Any Downside to Atheism?

[mickiel]

you are flat out wrong:

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Well you have shown your point, better stated I should say that Atheist, on the average, receive more redicule in the workplace for their views, than Theist do. And their children are affected accordingly. I think this statement is more fine tuned.

Peace.

 

[Kerr]

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

Two, you open your children to it.

Depends on where you live and what sort of people you interact with, and so on. Here I have actually never experienced it.

Three, it often puts a wrinkle in Romance.

Depends on the individual. Some are more romantic then others. Being a theist or atheist has in my experience nothing to do with it.

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

A bit like with ridicule, it depends on where you work, who you work with, and so on.

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

This is a human behaviour that is not confined to atheism. It is just to look at all the people that cannot imagine being romantically involved with their political opponents. Or all the Christians who cannot imagine being involved with someone of another religion. It is a highly individual matter.

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

What change in tastebuds? Does this mean all change or that the ones who becomes atheists after being theists change? And what different outlook are you talking about?

 

[Kerr]

I don't know anything about atheistic religions.

Peace.

Think Bhuddism is one, but I am not sure (have just seen people mentioned it around here, but do not take my word for it).

 

[Kerr]

Well you have shown your point, better stated I should say that Atheist, on the average, receive more redicule in the workplace for their views, than Theist do. And their children are affected accordingly. I think this statement is more fine tuned.

Peace.

People always find something to pick on... it is a sign of character flaw in those that pick, not a bad thing about the one being picked on, even though it can be hell going through that. But this raises a question... are you saying theists are jerks?

 

[mickiel]

What change in tastebuds? Does this mean all change or that the ones who becomes atheists after being theists change? And what different outlook are you talking about?

By change in tastebuds I mean that becomming Atheist, or Theist, will produce change in your mind, in your life. These changes,actually are changes in your consciousness, which will continue to effect changes in you throughout all of your life. It can even change the way you eat.

Peace.

 

[mickiel]

People always find something to pick on... it is a sign of character flaw in those that pick, not a bad thing about the one being picked on, even though it can be hell going through that. But this raises a question... are you saying theists are jerks?

I think they have about as much jerks as Atheist have. I see equality here.

Peace.

 

[Kerr]

By change in tastebuds I mean that becomming Atheist, or Theist, will produce change in your mind, in your life. These changes,actually are changes in your consciousness, which will continue to effect changes in you throughout all of your life. It can even change the way you eat.

Peace.

People change, it is not about being atheist or not, it is about being human. For example, I have been a vegetarian for over 10 years, I do not eat normal candy, I do not drink coke unless I have a bad stomach... all these are choices that I have made in my life, changes that I have chosen, they are not a result of what deity I believe or not believe in.

Change is a neutral concept. It does not have to be bad, just as it does not have to be good. Change is a part of life. Without it, our lives would be so much duller.

 

[McBell]

Well you have shown your point, better stated I should say that Atheist, on the average, receive more redicule in the workplace for their views, than Theist do. And their children are affected accordingly. I think this statement is more fine tuned.

Peace.

So what you are saying is that theists are real arse holes when it comes to atheists?

Something tells me you are merely engaging in wishful thinking.

Just looking at the number of theists in the world and the number of atheists in the world, I would have to say that you are wrong.

I mean really, with there being so many more theists than atheists in the workplace...
And of course, the theists are not just ridiculing the atheists.
You got theists ridiculing other theists as well.

So I guess you are truly onto something.
Theists are real jerks in the workplace.

 

[Kerr]

I think they have about as much jerks as Atheist have. I see equality here.

Peace.

You said atheists are being picked on more, and since the people that pick on them are jerks and assuming you meant theists here, your argument that atheists are being picked on more is a downside to being an atheist is just as much an argument for that becoming a jerk is a downside to theism.

Of course, I know this is not the case. Just saying, it is what the statement can point to.

 

[mickiel]

People change, it is not about being atheist or not, it is about being human. For example, I have been a vegetarian for over 10 years, I do not eat normal candy, I do not drink coke unless I have a bad stomach... all these are choices that I have made in my life, changes that I have chosen, they are not a result of what deity I believe or not believe in.

Change is a neutral concept. It does not have to be bad, just as it does not have to be good. Change is a part of life. Without it, our lives would be so much duller.

Well I agree, but even still, just as change can be produced inspite of what we believe, what we believe can produce just as much, if not more change. It just goes both ways in my view.

Peace.

 

[Kerr]

Well I agree, but even still, just as change can be produced inspite of what we believe, what we believe can produce just as much, if not more change. It just goes both ways in my view.

Peace.

I never said it didn´t. I said that change is a part of life, no matter if it is changing ones view on man kind or deciding to eat less noodles. It is itself not a downside to anything. Unless you mean that the change someone goes through when becoming an atheist is more often negative then the other way around? I do not agree with that more then I think people who change to atheists more often undergo a positive change then the opposite way arounf.

 

[slave2six]

From my perspective, the only downside to atheism is denying yourself something. Granted, this is something you don't want to experience but then, you don't know it, hence you don't know what it is you are missing. If you want to live your life to the fullest, religion is or may also be a part of life you are tossing out.

To me it looks like you were living inside Matrix and take the blue pill. No chance to even see if there is anything out there. And I don't mean afterlife alone, I mean the spirituality right here and now.

