I call myself atheist, simply because it's easiest. If I called myself Nihilist, people would ask what that is (which I am not even sure what it is). If I called myself Agnostic, I would have to explain what I do believe in and what I don't. If I say atheist, people get the point: I'm not a believer in their faith, so it doesn't matter if I believe in anything else. When I say I am atheist, people don't ask anymore questions about it. I almost wish they did, though. A lot of people misunderstand me when I say that I'm atheist. Theres a lot more to what I believe in than just not believing anything the bible says. The word Atheist means simply that I do not believe there is a higher being, which is true. But most people assume that also means that I either hate all Catholics or I don't believe a word the bible says, which is completely untrue.
I believe that when we die, something happens to our soul that we don't know, and we can't know. I believe that what happens after we die isn't up to us to predict. I don't believe we go to a heaven in the sky because of that, for one. I don't know what happens, is all I'm saying, and I don't want to. I want to live in the now, not preoccupied with what will happen in 60 years from now. I want to focus on what is more important at the moment: my life.
As for the Catholic religion specifically, there are a lot of things I agree and disagree with in the religion. First off, I don't hate God, I don't hate Catholics, and I don't hate anyone who has an opinion different than mine. That would be ignorant and pointless. I do hate, however, people that try to force their religion upon me, as if not believing what they believe in will kill me. I have run into only a few people who are like this (mainly teachers), and I don't plan on ever talking to them again. Feel free to tell me about your faith all you want, I'm interested in your opinion. But let me be the one who decides what to believe in. I also hate people who are Catholic and don't act like it. By this I mean anyone who believes in the 10 commandments without following them. I'm sure everyone knows what I mean by this, we have all run into hypocrites in our lives.
Within the faith, what I disagree on most is Jesus. I don't believe that someone can die, and then rise again, healthy as ever, 3 days later. It's not possible, as far as I know. the Catholic faith believes that God rose Jesus from the dead. That's where I stop. Call me whatever you want, but I just can't believe in something I can't see like that. That's just stepping over the line for me. Also, there is no proof at all that Jesus so much as existed. The bible and a few other religious documents talk about Jesus, and aside from that, there is nothing. Roman records, which were very detailed, even for this time, say nothing about him whatsoever. The cloth that was found that was supposedly "Jesus' burial tunic" could have been from any of the several hundred thousand that were crucified.
I also don't agree with what we have dubbed as "hell." First off, if this God loves all of us so much, why would he torture us forever like that? It just doesn't seem like that adds up. I know that's the question everyone asks, but there's a reason everyone asks it. God wouldn't just send everyone who isn't a member of the Catholic faith (or this denomination, or that denomination...) to hell. I think that the early members of the faith made this part up to scare people into believing in God. Some people have claimed that God has taken them there to see what it's like, in an "out of body" experience. All I can say here is that those people either have mental issues, a scarred past, or some really heavy dreams. I don't necessarily believe that out of body experiences happen or not, but if they do, what even connects this experience this person had to God? Because it looked like hell? Maybe someone who died recently wanted some revenge, and they sent that to scare you. But as far as religion goes, it's not convincing me.
If hell does exist, I would believe that it is just for the people who are cold hearted, menacing, or weak. By weak, I mean 2 things. First off, I believe that people who do only things everyone else tells them to do, either to gain acceptance or to just stay out of harms way, are weak. (Some people might call the previous person a "tool.") Part of life, no matter what religion, is to take chances and make yourself happy in the long run. You can live to make others happy, but not to the point where you become their little toy. Making people happy is one thing, making people happy to the point where you have no life otherwise is sickening and immoral. Whether this person just does whatever is "cool," or does whatever someone asks to gain acceptance (Accepted (movie): "Somebody ask me about my weiner!!"), or maybe has sex out of control, I believe that all is wrong and weak. Another kind of weak that I think should be punishable by this is what we would call a bully, someone who is so afraid of people seeing who they really are that they decide to hurt other people along the way, whether it be by making fun of another person or physically harming someone. It's just plain wrong, and should be punished.
However, if hell does actually exist, I don't believe that I would be a typical candidate for it. As I said before, I seriously doubt that God would send anyone who doesn't believe strictly in his faith to hell. If he did, he would be no better than the people he put in hell. He would be punishing people for either believing in what they want to, or maybe even punishing people who have never even heard of Catholicism, Judiasm, or whatever else. He would be throwing people into hell just because he wants to, pretty much. That would be similar to someone sitting on a roof shooting random people on the street just because they want to. That is against the 10 commandments. "Thou shall not kill." By God throwing everyone who doesn't believe in him, or know what to believe in, he is breaking one of his own laws. That doesn't add up.
