Atheist Discussion Thread

[Menassa]

I have a feeling we're not reading the same book(s)

Old also doesn't equal bad.

I believe 'outdated' was the purpose of pointing out it's age.

Probably.

[Menassa]

I have a feeling we're not reading the same book(s)

Old also doesn't equal bad.

In older times, there was rampant fascism and sexism, a lot more hate and intolerance, and in the way old times, we lived under kings and theocracies.

While old doesn't automatically equal bad, it most likely will.

Most likely....

[Pensalum]

All I can say is that the bible is weird. One second it says "thou shalt not kill" then it tells people to kill. Like I said I like to pick and choose, and don't really feel God in the bible, I feel him more in nature or whatever. My ideal God would wear a baja jacket, greet me with open arms and invite to play video games while drinking root beer.

[Blasveck]

All I can say is that the bible is weird. One second it says "thou shalt not kill" then it tells people to kill. Like I said I like to pick and choose, and don't really feel God in the bible, I feel him more in nature or whatever. My ideal God would wear a baja jacket, greet me with open arms and invite to play video games while drinking root beer.

Sounds like Hippy-Jainism.

[Menassa]

All I can say is that the bible is weird. One second it says "thou shalt not kill" then it tells people to kill. Like I said I like to pick and choose, and don't really feel God in the bible, I feel him more in nature or whatever. My ideal God would wear a baja jacket, greet me with open arms and invite to play video games while drinking root beer.

It says thou shalt not murder....

[Pandeeria]

All I can say is that the bible is weird. One second it says "thou shalt not kill" then it tells people to kill. Like I said I like to pick and choose, and don't really feel God in the bible, I feel him more in nature or whatever. My ideal God would wear a baja jacket, greet me with open arms and invite to play video games while drinking root beer.

It says thou shalt not murder....

Same thing...

Well, unless in a legal context.

[Menassa]

It says thou shalt not murder....

Same thing...

Not really.

Murder is killing someone unjustly.

[Menassa]

It says thou shalt not murder....

[...]

Well, unless in a legal context.

What are the first few books of the Bible called?

[Pandeeria]

Same thing...

Not really.

Murder is killing someone unjustly.

Yeah, I fixed the reply.

[Menassa]

Not really.

Murder is killing someone unjustly.

Yeah, I fixed the reply.

[...]

Well, unless in a legal context.

What are the first few books of the Bible called?

[Arglorand]

What age did you all decide to become atheists? Or were you one from birth?

13.

Prior to that, I had brief stints as a convert to Judaism, a Romuvan, and a Catholic.

[Conscentia]

What age did you all decide to become atheists? Or were you one from birth?

13.

Prior to that, I had brief stints as a convert to Judaism, a Romuvan, and a Catholic.

What?

[Benuty]

13.

Prior to that, I had brief stints as a convert to Judaism, a Romuvan, and a Catholic.

What?

Baltic paganism which thrived before the christianization of the area ( Thanks in part to Novograd and the Polish).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romuva_%28religion%29

[Kemalist]

While I'm totally sure that the religions are just bullshit, I don't reject the existence of a being called "God". Not that I believe in it, but I'm not sure. I just think there might be one. And I don't care. If there is one, we'll see it eventually. I just try to live my life without giving a shit about such stuff.

I was never raised as a religious person. I'm not even sure if my parents are a believer or not, they just don't care just like me. My dad is even a hardline secularist who always mocks religious people. My mom is more moderate about that and she actually cares about special religious days, but other than that not much.

During my early puberty period I racked my brain over this religion stuff. There's one short period I leant toward Christianity, I was hanging out at christian forums (turkish), I even went to a Church once (not sure if that was catholic or protestant).

I think I've been a conscious irreligious for 3 or 4 years. As I said, I don't care about the theology, but when it's involved in politics. I strongly dislike religious conservatists and their attempts to force their beliefs upon other people. As a laicist I will always fight against religion at least in the political platform. To me; the religion should be locked into the indivudual's private life.

[Arumdaum]

I was raised as a Christian, despite my dad being an atheist, but it was something I didn't really get from the start. In second grade, I asked my parents why people thought that God existed, if nobody ever saw him, and whether there's any proof. I remember looking at a Bible which had a map of the Middle East, and thinking that it must be the alternate world in which the events of the Bible took place.

I never really liked the all-Korean churches we went to either, and I never made any friends there. I remember that most of the people were pretty mean and immature, but I guess that's what elementary school kids are usually like. I really hated going.

