Are you okay? Is there anything (besides God
) that could help? Having no peace makes everything difficult.
Thanks for your kind words - it’s really good to be free. I had been on an eating plan for two years but some days I wouldn’t leave the house because I felt like I was drowning in my own head, so self-conscious and anxious. All that is gone now, thank God.
I was raised a Catholic. I stopped believing when I was old enough to see that it’s a business.
Contradictions in my views as an atheist? Equality - based on what? We’re animals but eat other animals, are we all equal? Are sports players equal? On what basis are we to be treated equally? Yet, I was always advocating for equality.
I was “selfless” for selfish reasons because I was the centre of my world. It’s nice being away from the “me, me, meee’s”.
As a believer I now see that we all have equal value; I serve others and I don’t think about myself.
I also couldn’t explain evolution to anyone and found it hard to accept that someone found tissue in dinosaur bones that are suggested as being millions of years old. I believed that a Big Bang created everything and that everything came from nothing. I blindly trusted others’ view.(not suggesting any other atheists had my views).
I know I had more contradictions but I can’t think of them right now.
Cognitive dissonance? No, I just had an eating disorder. I saw it as a kind of self-harm yet it was compulsive. I now know that it was spiritual.
Whenever people mentioned God I would feel annoyed and even angry - yet claim to believe in tolerance.
Finally, seeing peace in believers made me rethink everything. They all had peace.
Are things going badly for you? Is there anything that I can help with?
Having no peace makes everything difficult.
Depends on your personality. If things are too peaceful
I stir them up.
At peace with myself, no. I've a long way to go on that.
Thanks for the thoughts, but it is my road, for me alone.
Contradictions in my views as an atheist? Equality - based on what? We’re animals but eat other animals, are we all equal?
Raised as a Catholic, so, you never really were an
atheist. That tells much about your conflicts, right there.
As for "equality", that is a word with many meanings.
One must avoid equivocation. On any
physical parameter, none of us are equal. On the basis of
inherent worth, equality as a human being, we hold this belief to be self evident. No need to be a Christian to see that. One neednt say more.
Evolution..I am not at all surprised you could not explain it. Why would you expect yourself to be able to? It is not your field. It is not simple-simple.
I blindly trusted others’ view.(not suggesting any other atheists had my views).
First off, just from your saying that I know you were
taught / learned no science whatever. None.
Blind trust is anathema to science. It is the opposite of science. Trusting authority just because it is authority is not science. Memorizing is not science. Passing every test with an A is not science.
LEARNING science in requires that you UNDERSTAND it.
Explain it to yourself, in your own words. Find examples about you. If you do not understand it, the best you have is cut n paste, depending on how well you memorize.
Doing science,...I could go on in similar vein but you are not going to be doing science.
My point is just that you actually know nothing and never did know anything about evolution, or science of any sort. Sorry-ah, as we say in HK, but that is so.
Same for countless millions who also thought they learned some science.
Science is a culture of doubt. Not blind belief. Not
blind anything. Eyes wide open doubt. No authorities.
Second-
evolution has nothing at all to do with being an atheist or a piano player, or a Catholic or a Zen master. Zero.
No more than auto mechanics does.
If some sect of some religion decides that there are no cars, or that evolution does not suit their beliefs, fine.
That is a lot to take in. Up to you if you wish to.
But if you are going to say things, doubt or believe things, it is well to know the topic.
Anyway, the only contradiction you brought up was
that your current faith is in opposition to the theory of evolution. That is a very limited sort of contradiction, and has nothing to do with atheism.
Lemme know when you think of some in atheism!
I am always interested to learn things.
