Any Downside to Atheism?

[mickiel]

Downsides to Atheism, well I see plenty of that.

One, you open yourself to ridicule, which is never easy to experience.

Two, you open your children to it.

Three, it often puts a wrinkle in Romance.

Four, it can put wrinkles of discomfort in your employment atmosphere.

Five, it could ruin your appitite in romance if the person your interested in is not an Atheist.

Six, you open yourself to obvious paranoia that you will experience if not accepted and understood.

Seven, your tastebuds may change. Atheism gives a different outlook on life-- and death.

Eight, I have eight more reasons, but I think this will do for now.

Peace.

 

[cottage]

Downsides to Atheism, well I see plenty of that.

One, you open yourself to ridicule, which is never easy to experience.

Two, you open your children to it.

Three, it often puts a wrinkle in Romance.

Four, it can put wrinkles of discomfort in your employment atmosphere.

Five, it could ruin your appitite in romance if the person your interested in is not an Atheist.

Six, you open yourself to obvious paranoia that you will experience if not accepted and understood.

Seven, your tastebuds may change. Atheism gives a different outlook on life-- and death.

Eight, I have eight more reasons, but I think this will do for now.

Peace.

In every single one of the above examples the world 'atheist' may be replaced with theist, with no loss or change of meaning.

 

[Liam Anderson]

Liam, the downside you speak of is not specified to atheism, it exist in any other "faiths". For example, you as a Christian can be considered to miss aspects of the spirituality in, say, Bhuddism. I understand what you are saying, though, just saying it is nothing unique to atheism.

It is, to any belief system that does not acknowledge the existence of deity. Yes, I sure do miss a lot on other religions, I never said I didn't - on the contrary - but I still fail to see how this makes my argument less reliable.

 

[mickiel]

In every single one of the above examples the world 'atheist' may be replaced with theist, with no loss or change of meaning.

In some of them, yes. So I hope no Atheist is trying to suggest there are no downsides to being one, there are downsides to being anything human. And its easy to list them.

Peace.

 

[Smoke]

Hypocritical? How? It would be, if I claimed to know something I don't. I am not, I'm simply trying to participate in a debate about atheism. Again, not Christianity.

Well, if you honestly can't see why it's a stupid point, I honestly don't think I can help you.

The fact that I haven't experienced other religions does not diminish the fact that atheists deny themselves this experience. Either because they became disappointed in a religion or never thought of it...

Actually, I am experiencing a religion -- in fact, more than one -- and quite happily. They are religions you do not seem to have experienced to plan on experiencing. I, on the other hand, have experienced Christianity. So I'm actually operating from a broader range of experience than you are.

I'm simply stating the fact: by rejecting the existence of God, you are ridding yourself off of experiencing His presence. Am I wrong in that?

I don't believe you're experiencing his presence any more than I am; you just think you are. The loss of an illusion isn't much of a loss.

 

[Smoke]

It is, to any belief system that does not acknowledge the existence of deity. Yes, I sure do miss a lot on other religions, I never said I didn't - on the contrary - but I still fail to see how this makes my argument less reliable.

Because it's not a downside to atheism as such. It's the "downside" of practically every human experience, including Christianity. You are experiencing this but not that. So what?

 

[cottage]

In some of them, yes. So I hope no Atheist is trying to suggest there are no downsides to being one, there are downsides to being anything human. And its easy to list them.

Peace.

In all of them, actually! So I hope no theist is trying to suggest there are no downsides to being one, there are downsides to being human.

 

[mickiel]

In all of them, actually! So I hope no theist is trying to suggest there are no downsides to being one, there are downsides to being human.

Being a Theist does not open you to ridicule in employment, nor does it open your children to it. I certainly disagree if you are suggesting this. But it does if your Atheist.

Peace.

 

[Smoke]

Downsides to Atheism, well I see plenty of that.

One, you open yourself to ridicule, which is never easy to experience.

Two, you open your children to it.

Three, it often puts a wrinkle in Romance.

Four, it can put wrinkles of discomfort in your employment atmosphere.

Five, it could ruin your appitite in romance if the person your interested in is not an Atheist.

Six, you open yourself to obvious paranoia that you will experience if not accepted and understood.

Seven, your tastebuds may change. Atheism gives a different outlook on life-- and death.

Eight, I have eight more reasons, but I think this will do for now.

I thought those were the disadvantages of fundamentalism, but thanks for providing an opening for one of my favorite P.G. Wodehouse quotes:

Three, it often puts a wrinkle in Romance.