I also remember that I hated it when they'd make us pray at church, nor did I think that praying would really help at all, since my prayers were never answered. I felt really awkward in second grade when one of the important adult people started praying for my arm to get better, which I broke.

However, religion wasn't something I would regularly think about back then. In fact, I hardly ever thought about it.

In late 5th - early 6th grade I became a really devout Christian, largely because of my then obsession with Europe, particularly medieval Europe and the Crusades. However, that phase soon passed, and later in 6th grade I became a militant atheist, and was reading The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.

In early 7th grade I became entranced with Buddhism and Northeast Asia, Japan in particular, but I didn't become a Buddhist because there were some aspects which I rejected, such as karma. It was at this time I began to call myself an agnostic atheist.

In what would have been my 8th grade year had I not been in Korea, I became pretty interested in Islam due to all the negative stigma associated with it in the West, but it just wasn't something I could really accept at all. I mean, with Buddhism I could get onto concepts such as that suffering is inevitable in life, and that happiness is only temporary.

[Arglorand]

What?

Baltic paganism which thrived before the christianization of the area ( Thanks in part to Novograd and the Polish).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romuva_%28religion%29

Yeah, that.

Left due to the incredulously high amount of nazis frequenting the congregations.

[Arumdaum]

Does anyone else have to pretend to be Christian or something when they go to things like church and when you talk to them on Facebook?

[Arumdaum]

What age did you all decide to become atheists? Or were you one from birth?

I was either 11 or 12, since I started calling myself an atheist around my 12th birthday.

[Arglorand]

Does anyone else have to pretend to be Christian or something when they go to things like church and when you talk to them on Facebook?

Not really. The religious part of my family has this thing where they believe that as long as I'm a good person in life then I'm practically an honorary Christian.

[The Rich Port]

Does anyone else have to pretend to be Christian or something when they go to things like church and when you talk to them on Facebook?

I have been fighting viciously with my parents on forcing me to go to church.

I've threatened all manner of things and come through with a few.

I've threatened peeing on the church floor and got super-drunk one time so they would be forced to leave me at home.

It seems to be working, but my guess is they think I'm possessed by the Devil or something.

[Arumdaum]

Does anyone else have to pretend to be Christian or something when they go to things like church and when you talk to them on Facebook?

I have been fighting viciously with my parents on forcing me to go to church.

I've threatened all manner of things and come through with a few.

I've threatened peeing on the church floor and got super-drunk one time so they would be forced to leave me at home.

It seems to be working, but my guess is they think I'm possessed by the Devil or something.

Ooh, that must suck. My mom generally knows that me and my sister are irreligious, so she just tricks us into going. I remember last year we got our passports and she said we were going to Mexico (which is like three hours away, and it was also winter break), but we ended up going to church.

[Conscentia]

Does anyone else have to pretend to be Christian or something when they go to things like church and when you talk to them on Facebook?

· I don't pretend to be Christian. Though I'd refrain from discussing religion in certain situations.
· I don't use Facebook.
· Who are "them"?

[Arumdaum]

Does anyone else have to pretend to be Christian or something when they go to things like church and when you talk to them on Facebook?

Not really. The religious part of my family has this thing where they believe that as long as I'm a good person in life then I'm practically an honorary Christian.

Ah, lucky.

But yeah, I don't really have problems with my family either, haha, especially since most family members I meet aren't Christian anyway. It's pretty much just the social contacts I make at churches.

[Arumdaum]

Does anyone else have to pretend to be Christian or something when they go to things like church and when you talk to them on Facebook?

· I don't pretend to be Christian. Though I'd refrain from discussing religion in certain situations.
· I don't use Facebook.
· Who are "them"?

The people at churches, mosques, etc.

But yeah, I also generally try my best to avoid discussing religion.

[The Rich Port]

I have been fighting viciously with my parents on forcing me to go to church.

I've threatened all manner of things and come through with a few.

I've threatened peeing on the church floor and got super-drunk one time so they would be forced to leave me at home.

It seems to be working, but my guess is they think I'm possessed by the Devil or something.

Ooh, that must suck. My mom generally knows that me and my sister are irreligious, so she just tricks us into going. I remember last year we got our passports and she said we were going to Mexico (which is like three hours away, and it was also winter break), but we ended up going to church.

Ah, don't be so shocked.

It's not like my father and I have come to blows over it, thankfully.

My sister thinks I'm just acting out and antagonizing my parents.

... Yeah. Fuck 'em.