To those that were born Atheist

I don't actually mean born atheist but raised atheist or with no religion.

Unlike growing up under a religious stature, i believe if you were growing up as an atheist you would see the world in a completely different way.

-To those who were or are still are under the shackles of religion, you would have been raised believing that all the answer of human kind are already known, that god created everything and that we some how know all the answers, all the answers are in bible.

How many of you had conflict in your mind with god, for example "please god i wont ever do that again if you just help me out with this one thing". To be raised on fear that if you don't be a good boy. I mean i believe that is a real unhealthy mindset. Specially to those who feel self righteous, that im going to live an eternal life of happiness while the person next to me is gonna burn in hell for eternity, this mindset makes me sick.

It must have been so great to grow up freely with out a weight on your mind holding you back. An non believer would look at the world so much differently and appreciate it so much more i feel. I mean life was great as a kid either way, i believe if we were transported back into are young bodies it would be like an instant orgasm.

I feel religion is such a lame belief for the beautiful world that we live in, the mass amount of information from the very big to the quantum. How amazing and advanced nature and the universe is.

-So i ask those who grew up as a non believer, how was it. I feel that your mind would have been much more imaginative and curious.

I know you asked those that grew up with out religion. I kind of am one. We went to a church where in the kids class they started talking about Jesus dieing on the cross and I felt like I was transported there next to him, looking up (they didn't even mention the other 2 guys, it was focusing on Jesus) and then I came to and they said I passed out. After that I refused to go near a church again for many years. I still don't feel comfortable going to any church.

I do believe in God now, but I strongly feel that religion is a way to control mankind, a bondage of sorts. I try to teach my son that to be Cristian is to have a personal relationship with Jesus, not go to a church and let another person tell you how to live your life.

reply to post by calnorak


I respect your ideas in having a personal relationship with god and not have someone else or an organization control it for you. But i disagree with Christianity, i think everyone should just live life with an open mind, no one really actually knows, they have tricked there mind into thinking the truth, but in actuality the know as much as i do which is jack squat.

Heaven would be a cold place,
if not for those of us that are burning in hell
to keep it warm.

I don't actually mean born atheist

If it's not what you mean, why make it your thread title?

2nd

reply to post by dankety


You better put your flame suit on, Christians are going to be PISSED! lol I'm sure they'll try to counter you and tell you that their book is based in truth, by reading passages in said book. That's like me trying to prove that the XMEN are real, by reading a page out of their comic book to you!...lol

Do I think there is a creator?.... sure I do... can anyone prove it? Absolutely Not!!!

Originally posted by jude11

I don't actually mean born atheist

If it's not what you mean, why make it your thread title?

2nd

Are you going to post something meaningful to the thread or just nitpick @ the OP because you don't agree with his/her views?

My wife and I just had our first child 4 days ago. We spoke about religion. Both of us are Jewish - yet we are extremely secular. Our decision was to wait until our child hit an age we deem that she can make up her own mind. She will still learn all about our culture, and heritage as we find this to be very important. However, we will not scare her with stories of an angry desert god who is vengeful and hasn't appeared to people since who knows when.

Neither my wife nor I believe in god. However, being Jewish is more than believing in the five books of Moses. There is a strong culture, a shared suffering and a history of being a tight knit community determined not only to survive, but to flourish even when the cards are stacked against us.

I'll let you know in 18 years how she turns out.

I'm a believer in God. I am no longer religious though, I follow God on my own terms, don't link myself to any denomination nor do I follow much of what my previous denominations believe to be essentially linked to having proper faith. Being religious never held me back from anything, it taught me good values though. You don't need to be religious to take into account a lot of the common sense things the bible says us humans can do to make this world a better place. Keep an open mind for a second, imagine if humans applied many of the positive things the bible says to their everyday life, but instead of doing it for God they did it for the well being of others and for their fellow humans and our home, "earth". This world could be a much better place. The bible is a man made book, whether or not it is truly Gods word a lot of it is very uplifting and essential to making the world better, with or without the belief in God. It teaches many to be grateful, caring, loving, giving, and much more. Many just toss it aside because they don't want anything to do with God, but it has much more meaning behind it than just fairy-tales and a creator.

reply to post by dankety


-So i ask those who grew up as a non believer, how was it. I feel that your mind would have been much more imaginative and curious.





Your thread leaves a lot to the imagination, or at least makes one wonder why they would ever consider "not believing", as you have set a new low in terms of standards for those thinking outside the box...


First off - believing answers that "one question" for many people...it gives them peace of mind, all the while maintaining their imagination and curiosity...who are you to say differently..?


In addition, there are legitimate studies showing people who believe live a longer life...and this makes sense in terms of day-to-day stresses. Or for your layman ass, their outlook is a bit more optimistic as they have it "all lined up".


