What's the worst thing about being an atheist?

[Kirby]

Aww, c'mon. You are from Alabama like me. If you are going to post a picture like that, choose the obvious one.

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01486/church-sign_1486461i.jpg

Hahaha!! I drive by that every time I go to and from my parents house.

 

[Ruptga]

Taking proper theology courses in college really does deepen your understanding of faith and its development over the past few millenia.

Either that or it enables you to articulate what you've been thinking since you were about in 7th grade, which leads to a firm belief that gods either don't exist or don't matter. Either way that turns out though, I would agree that education is best for people with religious questions. Most people that go through that come out having "found themselves" which enables them to be much more productive citizens regardless of what they ultimately decided.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Taking proper theology courses in college really does deepen your understanding of faith and its development over the past few millenia. But more to the point, although having/raising children is a big part of a life of faith (although not required), there is much more to it than that.

Taking theology courses only deepens the understanding of faith if you don't understand what the courses are teaching you. "Proper theology courses" are the stepping stone to atheism, NOT faith. Only understanding the origin of the fairy tales allows a person to dismiss religion and invisible men in the sky with any degree of intelligence.

 

[Binarycow]

Lack of faith. Lack of hope. Lack of redemption.

I don't know how serious this is but I rather have none of that than putting up with the whole-sale bullshit that's religion.

 

[MovingTarget]

Taking theology courses only deepens the understanding of faith if you don't understand what the courses are teaching you. "Proper theology courses" are the stepping stone to atheism, NOT faith. Only understanding the origin of the fairy tales allows a person to dismiss religion and invisible men in the sky with any degree of intelligence.

I've seen it go both ways. Many who were atheist/agnostic end up finally accepting God, and sometimes the faithful lose their faith. I've seen more of the former than the ladder, but I have seen both. Personally, it strengthened my faith to understand the development of modern Christian belief. I also found it fascinating to study the details of other faiths as well even though Catholicism is where my faith is 'at home'. If you are going to accept/reject God as an adult, you should do so on a basis of knowledge and not ignorance - which far too many do.

 

[MovingTarget]

Hahaha!! I drive by that every time I go to and from my parents house.

I know that the sign is "kinda hokey", but I <3 that sign. It gets to be a very boring drive on that segment of I-65. I do wonder what those waterwheels are being used for. It would be pretty cool if they powered the lights for the sign (or something else).

 

[DrPizza]

Actually, some religions such as Jehovah's Witnesses do NOT celebrate days like birthdays or Christmas. No presents. Atheists certainly celebrate birthdays and Christmas, plus Atheists aren't obligated to waste 2 or 3 hours for Christmas Eve mass.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

I've seen it go both ways. Many who were atheist/agnostic end up finally accepting God, and sometimes the faithful lose their faith. I've seen more of the former than the ladder, but I have seen both. Personally, it strengthened my faith to understand the development of modern Christian belief. I also found it fascinating to study the details of other faiths as well even though Catholicism is where my faith is 'at home'. If you are going to accept/reject God as an adult, you should do so on a basis of knowledge and not ignorance - which far too many do.

[csb]I attended a private Church of Christ university and took 3 semesters of religion classes as undergraduate requirements. I came out an atheist.[/csb]

 

[moshquerade]

Actually, some religions such as Jehovah's Witnesses do NOT celebrate days like birthdays or Christmas. No presents. Atheists certainly celebrate birthdays and Christmas, plus Atheists aren't obligated to waste 2 or 3 hours for Christmas Eve mass.

Do Atheists even call it "Christmas"? I wouldn't think so as Christmas actually means "Christ's Mass." Would be silly for them to call it Christmas then wouldn't it? They could just more rightly call it FlyingSpaghettiMonster Day.

Of course Atheists aren't "obligated to waste" 2 -3 hours for Christmas Eve mass. Surely, you don't think Atheists missing out on that is "the worst thing about being an atheist". What would the answer to the thread title be then?

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Do Atheists even call it "Christmas"? I wouldn't think so as Christmas actually means "Christ's Mass." Would be silly for them to call it Christmas then wouldn't it? They could just more rightly call it FlyingSpaghettiMonster Day.

My family is traditionally religious, so I just go along with the traditions.

 

[Aikouka]

Do Atheists even call it "Christmas"? I wouldn't think so as Christmas actually means "Christ's Mass." Would be silly for them to call it Christmas then wouldn't it? They could just more rightly call it FlyingSpaghettiMonster Day.

That would work if all atheists were Pastafarians .

I'd hope that any "non-believer" just doesn't give a shit what you call Christmas. Hell... it's the name written on all the calendars, so who cares if the name is based in religion?

I know that the sign is "kinda hokey", but I <3 that sign. It gets to be a very boring drive on that segment of I-65. I do wonder what those waterwheels are being used for. It would be pretty cool if they powered the lights for the sign (or something else).

