Evil Atheist Thread

[Angst]

Except in the grocery store I don't have to sing, kneel for bread, or drink . .. .. .. .

Where in the whole world would you do tha?

 

[Perfection]

Would you tell your family if you were gay?

Of course, but being gay would be much more important to get accross then atheist because I'd probably want to be able to talk about my boyfriend etc. I can't say the same about religious philosophy.

I suppose it depends on how much time you spend with these people.. If it's a 2-5 times a year kinda thing, then I hear ya.

Yeah, that's about how often I see them.

Do you really think there would be much crap? Sure, if you're a teenager (not sure how old you are).. if so, you got a point there

There's some infighting ugliness in both sides of the family that could get nastier or start involving me. I just want to go see them and have fun, not be forced to confront thier issues and problems.

 

[Cu Chulainn]

I find that many religious enjoy their blind faith and feel uncomfortable when they are made to question it. Admitting to my atheism invariably brings up questions of why, and my answers to those questions are honest, and they tend to piss off some people.

Its not that I'm deliberately trying to hurt people, but there's just no polite way to tell someone that Yahweh is just as fictional as Zeus, Odin, Osiris and all the rest. Some understand and can have an intelligent philosophical discussion about beliefs they disagree with, most don't.

 

[Xyan]

I once went out with a mate and his friends. That mate was a Christians and so were his friends.

They just assume you're a Christian and asked which church you go to. When I told them I don't, the rapid transformations in their face expressions were stuffs of A-grade actors.

Open-mindedness is possible but not all that common among God-worshippers unfortunately..

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

If I understand correctly, this means, more or less, "Im an atheist until I have compelling reasons to believe otherwise. Such reasons may or may not exist, I just havent encountered them yet."

Would that be accurate?

I could live with that. Added that I believe it's pretty darn unlikely that those reasons exist. edit: As unlikely as for instance being given reasons to believe in the existance of Thor.

Did I just walk into a semantics trap?

edit: Oh shoot! This thing has 14 pages allready.

 

[bigfatron]

Do you think their psyche is so fragile that it would cause them severe anguish to know this about you?

And besides, as I said, I don't think it is right to take part in a religion's rituals if you don't believe in them, and they are the sort of rituals that require faith.

My twelve year old is best friends with a girl who is from quite a devout family. This kid is absolutely broken up with the belief - no, for her, the knowledge - that her best friend (my daughter) is going to go to hell when she dies and they will never be 'together' in heaven.

The mental pressure and upset this has caused both girls is immense, and something I would never ever put my children through willingly. My kid has thought long and hard about whether she should simply lie in order to remove the other girl's suffering, but has concluded that it would create more problems than it solves in the longer term.

What people believe impacts those around them in many different ways - mostly the non-believers are left with the difficulty of dealing with the hurt/lie dilemma.

BFR

 

[CartesianFart]

My twelve year old is best friends with a girl who is from quite a devout family. This kid is absolutely broken up with the belief - no, for her, the knowledge - that her best friend (my daughter) is going to go to hell when she dies and they will never be 'together' in heaven.

The mental pressure and upset this has caused both girls is immense, and something I would never ever put my children through willingly. My kid has thought long and hard about whether she should simply lie in order to remove the other girl's suffering, but has concluded that it would create more problems than it solves in the longer term.

What people believe impacts those around them in many different ways - mostly the non-believers are left with the difficulty of dealing with the hurt/lie dilemma.

BFR

I don't feel sorry for anyone, who is not a believer of whatever creed, that cries when someone of a religious up-bringing says that "you are going to hell." I find it more pathetic on the person who cries about that sort of thing. It shows how insincere the person is about how the one's holds their beliefs.

Where is the "pride" that is compromised by that silly accusation!?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

My twelve year old is best friends with a girl who is from quite a devout family. This kid is absolutely broken up with the belief - no, for her, the knowledge - that her best friend (my daughter) is going to go to hell when she dies and they will never be 'together' in heaven.

That's sad

These kind of things are hard enough for adults to face, children shouldn't have to worry about it. Along with a minimum voting age, a minimum age for consentual sex, there should be a minimal age for kids to be involved in religion, in a perfect world.

A religious parent shouldn't worry about their kids not finding God because they weren't raised religiously. God being God should be able to reach the kids without mortal interference when they are old enough to understand. Kids should be allowed to be kids.

I don't feel sorry for anyone, who is not a believer of whatever creed, that cries when someone of a religious up-bringing says that "you are going to hell." I find it more pathetic on the person who cries about that sort of thing. It shows how insincere the person is about how the one's holds their beliefs.

Where is the "pride" that is compromised by that silly accusation!?

Tell me I go to Hell all you want.

