Is atheism OK yet?

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No body has a REAL good reason not to belive in God the Whole "I don't see proof of his existance" is a bunch of bull shit.I do belive in God but not follow a Religion.Their is no bible that says "Follow my religion or burn in hell". I suggest you to belive in God but have no religion that way you'll be in balance.

I am an atheist. I think most people follow because that's how they were brought up and because everyone else around them does. They don't want to look and feel out of place from society because they want to fit in. So they don't question.
There is nothing wrong in being an atheist. It's a minority so people will question and argue and try to change your mind, but that's expected. Stand your ground in what you believe in.

I can act like I believe, but I can't choose to believe or not to believe. Either I do or do not.
Have no idea what "balance" means.

I'm Catholic, but you have the free will to accept or reject God.

its quite normal to be an athiest really, except in america, but in the rest of the civilised world nobody really cares too much about religion.

I guess it depends on your definition of "civilized," but I think this just isn't true, as much as I wish it was.
It seems to me that religion is still very important in the middle east, central southern asia, southeast asia, central and south america. I don't know what general attitudes are in africa, australia, or japan.
I do agree that this is probably true in christian europe (which I'm afraid is now a muslim target), russia and china.
It's a bad idea that won't die quietly.

Be what you want to be but you'll see the truth at End times. hopefully a last second change will save you're soul

I can't speak for America as I don't live there, but where I'm from acceptance of atheism would largely depend on what sort of area you live in, as in more rural areas any deviation from the social norm, be it religious or otherwise would make you somewhat of a pariah. Personally, I
can't see why what you believe would be a problem provided you don't look down on religious people solely because of their faith.

I'm atheist myself. You should watch Bill Maher's documentary, "Religilous"
I personally think that religion is just something people believe either because their parents believed in it and taught their children. Like teaching a child to not play with the stove, they teach the child that there is a god and he is all powerful, all wise, and all knowing. They've been taught about it so well that its like second nature to them. So in their adult life they want to teach the same values to their children.

I find your post full of signs that you have an above average/high IQ. I have also found that people of this type are overwhelmingly predisposed towards atheism/agnosticism. The reason? God is a logical impossibility! Intelligent people are also more prone to egoism, another stumbling block to worship of any entity higher than the self. How can an egotistical analytical personality 'fall down and worship' anything at all? It's a predicament that has haunted and tortured many avid intellectuals throughout their entire lives...but did you know that Sir Isaac Newton, founder of modern physics and widely regarded as the greatest scientist who ever lived, was a deeply religious man?

Well....look at it this way, if you'd rather be safe than sorry, and waste all your life doing what some book says and getting on your knees for someone who wont give proof of their existance, just so dont dont burn in hell for ever...than believe in God...

If you really dont believe and just act like it than you are a pussy.

Be proud of what you do or do not believe in.

Personally, I think its totally okay to be Atheist. God gave us free will, and if he wanted everyone to all be Catholic, he could! =)

If you really think I'm so smart, you probably guessed that I'd recognize your comment as an example of argumentum ad verecundiam (appeal to authority). That's probably why you prefaced it with an admittedly well-crafted appeal to my ego.
There's credible disagreement about Newton's religeous views, and considering the highly oppressive times he lived in, I think it's fair to doubt them.
Even given your point, however, so what? He also believed in alchemy. Being a brilliant mathematician does not make him in an authority in religeon.
I'm not arguing that everyone must think like I do in this matter. My point is that it's reasonable and OK.

Wouldn't god know I was faking? For whom would I be acting?

Also I was watching a documentary that said that scientist pinpointed and area in the brain that controls Spirtuality. In atheists it is said to not be activated. But the brain is such a mysterious thing if you truley wanted to believe I think u could. Sometimes it is not a bad thing to "fake it till u make it" it is definitly worth it to feel the feeling of beliveing in God

Not to be rude but who wants to be an atheist its a very lonely place to believe that we were put here just to exist without a purpose and to believe that when we die we die. Maybe Christianity is not for you but Buddism is a beautiful religion or maybe just try being around other believers in God. I've founds that as different as the different religious traditions are they all lead to God and have alot of similarities. Give God a chance

This is so not true when u look at how many religions there are out there and how ancient some of them are u cant say this is true

I was raised as a Christian and i went to Chatholic school for alot of my life I can personally speak on this because while I was raised to believ in GOd and know various prayer and holidays they meant nothing or rather I did not understand them until I was Saved. This didnt happen until I was 17. Being Saved is a spiritual thing it comes from inside. As if a light switch comes on. I swear I was borderline atheist for a while but I choose to GIve God a chance. Now I consider myself a true Chritian.

