Question to Godless Heathens: What Made You Become Atheist?

[Disserbia]

Because I don't think the Ottoman empire was evil, and I like booze so Islam was not an option.

[Moon Cows]

I have read all of the Bible repeatedly (Leviticus included).

Then this should sound familiar to you.
Kill homosexuals.

"If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives." (Leviticus 20:13 NAB)

Killing of Non-Believers.

They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NAB)

1) If your own full brother, or your son or daughter, or your beloved wife, or you intimate friend, entices you secretly to serve other gods, whom you and your fathers have not known, gods of any other nations, near at hand or far away, from one end of the earth to the other: do not yield to him or listen to him, nor look with pity upon him, to spare or shield him, but kill him. Your hand shall be the first raised to slay him; the rest of the people shall join in with you. You shall stone him to death, because he sought to lead you astray from the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. And all Israel, hearing of this, shall fear and never do such evil as this in your midst. (Deuteronomy 13:7-12 NAB)

2) Suppose a man or woman among you, in one of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, has done evil in the sight of the LORD your God and has violated the covenant by serving other gods or by worshiping the sun, the moon, or any of the forces of heaven, which I have strictly forbidden. When you hear about it, investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, then that man or woman must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death. (Deuteronomy 17:2-5 NLT)

Slavery.

However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way. (Leviticus 25:44-46 NLT)

Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. (1 Timothy 6:1-2 NLT)

Rape.

If within the city a man comes upon a maiden who is betrothed, and has relations with her, you shall bring them both out of the gate of the city and there stone them to death: the girl because she did not cry out for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbors wife.(Deuteronomy 22:23-24 NAB)

They must be dividing the spoils they took: there must be a damsel or two for each man, Spoils of dyed cloth as Sisera's spoil, an ornate shawl or two for me in the spoil. (Judges 5:30 NAB)

You read things into the Bible that is not written there

O rly?

Earlier in this thread, someone said we live in a "Bible illiterate" age. Proof of this. ^

[Northern Dominus]

Then this should sound familiar to you.
Kill homosexuals.

Killing of Non-Believers.



Slavery.


Rape.




O rly?

Earlier in this thread, someone said we live in a "Bible illiterate" age. Proof of this. ^

Funnily Enough, I own a King James bible (and a Quran, and a Torah, and several other religious texts). I checked his translations and whadda ya know, they're more modern interpretations but for once they're pretty close.

Unless of course your bible says differently... but then would it be a bible..

[Genivaria]

Then this should sound familiar to you.
Kill homosexuals.

Killing of Non-Believers.



Slavery.


Rape.




O rly?

Earlier in this thread, someone said we live in a "Bible illiterate" age. Proof of this. ^

Who are you referring to?

[EnragedMaldivians]

Because I don't think the Ottoman empire was evil, and I like booze so Islam was not an option.

What on earth does that have to do with you becoming an atheist?

[Sociobiology]

I never became an atheist.
I have never been anything else.

[Stolzenfels]

I have read all of the Bible repeatedly (Leviticus included).

Then this should sound familiar to you.
Kill homosexuals.

"If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives." (Leviticus 20:13 NAB)

I stand corrected... you have actually read it. Just keep in mind that homosexuality is not the only sin mentioned here worth the death penalty: adultery, incest, bestiality, rape etc. is also included. And the context is very specific to Israel as the holy people of God. ("Be holy, for I am holy").

Killing of Non-Believers.

They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NAB)

This was a decision/covenant made by people (not prescribed by God). Before this they also worshiped Baal and other idols. Does that mean that the Bible (or God) endorses idolatry?