Scaring children about it is disgusting.

 

[bigfatron]

I don't feel sorry for anyone, who is not a believer of whatever creed, that cries when someone of a religious up-bringing says that "you are going to hell." I find it more pathetic on the person who cries about that sort of thing. It shows how insincere the person is about how the one's holds their beliefs.

Where is the "pride" that is compromised by that silly accusation!?

You're misunderstanding the situation - please read my post more carefully.

My daughter is not scared of going to hell or any such stuff. She is upset because her best friend is so distressed.

The best friend is distressed because she is a sincere believer, taught since infancy that non-believers will burn - her best friend who she loves is a non-believer, and to her it is therefore a fact that, unless she accepts Christ, my daughter will suffer eternal torment. This thought is very distressing to her.

My daughter's upset is because she sees her friend suffering and knows that she could relieve that suffering by saying she believes, or will try to believe, and yet in so doing she would be lying to her best friend, which she feels is wrong.

Does that make things clearer?
BFR

 

[batteryacid]

The problem with atheists isn't that they believe there is no god, the problem is that they think it is perfectly acceptable to waste thousands, if not millions, of dollars in tax money suing people and governments over religious symbols displayed in public.

too little keeping in mind how much tax money is wasted to preserve churches, domes and monasteries that were built on money and manpower of large parts of the society during early and late middle ages (speaking of europe now). Just imagine how much christians would whine nowadays when tax money would be spent on buildings for atheists, and you will see that this suing story of yours is laughable at best.

 

[CartesianFart]

You're misunderstanding the situation - please read my post more carefully.

Ok. Is my response gonna be clear for you?

My daughter is not scared of going to hell or any such stuff. She is upset because her best friend is so distressed.

As i just said, she is guilty of even being bothered by the silly remark. }Pathetic} is the word that she obviously have endorsed.

The best friend is distressed because she is a sincere believer, taught since infancy that non-believers will burn - her best friend who she loves is a non-believer, and to her it is therefore a fact that, unless she accepts Christ, my daughter will suffer eternal torment. This thought is very distressing to her.

Who cares. I do have to concede that both girls are wayyy too sentimental. Maybe it is not the difference of belief on regarding the question of "afterlife," but something of the reason of both girls being highly over-emotional.

My daughter's upset is because she sees her friend suffering and knows that she could relieve that suffering by saying she believes, or will try to believe, and yet in so doing she would be lying to her best friend, which she feels is wrong.

Why don't she just sever the relationship? She would be better off and can improve her sense of character in the process afterward.

Does that make things clearer?
BFR

I don't care if we are corresponding through a fog, for all i care!

 

[Grisu]

As i just said, she is guilty of even being bothered by the silly remark. }Pathetic} is the word that she obviously have endorsed.

If I understand bigfatron correctly, his daughter isn't bothered by the remark, but by her friend being sad/distressed. It's called empathy, I believe, and I'd say that it's anything but pathetic.

Why don't she just sever the relationship? She would be better off and can improve her sense of character in the process afterward.

a good advice for someone who wants to live a lonely life, but for everyone else I'd say it's the opposite.

 

[CartesianFart]

If I understand bigfatron correctly, his daughter isn't bothered by the remark, but by her friend being sad/distressed. It's called empathy, I believe, and I'd say that it's anything but pathetic.

Then we have a different preference on how we choose friends. My idea of a friend is one who knows life's irony and can tolerate my strange ideas and perspective in life. If the individual find something of what i hold of a belief or perspective as immoral or irrational, then the person job is to enlighten me on what it is that make it immoral or irrational. iIf i am not convinced, then it is up to the person to sever the relationship with me or continue to be one of the many companion that i happen to have in my short-term life.

a good advice for someone who wants to live a lonely life, but for everyone else I'd say it's the opposite.

Not necessarily a lonely life. Just a change of friendship from one person to another since the predecessing one shows immaturity on how to handle difference of opinion or opinions.

 

[George2816]

You'll feel compelled to make something up. For example, if you visit a nearly 100%-Christian town in Texas, they'd usually ask you what church do you go to. So, you say something like: I don't go to any church, but I am spiritual.

If you don't do that, many of them would think you have sex with children.

You could tell them you do eat babies for dinner (I wonder what they might say!) {And yes i like pissing people off!)

Of course. I mean look, if you're going to go through life thinking your either going to heaven or hell you'd be pretty mentally screwed if your kid told you he wasn't going to either. Which of course to you means hes going to hell. I wouldn't tell them either. Why bother?

I actually tell them if bush and cheney claim that they are going to heaven i would rather go to hell !

