Sunday

7 reasons why becoming an atheist sucks

1. Say goodbye to sheeple.

Having spent all your life being raised by, herding amongst, and copulating with other Christians, your social pool just got a whole lot smaller. Admitting atheism amongst Christians is social suicide one step away from coming out as gay. As your social circle's new black sheep and immediate source of gossip, you'll be prayed for, suspiciously glanced at, and be the only one not invited to your niece's baptism. You might even get your very own intervention; coming home to find a circle of family and friends, bible in hands and solemn faced, it starts with "I know you are angry at God, but...."

Sure, you could keep going to church and stick with your friends, but you could also continue to put out milk and cookies for Santa.

To make things worse, its not like you can hop on over to your local church of atheism and find a new circle of friends. Finding a lover is going to be difficult too. There are still a lot of fish left in the sea, but the unfortunate majority are the deluded religious.


2. Death isn't the beginning.

Death suddenly becomes the fear inducing end to your existence you had been afraid to think about. Sure you're free from hell too, but you were never going there anyway, only the neighbors' kid who peed on your lawn.

Once life was a journey with Disneyland waiting at the end, now it's the destination and sure as hell isn't Disneyland. You really don't want to go back to before you were born, what with the lack of thinking and all.


3. Ignorance was bliss.

Your days of living in a bible bubble are over. The bible is no longer the source of all answers. It's like you lost your textbook the day before midterms, and to make things worse there isn't even a midterm!

God forbid, you may even need to discern between sources of information yourself.

That mysterious plan God had for your life? Turns out it wasn't so mysterious after all. Nana didn't die because God was calling her to heaven, she died because she refused medical treatment on grounds of faith.

Suddenly those angry looking bees aren't God's creatures, and that drunk driver doesn't have God nudging his car away from running you down as you tentatively cross the road away from the bees. Sure all these things had just as high a chance of hurting you before you became an atheist, but now they hurt you mentally too.


4. Cut line to big J.

Who you gonna call? Not Jesus, that's for sure.

That voice in your head just got a major downgrade from almighty creator of the universe to imaginary friend. Want grandma to survive cancer? Well too bad, talking to yourself just isn't going to cut it anymore. You'll have to get a Ph.D and start researching.

What are you going to do on airplanes? I'm entirely sure they stay in the air only thanks to continual requests to God.

Once you were like a superhero in disguise. "God's disciple" colorfully embroidered on the spandex under your shirt - at a moment's notice you could send up the call and stop the turbulence bringing the plane down. Now it's Superman II all over again.


5. No more get out of jail free.

Those children you molested during your priesthood? Turns out God didn't forgive you after all. You're accountable to yourself for everything you have done. God isn't going to wash your sins away, you'll just have to live with the dirt.

That war your country is fighting over seas? Turns out it wasn't something God wanted, and right now your taxes are going towards funding genocide of a culture whose only sin was getting religion just as wrong as you did.

As if not having your sins forgiven was bad, now there isn't even defined good and evil. You might just need to come up with your own moral code, and how egotistical would that be!?


6. One in a billion.

The sun no longer revolves around the earth, and life no longer revolves around you. This isn't your personal God constructed holodeck. You're about as special as one talking animal amongst 6,000,000,000 similar talking animals on one planet in a solar system amongst 10,000,000,000 other solar systems in a galaxy amongst 1000,000,000,000 other galaxies.

Worst of all, now you can't judge others. Jimmy the satanist isn't going to hell, and you can stop feeling self-satisfied knowing you're going to heaven. Remember that picture of you in a solid gold frame that was stolen by burglars? Well now you can't feel all smug knowing they will be getting their comeuppance.


7. You dumb.

You have to admit you were horribly deluded. You might just have to dissect your lost faith inside and out, and maybe start a blog to lure others into the bleak reality you have discovered. What's worse is that all the faithful are exposed as the infected they have always been. Like waking from your stupor amongst the flesh eating zombie hoard, you are not in a better place!

DiggIt!
By Infidel at 12:03 AM

68 comments:

  1. Ouch! I can feel the pain of "atheism" already.
    ReplyDelete
  2. You Forgot #8. You realize that there is no "meaning" or "God's Plan" for your physical or cognitive differences/mental impairments. Or that that your family skirmishes, childhood bullying, emotional torment,etc. won't have a happy ending to them at all. (I was diagnosed with High Functioning Autism, dyscalculia/Math Disability, and an unspecified mood disorder similiar to Bipolar.) Having impaired social ability,(Yes, I am a nerd, a VERY strange nerd.)means you are even LESS likely to gain acceptance by society. Most people will tend to see your atheism/agnosticism as a result of your other health issues,(Hint: Crazy)instead of a rational decision you came to. Anyways, just my two cents.
    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for your two cents. Sounds like you were being less facetious than I was though.

    The last way the religious want to see atheists is having reached that conclusion rationally. If they didn't pick on that it would have been something else. The one I have heard most is that we are rebellious (As if we believe but don't want to obey!).
    ReplyDelete
  4. Infidel,

    Life isn't fair for us unbelievers, for sure, BUT at least we know there are things we cannot possibly know about, hence we refuse going through life believing what's impossible to believe.