Funny, to me abandoning religion has been like taking the red pill. Siefert was right, though. But I just can't find a way to plug back into the dream reality.

 

[mickiel]

So what you are saying is that theists are real arse holes when it comes to atheists?

Something tells me you are merely engaging in wishful thinking.

Just looking at the number of theists in the world and the number of atheists in the world, I would have to say that you are wrong.

I mean really, with there being so many more theists than atheists in the workplace...
And of course, the theists are not just ridiculing the atheists.
You got theists ridiculing other theists as well.

So I guess you are truly onto something.
Theists are real jerks in the workplace.

Well I can see some of your point, if we view it numerically in comparrision to group size, and must then judge it from there, then yes, there are far more quilty Theist in these matters, than Atheist. I would agree with that.

Peace.

 

[Cobblestones]

I cannot help but wonder if he is one of the four Darksun friends.....

Funny, I was thinking Sojourner but you may be right...

 

[Cobblestones]

Every single day, Mestemia. Every single day, you make me laugh out loud lmao. Frubals.

Edit: Apparently I have to spread some around first. What kind of socialism is this?

Oooo! Oooo! Pick me! Pick Me!!!

 

[slave2six]

Originally Posted by Smoke
I was a Christian till I was 45 years old. I have experienced it.

Well, good for you.

What kind of reply is that? I think 45 years is long enough for Christianity to present whether it's right/satisfying/appealing or however you want to put it or not. I'd say that abandoning a religion after 45 years takes a lot of doing. In fact, I know it does. I only made it to 43 years myself but kissing Jesus goobye was the hardest thing I have ever done. Still, it was necessary since the claims of Christianity are not only false but are built upon odious falsehoods as well.

Originally Posted by Smoke
Somehow I doubt that you have deeply experienced Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, Taoism, Asatru, Judaism, Islam, Hellenic Reconstructionism, Kemetic Orthodoxy, Theosophy, and Jainism. How can you choose to be a Christian if you haven't experienced all other religions first? How do you know what you're missing?

No I haven't. Nor do I claim to have. What I am missing is not the point of this thread, the title is "Any Downside to Atheism." I simply gave one.

And I still doubt that every atheists has experienced many or all of the religions and even if they have, they must have been disappointed since they chose to ignore them. Hence, they missed something.

Just how many religions must one experience before you think it legitimate to reject them all? I've never done drugs, not even pot. How many do you think I should try before I can say with conviction that they are all bad?

 

[Autodidact]

LOL! Another one attacking me in return...

Again, how my personal experience is relevant to the topic, please? I thought we were debating atheism in this thread, not Christianity. Or myself.

Oh I see, so your idea of how to debate is to attack your opponents, and then have your attacks insulated from criticism? Do you find that effective?

Sorry, hypocrisy is hypocrisy, double-standard is double-standard, and baloney is baloney. The fact that all theist arguments contradict themselves is pretty much what persuaded me that atheism is probably correct, so congratulations on contributing to the perfect record of theism.

Your argument is that everyone who hasn't experienced a religion is missing out on something, except you. This does not apply to you because you don't want to talk about it. Is that right?

 

[Cobblestones]

I beg your pardon? How am I attacking anyone's personal experiences? Someone made an interesting thread - it wasn't even you unless you own that other screen name as well - and I replied. The question posed was a downside to atheism, I thought of one so I posted it and you come down on me? If anyone, it is you that is attacking me - and making it ad hominem at that, accusing me of being friends with someone I haven't even heard about... That's not what I'd expect in a mature debate. Present an argument to contradict my claim or leave me alone, please.

So, in a discussion between people it is wrong to point out that one person sounds like another with whom there has been significant discussions in which that other person has taken stances similar to yours? I personally like DS although in his latest thread he made rather a mess and is unwilling to admit that he has. Still, you presented this idea of atheists not experiencing many religions, it was pointed out that you haven't either, therefore how is that an attack? It is merely an observation that speaks to the legitimacy of your stance. How is that not permissible in a mature debate?

 

[Autodidact]

LOL! Another one attacking me in return...

Again, how my personal experience is relevant to the topic, please? I thought we were debating atheism in this thread, not Christianity. Or myself.

It's like this, Liam. Statements are either true or false. (or unknown.) If they're true, then they're true. They're not true for me but not for you. So before you throw a stone at someone else, you might want to take a look and check what your house is made of. If atheists are missing out on religion, then religionists are missing out on atheism. Further more, unlike most religionists, probably including yourself, most of us atheists have experienced religion and rejected it. Have you experienced atheism and rejected it? If not, the only person in this scenario who has failed to experience something is you, whether you enjoy talking about that or not.

 

[Autodidact]

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.

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... I'm not even speculating about the reasons, 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? How? If I were, you wouldn't be atheists but rather anti-theists.

So, if I follow you, what you're saying is that atheists have failed to experience exactly the same thing as you've failed to experience?

btw, you do realize that we all believe that you are also ridding yourself of the experience of God's presence--because we don't think there is any such thing. We think you're just adding the experience of fooling yourself.

Which brings us to the second feature of theist arguments: assuming what they're trying to prove. That is, you're assuming that God exists (and is the God you worship.) If this is not the case, then one would want to miss out on the experience of believing it, unless you think being wrong is a plus?