Why Do People Become Atheists?

After studying for 10 years in a catholic nuns school! :smt096

 

I like the catholic joke about catholic school Only people who went to catholic school can relate to it.

Guy 1: "I went to catholic school for twelve years."
Guy 2: "If you went to catholic school for twelve years, why aren't you catholic?"
Guy 1: "Because I went to catholic school for twelve years."

 

:smt042 Exactly!

 

Amen brotha

 

:smt045

I don't consider myself Athiest, I have nothing against God in whatever form he exists for people... But I have trouble reconciling my logical self with a supernatural existence. The world makes sense to me already. Plus I can see the reasons for the "creation" of religion waaaaaaaay back when. Society was entirely different, people knew less about the world, people needed ways to explain things they knew nothing about. And the powers that be needed ways to control the masses.

Also, I don't like the idea of surrendering the power/control/responsibility of my own life. I am responsible for everything I do, the good and the bad. I guide my own life. It almost seems like a cop out to defer to a "higher being" rather than accepting that you are entirely responsible for you.

I'm not trying to offend anyone. I have absolutely nothing against those with faith. This is just the way I view it right now and I don't consider it weak, lazy or naiive.

 

I think I was entirely misunderstood when I called being an atheist weak and lazy. I'm not saying the person who practices it is weak or lazy but I believe it to be a weak and lazy way of thinking. To simply dismiss something because your limited knowledge can't explain it is a weak and lazy approach. That's my problem with atheism, that instead of simply saying "I'm not sure if there is a God but I'm open to suggestions" they definitively say there is no God and usually mock those who believe.

I think people have been put off by the concept of God because of secular religions that use indoctrination to fool and control the masses but if you need proof that there is a higher power look no further than your own mirror my friend. You are a remarkable being that took eons to come into being and you're perfection in its highest form. We all are and I think we get caught up in the idea that God is an all knowing wishmaster ready to punish you at a moments notice when the reality is closer to the concept that God is an entity all of us aren't prepared to accept yet.

 

I'm not sure about this. It sounds like you're saying it is necessary to forgo logical evidence to 'know' the existence of god because god is undefinable. Isn't that itself a 'logical' position to take?
How did you come to the conclusion that god is undefinable? How did you even come to the conclusion that such an 'entity' existed in the first place? Are we sliding the goal post to fit your whim?


I didn't read all the post in this thread, but do you hold the idea that life had to have started somewhere by some higher entity, therefore there is god?
If so, that is also a logical thought process, though I suppose Atheist would say it isn't so because they see no material basis for it.

Side note; Molecules can be seen under a microscope. What does belief have to do with that? Do you believe you are sitting down reading this? I can see how it could come under the domain of belief if the person were using molecules and atoms as proof of the non-existence of god. But I can't see equating a 'belief'(whatever that means outside of the 'belief in the non-existence of god' which is what Atheism generally seems to be) in science with a belief in god.


Also, if god is undefinable, why have a word for it? Do you worship the word or what the word is supposed to stand for? Seems like the word can't stand for anything if what its supposed to stand for is undefinable..therefore why the word? And how is there belief? Is this belief just not in god but in the idea that there has to be a beginning?
That would be cute, wouldn't it? Curse the atheist for believing in nothing and presuming that their way of thinking is all there is while presuming there to be the ultimate beginning/higher power because there is too much we don't know and anyone who doesn't subscribe to that is arrogant and lazy thinking....

 

Summit let me start by saying I welcome and really appreciate your questions. Questions like these are what challenge my way of thinking and help me to grow thank you for that.
The reason I used molecules and atoms to support belief is that before the microscope existed there was a belief in the existence of molecules. A belief so strong that scientist built a machine to witness that existence much like the haydron collider that's being built now.So all I ask when people say there is no God just wait and see before you totally make up your mind about it. As far as the idea of a beginning, I believe everything that is here has always been here and always will be. Its difficult for us to concieve that because we focus on our material bodies more so than the energy that created us. The theory of the conservation of energy proves that energy can't be created nor destroyed just transfered from body to body so that would lead me to believe we always were and always will be just energy transfering from place to place.

I don't worship the word God I merely accept and live the concept. We are all connected and and are here to love one another. God is an idea that we can choose to nourish and allow to live our lives by or reject. Its up to us. I don't indulge in the secular concept of God because it seems like it does more harm than good but God is very real you can just choose to accept it or ignore it. Like the air you breathe it'll be there whether you accept it or not.

If you want more information on the topic I implore you to read some publications from Deepak Chopra and Francis S Collins who are both medical doctors from Harvard and Yale respectfully. They explain this subject very well.

 

Who are you to manage the goal post in the first place? What each person believes is for them to decide, and no one else to judge. I know there is a God, I have zero doubt of that, and I am a very logical person. Andrae is absolutely correct in his thinking IMO, there are simply things in life which defy explanation and quantification and faith is one of those, end of discussion.

To my knowledge no one is cursing atheists for their beliefs or lack thereof, however in every one of these discussions that have occurred thus far on this forum, an atheist or agnostic has come forward to criticize and ridicule those who believe in a Higher Power. I have no idea why that is, but in general I tend to apply the 'Me thinks thou doth protest too much' theory to them.

I find it interesting and comical that people bash those of us who have faith and who follow religion as being closed-minded, yet they promptly turn right around and do precisely that which they protest so loudly about. Seriously believe what you want to believe, I assure you I'm going to do the same, and nothing anyone says will ever sway my opinion on this matter. Nor do I think it my responsibility to tell you how or why I know God exists... that's something each person has to figure out on their own. My view on this is essentially, I didn't take you to raise, and I don't owe you anything, including an explanation... not speaking of 'you' in the specific, rather in a general more encompassing fashion.

I have no issue with what anyone chooses to believe, however I do take issue with people who are unable to extend that same courtesy to me.

 

"I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" - Voltaire

 

One of my all time favorite quotes Paella. I used to have it as my sig.

 

If everybody could leave by that sentence, this world would be... paradise!

 

:smt045

 

Faith has a way of bringing out the judgmental in people....

There are many very religious people who judge atheists and many atheists who judge religious people.

I enjoy these conversations because I love hearing about other peoples' ideas and beliefs. I find it fascinating. And many times I pick up other peoples' beliefs to help explain how I feel or to make me reinvent how I feel on the topic.

Being open-minded isn't a scary concept. :smt023

 

Try telling that to RealBlackDude, I think the concept would make him wet himself. :smt085

 

I haven't had a chance to really read what that guy has been saying but yeah, I could totally see that.

 

You're not missing anything.

 

The main reason why I became an Atheist is astrotheology. I was a devout Christen until I found out that the religion is based on ancient solar worship.

Just type astrotheology into Yahoo's or Google's search engine and you'll get tons of information about the subject.

 

Pagan religions were indeed based on many pagan customs such as solar worship, however Christianity was never based upon that. Constantine merged many of the Pagan customs with Christianity in an attempt to make it more easily adopted by people following Pagan customs.

 

Do you believe the Council of Nicea merged the story of Jesus with Pagan myths? From my understanding, his story is draped in astrotheolgical mythology. Even more so, the entire Bible is embedded with non-European pagan myths, which I doubt Constantine or the Council of Nicea would've been aware of.