    [Or what's even worse, lying to children to make them feel better.]

    As Hitchens likes to say... "Morality is innate in us. Solidarity is innate in us." Those are the human virtues that brought us this far. Not the religions we created for ourselves to quarrel with others about.

    Early on when we were ignorant, religion helped explain the natural world. Today, we know much more and bronze-age dogma is not helping us anymore. In fact, it's persuading us to annihilate ourselves in the name of God. We need to grow out of this.

    Some optimists say it's now the time of transitioning into a new age of secular humanism, of a new Enlightenment. They believe the zeitgeist is changing. If it were true, then the job appears cut out for all of us infidels, and I'll have to agree with the 7+1 points candidly made.

    It certainly sucks to be a heretic (I'm still to confess it to my elderly parents... I worry I'll become the cause of their demise). But there's so much more I can now comprehend and appreciate about the natural world(s) surrounding us, that I could never give it up! It's too precious for me, too valuable to be able to think freely.

    [Now it's life worth living, man.]

    As a Christian it would've been impossible for me to freely exercise reason. If it requires rebellion against the religious, well... so be it. I couldn't care less.

    Humanity has come this far thank to the rebellious that thought different and were never afraid of religious bullies. This is an undeniable truth and there is 'unmeasurable value' in it.

    Yes, it is hard, and yes, having a meaningful faithless life is not easy, but could anyone having taken Socrates challenge, and honestly examined his or her own life, have it any other way?

    I could not. Not even for a millisecond or a billion years.
    ReplyDelete
  5. Do you know why I think people become aetheists? Because you feel like as a Christian you always judged and that you come up short. You just can't believe some one really really loves you that much to forgive each and every transgression you make. And this whole thing of burning in a fiery hell is preposterous. How much do you love your own child? If your child accidentally killed your husband, would you put her in a closet and burn her up inside? NO, Of course not, well GOD doesn't either. A fiery hell comes from the word SHEOL in the bible which mean the place outside the city where people threw dead bodies and burned them up for "santitation purposes". Then KING JAMES decides to translate that word to HELL so now everyone has the wrong idea about HELL. HELL is an eternal resting place for those who choose not to go to heaven. I think it will be like you just never "wake up" on the other side - you are deprived of enjoying heaven, but GOD doesn't BURN you forever - how unfair would that be? Some people just can't accept that GOD truly loves us with all of our faults. Do you love your cross-eyed little boy? Of course you do! So rethink the whole aetheist thing - it's really just your own insecurity. LGK
    ReplyDelete
  6. @LGK

    First there would need to be evidence for God's existence before the issue of God's love becomes relevant.

    Like hell, many other aspects of Christianity have evolved from mistranslations, misinterpretations, other myths, and other religions. Dig deeper and hopefully if you approach things thoughtfully, Christianity will fall apart just like the concept of hell.
    ReplyDelete
  7. Dumb Christians.
    ReplyDelete
  8. Dumb Atheists.
    ReplyDelete
  9. There is nothing wrong with believing that there is some sort of Otiose Craetor God. The problem comes in when one pushes the idea that good works do not matter, and that faith alone leads to salvation. My belief in God does not impose upon me the mandate to force others to believe as I do. Nor do I condemn others for not believing as I do. (Well, that's not true, I do believe Christians burn in Hell for distorting the Bible and not using the good brains that God gave them.)
    ReplyDelete
  10. it all comes down to faith.....we have faith in many different things everyday....i have faith my alarm will go off tomorrow because it has for the past year or so....i do not however have faith that bowing down to an invisible god will get me eternal bliss when i die....no matter what anyone argues though..it all comes down to faith...the difference being....how far the leap....
    ReplyDelete
  11. You are not necessarily alone. Atheists all over the US (possibly world) are forming anti-church groups. They talk about differences in beliefs among the group (and its allowed to have differing beliefs), how to 'come out' to your religious families, ways to talk to others (convert), and whatever else might seem important.

    And the best part is it doesn't feel like church. It can be done in a pub if desired. There is a growing group in Springfield, MO of over 100. This is a place with more churches than fast food places. Buckle of the Bible belt. If we can do it here it can be done anywhere. Don't despair. You are not as alone as you feel.
    ReplyDelete
  12. I am from a country in Europe where Atheism is normal. Especially if you have been surrounded by academic level people all your life like me. Some people might still believe in 'something' But not in the traditional judah-christian god. It's called 'ietsism' over here. (wikipedia has an entry about it) Anyway, encountering true believers here is very rare. I really have to search for them. About half of my family are traditional Christians. Because they have been a minority for a few generations already (after WO II faith got a big hit over here and a further blow in the sixties) it's extra painful when somebody losses his or her faith, it means the small circle got even smaller. Not for the new atheist, but for those who remain behind. For this reason rejection is not common, maybe it happens in the few bible belt communities we still have over here. Family will just socialize with eachother like they have always done. Still I recognize some of the problems raised in this blog. You just cannot talk about some things. It is difficult. I am afraid to hurt people I love.

