Any Downside to Atheism?

[Autodidact]

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 makes your argument contradictory. I may need to change my signature to state the obvious, which is that all arguments that contradict themselves are wrong. You wouldn't think you'd need to make this point, but apparently many theists are not aware of it.

 

[astarath]

The only downside I can think of is the endgame. You get to live your life here the way you want. But when you go, you miss the best part of eternity.

 

[Cobblestones]

Originally posted by mickiel:

Downsides to Atheism, well I see plenty of that.

One, you open yourself to ridicule, which is never easy to experience. - I thought religious people admired people who were brave enough to take a stance despite ridicule or persecution.

Two, you open your children to it. - So you think that conforming to peer pressure is more important than teaching your children how to reason?

Three, it often puts a wrinkle in Romance. - Been married 16 years and still as romantic as ever. Nice try though.

Four, it can put wrinkles of discomfort in your employment atmosphere. - Not really, unless one is proselytizing which is usually more associated with religious people than atheists. And, again, I thought that you religious people admired those who stand up to persecution.

Five, it could ruin your appitite in romance if the person your interested in is not an Atheist. - Why would an atheist want to be romantically involved with a theist? Or is your theism so cheap that you think it appropriate to engage in "missionary dating" and trying to lure atheists into your religion via genital happiness?

Six, you open yourself to obvious paranoia that you will experience if not accepted and understood. - Really? I don't think anyone is out to get me. It's be kinda fun if they were though.

Seven, your tastebuds may change. Atheism gives a different outlook on life-- and death. - This is true. Life is far sweeter when you don't pooh-pooh the universe in which we live and look forward to its "passing away."

Eight, I have eight more reasons, but I think this will do for now. - Yes. We know, You keep droning on about them in your "another proof of god" spam threads.

 

[Autodidact]

The only downside I can think of is the endgame. You get to live your life here the way you want. But when you go, you miss the best part of eternity.

If any. I prefer to place my bets on the more likely and obviously real than the remotely possible.

btw, every religionist also missed the best part of eternity--if they happen to believe in the wrong God. Oops, Pascal bet wrong!

 

[Cobblestones]

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.

Maybe in the backwoods of Arkansas but here in the real world it's not like that at all.

 

[Cobblestones]

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.

That which is ridiculous is deserving of ridicule.

 

[Kerr]

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.

People don´t pick on you because you are an atheist, they pick on you because you are different. That is how they work... the ones that does that.

That said, I have never experienced this. Ever. So people here appear to be more tolerant, which is good.

 

[Cobblestones]

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.

So the heck what? Kids pick on each other all the time for any number of reasons. It's the responsibility of good parents to teach their children how to deal with those situations and not how to be a wet blanket and simply take the abuse. My kids are better prepared to argue against Christianity than most Christians are to defend their faith. I have no fear of my kids being persecuted for non-belief because 1. They are stellar human beings, 2. They are exceptionally bright, 3. They know how to listen to what people are actually saying and then ask the penetrating questions to reveal the weakness in an argument and 4. They don't give a flying rip if people agree with them or not - that never sways them from being friends with others.

 

[Cobblestones]

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.

True. I remember the bloody conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland. Generally Christians don't like people in their own religion who are in a different sect and that's also true of Judaism and Islam. I can't recall any time where atheists went after one another because one group of atheists were not as atheistic as another...

 

[mickiel]

.

My kids are better prepared to argue against Christianity than most Christians are to defend their faith. .

Who prepared them?

Peace.

 

[Cobblestones]

Who prepared them?

Largely the church itself. They spent the first 10-15 years of their lives in Christianity before my wife and I took a serious look at it and rejected it. We explained to our children why we had changed our views and also told them that they are free to believe what they want and even that we will take them to church if that is what they want to do. It's been a year and a half and whenever I ask them if they miss church the immediate and unflinching response is "no." We talk about these matters together. So, as parents we have gone from enforcing a belief system on them to requiring them to think for themselves. One of my children is looking into Mormonism. I am totally staying out the the picture and letting her ask the questions and determine if that faith makes sense to her. I trust our Mormon friends who are explaining it to her and I trust her to do what she thinks is best. But, thus far, she has not committed either way. I will honor her wishes no matter what she decides. It's stupid to let belief systems come between people. And, to me, willful stupidity is the only sin.

