I don't think I believe in God

[Aleenik]

How do you guys deal with people who are believers? Like maybe your family for example. In my case I'm not 100% there is no god, as I have no proof, but I can't say I think there is one either. I have been like this for a few years. I've tried to believe in Christianity, and I guess I may have at one time, but now at least I just can't really get myself to believe in it. I just can't see why God, if he exist, would let so many people die and get hurt. I also can't see how Christianity is right and everyone else basically is wrong. Many religions think theirs is the right religion. I can't see why so many people blindly believe in something like this and if something good happens they say it was because of God. Or they might think something and say it's God's will.

If I told my dad and that side of the family that I don't believe in God... well... idk what would happen. They would flip out I'm sure. They don't question their religion though apparently, unlike me. I see so many ''Christians'' that don't even act very Christian, except at church on Sundays. Even when I believed fully in a God, or at least I guess I did, I questioned things with Christianity that didn't make any sense to me and it got me in trouble with my dad. I can't imagine what would happen if I told him I don't believe in God. I still go to church with the family when they go, because I'm hiding that I don't believe.

There really isn't anyone I know that I could ask what they think I should do, as it would then of course give away that I don't believe.

Note: I'm in America, not France as some may think. So ya, I'm surrounded by Christianity all over the place.

 

[civ_king]

Were you a WASP?

 

[Aleenik]

were you a wasp?

I looked up WASP.

My family is protestant. Idk if that means they are WASP though. I've been to Baptist churches, churches where they speak in tongues, and such.

 

[warpus]

My parents flipped out when I told them that I don't believe that God exists and I no longer wish to attend church.

They got over it.. but it took some time. My parents are cool though.

 

[Adrogans]

Live and let live. Plus if you do not tell them and they continue to believe you believe they are not guilty of trying to make you do anything.

So if you want them to stop annoying you about going to church when you don't believe you have to man up and tell them.

As for how to deal with others, simple don't discuss religion and don't hold it against them if they do believe. Judge by their actions and attitudes if you like them, kinda like you would otherwise.

@ Warpus I had the same it took a year or so for my grandfather to get over it.

 

[LightFang]

I looked up WASP.

My family is protestant. Idk if that means they are WASP though. I've been to Baptist churches, churches where they speak in tongue, and other churches.

Are they White Anglo-Saxon Protestants?

 

[Ajidica]

Just be a Deist. There is a God, he created the world to work according to natural law and then left it alone to go according to its own devices. We eventualy may understand him through understanding our universe. Its not theistic enough to piss off the athiests and just theistic enough to not piss off the religous folks too much.

You can't prove there is a God, but you also can't prove there isn't one.

I mean, if I just looked up in space, I wouldn't see any life. So I would be correct in saying there isn't any life up in space(based on my perception. Please don't ruin my analogy with aliens). I would not be correct saying there was no life at all. Thats basicaly why I belive there is a God. While I can't prove there is a God, I can't prove there isn't.

Does this at all address your points?

 

[Aleenik]

Are they White Anglo-Saxon Protestants?

We aren't rich, so I guess no.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Anglo-Saxon_Protestant

White Anglo-Saxon Protestant or WASP is an informal term, often disparaging, for a closed group of high-status white Americans of British Isles descent with a Protestant background who supposedly wield disproportionate financial and social power.

 

[Adrogans]

Just believe what you believe don't posture to make others happy.

 

[Aleenik]

Just be a Deist. There is a God, he created the world to work according to natural law and we eventualy may understand him through understanding our universe. Its not theistic enough to piss off the athiests and just theistic enough to not piss off the religous folks too much.

You can't prove there is a God, but you also can't prove there isn't one.

I mean, if I just looked up in space, I wouldn't see any life. So I would be correct in saying there isn't any life up in space(based on my perception. Please don't ruin my analogy with aliens). I would not be correct saying there was no life at all. Thats basicaly why I belive there is a God. While I can't prove there is a God, I can't prove there isn't.

Does this at all address your points?

If a Deist believes a God exist then I guess I wouldn't be one. I don't think I think one exist, but I can't prove it.

 

[Adrogans]

So you are agnostic? Not really an issue for you if god exists or not you simply don't care then? That's fine too. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you are in your mid teens.

 

[JohnRM]

I try to be respectful about the fact that they do believe in a God, but I avoid conversation about the issue. Most religious people cannot have a rational discussion with a non-religious person about what has led the latter individual to be an atheist/agnostic. You will never convince a religious individual that you are justified in your stance and you certainly don't want them to pressure you.

 

[warpus]

If a Deist believes a God exist then I guess I wouldn't be one. I don't think I think one exist, but I can't prove it.

Nobody can prove that God doesn't exist so you aren't alone. Just believe what you believe and don't worry about labels (but if you really have to know, you are a weak atheist & an agnostic)

 

[Ajidica]

If a Deist believes a God exist then I guess I wouldn't be one. I don't think I think one exist, but I can't prove it.

God exists, but he doesn't interact with us through miracles, divine revelations, or divine scripture.
For me, I feel I have to believe in a God because way back at the big bang, where did the matter come from initialy? Science can't answer that right now, so I just accept it is a power there beyond my comprehension currently.
It is a very handy faith, it can't really ever be proven wrong and it never directly contradicts scientific thought, and in fact endorses it.

 

[Aleenik]

So you are agnostic? Not really an issue for you if god exists or not you simply don't care then? That's fine too. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you are in your mid teens.

I'm 17.

 

[Dachs]

Teenager flirts with agnosticism

Internet in shock

 

[Zelig]

How do you guys deal with people who are believers?

I don't talk about religion, it doesn't make for good conversation, regardless of my beliefs.

 

[Aleenik]

I don't talk about religion, it doesn't make for good conversation, regardless of my beliefs.

Well I feel like I should tell my dad's family sometime. I've been hiding it for a long time and it's a little hard. I just want to say how I really feel, but I don't want to experience the backlash.

 

[Zelig]

Well I feel like I should tell my dad's family sometime.

Why?

I can count on a single hand the number of people who've asked me about religion, I've been straight with them, and haven't discussed it with anyone else.

 

[Adrogans]

That's the trouble with all choices in life really.