    I want to illustrate that over here Christians and not atheists begin to feel they are the second rate citizens.... And we have the muslim immigrants who have more reason to believe they are regarded as second class. Unfortunately a big part of the reason is their own culture and behaviour, partly based on their religion.
    ReplyDelete
  13. Isn't it awful being the people who realize the truth? I think it's funny that the points you make disprove themselves.
    ReplyDelete
  14. dumb atheists: oxymoron
    ReplyDelete
  15. I am a Christian and my best friend is an atheist. I've known him since he was 5yo and his atheism doesn't effect how much I love him. The funny thing is that friendship is one of many evidences I have of God's love in my life.
    ReplyDelete
  16. i can't understand for the life of me why nobody can live and let live.
    ReplyDelete
  17. I wonder what its like to not exist?
    ReplyDelete
  18. You already know what its like to not exist. You didn't exist before you were born. : )
    ReplyDelete
  19. god is my asshole. smell it.
    ReplyDelete
  20. I love being an atheist because it allows me to feel superior to others (as you put it, "sheeple" and "zombies,") and that desire is evolutionarily hardwired in all humans. We might as well be honest about it. There's nothing dictating that we are all equally valuable as human beings. Also, if I find it expedient to cheat on a test and get away with it, steal (but only from a "big friendly corporation" like Wal-Mart), or lie for my own gains or to spare someone's feelings, I don't have to feel guilty.
    ReplyDelete
  21. Infidel:

    I like this blog a lot. I will add a link from mine (bolsondigital.com) because you have good, honest, and relevant content posted here.

    And I was thinking, may be I should ask you for an authorization to translate your Seven Reasons into Spanish and post them on my site. It would piss off a lot of people I know, but it would also help some see the light.

    It also occurred to me that another reason why becoming an atheist SUCKS is having no one to talk to when getting a blow job (no pun intended)

    I have to credit Christopher Hitchens for his irony and humor...

    adc
    ReplyDelete
  22. Lol, feel free to translate it into Spanish. Glad you like my blog : ).
    ReplyDelete
  23. I am from a Jewish family, grew up in the conservative movement (a little more religious than the reform movement, but to a larger degree less religious than the orthodox Jews). For awhile I thought I had to follow orthodox Judaism, and I didn't know most of what orthodox Jews did, but I thought I knew everything. And As I found out about the family purity laws (nidah) and the other orthodox Jewish mishigas (crazyness), I realized that even if God exists, I still will not pray to it, pray is one of the most bizarre, time-wasting behaviors mankind ever invented, and God is totally imaginary, and it does not matter whether I follow the rituals and holidays and shabos (the Jewish Sabbath); I skipped the High Holy Days in 2009 (Rosh Hashana and Yom Kipur), and god did not punish me; my aunt thinks I am angry at god and my parents are dismayed but not as angry as my orthodox aunt but I am so delighted that I overcame my fear and guilt about being non-observant so that I can stop wasting time praying and find a life.
    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous:

    ...there's probably no god. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.

    It's a simple advice, yet so absolutely liberating.

    Angelo
    ReplyDelete
  25. I think I'll go with "there's definitely no god". : )
    ReplyDelete
  26. i used to think like that why dont u try opening your mind there is just some shit were not gunna know for sure.Thats why its called having faith.
    ReplyDelete
  27. Should I open my mind to the possibility of unicorns and pixies too? I'm just as sure they don't exist.
    ReplyDelete
  28. I love listening to both the christian and atheist side, but it also seems a pointless.

    When you spend as much time thinking about math as I do, anything outside numbers seems like such a enormous gray area. Even when I thought found hope in formal logic it turned out to be something too rarely used. Instead what people think they parade around as logic is just their own relative reasoning. Truth (outside of math) is something that can never be grasped because even when we're staring truth in the face it's tainted by own out perspective.
    ReplyDelete
  29. The points you struck resonate deeply with how I have felt the last week or so. I have grown up around the church all my life and last year attended Ecola Bible School on the OR coast. It was the best year of my life. The reason? I lived a block away from the ocean and spent everyday hangin' out with 100+ people. I'm still very close to maybe 20 or so and will be for years.

    The christian college group I'm going to now is full of genuine very loving people. They would do your point #1 if I told them I recently decided to become an atheist. I know I won't have any trouble with my close friends, we will always be friends, but their parents and the people I don't know very well will be very judgmental. I feel like the gay individual who comes out of the closet. The Christian life IS very comfortable and potentially very loving and uplifting.

    It freaks me out to be on the receiving end of persecution from those who I once called allies. I used to be anti atheist/gay until just recently. Now I look at the people I judged under a completely new light. I'm sorry how I treated you guys.

