Big Ol' Hairy Religion vs. Athiest Debate

[Titslereaux 1]

Inspired by other & Atheist threads, I have lots of questions if anyone cares to chime in. I'm 1/2 Catholic 1/2 Atheist, no lie. I was raised with one crazy parent telling me the Bible is nothing but hypocrisy while the other one took me to church & Sunday school. Both parents had excellent points, so my beliefs waver depending on my mood, although I'm too chicken to call myself an Atheist, just in case (insurance.) Do Atheists believe in other paranormal events/things, such as hauntings, ESP, karma? What happens when an Atheists dies, do they believe in reincarnation? Why do Catholic people often say others are going to Hell on one hand, while on the other hand saying God is all-forgiving? If He's all-forgiving, doesn't that include people who don't believe in him? If God created all, and he created these intensely-thinking brains and the ability to question, analyze and conclude, isn't it hogwash that he'd want us to believe in a book based on a pregnant virgin, walking on Water, an Ark filled with talking animals (okay 2 laugh here.) Why is there a Commandment requiring us to honor our Mother and Thy Father, but there's nothing about honoring the Son and Daughter (is this why child-abuse raves rampantly?) Curious. Sorry, I can’t figure out how to correct the typo in the subject line.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Theist=With a god

Atheist=Without a god

All atheism means is a lack of belief in a god/gods. Some atheists believe in reincarnation, some believe in an afterlife, there really are no rules for atheism. Just a lack of belief in a god.

Then there are different levels of atheism such as me, just a plain old atheist. I lack belief in a god(s). Then there is hard atheism where they believe they can prove there is no god. Then there is a soft atheist and I forget what that means. I figure it doesn't matter, either you believe in a supreme being or you don't.

I do believe in an afterlife (much like a Buddhist) but just without a god running the show. Life on earth is one where a minister is dictating morality, employers are dictating conduct during business hours, society and laws are dictating behaviors during other hours. Hopefully by the time we die we have learned better behaviors and don't need someone telling us what to believe and how to behave.

Then there are deists, pantheists, and all sorts of other ways of thinking.

Me, I don't care. I don't care what is or is not out there. My religion is to be the best person I can be and always strive to do better. I don't give a hairy rat's behind about the rest. I do not believe there is a god out there that was able to create the earth, the stars... the whole darn universe and he cares about worship or the smell of burning goat flesh. That seems very self centered and childish to me. Hell... what a silly concept. I don't need a devil tempting me to do wrong. I can figure that out all by myself and tempt myself. I take responsibility for the bad that I do in life as well as credit for the good.

[joe7777 1]

I'll try to cover all of your questions. It will cover my case, and most atheists.

1. Atheists are usually logical and reasonable people, therefore you could refer to them as skeptics. Skeptics require evidence and proof in order to believe. Ergo, ESP, near death experiences, UFO....all that stuff...we don't believe in.

2. I don't believe in afterlife, it's something that religion has made up (IN MY OPINION) I think thats why religion will also never 'die' . Because people will never grow out of their fear of death, and their need for something to reassure them in death.

3. I think if you look at life through the eyes of an atheist it's actually much grander. Much more precious, something to cherish and fulfill. (theres no second chance). I HOPE no one brings up the old morality thing, thats been done to death. If you ask dawkins, sure he me be biased, but he's one of the most brilliant minds of our day, atheism does not mean immorality.

If you have any other questions or disagree with one of my statements post a response, i'll be sure to try to do the same.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I'll try to cover all of your questions. It will cover my case, and most atheists.

1. Atheists are usually logical and reasonable people, therefore you could refer to them as skeptics. Skeptics require evidence and proof in order to believe. Ergo, ESP, near death experiences, UFO....all that stuff...we don't believe in.

2. I don't believe in afterlife, it's something that religion has made up (IN MY OPINION) I think thats why religion will also never 'die' . Because people will never grow out of their fear of death, and their need for something to reassure them in death.

3. I think if you look at life through the eyes of an atheist it's actually much grander. Much more precious, something to cherish and fulfill. (theres no second chance). I HOPE no one brings up the old morality thing, thats been done to death. If you ask dawkins, sure he me be biased, but he's one of the most brilliant minds of our day, atheism does not mean immorality.

If you have any other questions or disagree with one of my statements post a response, i'll be sure to try to do the same.

You might be surprised at how many atheists believe in an afterlife, ghosts, UFOs, etc.

I agree with you on point #3. The day I finally acknowledged and admitted I am an atheist a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders, no m ore struggles to believe in something I don't believe in, and the world was a much richer and brighter place. I suddenly wanted to know absolutely everything. Things I had chalked up to a God previously, I suddenly wanted to understand details of how it all worked.