Where is it on I65? I'm wondering if I've ever missed it.

 

[MovingTarget]

That would work if all atheists were Pastafarians .

I'd hope that any "non-believer" just doesn't give a shit what you call Christmas. Hell... it's the name written on all the calendars, so who cares if the name is based in religion?



Where is it on I65? I'm wondering if I've ever missed it.

It is just north of Prattville, which is near Montgomery.

 

[Mike Gayner]

Do Atheists even call it "Christmas"? I wouldn't think so as Christmas actually means "Christ's Mass." Would be silly for them to call it Christmas then wouldn't it? They could just more rightly call it FlyingSpaghettiMonster Day.

LOL @ religiotards who still think Christmas is a religiotard holiday.

 

[Kirby]

I know that the sign is "kinda hokey", but I <3 that sign. It gets to be a very boring drive on that segment of I-65. I do wonder what those waterwheels are being used for. It would be pretty cool if they powered the lights for the sign (or something else).

Yeah, I do a lot of driving from my parents place about a hour north of Mobile and either Huntsville or Tuscaloosa, and occasionally from Tuscaloosa to Huntsville.

There's also that huge Confederate flag around that area too.

 

[soulcougher73]

The worst thing is having to realize how dumb the religious masses actually are.

 

[Aikouka]

It is just north of Prattville, which is near Montgomery.

Ahh okay, I've never been down that way!

 

[xSauronx]

No fear of God

i dont fear unicorns, fairies, gnomes or hobbits, either.

 

[Perknose]

The worst would be trying to live with the personal cognitive dissonance of cursing others out with "Goddamn you" or "Go to hell."

But then, I don't believe in hell (a later Christian concept which postdates Christ and all the surviving apostles) or a corporeal God (you know, a Joe God who lives at One Heaven Place) who could or would damn anyone or anything and yet I exclude no Christian based curse from my lexicon, either. <shrug>

Nevertheless, personally, I stand with such luminaries as Big Al Einstein in having a strong and enduring sense of the divine:

"Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind."
-- Albert Einstein

And if you don't like it, Goddamn it, you can go to hell.

 

[MovingTarget]

Ahh okay, I've never been down that way!

It doesn't seem to be indicated on Google Maps. I thought that it would be marked by now.

/wanted to provide a link

 

[sactoking]

Do Atheists even call it "Christmas"? I wouldn't think so as Christmas actually means "Christ's Mass." Would be silly for them to call it Christmas then wouldn't it?

Why wouldn't an atheist call Christmas Christmas? Do Christians refuse to refer to Mohammed as Mohammed, instead calling him 'Prophetic Arab Guy'? Would Jews refer to Kwanzaa as 'Made-up Bullshit Harvest Time'?

Just because an atheist doesn't believe in the "divine definition" of Christmas doesn't mean they can't use that term to refer to that particular day.

 

[MovingTarget]

Yeah, I do a lot of driving from my parents place about a hour north of Mobile and either Huntsville or Tuscaloosa, and occasionally from Tuscaloosa to Huntsville.

There's also that huge Confederate flag around that area too.

IIRC that is maintained by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. I'm not sure if that is the big flag next to one of the old battlegrounds though. It could be.

 

[Mike Gayner]

Nevertheless, personally, I stand with such luminaries as Big Al Einstein in having a strong and enduring sense of the divine:
And if you don't like it, Goddamn it, you can go to hell.

Oh dear, still perpetuating the myth the Einstein was religious? Talk about grasping at straws.

 

[MovingTarget]

Why wouldn't an atheist call Christmas Christmas? Do Christians refuse to refer to Mohammed as Mohammed, instead calling him 'Prophetic Arab Guy'? Would Jews refer to Kwanzaa as 'Made-up Bullshit Harvest Time'?

Just because an atheist doesn't believe in the "divine definition" of Christmas doesn't mean they can't use that term to refer to that particular day.

Agreed. Besides, even the most ardent Atheist should realize the extent to which Christian beliefs are tied up in western culture. Anything from architecture, legal precedents (common law), art, science, philosophy, etc. are all influenced by Christianity. It is a cultural reference point. To completely avoid any reference to Christianity in our common language and culture is a fool's errand.

 

[JackBurton]

Why wouldn't an atheist call Christmas Christmas? Do Christians refuse to refer to Mohammed as Mohammed, instead calling him 'Prophetic Arab Guy'? Would Jews refer to Kwanzaa as 'Made-up Bullshit Harvest Time'?

Just because an atheist doesn't believe in the "divine definition" of Christmas doesn't mean they can't use that term to refer to that particular day.

Christians don't think things through very well when they make comments.

 

[Squisher]

Thinking of something to say when someone in the room sneezes.