    It's weird because I'm relieved and kind of sad to become an atheist. Even typing out "I'm an atheist"... it feels like I'm dreaming. Someone pinch me so I can wake up! Gah...
    ReplyDelete
  30. I grew up in a family where I got to choose what to think and who to worship, (if indeed I wanted to). I rejected Catholicism and Christianity from a young age ans no one really cared whether or not I did. Here in Mexico, most everyone assumes that you're either Catholic and Christian. The Catholics think the Christians ans weirdos and vice versa. So, no one really knows how I think because they all just assume that I'm catholic.

    Reading this post and Nola's comment, I realized that it would be blissfully wonderful to talk to someone about all this. I don't think I'm a complete atheist, and by that I mean that as much as loathe the blindness and stubbornness of most organized religions, I still think there's something else. Maybe not an afterlife, or a God, or a savior. But I don't know, there has to be something else. Like a force that moves everything. Life, and everything after, (if there is something after), would be so dull without hope for something more.

    By the way, this is a great blog you've got here Infel, and I thank you for this opportunity to express myself.
    ReplyDelete
  31. I haven't experienced the first point on this list. True, I'm sure there are some fundie social circles in which atheists cannot possibly find a place, but assuming that all theists are completely intolerant of atheists becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I've gotten along fine with my religious friends, even my immediate family. The need for friendship goes both ways - if you make yourself a friendly and affable person, people will value your friendship and set aside any dogma that gets in the way of that, if only for a little while.

    There's a difference between being openly atheist and trying to force atheism into every conversation and arguing about the fossil record with those who are too far gone. The best way to ease people out of their religions is to show that atheists really are the most reasonable and pleasant people. As I'm sure you've all seen, people get into religions for social reasons - the bonds of family and friendship. They leave religions for the same reasons. They're not looking for a logical proof or refutation; they're looking for someone to spend the weekends with.
    ReplyDelete
  32. I am continually amazed that intelligent people are able to profess a deep faith in a gawd. Can it be that they simply have not yet come out?

    http://gustava.xanga.com/249565076/item/
    ReplyDelete
  33. Interestingly enough, if you really analyze the situation we have now on this planet, what with 6 billion people and all, wars are going to erupt from a number of basic things such as lack of resources, water, food, oil, and so on. In truth, we can find solutions to those things if we truly unite. But the problem is we are divided by the different religions and belief we have, as it has been for the past, what, 10,000 years which resulted in the great wars of the past. However, if you truly study these situations, you will find that if we lose the faith/religion aspect, our chances of uniting in a common goal towards preservation of our precious planet and the elimination of wars becomes bigger as it eliminates the barriers that are currently present.

    As said above, atheism/agnosticism liberates our minds to think freely and outside the box. This would have a profound effect on the masses if it were made available to everyone or that everyone would realize what we have. just my two cents.
    ReplyDelete
  34. Fascinating.

    You cannot conceive of it and therefore it doesn't exist. What you don't know or comprehend about the Christian faith would fill a number of books.

    You have chosen to believe THAT religion. Go ahead. This, or used to be, America. You have the right to choose your response to the metaphysical questions you encounter. You have chosen a brave course, to follow the herd. Do you hear the applause?

    Me Neither.
    ReplyDelete
  35. i'll use these blog on my group on fb.
    thnx for posting this rational idea.
    ReplyDelete
  36. To the anonymous who said that they steal, cheat, and lie because they are atheists and feel superior to others: You may be a troll, but oh well, I've got two cents to give. We don't have an invisible beard man in the sky to answer to, but we still have to answer to each other. We're a social species and getting along with each other is key to our survival. Morality has evolutionary origins, don't be a dick, it's bad for all of us
    ReplyDelete
  37. Uhm... Isn't that list pretty much talking about people transitioning from a stereotypical fundie american to an american atheist? You know such people basically don't exist, right? If one's mindset would make such problems for the transition, they simply wouldn't make said transition. Normally its a gradual thing, and that pretty much means only parts of #1 should be a problem, usally easily solved by some lip service towards the local dominant religion - it's not like their god's going to punish you for that, and if it makes your life significantly easier...