Albert Einstein was a Spiritual person too.

Would you rather believe an ugly truth or a beautiful delusion?

For me, it's not a matter of what belief is the most pleasant, it's a matter of veritability.

Another argumentum ad verecundiam, in form.

But if you want to cite Einstein, you really ought to know what he thought:

"It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal god and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it"

You mean verifiablity? Ugly truth? What is your truth? Do you have faith...in anything do u always have to SEE to believe? Do you believe in intuition? Knowing without- proof? Do you know that even science doesnt have answers for everything. Everything in this world is not matter of fact.

Einstein was a Pantheist- much unlike an atheist he respected the world in a "spiritual" manner much like buddism. In his own words:
"Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity."
"A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestation of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute the truly religious attitude; in this sense, and in this sense alone, I am a deeply religious man."

-Einstein was not an Atheist but he had his own Spiritual religion that I can respect.

Not to be rude or anything Im not trying to insult u just trying to understand- and maybe help. :) There is a reason why I found this page and u also sound like a very interesting person.

Well, I'm not really really interested in arguing about Einstein's metaphysical beliefs here, which is not to say that I find your naive characterization of them valid by any means.
The whole point is so what about his beliefs? Devoid of his reasoning, his conclusions, whatever they may have been, have no bearing.

Actually, I do mean veritability - the quality of being veritable: being in fact the thing named and not false, unreal, or imaginary.
I just like it better than "veritableness" in this context.
;-)

*sigh* faith is a hard thing to grasp let alone understand I can see how some people can become atheists...it requires understanding beyond seeing what is there and hard facts and also trust and intuition. In a way it requires intelligence beyond what people view as "traditional" intelligence. But it is not something that is unattainable. God bless you and goodluck.

To people that believe in a 'God':

Do you believe in Unicorns?

Well..I feel you on where you're at, but don't accept nothing...That's a coward's way out of moral responsibility(Living a life with no higher power to answer to... Not to mention athiest for the most part don't have many GOOD organizations..Which in contrast I'd say just about every religion on earth does..I am not a practicing christian,muslim or anything like that...I just think accepting nothing is an empty miserable feeling and misery LOVES company...As far as I see it if you live a moral just life athiest, agnostic, or religious that's all that matters...DO YOUR BEST TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND!!If athiest want respect and to be accepted they need to act like more than a lump of living meat..MY MESSAGE TO THE CYBER WORLD:REACH OUT AND HELP SOMEBODY AND STOP THINKING OF YOU AND ONLY YOU.

Where did you find Unicorns in Bible?..lol

If I was the one who believes in whatever Bible says then I should certainly be the one who`s going to believe in lethargic Lotus-Eaters,Cyclops Polyphemus,Laestrygones,Circe and other lovely characters in this as Bible old ancient writing called Odyssey!

i'm atheist and where i live everyone flips out over it and say i'm ignorant.

its completely normal to be atheist. we shouldn't have to worry about what other people think of us. not trying to offend anyone, but i think christians are completely ignorant. read some of the stories of the bible and tell me that someone wasn't on there period.

okay that wasn't necessary. but thats what i believe.

but i have best friend that are christians. i respect everyones beliefs. so if you just do that then people will eventually get over it.

I'm athiest and I never want to be in a religion. If God won't let me in heaven just because i'm not christian than be it. I've been a good person all my life, and will continue to be. I avoid bad things, and try to never cheat, steal or lie. If that's not good enough for "God" then i don't know what is. So does that mean all athiest people should go to hell even if they were the kindest person on earth? i say its bullsh*t. Believe what you want to believe but "God" supposely made people with the right to steer their own life in the right direction.

Respect, Love, Commpassion, Generosity, Righteousness, Honesty are all core Christian values. Which one are you practicing :)

My man you are not as intelligent as they say, for you posted this question actually expecting an answer rather than a God/no God debate ;)

I am a spiritual person, but it doesn't matter. I think being Atheist in today's society as long as you conclude with the phrase "but sometimes I dabble with various Eastern philosophies."

:D

in today's society is OK***

Ahem, he doesn't believe in a supernatural deity.

And what is your point?

Let me pose this to you:

-reference "the crusades:-

If you knew that people were coming to kill you and your children if you did not believe in the Spaghetti Monster doctrine. Your children were really young and you were not sure if you could get them to lie convincingly, or were afraid they would not be well versed enough in the doctrine to pull it off.