 

[mickiel]

Largely the church itself. They spent the first 10-15 years of their lives in Christianity before my wife and I took a serious look at it and rejected it. We explained to our children why we had changed our views and also told them that they are free to believe what they want and even that we will take them to church if that is what they want to do. It's been a year and a half and whenever I ask them if they miss church the immediate and unflinching response is "no." We talk about these matters together. So, as parents we have gone from enforcing a belief system on them to requiring them to think for themselves. One of my children is looking into Mormonism. I am totally staying out the the picture and letting her ask the questions and determine if that faith makes sense to her. I trust our Mormon friends who are explaining it to her and I trust her to do what she thinks is best. But, thus far, she has not committed either way. I will honor her wishes no matter what she decides. It's stupid to let belief systems come between people. And, to me, willful stupidity is the only sin.

Well I sure hope they don't get into Mormonism, but like you, I won't say why. If I were you, I would break my silence on this one and contribute something against Mormonism.

Peace.

 

[McBell]

If I were you, I would break my silence on this one and contribute something against Mormonism.

Why?

.

 

[mickiel]

Why?

.

Well Mormonism has changed over the years, I give them credit for that, but my study of the religion started years ago when they taught that Polgamy was the only way to acheive salvation, and a lot of older men took on many young teens as wives. Being Black, I never did like the way they excluded blacks from the ministry, but like I say, they at least changed these things. But its a group that has seperated itself, and uplifts the seperation, and off they went, into themselves, just like the Quakers did years ago. And I never have liked it when groups do that. And even now, if a member disagrees with a certain topic from the leadership, they can be dissfellowshipped and put out, just for not agreeing with something.

And I have my other reasons, but that says enough I think.

Peace.

 

[Cobblestones]

Well I sure hope they don't get into Mormonism, but like you, I won't say why. If I were you, I would break my silence on this one and contribute something against Mormonism.

This is exactly what I was talking about before. You talk about atheists being bagged on for their non belief? Yet here you are bagging on people of your own faith who happen to have some additional beliefs which are just as legitimate as yours and yet to which you don't subscribe. You live in fear. It's stupid! Why are you people so full of fear of something that doesn't even exist? It's baffling.

 

[Cobblestones]

But its a group that has seperated itself, and uplifts the seperation, and off they went, into themselves, just like the Quakers did years ago. And I never have liked it when groups do that.

And what the heck do you think Pete and Paul were doing?

And even now, if a member disagrees with a certain topic from the leadership, they can be dissfellowshipped and put out, just for not agreeing with something.

Shoot! Peter killed people for lying about their finances! And if you think that Protestants don't kick people out of their churches then you are living under a rock. Happens all the time. And if you think Mormonism is so bad then why wouldn't you support people being "dissfellowshipped and put out"?

 

[mickiel]

This is exactly what I was talking about before. You talk about atheists being bagged on for their non belief? Yet here you are bagging on people of your own faith who happen to have some additional beliefs which are just as legitimate as yours and yet to which you don't subscribe. You live in fear. It's stupid! Why are you people so full of fear of something that doesn't even exist? It's baffling.

There are no people of my own Faith, I walk alone, and I have no Faith. Mormons are nothing like me, nor any other religion you may try to associate me with.

I walk alone in life, and in my beliefs.

Peace.

 

[mickiel]

And what the heck do you think Pete and Paul were doing?
Shoot! Peter killed people for lying about their finances! And if you think that Protestants don't kick people out of their churches then you are living under a rock. Happens all the time. And if you think Mormonism is so bad then why wouldn't you support people being "dissfellowshipped and put out"?

I don't like Protestant churchs either, none of them. And I will never, get this, never support anyone being put out of a Church, never!

I quess thats just another reason why I can never be in one.

Peace.

 

[Cobblestones]

There are no people of my own Faith, I walk alone, and I have no Faith. Mormons are nothing like me, nor any other religion you may try to associate me with.

I walk alone in life, and in my beliefs.

So where do you come off telling me I should intervene on my kid's behalf to protect them from Mormons or for suggesting that I am not doing right in teaching my children to think for themselves?

 

[Cobblestones]

I don't like Protestant churchs either, none of them. And I will never, get this, never support anyone being put out of a Church, never!

I quess thats just another reason why I can never be in one.

Peace.

That makes no sense. Avoid it so you don't run the risk of being hurt? How do you survive in a free society?