I'm running into a bit of a problem there with my daughter (she goes to Sunday School) because that place is mixing her up about history. I'm not too concerned, because she survived the "Santa truth" just fine. But still, you know.

Where in the bible does it mix up history??

 

[batteryacid]

Excuse me!? But Islam and Christianity are not obsolete ways of thinking. Infact, Christianity is no where near the beliefs of Islam. Do Christians see Muhammed as a prophet? No. Do Muslims see Jesus as the son of God? No.


But yet atheism demands that Christians should dilute their belief and quit practacing their faith openly .


Another reason why militant antitheist and antireligious atheist tick me off. They just love to pick a fight with Christians and tell us what we can and cannot do, and tell us where we can and cannot live. Why cant they be like other silent atheists who leave the religious alone?

but you DO know that Jesus is seen as prophet by the muslims, and that they Do believe in the same god but see the Koran as the latest and right version of the word of god

 

[bigfatron]

As i just said, she is guilty of even being bothered by the silly remark. }Pathetic} is the word that she obviously have endorsed.

You get that they are twelve, right?

We're not talking mature adults taking a rational decision (and even in that case I would say your attitude is heartless in the extreme!)

I'm quite glad I'm not a friend of yours....

Cartesian's friend: 'Bad news, CF, my partner has contracted a fatal disease.'
Cartesian: 'Hey, don't be such a wimp. Just remember, the days are ticking by until you can get laid with some other chick.'
Carty's friend: 'God that's heartless, how can you?' <sob>
Carty: 'Don't be a whiney . .. .. .. .! Look, if you were a real man you'd kick the sick bint into touch and bunk up with some healthy tart now, and save us the whole revolting 'Love Story' sympathy gag-retching death scene. Whadd'ya say?'
Carty's friend: 'Cartesian, my old friend, how can you be so bloody heartless?!' <deep sob>
Carty: 'Eh, feck off you pathetic specimen....'

Or maybe not

 

[CartesianFart]

You get that they are twelve, right?

We're not talking mature adults taking a rational decision (and even in that case I would say your attitude is heartless in the extreme!)

I'm quite glad I'm not a friend of yours....

Cartesian's friend: 'Bad news, CF, my partner has contracted a fatal disease.'
Cartesian: 'Hey, don't be such a wimp. Just remember, the days are ticking by until you can get laid with some other chick.'
Carty's friend: 'God that's heartless, how can you?' <sob>
Carty: 'Don't be a whiney . .. .. .. .! Look, if you were a real man you'd kick the sick bint into touch and bunk up with some healthy tart now, and save us the whole revolting 'Love Story' sympathy gag-retching death scene. Whadd'ya say?'
Carty's friend: 'Cartesian, my old friend, how can you be so bloody heartless?!' <deep sob>
Carty: 'Eh, feck off you pathetic specimen....'

Or maybe not

I love you, eventhough I do not "love" you in a special kinda of a way.

 

[Andrei_V]

You could tell them you do eat babies for dinner (I wonder what they might say!) {And yes i like pissing people off!)

I actually tell them if bush and cheney claim that they are going to heaven i would rather go to hell !

Works for me too, if I want to piss off door to door preachers. I'd simply tell them that if the Heaven is populated by people like them, the Hell cannot be such a bad place.

Does not work under normal conditions though. I don't really like pissing people off for no good reason.

 

[brennan]

Excerpts from this thread...

I understand the reluctance to be disowned - it has happened to converts to our church

My twelve year old is best friends with a girl who is from quite a devout family. This kid is absolutely broken up with the belief - no, for her, the knowledge - that her best friend (my daughter) is going to go to hell when she dies and they will never be 'together' in heaven.

I still disagree - better to be honest even if it may cost you. But whatever, I'm not going to judge anyone for it.

No offense, but it strikes me as dishonest if youre just wearing a mask just to be accepted into a community.

I once went out with a mate and his friends. That mate was a Christians and so were his friends.

They just assume you're a Christian and asked which church you go to. When I told them I don't, the rapid transformations in their face expressions were stuffs of A-grade actors.

...and the other one (CG's)

I'll tell you why, because I would probably earn a trip to the exorcist if I said I dont believe in god. Or get disowned

Most religious people attach morality to religion and then assume if one has no religion they are therefore moraless.

Religion, politics and family life are all one to my parents, and if I don't respect one, I lose all of them.

It is deeply saddening that in the world's most successful country people are so backward.

And Eran, you are one of the Religious people I respect most on CFC, but when you say something like this:

How would it screw your life up, completely? Just because your parents don't like you?

...I just shake my head sadly.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Why do you shake your head sadly? Do you really prefer living a lie to honesty? I understand it may be hard, but pretending to be something you're not doesn't strike me as the best solution.