    Also, you used the word "sheeple". That alone makes this whole thing stupid. You'd think it wouldn't be quite enough, but, well, it is. It's stupid enough that I felt the need to use this paragraph to explain that fact, rather than end it after the first sentence, which SHOULD have been enough, but in this case probably wouldn't be.
    ReplyDelete
  38. in my opinion people shouldnt be "good" out of fear because theyre afraid of going to hell. To tell you the truth i dont completely deny any form of God. i just think that when the time comes to die i will have lived my life well because I wanted to. and if there really is a just god out there then hopefully that god will judge me for who i was, a person who did what he thought was right.
    ReplyDelete
  39. I became an atheist not too long ago but I feel like I have been an atheist all my life but was too afraid to admit it until now. I always thought people who prayed just looked stupid. It's also impossible to follow the guidelines that christianity sets forth. Also, I have found that there is a scientific explanation for everything. Becoming an atheist really wasn't a choice for me, but something that just happened. Add that to the fact that there are many religions, and each one has a different idea of what happens when we die, all of them can't be right. Usually the simplest answer is the correct one.
    ReplyDelete
  40. Cuda, if atheism is a religion then health is a disease. Atheism is the COMPLETE LACK of any religious or supernatural beliefs whatsoever. How in the world does this count as a religion? It doesn't.
    ReplyDelete
  41. Hi
    I've only just come across this site but would be interested to know whetehr anyone knows of a documentary about being atheist and the impact it has on family and friends? Does anyone think it would make an interesting film if it showed people from different parts of the world?
    ReplyDelete
  42. You're a fucking idiot.
    ReplyDelete
  43. I just watched the documentary "Nature of Existance" where people form all over the world answer questions about their beliefs.
    At the end of the show, I can only conclude that we as a whole have no idea what the hell we believe in.
    It is eye opening when you look at the whole picture instead of just living in your tiny little bubble of fellow believers.
    I am glad that I have started my journey through life as an atheist. Everything seems much simpler and certain things take on a whole new aura of beauty.
    ReplyDelete
  44. To September 14th Anonymous. We do exist.
    ReplyDelete
  45. Why can't we stop? Hatred, hatred and hatred. Leave your religion and lack of religion at the door. I love my lifestyle the way it and all the decisions that I make based on the fact that I am who I am. I'm a proud atheist, but I'm not going to force my lack of religion on you and in return don't force your beliefs on me.

    Can't we be friends because we like something common like animals or cars or something that has NOTHING to do with religion. I think it's possible. I have born-again christian friends, jewish friends, catholic friends, seventh day adventist friends, and others. accept me for who I am and I will return it.

    I'm worried that we are on a downward spiral that's going to crash into something worse then anything we've seen before. It's a sad trend that doesn't seem to stop. Hopefully you'll find friends like I have, people who accept you, even if they don't understand the way you live your life.

    Live life like it's supposed to be, free from persecution! Love ya guys! =D
    ReplyDelete
  46. So being an atheist means I have to become a depressed, emo, asshole, who insults anyone that's not him? I hope you realize that there is NO PROOF WHAT SO EVER that God doesn't exist, that he's an imaginary friend, or that the bible is wrong is retarded.His entire blog was trolling. If you read the bible, you'd see that it predicted many events like economic collapse, earthquakes, and even TRAINS.And To say every Christians are child molesters, to say that Christians believe the earth doesn't revolve around the sun, to say that we are the selfish ones even though Christians exist to help OTHER PEOPLE. I don't think you should call us selfish when your acting like a troll by assuming your right. Infidel has to come on here and act like a troll and assume that he's right. He gives no proof at all and just says he's right, your wrong over and over again, just like the last thousand atheist trolls I've met. Can't you people get some originality? For the record, events in the bible have been proven and they have historical backgrounds to them, JESUS WAS A REAL DUDE. Fact. Since Infidel wasn't there 2000 years ago and its not possible to disapprove God then his entire argument is invalid and false. At least some atheists I met had the decency to admit that they don't if God exists or not. But infidel has to base his statement on theories, opinions, thoughts, and trolling. And evolution and the big bang ARE THEORIES. They just thought of evolution cause monkeys look like men. Oh that bird is slightly darker than that one. IT MUST BE EVOLUTION!Believing in God is a lot more rational than believing that a magic explosion that came from nothing can somehow create dinosaurs. To say that Infidel is right with no proof is ignorance at its best. I'm really happy I'm not a pathetic troll like you because my IQ would probably go down. Based on the atheists I've met, I don't even think they believe what they say. They just want to be different and they are so naive to believe that believing in God makes one stupid. To believe that is what makes you stupid. One question? If humanity is so meaningless and we're just a bunch of fleshy meat sacks then why is humanity the only super intelligent species in the world?
    ReplyDelete
  47. June 16, 2011: You're clearly an idiot who has used at least 4 fallacies (one of them 4 times) in your feeble minded drivel of a paragraph. You have no discussion; not at an adult level whatsoever
    ReplyDelete
  48. powells4fam:

    It would appear your brain has been stuck for quite some time in a cloud of mythological and creationist fart in liquid state, the consequence, I would think, of dwelling for too long somewhere in a bible-belt infested surrounding and watching too much Fox, the 700 Club, and TBN.

    I'm afraid your brain is not, at the moment, in the best of its forms. But there is hope.

    I would strongly suggest you try, as an experiment, to look at the world you live in from the perspective of an alien that has just landed.

    See if as an alien, you can find clues that would convince you without faith in anything, just your senses, that all the claims purported by humans over the centuries for and against the existence of a given God, can justify KILLING your brothers and sisters, because god told you so.

    If you can not justify that, then there is hope, but if you can, then we are doomed to become as extinguished as the 99.8% of all the species that have ever lived on this planet and now are only fossils we can contemplate.

