How did you become an atheist?

[Eli]

I did this too, but now I think that I was just choosing what I considered to be the most defensible non-religious position. It was a mistake that also came from thinking in too absolute terms. My thinking was that I wasn't absolutely certain that there wasn't a God, so I must not be an Atheist. Going a bit further, it was obvious to me that no one could possibly be certain in either direction, so agnosticism is the only logical choice for anyone.

The breakthrough came when I realized that being an theist or atheist is about opinion rather than certainty (though I haven't found the theist who would admit that their faith was merely an opinion). I still know that it's impossible to know whether there is a God or not, but I'm an atheist because I know that if I had to guess I'd say there wasn't.

:thumbsup:

Very good point. I think you've just converted me, sir.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

You were some flavor of christian before that?

Yeah, a non-descript or vaguely evangelical Christian. My mother and sister are both still strongly evangelical.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Belief in God isn't about proof, it's about choice. I choose to believe in God because it makes sense to me.

 

[HAL9000]

Belief in God isn't about proof, it's about choice. I choose to believe in God because it makes sense to me.

Yep. Makes perfect sense.

 

[AreaCode707]

:thumbsup:

Very good point. I think you've just converted me, sir.

I think (wait, checking) yes, it IS the very first online conversion!!!! WOW! A historic moment!

Seriously though, thanks to those of you who are sharing your experiences in a thoughtful fashion. Especially those who are able to do it without bashing other viewpoints in the process. Interesting thread.

 

[RocksteadyDotNet]

You're born an athiest.

It's the default state of thinking. You need to be taught that something exists.

 

[Eli]

I think (wait, checking) yes, it IS the very first online conversion!!!! WOW! A historic moment!

Seriously though, thanks to those of you who are sharing your experiences in a thoughtful fashion. Especially those who are able to do it without bashing other viewpoints in the process. Interesting thread.

Hahaha... That had me rolling. That's sig worthy, if you can capture context.. lol

It would be nice it we could get the same type of replies out of a "How did you become a theist?" thread, but if that happens I'm going to go play the lotto.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

I bet you can get that in Thailand. :hmm:

Nun for me, thanks.

 

[Madwand1]

The bible was wrong because it's authors had never really tried to find any real truth, but rather made grand proclamations about things they thought no one would ever know the truth about.

I see.

 

[guyver01]

i didn't "become" an athiest.

Everyone is born an athiest.

You get indoctrinated into a religion at a later age.

 

[DrPizza]

Doesn't apply to the first person that thought of said deity.

Did the first person believe in the deity? Or did the first person use the concept of the deity to control others?

Anyway, if you really take the time to look at the foundations of Christianity - a really close look, it's quite insightful to see how things were borrowed from other religions. The belief that there's only 1 God wasn't there in the beginning - the original 10 Commandments implied that there were no other Gods more powerful than the Christian God. It wasn't until later flavors of Christianity that He became the only God. The interesting part is when you start to realize WHY it was worded the way it was. You're not going to get a lot of converts to your religion if you suddenly tell the guy who yesterday believed in 47 different Gods that "nope, you're wrong. None of those exist, just this one." But, "47? You missed one. And he talked to me. He's the most powerful of all the Gods and he'll lay the smack down if you diss him." Heck, look at a lot of the Old Testament - much of it is a bunch of rules about how to treat your slaves, who you've got to marry after having sex with it, etc. How much you have to pay for this and that...
Rules, control.

And, personally, I think it's still important to have religions around. They do give a lot of people meaning in their lives. I just wish people would stop objecting to progress on religious grounds.

 

[Madwand1]

II would like to add that my Dad, whom I lived with during my childhood, is very religious though not in a church type way. He basically has his own version of Christianity, which I find typical. Anyway, he essentially taught me how not to live.. Just like any good father should. Asking God for things clearly does not work for him, and I'm sure this had a big impact on my own beliefs later in life..

That's sad. I hope that perspective isn't all there is to your perspective on your dad, as it would give me not just a little grief to think of my son thinking of me that way one day.

I'm a full-blown theist, and I consider my father to be deeply spiritual. But he did nothing to directly influence or impress me one way or another about beliefs, other than displaying at times a healthy skepticism against some instances of credulity and self-satisfaction.

I think rather that the line of atheism and theism is in many ways an artificial distinction. I see a strong layer of atheism in my dad, as well as the opposite, and I can imagine parts of both in anyone, including myself.

Tick, tock, tick, tock, ... it goes back and forth, from one wrong side to another wrong side, mostly easily seen in the switch of the bible literalist to the strong atheist or the reverse. The truth, I think, is much deeper and finer than both, and well beyond simplistic perspectives on either side.

We should, I think, be at least smart enough to see just that -- that the perspectives dividing the theist from the atheist are often and most commonly relatively thin veneers which wouldn't survive a strong test, and the truth, including the truth of our common existence is much richer.

 

[Eli]

That's sad. I hope that perspective isn't all there is to your perspective on your dad, as it would give me not just a little grief to think of my son thinking of me that way one day.

I'm a full-blown theist, and I consider my father to be deeply spiritual. But he did nothing to directly influence or impress me one way or another about beliefs, other than displaying at times a healthy skepticism against some instances of credulity and self-satisfaction.

I think rather that the line of atheism and theism is in many ways an artificial distinction. I see a strong layer of atheism in my dad, as well as the opposite, and I can imagine parts of both in anyone, including myself.

