalization (typical ATS).

I find your retort uncalled for. Firstly I am not American, secondly the face of American atheism that I am exposed to on the media is the 'organised mafia' of atheism and I have no idea how big a group it is, but it certainly seems large enough and lastly I said "But I accept that not all atheists in the US belong to the cult."

What is it about that statement that makes you think I am generalising?

An organization formed for one specific purpose - - - to guarantee separation of church and state - - - is not a cult.

I'd take another look at how the media is presenting it.

FOX news (among others) would manipulate any story about the group American Atheists to be anti-American and cult like.

Individuals need to be responsible for their own perceptions from propaganda media.

IMO - - the American Atheist website is a good read for understanding their position. Not the media.

As a rather new Atheist - - - even though I probably always was - - - as I doubt one keeps searching if they've already found what they were looking for.

They were originally formed to remove mandatory prayer from public school.

Excerpts from the site: www.atheists.org...

>Since 1963, American Atheists has been the premier organization laboring for the civil liberties of atheists and the total, absolute separation of government and religion.

>"Because religious belief, or non-belief, is such an important part of every person's life, freedom of religion affects every individual. Religious institutions that use government power in support of themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths, or of no faith, undermine all our civil rights. Moreover, state support of an established religion tends to make the clergy unresponsive to their own people, and leads to corruption within religion itself. Erecting the "wall of separation between church and state," therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society.

>Atheism, the absence of religion, is the only "ism" that obeys the laws of physics. There is never a "well, you have to have faith about that part" in atheism. Nowhere in atheism is there a text that must be obeyed, or a preacher that knows the "one true way." In atheism, "God did it" is not acceptable, but "I don't know" is just fine -- because that's the truth.

>Atheists in Foxholes - Kathleen Johnson, Board Member and Military Director

Atheists have served in the military proudly and with distinction and Atheist military members and veterans refute the lie that there "are no atheists in foxholes." One of my priorities as Military Director for American Atheists is to continue to speak out as an Atheist and veteran, and to help our military and veteran members gain access to resources specifically tailored to their needs when they need to network with other military Atheists or they experience discrimination.

>American Atheists has produced the Atheist Viewpoint for several years. This television show was originally aired only by mailing tapes to sponsors nationwide to be aired on local cable TV stations. Now, these episodes can also be viewed on-line, right here, as well. The show is co-hosted by David Silverman and Dennis Horvitz, and the show concentrates on current events from an atheist point of view. Most of our shows are serious in nature, and sometimes we have guest speakers, including authors and public figures.

Originally posted by Annee

Originally posted by adraves

Atheism is a phase for many. I die hard cynic will stay in that phase forever. I personally feel sorry for those people. Just because you hate organized religion and this reality as we know it, does not mean that there are some things you will never't know. That may rub you the wrong way, which is okay. Just stay an atheist then.

You got any data to back up Atheism is a phase?

You are way off the mark. Which seems to be typical of many believers.

I was only speaking from personal opinion and observations. I didn't come to preach. I was just saying Atheism was a choice I made when I was about 10. After about another 10 years of life, I had a lot more experience to justify being agnostic. It isn't a religion. It isn't a gospel. It isn't anything other than a belief that there are things out there we just can't really know.

As for belief-how isn't atheism a belief? You have to believe there is nothing else out there; atheist believe in nothing other than what science tells them. It is the same for me. I believe there MIGHT be something science may not know or understand yet.

Crazy thought that is eh?

reply to post by PuterMan


You wrote:

["In what manner was I dusting off an old chestnut or making any tactical manoeuvre."]

I was referring to this initial comment of yours.

Quote: ["Atheists do not believe in God. End of story. I actually never realised what a cult Atheism is in the US. It is not Atheism at all, it is a religion."]

Which for a while was rehashed again and again on this forum, and which always ended in semantic sophistery. Next time you voice opinions of this kind (and I don't disagree with you,.... all types of ideologies can manifest in extreme versions), 'labels' fitting to the context would be more functional.

Many theists are easily confused by semantic options, and describing an atheist group as a 'cult' and a 'religion' could tempt some of them to follow that direction.

Atheists come in many shades of grey. Although, in recent years they've (in America at least) become more and more (in structure and fervor) like the very religions they rail against. Atheists in America should keep this in mind lest they be transformed into very monster they seek to slay.

Originally posted by Threadfall
Although, in recent years they've (in America at least) become more and more (in structure and fervor) like the very religions they rail against. Atheists in America should keep this in mind lest they be transformed into very monster they seek to slay.

Although - I doubt the majority of Atheists (all shades of gray) will join any organized Atheist group - - there is the need for the "American Atheist" organization.

Their main purpose is to insure separation of church and state.

With the religious right continuing to try to take over the government - - - they are needed more today then ever.

The NEED exists - - - more then idealism.