    Oh, and yeah, this a fact that I can prove to you by means of various time measuring clocks, which is much more than going around telling people that Jesus was God, and that you talk to him, and he responds back to you. Believe me. Happy Summer.
    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. fuck you communist heathen
      Delete
  49. For me, the discussion of god, and all things pertaining thereto, is moot until one can prove god’s existence. With that, there seems to be no indication, outside of confirmation bias and subjective validation, that god does in fact exist. Therefore, the burden of proof lies on the person claiming god does indeed exist. To their dismay, however, believers have spent millennia attempting to buttress their “cloud of mythological and creationist fart” with so-called evidence and proof. The fact is, self-proclaiming books, visions, and miracles are not what a modern (logical) society counts as unequivocal authentication.
    ReplyDelete
  50. Wasn't the bible written by J.K. Rowling?
    ReplyDelete
  51. I'm with Christopher Hitchens, I prefer calling myself an anti-theist. It's less about my lack of belief in a god and more about promoting something more humane, more naturalistic that's based on science and reason that goes against polite theist acceptance.

    And as he's said himself, the basis of the Abrahamic texts (Talmud, Koran, Bible) is that we come into this life defective but we're commanded to be well. And that really we have no reason to value this life, this existence right now because ALL the good stuff comes *after* we die.

    No wonder so many people feel so adrift and disconnected. I think we are feeling how shallow and unfulfilling everything "society" tells us is right, really is.
    ReplyDelete
  52. This is so funny!!! Thanks for making my evening.
    ReplyDelete
  53. All hail Athe! All hail Athe!

    Ahem.

    To the various people promoting the idea that some eternal cosmic being made everything just for us, because we're just that special...

    I disagree with you.

    I never bought in to any religion wholesale. I have investigated a couple, out of curiosity and hoping that so many people were not wrong, but I kept finding things that either made no sense, or made God look morally repugnant. I'm sure you have reasons why the things in those books are perfectly fine, but I hold beings that are billed as perfect and all-knowing to a high standard.

    So fire up your best arguments. Your strongest evidence. If it's as good as you think it is, then it will convince people that your position is right.

    If it doesn't?

    Maybe it's not the people you fail to convince having their minds clouded by Satan, maybe they aren't just angry at God, maybe it's not just them reading something wrong.

    Maybe it's you.
    ReplyDelete
  54. At 8 years old, I asked the forbidden question in Sunday school: "How do we even know God exists if we can't see him?" I was marched out straight to my mother and punished very harshly once we were home from church and behind closed doors. This one moment of child wonder and a simple; innocent question, lead to me being grounded for months on end, my baptism in order to "wash out the unclean thoughts" in my mind and "save my soul". I went along with it all in silence because I was 8 and really, what could I do?! Now, at age 31, I have been an athiest for many, many years. I find it much easier to deal with life if I draw on the "realities" of life, no matter how horrible they are; because they are real, can be seen and are a factual part of our existence. I know that what happens is a direct outcome of an action taken, and so if I want to achieve a positive outcome, I take a positive action. In my opinion, praying to an unseen entity of any kind is ridiculous! But keeping up with my actions and acting with love and respect towards all beings without being judgemental, makes perfect sense. I raise my children with this logic and they are both fabulous kids, both hold a lot less guilt then most christian children I know. They are both completely honest with me also because they know they're actions will bring direct consequences, not a fiery hell. If they want to attend church or be christians or any other religion though, they know they can. I do not judge because all of humanity should be free to believe as they wish.
    ReplyDelete
  55. Atheists are bullies and disconnected. Bottom line they suck.
    ReplyDelete
  56. Funny you should mention it...

    ....because as bad as atheists might be, it's not as bad as being connected around Fox News all day with the belief that magic will make you live forever.

    My father is a Minister and theists can be as disconnected from reality and as reactionary to people of other religions as any street dog with rabies.

    And so... sucking, it seems to me, is in the eye of the beholder.
    ReplyDelete
  57. I grew up Christian. As a young teen I began feeling iffy about the whole thing. It started to seem overwhelmingly man made. Then it happened... I could no longer believe it was the truth. It was (is) too ridiculous to actually believe.

    Christians think I'm stubborn. It's not like that. Ignorance WAS bliss. BLISS. If I could get a shot to literally jack my brain to allow me to fully and truly believe in Christianity (with minimal intelligence loss) I would absolutely do it.

    I do love nature though, as we all should (naturally). Trees and fresh air. Food, sex, clean cold water. Space, fire, quarks and atoms. It's lovely. I don't feel like I'm an Atheist as much as I feel like a Pantheist. It helps a little, really.
    ReplyDelete
  58. You obviously dont know what Atheism is. If I was invited to a baptism I could still go, but for my own reasons! If I wanted to kill someone but I stopped myself it wouldnt be because "what would Jesus do but "what would I do? Is this riight for ME? Do I Believe in it? I became an an atheist because Christianity doesnt make sense to me. Examples : God sent his only Son to die for us but we are also his children. God Is God aand Jesus is his son, but Jesus is God, how does that make sense? If Jesus could make the blind men see and paralyzed men walk why cant we, how are we supposed to live up to his expeectations if its impossible? If someone wrote a movie about a man that could heal you would know its fake. But if that man was named Jesus you would think its true because its in a book. Stop bashing on atheism with out understanding us. If I wanted to hàve sex after marriage its because I wanted to. If I wanted to save a kitten in a tree I would call the firehouse. If I didnt want to save that kitten I would make the choice not to call.Heres my final statement: the second God comes to you in pperson call me after I see it I will convert to Christianity.
    ReplyDelete
  59. 1. "Admiting atheism to your friends is one step away from comming out as gay"
    -> This was what they used to say to gay people. Right now? They are part of our society because they weren't afraid of comming out of the closet. They are respected. Actually, I may report your post for discrimination based on sexuality and believes. It is true that, right now, atheists are being descriminated socially. So were gays. Now look where they are.