Wouldn't you cram the Spaghetti Monster doctrine down their throats to protect their lives? Then when they had their kids they would cram it down their throats because you taught them it was "the truth," not a method to save their lives.

We were Pagans that worshipped the female because she was the vessel of life until the crusades. All the religious holidays fall on Pagan holidays.

I was raised in the Church of Christ by a minister. I do not believe any of it.

Plus...psychology shows that people turn to religion when they have nowhere else to turn. My sisters are a shining example of this. Their lives suck right now because of the economy and they have become religious again. They were not going to church on Sunday when they were making $100K a year. They worshipped the retail establishment at that time.

I could go on with this subject forever. However, if you do enough research you will see that Christianity was made up as a means to control the people.

Break Free!

"Their is no bible that says "Follow my religion or burn in hell"."
---
Doesn't Christianity do that?

I go to church on Christmas Eve voluntarily because my Grandpa goes and I think it is a chance to really calm down and be together with people who matter to you. No offence, but Atheists are usually the most unpleasant people to encounter, and when asked about religion they often give really stupid jokes or remarks. I used to think that religion may be useless but then learned that hey it really is a good thing, unless you use it as an excuse to suicide bomb jews because you want their little sliver of land.

I can't understand why people make such a big deal over religion. Though, regardless, they do. Just be yourself, and ignore the imbeciles who are overly religious, and be proud to be an Atheist.
I myself don't follow a specific religion. To avoid further digression I'll stop here.

Bro, i think about it too, and everything points to God. That's my truth, find yours. Look around. I don't think all of that could be a random occurrence.

What exactly do you mean by "random occurence"? There is nothing random about the Universe. If you are referring to life, then yes the conditions for life emerging are very specific, but then again, the Universe is quite large, so it's not really that surprising that it has happened on at least one planet. If you actually read about the history of the Universe and the history of life on Earth you would appreciate that it is not a 'random occurence' but is a beautiful story of the simple arranging itself into the complex, a very intricate and balanced process that goes on over the course of aeons. It is a much more beautiful theory than 'God created the world in 7 days, the Earth is 5000 years old, and God put dinosaur ones in the ground to test our faith'.

By the way I'm from Ireland, a country that up until quite recently was very religious. However most people I know don't go to mass or even believe in God. Even my parents stopped going to mass years ago. If it can happen on a small island where up until 50 years ago the Church practically ran society, then it can happen in the 'superpower' that is the U.S. Don't be afraid to speak out and say "I'm an atheist and I'm proud".

A LOT of people are Atheists. There's no law that says you have to believe in God. Believe whatever you want, and live your life however you please. Don't live based on other peoples standards or you will be unhappy.

Why do you care?!?!?!?!

Truth is not dependent on popular vote.

You just stole those exact words from my mouth (or rather my keyboard)

wtf? God gave us free will? Are you a bible-humper?( im serious) People decide what they want to do. God didnt give the right of free will. How could he? He doesnt exist! Athiesm is very normal and i appreciate any1 that will thus come out and say that.

FINNALY! Another that understands. THE EARTH IS OVER 300 MILLION YEARS OLD! ( ATLEAST IF NOT MORE)

I think Newton spent more time analyzing the book of Daniel than he did discovering the universal laws of gravitation...and he didn't live in the dark ages. He lived at the peak of the Age of Enlightenment in Europe. Nobody was burned at the stake for being a heretic. Descartes had been around for 100 years. Religion and science were practically the same thing back then...I think only a scholar could fully understand how complicated it was. Newton refused to take the sacrament on his death bed, and many people claim that this meant he no longer had faith in the church. A more accurate view is that he refused the sacrament because he had an Eastern Orthodox view of the Trinity (the Schism). If you are fascinated by atheism, and I certainly am, it is always fascinating to study what really went on in Europe for hundreds of years with the church, and not just make juvenile assertions about God's non-existence like so many people on this site love to do (not you, necessarily).

it's bullshit to not believe in something that there is absolutely no evidence for?..where the hell does ridiculous logic like that come from?..look man, there are people of faith, and there are people of evidence..it's perfectly fine for someone to have faith that some sort of creator or godlike entity exists, but, it's also perfectly rational for someone not to believe it..u gotta take at least 10 seconds to use your brain before u blurt out such nonsense.

I don't wear a label. I don't believe in a higher power.