Secular Discussion Thread

[Bread Herbert]

A thread where people that are secular (atheist, agnostic, apatheist, deist, or just non-religious) can discuss their beliefs along with struggles they have faced in a society where many people are still religious.

Let me get it started. I was born in and spent my childhood in place which was fairly religiously tolerant, but still predominately religious. Although there was no real persecution, when I started question aspects of the Bible and even the concept of the existence of God I came under deep pressure from my family and peers not to voice such doubts and to just have blind faith. Even today, I continue to encounter some pressure to revert back to Christianity. My current beliefs are agnostic since I believe there is simply no way to know for sure whether God exists or not.

What are your beliefs and experiences?

[LiberNovusAmericae]

I'm an atheist. I do not believe in any gods. I've encountered people who cannot stand that, but I ain't going to give in.

[The Realm of Platinum]

Could religious people like me join this thread?

[Nouveau Quebecois]

I'm an atheist. I do not believe in any gods. I've encountered people who cannot stand that, but I ain't going to give in.

There are a lot of things in this world people can't stand.

[LiberNovusAmericae]

Could religious people like me join this thread?

If you keep it on topic, yes. There is no thread ownership in General.

[The New California Republic]

Could religious people like me join this thread?

Since there are no closed threads in NSGeneral, yes.

[The New California Republic]

Can the OP please be fleshed out a bit? It's a bit threadbare at the moment. Some links related to secularism would be good, such as its origins etc.

[Nakena]

What bothers me about religious people is that many of them lack any personal experience or interaction with le other side (or whatever you want to call it)

I should add those kind of experiences aren't necessarily very comfy and can get very nasty. Its not everyones cup of tea.

The absolute worst comes though comes when people are being conducting oppressive or otherwise negative actions based on what they believe they have to do to please deity X based on text they neither have understood nor even read more often than not. (or worse: when the text actually mandates and condones it... tells alot then about the sauce)

However nasty beings from there can be, humans in the physical realm can always do worse and bring it up to eleven.

[Aureumterra]

Me and religion have an interesting relationship… I consider myself a christian, I go to church, read the bible, etc. But it’s not like in serious emergencies I sit praying to god, and I don’t expect magical miracles to happen or that god will somehow swoop in and save me if I just believe enough.

[The Realm of Platinum]

My fellow Muslims in NSG couldn't do debates properly

[Nakena]

Me and religion have an interesting relationship… I consider myself a christian, I go to church, read the bible, etc. But it’s not like in serious emergencies I sit praying to god, and I don’t expect magical miracles to happen or that god will somehow swoop in and save me if I just believe enough.

It's because we humans want to hope. Hope drives us. We hope and yarn for a forgiving universe that may have mercy for us.

[Jean-Paul Sartre]

If the OP is willing to update the thread OP, I can provide him/her with links to resources.

[Aozora Blu Sky]

Can the OP please be fleshed out a bit? It's a bit threadbare at the moment. Some links related to secularism would be good, such as its origins etc.

Secularism has been around since prehistory.

[Confederate Norway]

I am not an atheist but I have recently been questioning my faith in God a lot.

[Nakena]

I am not an atheist but I have recently been questioning my faith in God a lot.

What makes you questioning your faith in your god if I may ask?

[Confederate Norway]

I am not an atheist but I have recently been questioning my faith in God a lot.

What makes you questioning your faith in your god if I may ask?

God doing things like killing firstborns. He's suppose to be an all loving God but there are clear examples in the Bible were he is not.

[Aozora Blu Sky]

What makes you questioning your faith in your god if I may ask?

God doing things like killing firstborns. He's suppose to be an all loving God but there are clear examples in the Bible were he is not.

The Bible is loaded with examples of God's cruelty. My favorite is when he supposedly sends a bear to maul 42 children to death because they made fun of the prophet Isaiah. Such a kind, forgiving God.

[The New California Republic]

Can the OP please be fleshed out a bit? It's a bit threadbare at the moment. Some links related to secularism would be good, such as its origins etc.

Secularism has been around since prehistory.

I'm not actually asking a question, I'm asking the OP to have more info.

[Aozora Blu Sky]

Secularism has been around since prehistory.

I'm not actually asking a question, I'm asking the OP to have more info.

Never said you were asking a question, just responding to one aspect of your post. Secularism and atheism are as old as religion itself, good luck finding its origins. And, yes, more info would be nice.

[Mzeusia]

I'm an atheist an I've never experienced discrimination because of it. Yay to the place I live.

[Aozora Blu Sky]

I'm an atheist an I've never experienced discrimination because of it. Yay to the place I live.

Lucky you. Half my family have disowned me and my sister because we're openly atheist.

[Iciaros]

My problems with being agnostic mainly come from my family, tbh. I don't know what society thinks of me, I'm allergic to the outdoors and strangers.

[Nakena]

What makes you questioning your faith in your god if I may ask?

God doing things like killing firstborns. He's suppose to be an all loving God but there are clear examples in the Bible were he is not.

Of course he isnt and thats one of the reasons why I am not fond of christianity.

Would a God that is a protector and helper of mankind act in such a way?

No.

That being aside, as it happens theres detailed historical records about the era and the supposed attacks on the Egyptians are nowhere recorded. So it apparently didn even happened. But lets not dwell on that as its just a story and thus its still telling alot that people not only worship such a God but are still not getting it over to cast aside this blatant horrible (OT) stuff.

[Kowani]

God doing things like killing firstborns. He's suppose to be an all loving God but there are clear examples in the Bible were he is not.

Of course he isnt and thats one of the reasons why I am not fond of christianity.

Would a God that is a protector and helper of mankind act in such a way?

No.

That being aside, as it happens theres detailed historical records about the era and the supposed attacks on the Egyptians are nowhere recorded. So it apparently didn even happened. But lets not dwell on that as its just a story and thus its still telling alot that people not only worship such a God but are still not getting it over to cast aside this blatant horrible stuff.

Well, less “the Attack on the Egyptians didn’t happen” and more “all the contents of Exodus are blatant lies.

[Nakena]

Of course he isnt and thats one of the reasons why I am not fond of christianity.

Would a God that is a protector and helper of mankind act in such a way?

No.

That being aside, as it happens theres detailed historical records about the era and the supposed attacks on the Egyptians are nowhere recorded. So it apparently didn even happened. But lets not dwell on that as its just a story and thus its still telling alot that people not only worship such a God but are still not getting it over to cast aside this blatant horrible stuff.

Well, less “the Attack on the Egyptians didn’t happen” and more “all the contents of Exodus are blatant lies.

Its made up. Its just to give an idea about what kind of God it is. And that is a tribal god. And a quite nasty one. Christanity still keeps him around in their canon for their own reasons.

Worship something like that?

Never.