Atheist's, what got you to your atheism?

Haakon

Haakon

has an accommodating arse
mik_git said:
I'll add, that while I think it all could be possible, however remotely unlikely, I do like the idea of the afterlife/heaven or whatever (not hell though, that'd be bad). While i think it's bs, I'll get one hell of kick if when I croak I wake up somewhere else, be it fluffy clouds and virgins, or endless singletrack or just ascend to some higher, know-it-all being... that'll be great.

but i don't expect that to be the case.
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I fear the fine print - they never say if they'll be female or even human virgins... Nor do they stipulate age or dimensions.
 
Elbo

Elbo

pesky scooter kids git off ma lawn
moorey said:
I see these 2 as mutually exclusive. You either completely reject the notion of a god, or you can say that's it's unknowable.
Interested how you mate two?
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The two can coexist. Technically, atheism is just a lack of believe in 'theistic' god/s, so that still leaves deism as a valid belief system for an atheist. Saying you're an agnostic atheist is akin to saying, "It's impossible to know, but, I don't believe in a god/s that interacts with the universe anyway."
 
moorey

moorey

call me Mia
Elbo said:
The two can coexist. Technically, atheism is just a lack of believe in 'theistic' god/s, so that still leaves deism as a valid belief system for an atheist. Saying you're an agnostic atheist is akin to saying, "It's impossible to know, but, I don't believe in a god/s that interacts with the universe anyway."
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I disagree, but that's OK. Like I said, atheism is the rejection of a notion of a god, agnosticism is believing its unknowable either way. I don't see that you can be both. Deism is still a belief that a god created the universe. How do you reconcile it as a valid belief system for an atheist? :noidea:
 
Elbo

Elbo

pesky scooter kids git off ma lawn
thatsnotme said:
I was bought up Christian. Went to a Christian school, had lots of Christian friends. Lots of little things combined to push me the other way, but the spark that lit the fire was the hypocrisy I saw so often from Christian people around me. I couldn't understand why if God was supposed to be all about love and forgiveness, that so many of His followers hated so much stuff.

Everything kinda went from there. Couldn't figure out how the music I listened to was 'opening the door to Satan', why something as normal as sex was considered so terrible out of marriage, and the list goes on.

I don't think I ever had a moment where I consciously decided that I didn't believe in God any more, it just kinda happened.
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Similar to me. I was brought up Christian, went to a Christian primary school, attended a public high school but stayed fairly involved in the church I went to, was a pretty tame teenager when it came to girls, alcohol and drugs, even though my very religious parents still thought I was a rebellious teen all the same :/ My old man is a pastor, my mum is right by his side in it, I grew up with week night prayer meetings in my lounge room, 'secular' music frowned upon, JJJ forbidden, boobs in movies were the worst, but violence was OK, not really encouraged to date anyone unless it was in the church and sort of sanctioned by both sets of parents. Actually, looking back, I'm surprised I even made it out of the church and christianity with all that shit to be honest.

I moved away for uni (and partly just to escape and gain independence). It took a while, but I learned to think for myself and think critically. I'd never really questioned what I believed before, it was just what I knew and was surrounded by, so I thought that was all there was. I went to church for the next 2 years after moving away, but after 1 year, I started to question a lot and read widely. At first I tried to double down and strengthen my beliefs (because clearly it was my fault I didn't have enough faith…). But once I had asked those first few questions and started pulling at the thread it all unravelled. It didn't help that I was essentially told to shut up and just go with it because I was disrupting others' 'journeys,' that just made me push back harder.

I remember the exact moment I stopped being a christian. I was in church and everyone was singing the songs and I just had a sudden change of perspective and I was just like, "this is so weird, who are these people singing too?" I just thought, nah, this is BS. The next week I drove to church, parked out the front but couldn't physically bring myself to go in, so I drove off and never went back. That was 4 years ago. Only times I've been to church since has been for christmas for tradition's sake, but it feels super weird and unnerving. I experienced so much BS, brainwashing and hypocrisy in those places, I just avoid them like the plague now. I find riding to be a much more 'religious' experience anyway.

I'd say I'm an atheist, in that I don't believe in a theistic god, but I also find a lot of value in zen buddhism, don't follow it religiously, but listening to the occasional Alan Watts podcast helps me re-focus and keep a good perspective on life.
 
C

climberman

Likes Dirt
Elbo said:
Similar to me. I was brought up Christian, went to a Christian primary school, attended a public high school but stayed fairly involved in the church I went to, was a pretty tame teenager when it came to girls, alcohol and drugs, even though my very religious parents still thought I was a rebellious teen all the same :/ My old man is a pastor, my mum is right by his side in it, I grew up with week night prayer meetings in my lounge room, 'secular' music frowned upon, JJJ forbidden, boobs in movies were the worst, but violence was OK, not really encouraged to date anyone unless it was in the church and sort of sanctioned by both sets of parents. Actually, looking back, I'm surprised I even made it out of the church and christianity with all that shit to be honest.

I moved away for uni (and partly just to escape and gain independence). It took a while, but I learned to think for myself and think critically. I'd never really questioned what I believed before, it was just what I knew and was surrounded by, so I thought that was all there was. I went to church for the next 2 years after moving away, but after 1 year, I started to question a lot and read widely. At first I tried to double down and strengthen my beliefs (because clearly it was my fault I didn't have enough faith…). But once I had asked those first few questions and started pulling at the thread it all unravelled. It didn't help that I was essentially told to shut up and just go with it because I was disrupting others' 'journeys,' that just made me push back harder.