[FONT=arial, helvetica, sans serif]She didn't like him being an atheist, and he wouldn't stop being an atheist, and finally he said something about Jonah and the Whale which it was impossible for her to overlook[/FONT]

 

[Smoke]

Being a Theist does not open you to ridicule in employment, nor does it open your children to it. I certainly disagree if you are suggesting this. But it does if your Atheist.

Are you suggesting that atheists are more civilized and more tolerant than theists, and less likely ridicule people who disagree with them? That would be an good thing, for people who care about what kind of people they are and how they treat others.

 

[mickiel]

I thought those were the disadvantages of fundamentalism, but thanks for providing an opening for one of my favorite P.G. Wodehouse quotes:

The sarcasm of Atheist never ceases to amaze me. I can imagine being one, I think it would be quite a challange in life, espically if I were of the mentality of trying to convince myself that it wouldnot be a challange.

Peace.

 

[MSizer]

One, you open yourself to ridicule, which is never easy to experience.

Two, you open your children to it.

For your own sake Mckiel, you might want to rethink those ones. The more true they are, the more uncompassionate believers would have to be. Likewise, it suggests that atheists are more compassionate than believers.

You sure you're right about that?

 

[Smoke]

The sarcasm of Atheist never ceases to amaze me.

What sarcasm?

 

[Kerr]

It is, to any belief system that does not acknowledge the existence of deity. Yes, I sure do miss a lot on other religions, I never said I didn't - on the contrary - but I still fail to see how this makes my argument less reliable.

It doesn´t, just saying it is not confined to atheism. We all miss something.

 

[mickiel]

For your own sake Mckiel, you might want to rethink those ones. The more true they are, the more uncompassionate believers would have to be. Likewise, it suggests that atheists are more compassionate than believers.

You sure you're right about that?

In some cases, I think Atheist are more compassionate, in others, more arrogant. Its just a mixture of both. A person emailed me to ask my views on Chiropractors , wether its a valid profession. I told her I think some of them are valid, some not. Some are good at it, others not so good. Thats just being human man. I know I am right about what I listed, I do not waste others time.

Peace.

 

[Kerr]

Downsides to Atheism, well I see plenty of that.

One, you open yourself to ridicule, which is never easy to experience.

Two, you open your children to it.

Three, it often puts a wrinkle in Romance.

Four, it can put wrinkles of discomfort in your employment atmosphere.

Five, it could ruin your appitite in romance if the person your interested in is not an Atheist.

Six, you open yourself to obvious paranoia that you will experience if not accepted and understood.

Seven, your tastebuds may change. Atheism gives a different outlook on life-- and death.

Eight, I have eight more reasons, but I think this will do for now.

Peace.

Does this include atheistic religions?

 

[McBell]

Being a Theist does not open you to ridicule in employment,

you are flat out wrong:

Christian Persecution in the Workplace
Christians in Britain discriminated against and ridiculed, says survey.
Taking Christ into the Workplace - Catholic Way
Is Workplace Evangelism A Fruit Or A Goal? - Marketplace Leaders - Os & Angie Hillman
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and that is just Christians being ridiculed in the workplace.

nor does it open your children to it.

again you are flat out wrong:

When children are ridiculed for their beliefs - Article Comments - View topic - mama to mama - Family - Religious : Denver Colorado Neighbors

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I certainly disagree if you are suggesting this.

Disagree all you want.
The fact is that theists are in fact ridiculed for their beliefs.

Hells bells there are websites just plum full of stories where theists are complaining about how they were ridiculed, mistreated, abused, etc. simply because of their beliefs.

 

[mickiel]

Does this include atheistic religions?

I don't know anything about atheistic religions.

Peace.

 

[cottage]

Being a Theist does not open you to ridicule in employment, nor does it open your children to it. I certainly disagree if you are suggesting this. But it does if your Atheist.

Peace.

First point, an example: Tony Blair, the ex-British Prime Minister (ie the Queen's First Minister and the most powerful figure in that land after Her Maj), was humiliated and slapped down by his lowly, unelected press officer Alistair Campbell, who famously told him 'We don't do God'!

Second point. All children (and many adults) are notorious for name-calling and ridiculing anything that differs to the norm, such 'God squad' or 'Jesus Freak' and 'Bible Basher'. Attacking people for their beliefs, as opposed to attacking their arguments, is rife, and your intense dislike for atheists is just one such example.

 

[McBell]

I know I am right about what I listed,

Problem is that your list applies equally to theists and agnostics.