Tick, tock, tick, tock, ... it goes back and forth, from one wrong side to another wrong side, mostly easily seen in the switch of the bible literalist to the strong atheist or the reverse. The truth, I think, is much deeper and finer than both, and well beyond simplistic perspectives on either side.

We should, I think, be at least smart enough to see just that -- that the perspectives dividing the theist from the atheist are often and most commonly relatively thin veneers which wouldn't survive a strong test, and the truth, including the truth of our common existence is much richer.

My Dad is an amazing man, but he has put his energies into completely the wrong thing. In my opinion, of course. He's a very simple man overall, with simple beliefs and very simple views of the world. But really, the only thing that matters is that he is happy, and he is. So I can't really fault him for that. The saying "Ignorance is bliss" is more true than most people think....

I don't really think it's sad. I actually wasn't being sarcastic on some level when I said that he taught me how not to live like any good father should. It's not necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, I see it as a good thing. He taught me valuable life lessons, albeit not in the traditional way.

 

[Madwand1]

My Dad is an amazing man, but he has put his energies into completely the wrong thing. In my opinion, of course.

That's cool, especially the last part, where you distinguish what you believe from what you know. I don't know you or your dad, or what to make of him, his person, beliefs, life, etc., but I think I would be content making that distinction for myself and my son, that what he and I believe need not be the same, nor the manner and approach to life, other a respect for truth, and hopefully including a respect for disparate individual beliefs in the face of greater truth.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I see.

Do you? In retrospect I probably should have left the opinion part out of that post. Stating it as fact is practically as bad as what I'm railing against. Still, it is what I believe.

 

[Howard]

Everyone is born an agnostic.

fixed

 

[PieIsAwesome]

fixed

atheist => a-theist => non-theist => does not believe in god.

People are born not believing in god (or anything), so they are born atheist. Note that I did not say anything about rejecting any beliefs of god.

Agnostics believe it is impossible to know whether or not there is a god. I don't think this sort of thinking is going on in a newborn child's mind.

 

[Angry Irishman]

Who gives a fuck? There are so many shitheads on here who just have to toot their atheist horns all the damn time. You are all so fucking enlightened...there are you happy.:awe:

STFU about the whole topic!

That's it.

 

[OCGuy]

Who gives a fuck? There are so many shitheads on here who just have to toot their atheist horns all the damn time. You are all so fucking enlightened...there are you happy.:awe:

STFU about the whole topic!

That's it.

Are you an "Angry Irishman" because Father O'malley touched you in your no-no square?

 

[guyver01]

There are so many shitheads on here who just have to toot their religious horns all the damn time. You are all so fucking enlightened...there are you happy.:awe:

STFU about the whole topic!

That's it.

see.. works both ways.

 

[Angry Irishman]

see.. works both ways.

I know....so lets talk about something else.

I don't give a damn if someone is a priest or an atheist. The topic is getting old.

 

[Angry Irishman]

since this is yet another religious based thread....and they won't stop because of the many on this board wanna be hipster click.....

How do atheists rationalize living on a sphere in the middle of a void of space with no known end? The fact that we exist and recognize there is no plausible reason for this crazy arrangement would drive a belief of the existence of God or higher power?

People weren't born atheists either with the rationale provided so far. People develop into atheists just like they do religious folk.

There I stirred the religious thread pot. ()

BTW, I don't care if someoneis an atheist or Christian, muslim...whatever.

 

[OCGuy]

since this is yet another religious based thread....and they won't stop because of the many on this board wanna be hipster click.....

How do atheists rationalize living on a sphere in the middle of a void of space with no known end? The fact that we exist and recognize there is no plausible reason for this crazy arrangement would drive a belief of the existence of God or higher power?

People weren't born atheists either with the rationale provided so far. People develop into atheists just like they do religious folk.

There I stirred the religious thread pot. ()

BTW, I don't care if someoneis an atheist or Christian, muslim...whatever.

People didnt understand the ocean, so they assigned a god to it. People didnt understand eclipses, so they made offerings to the sun god.

I really hope humanity gets beyond this someday...

 

[guyver01]

How do atheists rationalize living on a sphere in the middle of a void of space with no known end? The fact that we exist and recognize there is no plausible reason for this crazy arrangement would drive a belief of the existence of God or higher power?

The bolded is the point that religious cooks can't comprehend.

There *IS* plausible reason. it's called science. it's called physics. it's called biology. it's called quantum mechanics.

religious types can't comprehend science, so they invent an invisible man in the sky who goes "poof" instead.

1500 years ago, everybody KNEW that the Earth was the center of the universe.
500 years ago, everybody KNEW that the Earth was flat.

Just because you don't know something today... or understand it... doesn't mean it must be a "work of god"

 

[Angry Irishman]

The bolded is the point that religious cooks can't comprehend.

There *IS* plausible reason. it's called science. it's called physics. it's called biology. it's called quantum mechanics.

religious types can't comprehend science, so they invent an invisible man in the sky who goes "poof" instead.

1500 years ago, everybody KNEW that the Earth was the center of the universe.
500 years ago, everybody KNEW that the Earth was flat.

Just because you don't know something today... or understand it... doesn't mean it must be a "work of god"

Well science cannot explain how it all came to be....even many of the leading minds of modern society have come to that conclusion.