And let's not forget daily rewards...those that believe can find purpose in life quite easily, though many of us that have taken a different path find those personal treasures on a regular basis as well.


Point is - you're a bad mouth piece for those that chose not to include theism in their life...or, if you still don't get it, just stfu...


And this opinion is brought to you by your friendly neighborhood non-believer...

Originally posted by EyesWideShut

Originally posted by jude11

I don't actually mean born atheist

If it's not what you mean, why make it your thread title?

2nd

Are you going to post something meaningful to the thread or just nitpick @ the OP because you don't agree with his/her views?

How can I agree or disagree when the OP clearly states that the title is not what is meant? If I click on a thread, I expect to find content relating to the title. Otherwise, it's misleading.

Also, I haven't said whether I agree or disagree, so that much at least is clear.

You're right, I've been thinking about this a little bit lately. I was raised completely secular by my mum (a very creative and insightful woman), I was exempt from R.E. at primary school (althoguh I often chose to participate, if only to exacerbate the teacher).

I can't really make any comparisons as I'm totally clueless as to what it would have been like growing up indoctrinated instead of being conditioned to explore and form beliefs, I imagine the former would suck, though.
Tell us a bit about your history, OP.

edit - I was actually raised with what was probably more existential and exploratory freedom than most children from secular families, even. I'm only now coming to terms how much of it I took for granted.. D:

reply to post by dankety


I re-read your post
explore your own options
its good to question
I was raised as one said
and is giving daughter the option.
I respect your right to what ever you feel
even if I first responded with a joke.

Who said that all the answers of humankind are already known? "How to live your life" answers are in the Bible, but how is science going to tell you that? "Studies show exercising to..." Not bad advice but sort of boring, and it doesn't really feed the human ability of intuition.

I think it might be best to leave it up to the kid on what they want to do. The whole forcing kids to go to church I don't know if its a good idea. If they want to go, sure. If a kid has an interest in the Bible or any other religious text, they'll read it or somehow make it important. If it's made to be important by their parents, then they tend to suck at it...which is what happens to a lot of religious folk.

So child atheists would be more imaginative than their religious counterparts, when atheists tend to attribute religion as a result of adherents' overactive imaginations.

Actually.... every child is born atheist. No child is born with a belief system let alone a language to articulate their inner thoughts. They are only concerned with three things. Eat, sleep and Poo!. Religion is a process of indoctrination upon which children are given no choice in most cases.

IRM

reply to post by facelift


cant believe you got so many starts for your post. What your talking about are people tricking there minds into peace of mind. There are plenty of other ways to find joy and spirituality in this world.

For instance i live my life an a very shamanistic way, i feel that we are all connected in some inner way from a little grass seedling to a rock to us as human being.I am amazed by the cosmos and want to seek as much information as i can.

reply to post by Turq1


i say that in a Christians point of view please examine what you read.

Originally posted by dankety
reply to post by Turq1

 

i say that in a Christians point of view please examine what you read.

Yeah sounds like you're upset over being brainwashed into religion. That does kinda suck I bet, not natural learning in the least.

But I don't know how you can say atheists as kids are more imaginative than their religious counterparts when atheists tend to call religious folk "imaginative" as an insult. Fail.

Religion never came up in my family if anything I was raised agnostic. I did catch heat sometimes from kids my age back then from time to time. They would tell me I was going to burn in hell that my family would to but I just thought they were crazy. If they were not crazy then I did not wan't to be a part of a religion with such a hatefull god that would hurt me or my family because we didn't believe in something we couldn't see.

Over all I would say it was great growing up without religion aside from those who tryed to persecute me for not beleiving. Later in life because of my wife I went to church and have always found it distastefull. I hear more hate than good in church thank god she doesn't make me go often. Growing up without believing in god made it easy for me to grasp science and I kept a open mind about things.

I do believe there is something greater than us I just don't believe there is any way we could understand it and I certainly do not believe in any 1000 pluss year old book that says it does. I am glad I was raised the way I was if anything it probably made me a better person. I never understood how people thought the bible made them better people they could get away with almost anything but do a few hail marys or what have you and all is forgiven. I am more about just doing the right thing where you don't need to be forgiven.

For those who are wanting to flame let me point out I am honestly answereing the OP.

Originally posted by dankety
reply to post by facelift

 

cant believe you got so many starts for your post. What your talking about are people tricking there minds into peace of mind. There are plenty of other ways to find joy and spirituality in this world.

For instance i live my life an a very shamanistic way, i feel that we are all connected in some inner way from a little grass seedling to a rock to us as human being.I am amazed by the cosmos and want to seek as much information as i can.

I can except that because you are correct in a scientific way as well. What is that saying? Whe are the same stuff stars are made of. Something like that.