    "Bible in the hands (...) saying: "I know you are angry at God, but..."
    -> Atheists are not angry at God. That's a logical fallacie in and on itself. How can you be angry at something that you belive not to exist?

    "Sure, you can keep going to church (...) keep put milk and cookies to Santa"
    -> I fail to see a connection between the two. My family and friends go to the church and I go to the church too, but I go there in an attempt to learn something new. Milk and cookies for santa don't fit in this image.

    "it's not like you can go to your atheist church and find some new friends"
    -> There are lots of atheist groups around every country in the world. They plan trips, they socialize, they go out, etc.

    "Find a lover is going to be difficult"
    -> Depends on what you mean. If you mean lover as a girlfriend, or one night stands: no, it is not. If you mean as a wife, it depends completly on her family. And I'm talking from experience.

    CONCLUSION OF 1: this is just an attempt to preven atheists from comming out of the closet. Any atheist that reads this knows that it is not true and has to realize that, if atheists stop being such a minotry, they will grow up and be respected as much, or more, than gay people.


    2. There is no need to quote here, so I'll make a point. Imagine that your God isn't the one in Heaven. Imagine that it is Allah, for example. What if Allah punishes you for worshipping someone else?
    Also, in all monitheist religions, their Gods are moral, good, and benelovent. As so, they should not send atheists to Hell basing on critical thinking (considering that most atheists are moral). Atheist is a safer bet than any other religion, and atheists need to realize this and stop being afraid. Anyways, the existance of an after-life is highly doubtful.


    3. "She died because she refused treatment based on faith".
    -> You don't seem to talk about those persons who died before they replaced medical treatment for a treatment based on faith.
    As for the other two parts: a) the Bible is higlhy doubtful and the God described there is a hideous monster. Even if he existed, I would not worship him. Theists recurring to the Bible should realize so. b) If God is trying to hurt atheists because their belief, there would not be any need for a Hell, Heaven or afterlife, since the justice was already being given here. It also doesn't support how it is that many atheists have fulfilled and happy lives until the age of 100.
    ReplyDelete
  60. 4. "Get a Ph.D and start researching"
    -> That would help future and present generations more than prayers who have been proved to be useless in cancer.

    "That voive inside your head just got(...)"
    -> Hearing voices is a sign of mental ilness. Please get medical help. And before you start with "oh, no it is not! It is God. Medics are lying", they tested the brains of people who claimmed to "hear God". The results were pretty depressing (by this, I mean, they showed problems like depression, traumas, tumors, cancer, etc).

    "What are you doing in air planes? I'm sure they stay in air due to requests to God"
    -> I seriously hope this is a joke. If it is not and there are theists who believe in this, please go check how airplanes work and get a basic on physics.

    "(...)God's torbulence (...)"
    -> So if I am on a plane with 200 other people, your God would kill 199 theists and innocents in order to get me? Nice one!


    5. You know, that thing of "forgiving the sins" was not part of God's plan. It was created by a Pope, in Rome. You seem to have little knowledge on the history of your own religion.
    As for morals, please compare the criminal rates between atheists and theists. Plus, if theists only want to be moral to go to Heaven and avoid Hell that is not morality, it is a threat. Atheists are moral for the sake of other people, not to please God. That is true morality.


    6. So, you think that, as a Christian, you have the right to be special and judge others. Good luck in jail. Nice morals, too.