I wish I could have come to this point many years ago. Life is absolutely fantastic today. Many theists believe their lives are different from ours because of religion. It just isn't. Just as they think we don't understand, we realize they don't understand. We feel the same things for different reasons. During the time that I actually DID believe in a god (vs. struggling to believe) I thought the same thing as theists. Today I know better, I've experienced both side of the coin.

Life is GRAND as an atheist!

[Titslereaux 1]

1. Atheists are usually logical and reasonable people, therefore you could refer to them as skeptics.

I'm a skeptical realist who overanalyzes things to a fault. I even overanalyze my overanalysis without even trying, which is why the Bible is a bunch of hooey to me. How can a God that is all-forgiving punish the world for the wrongdoings of Adam and Eve a katrillion years ago? I believe the bible was written by an ancient political/governmental society to scare and control society.

2. I don't believe in afterlife,

This one throws me because of events in my own life. It's hard to disbelieve when the unexplainable happen right in front of my eyes. That's not to say I believe, just that it's really eerie.

3. I think if you look at life through the eyes of an atheist it's actually much grander. Much more precious, something to cherish and fulfill.

Nice spin, I never even thought of that.

That said, I can't bring myself to believe in the Big Bang, either because we still don't know if the chicken or egg came first. Evolution from a speck of dust to eventual mankind is just as goofy. How do Atheists believe the world began? Or in the alternative, where the hell do dinosaurs fall in the puzzle?

[Titslereaux 1]

However, as far as ESP and other paranormal freaky stuff, too much has happened to me so I can't discount "something else." I don't know what the something is, but I know it's there.

[Chris_NJ 9]

Atheists confuse the hell out of me. Instead of believing in religion they call themselves atheists. So really all they are doing is replacing the religion label with an anti religion label. Why even bother label yourself at all? Atheists can be just as bad as religious extremists with pushing there views on people. So imo they are just the same.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Atheists confuse the hell out of me. Instead of believing in religion they call themselves atheists. So really all they are doing is replacing the religion label with an anti religion label. Why even bother label yourself at all? Atheists can be just as bad as religious extremists with pushing there views on people. So imo they are just the same.

So with that kind of logic I take it you support Fred Phelps all the way? How many soldiers have you attended their funerals and made fun of the family and tormented them?

[pippinje 0]

Atheists confuse the hell out of me. Instead of believing in religion they call themselves atheists. So really all they are doing is replacing the religion label with an anti religion label. Why even bother label yourself at all? Atheists can be just as bad as religious extremists with pushing there views on people. So imo they are just the same.

Well, I am not sure what I am because I am from the south and in the middle of the bible belt and have had religion shoved down my throat all my childhood. What you just said pretty much sums up why I have written off christianity because you feel that if you have had "a few" bad experiences with an atheist, then you chalk it up to ALL athesits want to shove their beliefs down your throat. Funny. I find that happening with ALOT of Christians. But I would never say all. I have met very respectable people who have their beliefs but never once tried to get me to believe as they do. Only to understand their point of view. There is a difference. I'm sorry but what you stated is just too vague and I don't believe a word of it.

But that is just my view. I am open to listen to anyone's beliefs and be non-judgemental.

Anyone here practice scientology? Now I have tons of questions on that!

[anonemouse 1]

You might be surprised at how many atheists believe in an afterlife, ghosts, UFOs, etc.

I agree with you on point #3. The day I finally acknowledged and admitted I am an atheist a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders, no m ore struggles to believe in something I don't believe in, and the world was a much richer and brighter place. I suddenly wanted to know absolutely everything. Things I had chalked up to a God previously, I suddenly wanted to understand details of how it all worked.

I wish I could have come to this point many years ago. Life is absolutely fantastic today. Many theists believe their lives are different from ours because of religion. It just isn't. Just as they think we don't understand, we realize they don't understand. We feel the same things for different reasons. During the time that I actually DID believe in a god (vs. struggling to believe) I thought the same thing as theists. Today I know better, I've experienced both side of the coin.

Life is GRAND as an atheist!

Ditto, all the way.

I find it very amusing that people who don't understand Atheism somehow expect us to be different than every other person in the world. We're people, just like everyone else. We're prone to doing stupid things, just like everyone else. There are bad Atheists as well as good Atheists (after all, we ARE people), and it's moronic to paint us all with the same brush, just like I don't paint all Christians as ignorant and hateful (even though there are some that fit the bill).

[Jachut 487]

I dont believe in a god out there creating the world and watching over us all. Organised religion makes me nervous, although technically Anglican, I chose not to get married in a church, I chose not to christen my children or do any of those things that western cultures simply take for granted for the large part.

I think religion in and of itself is dangerous and problematic and the world would be better without it. I choose to take no part in it myself.