Basically, what I'm saying is I don't believe there is a God, not in the way that the bible describes it. But, there is a lot in the Catholic faith that I do believe in. For one, all 10 commandments. Whether you are religious or not, those are important for being a good person. The 7 deadly sins, as well, are things I believe that shouldn't be done. People say that Catholicism is overcontrolling and that they ask for too much, but I think a lot of it is just based on living a happy life. Following these Catholic laws and avoiding a lot of what the bible tells you is wrong, in the end might make you a happier, guilt free person. If you didn't kill anyone in your entire life, you would feel better than someone who did. If you did something productive instead of sitting in front of the TV all day with a bag of chips, you will feel better about yourself than someone who did sit in front of the TV all day. If you are in a loving relationship, whether it be marriage or just a really close couple, you will most likely feel better at the end of the day than someone who's motto is "**** *******, get money."
Of course, there are parts that I think are flat wrong. How about the first commandment: You shall believe only in God, and have no other Gods before him. I obviously don't agree with that. But there are other laws in the bible that remain in effect to today, that I don't believe, such as the famous Leviticus 20:13 "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." I not only believe Gay people shouldn't be killed for doing what they want, they should be legally allowed to. But that's a whole other rant. I think that a lot of these old testament laws are no longer applicable at this time of our lives. This same book of Leviticus says that we can legally own slaves, that we cannot eat shellfish at any point in life, and that anyone who works on the sabbath should be put to death. Obviously nobody follows these laws anymore, yet a select few still remain in effect.
My point, overall, is that whether or not you believe in God, whether or not you think the bible is worth so much as the paper it's on, it has a lot of real meaning in it. I don't believe these meanings come from God, but rather through our great ancestors' trial and errors. The bible is telling us what we need to do to live a happy life, Catholic or not. But I personally don't need a higher being to believe in. I could see him as a symbol of hope or a reason to live for someone who needs it, but I don't. I believe the Christian conspiracy was created by man and for man, for a few purposes: to give hope, to have something to follow, and (maybe) a reason to fight other tribes (in the waaaay back in time). But now, I think I am seeing the truth.
As for anyone else out there, don't be afraid to leave your faith if you don't believe. Even if this God really does exist and I'm wrong, if he is the loving and forgiving God that we are taught he is, he isn't going to send you to hell for leaving...that is unless you are a deep down just plain bad person to begin with.
So, these are my beliefs, and that is what I wish most people would believe. Whether you are Catholic or not, the Bible says a lot that effects our every day lives and should not be ignored. If people actually did do this, the world would be happier, and we would achieve peace.
I believe that when we die, something happens to our soul that we don't know, and we can't know. I believe that what happens after we die isn't up to us to predict. I don't believe we go to a heaven in the sky because of that, for one. I don't know what happens, is all I'm saying, and I don't want to. I want to live in the now, not preoccupied with what will happen in 60 years from now. I want to focus on what is more important at the moment: my life.
As for the Catholic religion specifically, there are a lot of things I agree and disagree with in the religion. First off, I don't hate God, I don't hate Catholics, and I don't hate anyone who has an opinion different than mine. That would be ignorant and pointless. I do hate, however, people that try to force their religion upon me, as if not believing what they believe in will kill me. I have run into only a few people who are like this (mainly teachers), and I don't plan on ever talking to them again. Feel free to tell me about your faith all you want, I'm interested in your opinion. But let me be the one who decides what to believe in. I also hate people who are Catholic and don't act like it. By this I mean anyone who believes in the 10 commandments without following them. I'm sure everyone knows what I mean by this, we have all run into hypocrites in our lives.
Within the faith, what I disagree on most is Jesus. I don't believe that someone can die, and then rise again, healthy as ever, 3 days later. It's not possible, as far as I know. the Catholic faith believes that God rose Jesus from the dead. That's where I stop. Call me whatever you want, but I just can't believe in something I can't see like that. That's just stepping over the line for me. Also, there is no proof at all that Jesus so much as existed. The bible and a few other religious documents talk about Jesus, and aside from that, there is nothing. Roman records, which were very detailed, even for this time, say nothing about him whatsoever. The cloth that was found that was supposedly "Jesus' burial tunic" could have been from any of the several hundred thousand that were crucified.
