Um, I'm actually an atheist too. I haven't told my parents yet, probably gonna wait until I graduate.

That would be a good idea

Kind of surprising to find that so many of you guys don't practice a religion. I will say though that I'm glad to find that people can have this discussion here without problems. Most forums can't say the same.

Like Liz, I have also found freedom from religion liberating. Even when I was a practicing christian I always questioned the stories and the lack of proof was also an issue. When I asked legitimate questions about the bible (why aren't prayers answered overtly like they were in the bible? Why doesn't god speak to people now?) people got angry. You're supposed to accept the book as truth without questioning it and I could never get in line with that.

It really is the only aspect of life that I can think of where you're taught not to question or think critically.

Yeah, I find the bible and most aspects of Christianity like that. We were discussing "papal infallibility" in class, and I asked a question: If the pope is infallible when speaking on faith and morals, why has the Church changed its mind on things like the Crusades?"

Teacher: "Oh, he wasn't speaking on faith or morals."

I could not stop myself from yelling "HOW?!"

I had an aunt who was extremely catholic, and she'd read the bible and read bible stories to me when I went to bed, and make me go to church, and was always giving me these religious magazines

I'm kind of having this issue right now. The problem is with my son, who is six months old. My parents and my wife's parents are very religious but my wife and I are both former christians turned atheist.

My mother and mother in law are bombarding me with religious baby books and similarly themed items in an attempt to push my son into religion. I'm not a dictator, I want him to make his own choices, but I'm not sure whether he'll be able to do that with all of these reading materials and bible themed toys being forced onto him.

It'll be a long time before it matters but I don't want him to be forced either way.

That Jacob's ladder toy is actually kinda fun to play with

What I find most liberating about the lack of religion is that it places personal responsibility where it belongs, in the hands of the individual. If we win a football game it is not due to the intervention of Jesus (really, is the Superbowl really that super?), and when we do something bad, it is not because the Devil made us. Religions are great at making excuses for the worst of human behaviour, including the very things they tell people not to ever do. Aetheism forces everyone to own up to everything they do, good or bad.




That is the nature of all Revealed Religions. By deciding that the validity of their religion lies within a written text(s), they become hidebound to those books. When thousands of years go by and people begin to figure out how thing work in the world (a.k.a. science), we see all the holes in those books. But the religions cannot adapt, because they have tied themselves to those ancient books. If they say what it is in them does not really matter, then they have started down the very slippery slope of nothing in their religion mattering.

The flip side to this are Mystery Traditions, which do not have dogma. The validity of them lies entirely within each individual and their experience. Because every person is different, everyone's experience is also different. So even in the same Mystery Tradition, no two people see things exactly the same. Also because they are all about you, they are a major case of Your Mileage May Vary. The proof in them is "did you feel something?" If yes you are set. If no, it is time to move on.

You know what I'm doing, Kiln? My family "knows" I'm not religious or a Christian.(Considering my mother confiscated my tarot deck while I was pregnant with my son, yeah, she knows)

And they used to ask me when I was gonna send him to Sunday school. I had to tell them to back off, in those words. I told them "I am not religious, nor am I a Christian. If you want to see him, you'll back off of that topic. We aren't doing that. If he wants to do that later in life,great, but MY job is not to raise a good christian boy, it's to raise a decent person, and I will be doing that without religion."

I allow religious material in my house. I'm not objecting it. Veggietales is a Christian kid's show, and he loves it. He has a book of Bible stories he likes. But I also have a small Buddha statue, and that's about it.

I don't want him to grow up thinking "If I do this, God will punish me" or "This deity will curse me" or whatever. I want him to find his own joy in making people happy. Luckily my husband's parents beleive in God, but they don't like to preach, to be preached to, and don't mind when I say "Happy Yule!"

And we take holidays for what they are: holidays. Easter is when Christians celebrate the ressurection of Jesus and when Pagans celebrate spring and fertility. Either way, an egg hunt happens lol

Christmas is the winter solstice and the birth of Jesus. We do different sides of the coin. Looking into religions, I've found out that each one is a rich and wonderful ideal with the same concept: To be the very best you can be. Some just get lost along the way, and forget there are different paths to the same goal.

Subrosa: I definitely agree with your first point and can understand the second one. Accountability is important to me and I adhere to a strict moral code, I just rely on my own honor to enforce it and not guilt that I may be punished when I die.

Liz: Your route may be the same one I take as well. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Same here. Either they got angry or simply couldn´t give me an answer. It´s like politics today; just accept what they say on the news. Don´t ask any questions. Just obey.

Not me


I was never asked to be born so why should I do what some vague god tells me to do? Why should I let anyone/anything rule my life? Why should I decipher some hidden meaning in a book? No, I rule my life and that´s it. Besides, what if I follow the god in the bible and it turns out to be an evil demon and not a good god at all? Who am I to tell which is which with all the horrible things depicted in the bible?

Though I am trying to be good because I know others will be happy and that makes me happy. Plus, I do have a few Bible games I can play...

This post has been edited by mirocu: Feb 17 2014, 09:29 AM

I'm an atheist in a family that I would describe as Anglican-agnostic. My mum will drag us to church on Christmas and Easter but apart from that we don't really practice. I go to a catholic school though, simply because they provide a better education than public but at a fraction of the cost of a normal private school. Besides they have to maintain at least 10% non-catholic. The school teaches religion as a subject, but it gets less bible-heavy each year and in grade 11 it's elective.

I believe in many of the Christian values (and many other religious values) but don't do them for the good of some higher being, I do them for myself and others. In fact of all the religions I am familiar with, Buddhism promotes one of the best messages: the middle path. Don't impoverish yourself for a god someone else, but also don't love an over-excessive lifestyle.

Also, can I just say how nice it is to have a mature conversation on such a controversial topic over the internet. Truly refreshing

It´s because we´re all heathens

Reasonable heathens*

So, I just applied for work again with my old bosses. They didn´t have any for me and they basically said they don´t want to hire anyone ever, but it was a nice chat and it was good to see them again and the new storage space they had built

So, question for the thread:

Does anyone read newspapers?

Personally I've given upon reading them, it's all either depressing news or political BS and blame games.


Why am I asking?

I'm just curious, noticed yesterday's newspaper sat nearby and thought ugh.

*shrugs*

This post has been edited by Callidus Thorn: Feb 17 2014, 05:50 PM

I haven´t read any news paper since I... Wait. I´ve never even started to read them And because of the reasons you stated. Well, I have of course glanced to get the idea but like news on TV all they´re full of is BE AFRAID OF THIS AND THIS AND THIS AND DON´T FORGET THIS BRAND NEW PANDEMIC!!!


No thanks. Keep that stuff away from me.

Yeah, all that's on the news is war and famine, and this child was kidnapped, and this man was murdered, and this woman was raped, and this bank was robbed, and there's an escaped madman from a mental asylum on the loose, or a prisoner escaped, or we're in threat of a nuclear attack, etc. the news is just depressing.

Better to be here and have fun

Exactly