What has your Atheism done for you?

[Godless Dave]

just what has your atheism done for you. Built your character. Made you a caring individual, encouraged you to be modest, polite, or thoughtful?

My parents and life experience did that for me.

 

[retrorich]

What has your Atheism done for you?

My atheism has freed me from worries about God, gods, goddesses, heaven, hell and similar nonsensical concepts.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

There are still relatively isolated places where, free of man-made distortion, the night sky is magnificent, perhaps even sacred. I prefer a view free of theological distortions.

 

[SoulTYPE]

Athiesm has helped clear up the problem I was having deciding which religion to choose.

 

[Circle_One]

There's a group here in town who call themselves the Freethinkers, and who love to point out such things as the fact that the divorce rate for atheists is lower than that of the general population, including the population of people describing themselves as "born again." From that and some of the other things they've reported, I gather that the real question here might be better put as "What has religion ever done for you", rather than as "What has atheism done for you".

What has atheism done for you?

Well, according to the Freethinkers Sunstone talks about, it's given them longer marriages :biglaugh:

 

[SoulTYPE]

Although ONE religion has tempted me more than others. And I emphasise the ONE

 

[michel]

Hey, The voice of reason,
Quote[It has allowed me to forego wasting my time worrying about an afterlife. I live according to the Golden Rule - not a set of rules written milennia ago, by people that believe in myths.]

I don't worry about the afterlife and the set of rules are rules that can emerge from sheer logic, and good feelings towards mankind!

 

[SoulTYPE]

I don't worry about the afterlife !

That is something else my Athiesm has done for me: Made me stop worrying about what MIGHT happen when I die, and worry more about what is gonna happen whilst I am alive!

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Hey, The voice of reason,
I don't worry about the afterlife and the set of rules are rules that can emerge from sheer logic, and good feelings towards mankind!

Who can argue with someone that lives by rules that derive from logic and good will? Not I!

TVOR

 

[Ceridwen018]

The question is not, "What has your Atheism done for you," but rather, "What have you done for your Atheism?"

 

[linwood]

The question is not, "What has your Atheism done for you," but rather, "What have you done for your Atheism?"

Thats another thread entirely, one we`ve touched on a little.

"Organized Atheism"

For some reason that statement just sounds wrong to me.

 

[Yerda]

It has allowed me to forego wasting my time worrying about an afterlife. I live according to the Golden Rule - not a set of rules written milennia ago, by people that believe in myths.
I like to think we turn out the way we do because of the strength of our minds - or the weakness of our character. If one does not possess the strength of character that allows him to be honest with himself, Atheism or Agnosticism is beyond your reach.

TVOR

TVOR, is this aimed at me? Am I to respond? I noticed that you quoted my post in your own.

 

[Quoth The Raven]

I think it's a "security" issue for believers - a justification for the investment in faith.

There was a similar thread going when I first started coming here, from a Christian asking where people who didn't believe in God got their ideas of self worth from.She based her self worth entirely on the belief that God loved her, and therefore she was worth something as a human being. While not actually an atheist myself, I did find the whole idea of NEEDING the validation of a supreme being to consider yourself of any worth to be a somewhat worrying concept.
It runs along the same lines as saying,'I'm only special because my imaginary friend who lives in the desk drawer says I am.'

You don't get to be any better a person for the most part just because you think there's a God...Hitler considered himself a Christian, after all.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

TVOR, is this aimed at me? Am I to respond? I noticed that you quoted my post in your own.

No response is required, truthseekingsoul. I am only expounding on the point you made in your post. That is to say, I agree with your position.

Thanks,
TVOR

 

[Yerda]

No response is required, truthseekingsoul. I am only expounding on the point you made in your post. That is to say, I agree with your position.

Thanks,
TVOR

Ah, right. I get easily confused see.

 

[Faust]

What has my atheism done for me?
Made me realize just how precious life really is.
Changed my entire value system, I stop and smell the roses.
Given me a different outlook on my personal responsibility to myself and those I share this wonderful experience with.
And if anything, increased my morality, I can't do what benefits me personally to the possible detriment of others and rationalize that I'm acting according to Gods will.
Losing my religion was a long strange trip for me, but some of my earliest memories are of questioning the right of any creator to treat his creation as little more than playthings. Yet my upbringing and peer pressure kept me bound for a long time. After finally giving in to the truth some years ago I experienced a sense of great relief. An awakening,release from the bonds of fear and guilt as a control mechanism.
Faust.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

Made me realize just how precious life really is.

Really? You mean, you think life is more precious if there is no God than if there is a God, or just that after you stopped believing in God, you came to appreciate life more? If the latter be true, wouldn't that be more the result of your disbelief in an afterlife--something that does not (necessarily) have any bearing on the existence of God(s) and, therefore, no bearing on atheism?

 

[KrAzY_KaRl]

I know this is probably off-topic, but atheists claim to be rational, logical and correct, When their ideals are completely illogical. I mean, How does a universe full of nothing create energy? thats step 1. How does the energy explode? thats step 2. And how does an explosion mysteriously "create" the earth? step 4. You cant even get past step 1. and step 5, How does an explosion create human intelligence? you can't create intelligence with non-intelligence. I'm not a christian, so i don;t believe in a fair few of the things in the Bible. In my mind, the only reason most of you folks are atheist is because the notion of God doesn't suit your lifestyle.

 

[Pah]

I know this is probably off-topic, but atheists claim to be rational, logical and correct, When their ideals are completely illogical. I mean, How does a universe full of nothing create energy? thats step 1. How does the energy explode? thats step 2. And how does an explosion mysteriously "create" the earth? step 4. You cant even get past step 1. and step 5, How does an explosion create human intelligence? you can't create intelligence with non-intelligence. I'm not a christian, so i don;t believe in a fair few of the things in the Bible. In my mind, the only reason most of you folks are atheist is because the notion of God doesn't suit your lifestyle.

Why have you chosen to ignore Christian scientists? I'm reading a new book by Michio Kaku (a Buddhist, I believe) entitled Parallel Worlds that might help you understand M-theory

P.S. I really liked your waltz around the questions - 1-2, 4-5; 1-2, 4-5. Or is it an new foxtrot?

 

[The Voice of Reason]

In my mind, the only reason most of you folks are atheist is because the notion of God doesn't suit your lifestyle.

Krazy (you don't mind if I call you Krazy, do you?) -
I have to say that after reading this first post by you, I don't feel as if I know you well enough to know what your lifestyle is. Along that same line of thought, I feel safe in saying that you know nothing of my lifestyle. Please, don't let that stop you from passing judgement on my lifestyle, or the reasons that I choose to live it. After all, you wouldn't want to take the time to learn a few facts about something before you form an opinion on it (like, say, someone's lifestyle - or the science of Geology). I have to admit that forming an opinion without letting a few facts get in the way has it's advantages, but being knowledgable is not one of them.

Thanks,
TVOR