I also don't agree with what we have dubbed as "hell." First off, if this God loves all of us so much, why would he torture us forever like that? It just doesn't seem like that adds up. I know that's the question everyone asks, but there's a reason everyone asks it. God wouldn't just send everyone who isn't a member of the Catholic faith (or this denomination, or that denomination...) to hell. I think that the early members of the faith made this part up to scare people into believing in God. Some people have claimed that God has taken them there to see what it's like, in an "out of body" experience. All I can say here is that those people either have mental issues, a scarred past, or some really heavy dreams. I don't necessarily believe that out of body experiences happen or not, but if they do, what even connects this experience this person had to God? Because it looked like hell? Maybe someone who died recently wanted some revenge, and they sent that to scare you. But as far as religion goes, it's not convincing me.
If hell does exist, I would believe that it is just for the people who are cold hearted, menacing, or weak. By weak, I mean 2 things. First off, I believe that people who do only things everyone else tells them to do, either to gain acceptance or to just stay out of harms way, are weak. (Some people might call the previous person a "tool.") Part of life, no matter what religion, is to take chances and make yourself happy in the long run. You can live to make others happy, but not to the point where you become their little toy. Making people happy is one thing, making people happy to the point where you have no life otherwise is sickening and immoral. Whether this person just does whatever is "cool," or does whatever someone asks to gain acceptance (Accepted (movie): "Somebody ask me about my weiner!!"), or maybe has sex out of control, I believe that all is wrong and weak. Another kind of weak that I think should be punishable by this is what we would call a bully, someone who is so afraid of people seeing who they really are that they decide to hurt other people along the way, whether it be by making fun of another person or physically harming someone. It's just plain wrong, and should be punished.
However, if hell does actually exist, I don't believe that I would be a typical candidate for it. As I said before, I seriously doubt that God would send anyone who doesn't believe strictly in his faith to hell. If he did, he would be no better than the people he put in hell. He would be punishing people for either believing in what they want to, or maybe even punishing people who have never even heard of Catholicism, Judiasm, or whatever else. He would be throwing people into hell just because he wants to, pretty much. That would be similar to someone sitting on a roof shooting random people on the street just because they want to. That is against the 10 commandments. "Thou shall not kill." By God throwing everyone who doesn't believe in him, or know what to believe in, he is breaking one of his own laws. That doesn't add up.
Basically, what I'm saying is I don't believe there is a God, not in the way that the bible describes it. But, there is a lot in the Catholic faith that I do believe in. For one, all 10 commandments. Whether you are religious or not, those are important for being a good person. The 7 deadly sins, as well, are things I believe that shouldn't be done. People say that Catholicism is overcontrolling and that they ask for too much, but I think a lot of it is just based on living a happy life. Following these Catholic laws and avoiding a lot of what the bible tells you is wrong, in the end might make you a happier, guilt free person. If you didn't kill anyone in your entire life, you would feel better than someone who did. If you did something productive instead of sitting in front of the TV all day with a bag of chips, you will feel better about yourself than someone who did sit in front of the TV all day. If you are in a loving relationship, whether it be marriage or just a really close couple, you will most likely feel better at the end of the day than someone who's motto is "**** *******, get money."
Of course, there are parts that I think are flat wrong. How about the first commandment: You shall believe only in God, and have no other Gods before him. I obviously don't agree with that. But there are other laws in the bible that remain in effect to today, that I don't believe, such as the famous Leviticus 20:13 "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." I not only believe Gay people shouldn't be killed for doing what they want, they should be legally allowed to. But that's a whole other rant. I think that a lot of these old testament laws are no longer applicable at this time of our lives. This same book of Leviticus says that we can legally own slaves, that we cannot eat shellfish at any point in life, and that anyone who works on the sabbath should be put to death. Obviously nobody follows these laws anymore, yet a select few still remain in effect.
My point, overall, is that whether or not you believe in God, whether or not you think the bible is worth so much as the paper it's on, it has a lot of real meaning in it. I don't believe these meanings come from God, but rather through our great ancestors' trial and errors. The bible is telling us what we need to do to live a happy life, Catholic or not. But I personally don't need a higher being to believe in. I could see him as a symbol of hope or a reason to live for someone who needs it, but I don't. I believe the Christian conspiracy was created by man and for man, for a few purposes: to give hope, to have something to follow, and (maybe) a reason to fight other tribes (in the waaaay back in time). But now, I think I am seeing the truth.
As for anyone else out there, don't be afraid to leave your faith if you don't believe. Even if this God really does exist and I'm wrong, if he is the loving and forgiving God that we are taught he is, he isn't going to send you to hell for leaving...that is unless you are a deep down just plain bad person to begin with.
So, these are my beliefs, and that is what I wish most people would believe. Whether you are Catholic or not, the Bible says a lot that effects our every day lives and should not be ignored. If people actually did do this, the world would be happier, and we would achieve peace.