I remember the exact moment I stopped being a christian. I was in church and everyone was singing the songs and I just had a sudden change of perspective and I was just like, "this is so weird, who are these people singing too?" I just thought, nah, this is BS. The next week I drove to church, parked out the front but couldn't physically bring myself to go in, so I drove off and never went back. That was 4 years ago. Only times I've been to church since has been for christmas for tradition's sake, but it feels super weird and unnerving. I experienced so much BS, brainwashing and hypocrisy in those places, I just avoid them like the plague now. I find riding to be a much more 'religious' experience anyway.

I'd say I'm an atheist, in that I don't believe in a theistic god, but I also find a lot of value in zen buddhism, don't follow it religiously, but listening to the occasional Alan Watts podcast helps me re-focus and keep a good perspective on life.
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Big life change Elbo, hard to do.

"Well, I don't believe in an interventionist God..." as a great man once sung.
 
Mud Gecko

Mud Gecko

Likes Bikes
Agnostic here because logic and reason.

I also despise when sport/celeb wankers dribble about jebus, as if he'd give a shit about you and whether you won or not?? :twitch:
 
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Elbo

Elbo

pesky scooter kids git off ma lawn
climberman said:
Big life change Elbo, hard to do.

"Well, I don't believe in an interventionist God..." as a great man once sung.
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Nick Cave :thumb:

Thanks mate, yeah, big change to the old worldview. Lost a lot of so-called friends and changed relationships forever, but made better friends, broadened my horizons and became a better, kinder person, even if I do say so myself.
 
The Duckmeister

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
scblack said:
John U said:
Atheist's, what got you to your atheism?

I'm interested. We mostly start out believing in something else.
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Why would you say that?

Seeing how religions like to get their teeth into brainwashing the young via scripture at schools and various other stuff like parental guidance - beliefs are arguably FED to us all.
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Indeed. I was brought up in a non-religious family, so never had that stuff pushed into me. Even though I went to public schools, at primary school we still had the bible-bashers come in for RE every so often, and even at the age of eight I could see that it just didn't make sense.

I've never been to a regular church service; have no desire to, but I've been to religious weddings & funerals, and the spouting of irrelevant bullshit just shits me.
 
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K

Kerplunk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
moorey said:
I disagree, but that's OK. Like I said, atheism is the rejection of a notion of a god, agnosticism is believing its unknowable either way. I don't see that you can be both. Deism is still a belief that a god created the universe. How do you reconcile it as a valid belief system for an atheist? :noidea:
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Agnosticism isn't believing it's unknowable either way. Agnosticism is all about proof. Even Dawkins refers to himself technicially as agnostic because he cannot without doubt prove there is no god. Like everything in life nothing is black and white, everything is on a scale. Dawkins puts himself 9.99 out 10 with 10 being an athiest and 1 a thiest. Not that I think much of the bloke but he has a point.

I think Athiest are sticking their necks out as much as thiest. The new age self righteous athiests claiming to have all the answers are just as obnoxious as the god botherers..
I am right at the end scale of agnosticism about an 8 or 9. I don't claim to have the absolute answers, if the bullocks christian stories are scientifically proven without doubt, then I'm there. In turn, once it's proven beyond doubt there is no sky faries i'm there. It's not about a foot in each camp.. far from it. It's about what we know for certain. In recent history the scienitifc proof is heavily at the Athiest end of the scale.. That's why I reckon it's the most logical position to take. That's how my brain works anyway, each to their own..
 
link1896

link1896

Mr Greenfield
A religion is whatever you desire, whatever you define. It's all made up mumbo jumbo in your head anyway. Kind of like " you can't define pornography, but you know it when you see it"

Bikes are my religion.


Now we need to start a not for profit, tax free religious organisation. Bike thiefs and ebike riders will have their toes removed Chopper Read style with the big wire cutters before death.
 
stirk

stirk

Burner
link1896 said:
A religion is whatever you desire, whatever you define. It's all made up mumbo jumbo in your head anyway. Kind of like " you can't define pornography, but you know it when you see it"

Bikes are my religion.


Now we need to start a not for profit, tax free religious organisation. Bike thiefs and ebike riders will have their toes removed Chopper Read style with the big wire cutters before death.
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I'm a Jedi.............. On drugs.




Am I eligible to be grand Pooh-Bah of the donation ceremoney?

Instead of red wine and bread we shall drink whisky and eat mushrooms.
 
link1896

link1896

Mr Greenfield
stirk said:
I'm a Jedi.............. On drugs.




Am I eligible to be grand Pooh-Bah of the donation ceremoney?

Instead of red wine and bread we shall drink whisky and eat mushrooms.
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Epo, viagra or HGH?


eligable, buddy you're the MC and executioner


In all seriousness, my first exposure to religion was in a private secondary school, I saw Monday's proceedings as a time for mental relaxation/meditation and zoned out from the whole process. People are free to choose what they believe in, it's what helps make this country great.
 
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D

dej

Likes Bikes
Primary school (maybe around grade 4 or 5?), priest guy who was teaching us about christian religion etc
lights up a bunch of candles hands them out, tells us if we believe in jesus, we can put out the flame without burning our fingers
3/4 of the class didn't try. personally i thought the guy was crazy for telling us that. i think ever since then, i wasn't interested.
Nowdays I'm of the belief that religion has more downsides than good

That being said, I've been to churches etc all over the world (inc vatican). I really dig the buildings/art and whatnot.
 
moorey

moorey

call me Mia
link1896 said:
Epo, viagra or HGH?


eligable, buddy you're the MC and executioner


In all seriousness, my first exposure to religion was in a private secondary school, I saw Monday's proceedings as a time for mental relaxation/meditation and zoned out from the whole process. People are free to choose what they believe in, it's what helps make this country great.
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Problem is, religion tries to make everyone do their thing...follow their rules...abide by their beliefs....

That 'religion is like a penis' meme sums it up.
 
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