1) If your own full brother, or your son or daughter, or your beloved wife, or you intimate friend, entices you secretly to serve other gods, whom you and your fathers have not known, gods of any other nations, near at hand or far away, from one end of the earth to the other: do not yield to him or listen to him, nor look with pity upon him, to spare or shield him, but kill him. Your hand shall be the first raised to slay him; the rest of the people shall join in with you. You shall stone him to death, because he sought to lead you astray from the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. And all Israel, hearing of this, shall fear and never do such evil as this in your midst. (Deuteronomy 13:7-12 NAB)

2) Suppose a man or woman among you, in one of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, has done evil in the sight of the LORD your God and has violated the covenant by serving other gods or by worshiping the sun, the moon, or any of the forces of heaven, which I have strictly forbidden. When you hear about it, investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, then that man or woman must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death. (Deuteronomy 17:2-5 NLT)

This is not talking about people from other religions, but of people from Israel turning away from the God of Israel. This was also in a very specific context: remember YHWH has saved them from Egypt and is going to give them the land of Canaan and they were all witnesses to this fact; therefore they must serve no other gods. It is not the same as somebody from another religion not knowing better, but is the willful rejection of the very God who saved them from Egypt.

Slavery.

However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way. (Leviticus 25:44-46 NLT)

People born in slavery...

Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. (1 Timothy 6:1-2 NLT)

Yes, and it also says that if you get the chance for freedom, you should use it (1 Corinthians 7:21).

Rape.

If within the city a man comes upon a maiden who is betrothed, and has relations with her, you shall bring them both out of the gate of the city and there stone them to death: the girl because she did not cry out for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbors wife.(Deuteronomy 22:23-24 NAB)

So he must be killed... this does not endorse it. And the very next verses says that if it is a situation where the girls could not cry out for help (where no-one would hear her), only the man should be killed.

They must be dividing the spoils they took: there must be a damsel or two for each man, Spoils of dyed cloth as Sisera's spoil, an ornate shawl or two for me in the spoil. (Judges 5:30 NAB)

This is actually the mother of a Canaanite king thinking about what her son (and his men) are doing. In no way does this endorse rape. If anything it shows why the Canaanites were to be driven from the land.

You read things into the Bible that is not written there

O rly?

Really...

[Free Soviets]

When the 2011 Japanese earthquake/tsunami happened, these pictures kept popping up all over the web with the caption "Pray for Japan". Then I thought: Hold on - Why should I pray, because if "God loves everyone", then why did he allow this to happen? And what about Haiti, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, etc... The list goes on. Also, why isn't he punishing the pedo-priests? And how did he create the world only a few thousand years ago when there is plenty of scientific evidence to contradict this claim? Again, the list goes on.
Eventually I came to the conclusion that god was man-made and used to get people to follow others (the church) with the threat of punishment by god if they did not comply.

the other realistic solution to the problem of evil is that the gods don't give a shit about human suffering. hell, they may actively enjoy it.

[Tim-Opolis]

*unfolds a lawn chair and pulls out popcorn*

On a serious note: I stopped listening to all the brainwashing that my parents gave me and chose to read the Bible. Read the whole thing. Went in a skeptical Christian; came out an Atheist

Oh. And the whole thing with Christians nowadays being all Anti-Gay, Anti-Abortion, Anti-Drugs. I'm the exact opposite.

[Chetssaland]

I was raised as a Christian as early as my infant years, when I was left in the church nursery while my parents went to church. They were and are very religious (compared to most 'Christians'), and go to church every Sunday. In fact my mom goes to bible study twice a week.

I became an atheist about two years ago, but was pretty skeptical well before that. I would say as soon as I could understand complex logic and all that jazz I tried to convince myself what they were saying was true despite all the flaws. In the end I decided there was no point to it, and decided I didn't believe in God. Ironically, I still go to church quite often, since I'm only seventeen and thus living with my parents. And yes, as far as they know I'm still a God-fearing Lutheran. I don't think they'd shun me or anything if I told them, but they would still be devastated and our relationship would never be the same. So I'd rather just continue to sleep through church.

[Disserbia]

Because I don't think the Ottoman empire was evil, and I like booze so Islam was not an option.

What on earth does that have to do with you becoming an atheist?

What indeed. Its a very long story.