Yet I wouldnt call myself an atheist, and I definitely define a good person by Christian values, I do hold a belief that the story of Jesus has some foundation in historical reality and I do really believe in thanksgiving for the wonderful good that exists in the human spirit. If I had to define "God" that's what I would say, that I have seen it, felt it in moving moments where humanity is good. As have I also seen and felt evil or "Satan" if you want to call it that.

That's my rationalisation of it. I believe there's "something" worth nurturing and worshipping but I do not believe it takes the form of an omnipresent god, I believe it exists in all of us and our whole lives are a journey to bringing out the best within ourselves and trying to overcome the worst.

But push any religion in my face and I find it abhorrent, be it a christian religion like catholocism or a non christian one.

[georgia girl 35]

There are bad Atheists as well as good Atheists (after all, we ARE people), and it's moronic to paint us all with the same brush, just like I don't paint all Christians as ignorant and hateful (even though there are some that fit the bill).

I agree. It really upsets me when someone labels a person, just because they are a certain religion or race. I am a Christian, and I don't label all Atheists, or any other religion, as bad people, just because they don't believe the same thing I believe. Some of the nicest, caring, and giving people I know are not Christians. No one on this earth is perfect. There are good people and bad people in every religion and it is wrong to label everyone, in a specific religion or race, as the same, because it is simply not true.

[gadgetlady 4]

Inspired by other & Atheist threads, I have lots of questions if anyone cares to chime in. I'm 1/2 Catholic 1/2 Atheist, no lie. I was raised with one crazy parent telling me the Bible is nothing but hypocrisy while the other one took me to church & Sunday school.

That must have been very confusing and difficult for you. I was raised in a staunchly Catholic household, to the point where I even went to a Catholic university. But the Catholic faith held little for me, and I found myself after my years in college falling away from the church completely. It wasn't until I found a group of (non-denominational) Christians that I finally found my home as a Protestant, born-again believer.

One of the things that really drew me to the church that I became a Christian in was the pastor's constant preaching that being a Christian didn't mean we checked our brains at the door. What I discovered after studying and researching the Bible is that there is a tremendous amount of evidence for the faith I have. Many will claim that truth and evidence contradict faith, but that's just not the case. The prophesies of Jesus in the Old Testament are numerous and surprisingly accurate. Now one can choose to believe in Jesus wholly as a matter of faith with no investigation of Scriptural backup, but when one does investigate and finds that Scriptural backup, the Bible just comes more alive.

I'm going to give you a few of my favorite web links for you to investigate on your own. Some of them are former athiests and non-believers who, once they hunkered down and studied that which they were challenging, became Christians. Others provide some answers to the questions you've asked about creation and other doctrinal issues.

LeeStrobel.com - Resource for Apologetics Videos with Lee Strobel

Christian Answers Network (ChristianAnswers.Net): Multilingual answers, reviews, ministry resources, and more! [Home]

Stand to Reason: Equipping Christian Ambassadors in the Areas of Knowledge, Wisdom & Character

Answers in Genesis - Creation, Evolution, Christian Apologetics

These are all great resources and there are many more. I would also be happy to answer any questions you might have about any issue involving Christianity, either on this board, by PM, or via personal email or phone.

The best advice I can give you is to find credible sources of information on the issues and study, study, study. Forego adhering to the opinion that if you semi-believe, you're buying insurance against a crisis in the afterlife (if the Bible is true, what matters is what you believe in your heart, not what you call yourself). Ask questions and seek answers. Blessings to you; you will be in my prayers.

[kacee 3]

Bubble you have such a way with words...

Me, I don't care. I don't care what is or is not out there. My religion is to be the best person I can be and always strive to do better. I don't give a hairy rat's behind about the rest. I do not believe there is a god out there that was able to create the earth, the stars... the whole darn universe and he cares about worship or the smell of burning goat flesh. That seems very self centered and childish to me. Hell... what a silly concept. I don't need a devil tempting me to do wrong. I can figure that out all by myself and tempt myself. I take responsibility for the bad that I do in life as well as credit for the good.

I'll say a big ol AMEN to all that!

[kacee 3]

I consder myself a very spiritual person. I believe in ESP and what we consider the "paranormal". I believe there are convergent universes and that time is all relative. I think things and people from the past and future can fold in on themselves and become part of the present. I think that when you die you go to a different plane of existence. Energy does not dissipate...it only reconstructs at another level. I absolutely believe in reincarnation. I think we are not anywhere NEAR alone in the universe, and when the little green blobs from Alpha Patootie do make themselves seen here, it's gonna really put the hurt and test on some religions. I wish mankind wasn't so freakin stilted in their capacity to reach outside themselves and embrace the possibilities of the universe.