So, I am atheist.

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This topic contains 24 replies, has 10 voices, and was last updated by  ToniDaTyga 9 years, 6 months ago.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 25 total)
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  • #807

    BeckyL
    Participant

    In the interest of brevity, I’ll just dive in. I’m an emergency nurse from a semi-rural part of Texas. I was raised a Catholic but never bought into it. On the very first day of catechism, the nun teaching our class told us that snakes used to have legs, walked upright, and talked. She lost me right there. It sounded like bullshit to my young ears and the good sister lost all credibility on the spot. I remained a skeptic until I married a southern baptist and became part of a nondenominational charismatic church. The church met some emotional needs I had at the time, and I jumped in with both feet. I truly believed. I taught classes and led youth groups. I even considered going to seminary, but all the while I was suffocating under the choke hold religion had on my mind. I’ve always been curious and enjoy talking about ideas – characteristics which were tacitly discouraged. Eventually I just drifted away. I felt alienated and I was angry. Not with God, in whom I no longer believed, but with Christianity – a group that touts inclusion and acceptance but manifests the opposite. I tried various other Christian denominations but none of them had anything better to offer. I spent a number of years believing in nothing and calling myself agnostic. I dabbled in paganism and participated briefly in a coven. Pagans are wonderful people. They are open-minded, enjoy discussing ideas, and are accepting of people just as they are. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of those groups, but I didn’t believe in the supernatural. It seemed dishonest to enjoy the advantage of community with those folks while believing their religion was bullshit, so I left. I’m still friends with the people I met, I just don’t participate in their events anymore. So, I have come full circle and am finally completely honest with myself. I might have deluded myself into faith at one point in my life. I might have later told myself I was simply an agnostic. But, the truth is that I have seen absolutely no evidence that any god or gods exist, and I am reasonably certain that nobody is going to show up with some. So, I am atheist.

    #809

    erock68la
    Participant

    Pleased to meet you.

    #813

    SteveInCO
    Participant

    On the very first day of catechism, the nun teaching our class told us that snakes used to have legs, walked upright, and talked. She lost me right there. It sounded like bullshit to my young ears and the good sister lost all credibility on the spot.

    Similar reaction to the one I had to Noah’s Ark. I was raised secular, and it’s just too ridiculous to even qualify as an interesting story. Greek myths are badass by comparison.

    It blows my mind that ANYONE takes it seriously.

    As for religions… they love bomb you until and unless it becomes clear you aren’t, in fact, going to be assimilated. I guess that’s slightly better than the Borg method, but not much.

    • This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by  SteveInCO.
    #817

    DrBob
    Participant

    On the very first day of catechism, the nun teaching our class told us that snakes used to have legs, walked upright, and talked.

    *FACEPALM*

    Sheesh.

    Hello @BeckyL. Pleased to meet you. My apologies for the idiotic catechism instructor, but good job in thinking for yourself.

    #819

    BeckyL
    Participant

    As for religions… they love bomb you until and unless it becomes clear you aren’t, in fact, going to be assimilated. I guess that’s slightly better than the Borg method, but not much.

    It is a bit like the Borg method, but even more like jr high. There are all sorts of cliques and political maneuvers happening just under the surface. (And I’ve never been very good at playing those games. With me, what you see is what you get and I lose patience with disingenuousness pretty quickly.) It’s ridiculous watching grown people jockeying for position in what I consider to be the low-stakes arena of some Podunk congregation. For example, I went to the liquor store with a friend one time and a local Baptist deacon was there buying some beer. He’s the sort of fellow who stands around in the lobby oozing holier-than-thou-ness. He left his beer on the counter and walked out when he saw us. I guess he thought his hypocrisy would be ameliorated by giving up the purchase. (Interestingly, he was one of the most vocal opponents of a recent proposition to make our county “wet.”) The next Sunday morning, he was right back in church acting like he was the second coming himself. I realize that some feel it is unfair to judge God based on experiences with his flock, but so many religious people assert that their faith provides community, love, and support to society and should thus be considered “good for” us. I am of the opinion that genuine inclusiveness in a secular setting trumps the crap they are peddling any day of the week.

    #821

    BeckyL
    Participant

    @drbob Hello! I did some lurking for a while over at TA and always appreciated reading your contributions to the fora. It’s good to “meet” you.

    #822

    BeckyL
    Participant

    @erock68la Thanks! 🙂

    #824

    Simon Mathews
    Participant

    On the very first day of catechism, the nun teaching our class told us that snakes used to have legs, walked upright, and talked.

    *FACEPALM*

    Sheesh.

    And yet, @drbob, albeit in fear of sounding like a broken record, apparently when someone informs us that Jesus died and then came back to life three days later it is not a case of FACEPALM and Sheesh but “If God exists this could well be a natural occurrence”. What’s the difference?

    Before you yell straw-man, to a non-Christian it is just as silly that Jesus was resurrected as it is that a snake walked and talked. There is nothing to suggest that one of these outrageous occurrences in the dim and distant past would be more likely than the other.

    P.S. Welcome, @BeckyL

    • This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by  Simon Mathews.
    #837

    Strega
    Moderator

    Hi Becky, nice to have you with us 🙂

    #839

    BeckyL
    Participant

    @strega and @simon Thanks!

    #848

    Gallup’s Mirror
    Participant

    Welcome, Becky.

    #857

    Paul
    Participant

    I’d be afraid for my life if I was openly atheist in rural Texas. Those people are horrible.

    #862

    BeckyL
    Participant

    I’d be afraid for my life if I was openly atheist in rural Texas. Those people are horrible.

    I’m not particularly open about it. If anyone asks, I usually deflect. People really aren’t all that interested in hearing about other people, so I ask them about themselves. I am keenly aware that it is something I could lose my job over.

    #866

    Simon Mathews
    Participant

    I am keenly aware that it is something I could lose my job over.

    Coming from an essentially non-religious society that makes me very sad.

    #868

    BeckyL
    Participant

    @simonm Me too. I live in a “Bible Belt” part of the country, so it’s sad but not surprising.

    @popebeanie I didn’t know we could link to the old profile. And, yes. I do have comprehensive knowledge of the self-delusion necessary to faith.

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