Why are you an atheist?

[Rick O'Shez]

Mostly because theism is a huge cop-out.

 

[Deathbydefault]

I grew up in a mildly religious family. I was baptised as a baby, went to
Sunday school through elementary school, and I had a fairly steady belief in God (as much as one can have at that age). I wouldn't say that I was a devoted Christian, but being an obedient child, I tried my best to follow what my church leaders told me.

At the age of nine, things started going wrong. One day while brushing my teeth before bed, I realized that I was going to die. It wasn't a fear that I was going perish immediately, but the knowledge that someday in the future I wasn't going to exist anymore-- and it scared me stiff. After that night, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, I couldn't think about anything else but dying. My Sunday school teacher told me not to worry, that if I lived a good life I would go to heaven. When asked how she knew heaven was real, she replied that the Bible said it existed so it must exist. She also said that if I prayed, God would help me not be afraid.

My parents took me to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which caused me to obsess over the things that made me anxious (in my case, the unknown). Every night I prayed and prayed for God to give me some reassurance that everything would be alright, but I was still afraid. I couldn't find proof of heaven so the question remained unanswered. It seemed as if every day I sank deeper and deeper into this chasm of doubt and fear. I lost weight, started doing badly in school, and had a lot of trouble interacting with kids my age because of the constant anxiety.lI wondered why God, as good and loving as people told me he was, would let a nine-year-old girl suffer like this if the answer was as simple as "all good people go to heaven".

Over a period of about four years, my belief in God deteriorated as I learned about evolution and the Big Bang theory. Scientific explanation of the universe made more sense to me than a belief based on a book of mythology written by humans. I remember a teacher lecturing about the Greek gods and goddesses and how they were created to . In short, I stopped believing because religion just didn't make sense to me anymore. Once I no longer believed, I began to look introspectively to relieve my anxieties. By drawing the strength from within myself, I was given a personal sense of accomplishment whenever I slept through the night or went a few hours without thinking of death because I knew it was a reflection of my own efforts and not the intervention of a divine power solving my problems for me. I dragged myself out of that darkness once I saw that it was my own problem to fix.

Losing faith in God has positively impacted my life. It has given me the opportunity to have faith in myself, to know that I have the power to shape my own destiny.

So my question to you is: why are you an atheist? I'm curious to see the comparison between people who were led to atheism by disappointment, etc. in religion and those who have always thought this way.

Gotta love replying to old threads

Welp I'm Atheistic/Apatheistic
Meaning I don't believe in a God(s) but if it were proven true I'd still find them useless.

I have never not had this world view, it's been here since forever.
Ironic that I was born into a devoutly Christian family, huh?

I operate on logic and facts.
They are as much a need for my mind as water is for my body.

My parents are both huge Christians and I was the embarrassment that used logic against preachers.
I always thought it was hilarious how the points they made had zero credibility.

I say "they" because I was around 4 of them weekly.
Sunday gathering.
Sunday school.
Wednesday gathering/school (same guy that day).
And Bible study every Friday.

I had to go all the way up until I turned 16 and could stay home on my own accord.

My parents were very displeased, always with the punishments.
It was either the belt or my room with no supper depending on how nice they weren't feeling.

Religion was also forced down my throat at school, as every science subjects teachings are controlled by the PTA.
Which was 100% composed of church lovers.
No biology.
No space science.
Barely any chemistry.
Physics was like the only thing they were okay with.

My point by saying all that is to instill that I also hate religion.
It was forced down my throat from second 1 out of the womb.

I was never the type of kid to take his medicine though...

I hated religion for reasons listed above.
It took my parents from me.
It took my freedom (3 days a week for 12 years that I can remember, yeah big deal, right?) from me.
It got me into trouble almost twice a day everyday
and finally it took away the education that I deserved.

I just graduated high school. That sucked too.
The whole area I live in is composed mainly of hardcore Christians.
As was my school.
I was disliked there too so I never talked, never had any friends.
My teachers disliked me but my 4.0 was dead set due to the meager education.
I also live within an hour of the Westboro Baptist church, people my mother agrees with.

All these experiences keep engraving Atheism on me, kind of like a tattoo you can't see.

On the brighter side of my life I found the internet and was able to teach myself a very large portion of my current knowledge.
Lately I've been getting into debates as a hobby as well, hence why I'm on this site.
I'm out to develop my brain to it's fullest potential, so now I'm paying for my own college.
I've also got a girlfriend who is very much Christian, but says She's "willing to go to hell for [me]".
So I do have a bright side.

Sorry, I used your thread to vent my emotions.
I've never let it all out completely and I feel that doing so now will help me move on.

Thanks,

Peace.

 

[gnomon]

Mostly because theism is a huge cop-out.

Poor answer.

 

[gnomon]

I grew up in a mildly religious family. I was baptised as a baby, went to
Sunday school through elementary school, and I had a fairly steady belief in God (as much as one can have at that age). I wouldn't say that I was a devoted Christian, but being an obedient child, I tried my best to follow what my church leaders told me.

At the age of nine, things started going wrong. One day while brushing my teeth before bed, I realized that I was going to die. It wasn't a fear that I was going perish immediately, but the knowledge that someday in the future I wasn't going to exist anymore-- and it scared me stiff. After that night, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, I couldn't think about anything else but dying. My Sunday school teacher told me not to worry, that if I lived a good life I would go to heaven. When asked how she knew heaven was real, she replied that the Bible said it existed so it must exist. She also said that if I prayed, God would help me not be afraid.

My parents took me to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which caused me to obsess over the things that made me anxious (in my case, the unknown). Every night I prayed and prayed for God to give me some reassurance that everything would be alright, but I was still afraid. I couldn't find proof of heaven so the question remained unanswered. It seemed as if every day I sank deeper and deeper into this chasm of doubt and fear. I lost weight, started doing badly in school, and had a lot of trouble interacting with kids my age because of the constant anxiety.lI wondered why God, as good and loving as people told me he was, would let a nine-year-old girl suffer like this if the answer was as simple as "all good people go to heaven".

Over a period of about four years, my belief in God deteriorated as I learned about evolution and the Big Bang theory. Scientific explanation of the universe made more sense to me than a belief based on a book of mythology written by humans. I remember a teacher lecturing about the Greek gods and goddesses and how they were created to . In short, I stopped believing because religion just didn't make sense to me anymore. Once I no longer believed, I began to look introspectively to relieve my anxieties. By drawing the strength from within myself, I was given a personal sense of accomplishment whenever I slept through the night or went a few hours without thinking of death because I knew it was a reflection of my own efforts and not the intervention of a divine power solving my problems for me. I dragged myself out of that darkness once I saw that it was my own problem to fix.

Losing faith in God has positively impacted my life. It has given me the opportunity to have faith in myself, to know that I have the power to shape my own destiny.

So my question to you is: why are you an atheist? I'm curious to see the comparison between people who were led to atheism by disappointment, etc. in religion and those who have always thought this way.

I'm an atheist merely because I do not believe. I do no accept theistic positions towards the state of the universe. That's it.

I'm one of those atheists who do not care anymore about the so called four horseman nor do I give a whit about atheism +. That ridiculous notion that people must group themselves under an ideological umbrella.

I do not accept any theistic philosophy presented. Thus....atheism.

It really is that simple.

Now when people talk about religion......you better have yourself prepared.