    7. That is no a good argument. Atheists with critical thinking are smarter than theists who accept anything.



    CONCLUSION: BESIDE BEING FAKES, THOSE ARE ALL AD-HOMINEM ATTACKS. THEY DO NOT SAY ATHEISM IS UNREASONABLE OR THAT THEISM IS REASONABLE: THOSE ARE MERE ATTACKS TO ATHEISTS.
    ReplyDelete
  61. Lol, UnknownLover, your sense of humor seems to be in dire shape. Read the post again as if it were written tongue-in-cheek by an atheist, because it was.....
    ReplyDelete
  62. You know I tried to be as pure of heart as I can be. Getting rid of my vain desires, hatred, lusts, and trying my best to get rid of my sinful nature. I've became more secure, happier, and free. I act as a Christian should be, but I will be offended if I were to labeled as Christian. All these things I've put an effort to, not because of some deity that is watching over my every moves, and in the end going to judge me for my deeds and misdeeds, or because of some lavishing reward called "Heaven". No, I improved myself because I wanted to, because I had to, I couldn't live with my un-pure ways, and because I thought there actually was a god that protected me. By the way I still attend a church that I have been going to ever since I was a child.
    Anyways, throughout my process of enlightenment I came to a conclusion that the Church is corrupt and has led many to conspire to evil deeds, such as: Adolf Hitler. No matter how hard history tries to cover it up, Hitler was a in fact a solid Christian, look it up. There definitely has to be something wrong with an institution that can make a "Hitler" possible.
    I have also came to a conclusion that the Church does not do a good job in instilling virtue among its congregates, in fact it does a terrible job. Our congregates were praying for their neighbor for one day of the week, and preying on them for the remaining sixth. I couldn't bear watch this so I had to do something. I tried to be a "light" upon them, but it not work out the way I intended it to be. I thought maybe there was a plan for all this, I thought maybe I was something special, I thought maybe I was truly the work of God. All my efforts were just in vain. Staying with the church doesn't seem to be working out for me anymore. No matter how hard I try to change people, it won't work, only they can change themselves.
    Realizing all this, maybe there isn't a god. Getting rid of all this mumbo jumbo has set me free. The truth will set you free. Being an atheist is a difficult thing, as you can see, it was even difficult for me to write this for I was crying while writing this. Despite all this I will still try my best to be the best person I can be, contributing to society and doing like deeds.
    ReplyDelete
  63. Simply, fuck atheist people.
    ReplyDelete
  64. great article. i'm atheist and it's a choice that i'm not happy about but can't help. there are many downsides to being atheist and you articulated many of them. i just can't bring myself to not think logically... i refuse to play mental gymnastics or trick myself into believing something even if it means my peace of mind. i've always been extremely curious about why we exist, why the universe has observable patterns or rules, how did it all start, etc... yeah there are a lot of theories but bottom line is nobody knows. and i likely never will. that kills me more than accepting the fact that life has no true meaning or benevolent god watching our backs. well, what i do know is that i'm extremely thankful for being alive, even if that thanks falls on deaf ears. life is a great experience, and it's all we have anyway! given the choice to exist or not i'd take existence every time.
    ReplyDelete
  65. I believe God has to do more with certain brain chemicals that are activated after certain kinds of prayers or ways of praying.

    Being a Scientists does not mean you have to stop believing in higher stuff just because we don't have the instruments to detect it.

    In fact if you are closed minded science can become just as bad as a dogmatic religion *Global Warming and the IPCC* if you are politically incorrect in their eyes.

    They will gladly boot you out the door





    Think about it! Yes! think as in use your own damn brain!

    These fundamentalists churches (which it's more mental then fun) haven't split off as a coincidence.
    They truly with all their hearts believe what they saw and it's likely a result of certain brain waves running on overtime and being temporary out of *phase* with reality into a higher frequency.....Even if just not for a brief moment

    Moses And The Burning Brush could very well be one of those moments where he was temporary out of phase so it appeared the bush was not burning.

    He had a time bubble frequency change by some kind of alien technology.

    Hints of alien technology are all over the bible and other major religions but don't tell the Pastor that or he will get mad! :p
    .


    However the God's they see are all likely created in their own minds and stored like a hard drive from generations ago.
    Quite likely stored as some kind of bonus code in their DNA system that activates under certain environment conditions.

    What these environment conditions are remains to be seen and it would be fun to learn how they are triggered and if they can be replicated.



    I would LOVE nothing more then to see the DNA differences between a spiritual person who has claimed to see *beings* often verses an atheists who think it's all batshit which they are likely being the ones bat shitted.



    I am suffering lots of pain and I pray to God to end it but I don't get any answer so I personally don't have the same God as other people who claim he is active.
    ReplyDelete
  66. Edit: I meant the bush was burning yet not destroyed looking to Moses like a miracle from heaven.
    The voice of God would be a frequency effect in the brain issuing commands.

    These aliens are likely time travelers from the future trying to warn us to not destroy ourselves with our dogmatic views in both religion and science but it's likely far too late.

    Might as well enjoy the show!

    Popcorn anybody?
    ReplyDelete
  67. As an Athiest, I can easily say that none of this is true. Not even remotely.

    My responses for each reason:

    1. In truth, out side of Jesus freaks like the author, no one cares.

    2. Everyone is afraid of death. Christians, Jews, and Muslims will still be terrified if you put a gun to their forehead and told them their going to "meet God".

    3. Thats a good thing. I don't need 1500 year old book to tell my how to live and dictate my life.

    4. My "voice in my head" has always been my conscience, not God. I'm not enough of an egotistical prick to think a God/dead prophet personally talks to me.

    5. Really? A deity is the only thing keeping you from going out and killing everyone? Remind me to stay the hell away from you.

    6. Everyone has always been next to nothing in this universe. Being religious doesn' change that.

    7. My IQ is 140. Having a different opinion doesn't make some one dumb.


    All the author has shown is that they are a simple, ignorant, run of the mill Jesus Freak who actually stoops to "Your Dumb" to demote Athiesm.
    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)