I am an Atheist.
Whew. Got that out of the way.
Oh. You're still here? Great!
I decided that this topic would be the perfect opener for this blog. Whenever this phrase comes out of my mouth, people tend to blanch and I can see the "Is she going to sacrifice me for some kind of ritual" thought bouncing around in their minds. And I get that; most people don't understand what an Atheist really is.
Let's consult dictionary.com: Atheist - a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings
Before I continue, I would just like to say that from skimming the ProgressiveU site, I've noticed the majority of religion-based blogs seem to follow two extremes: defending a specific religion to the point of belittling others or belittling all religion/one specific religion. I don't want to take this road; I'd rather explain my point of view.
Why I am an Atheist:
1. When it comes to something as important as religion, I am not willing to blindly put my faith into any sort of text or belief that cannot be proven to me. Going with the majority religion of Christianity and/or Catholicism, The Bible (for me) is not a work of God. The Bible is another book that teaches people the difference between right and wrong. I don't think that The Bible is there to make people put all of their trust and faith into a single, all-knowing, all-being entity. On top of that, The Bible has become the ultimate reason for believing in God. However, one must consider the circular logic in such reasoning. God is real because the Bible says so. The Bible is correct because it is inspired by God.
In a nutshell: If I'm going to put every belief I have into a book, I might as well be saying that Holden Caulfield or Harry Potter is the one, true God.
2. Think about this (and when I say think, I mean really think. Even better, try to picture this): The universe is (as far as we know) infinite. It goes on and on and on and on. From the portion of the universe that we can observe, there are around 100 billion galaxies. We - humans, that is - live in one of those galaxies. Someone telling me that Earth is the only planet with intelligent life created by a God seems implausible to me. The odds that our race is the only one with human life in the entire universe is highly unlikely.
3. I think that a lot of people who rely on faith and the belief in a God to guide them need that - and that's fine. I think it's wonderful that some people are so in touch with their spiritual side and that they feel that God speaks to them. But I have never experienced the need for something unseen and unproven to guide me. For my entire life, I have been my own person - inside and out - and have found that all I need to support me is myself, my family, and my friends. To me, any higher being is unnecessary and essentially useless. A lot of people ask me "Don't you feel like something is missing?" and the thing is, I don't. This may be because I didn't grow up in a religious household.
I'll try my hand at an analogy: If a baby is given a stuffed animal, the baby will grow attached to it. If the stuffed animal is taken away at...let's say age seven, then that child will feel as though they are missing something. However, if a baby is NOT given a stuffed animal, how could it ever feel like it's missing something such as a stuffed animal?
If you're reading this and thinking "how is this progressive?" then you have either never been criticized for believing or in this case, not believing in a particular religion, or you haven't bothered to consider my points. I think that Atheism is something that more people should strive to understand and not immediately cast aside or belittle. And aside from that, I believe a lot of people in this day and age are afraid to voice their doubts and their disbelief in something so widely accepted.
I know, I know, I opened with a pretty heavy topic and I'll try to make the next blog a bit lighter. Hope you all enjoyed it, regardless!
i love it.
it isnt my personal spiritual opinion, but i argree with alot of the things you said, and i respect the things i dont agree with.
personally i think you have it more together than alot of the people who can be hypocritically religious.
thanks! i really appreciate that, especially with it not being your spiritual opinion.
I am athiest. However, I haven't told my family about this because my family is religious. I have sat in churches thinking that everything they were saying made no sense to me at all. I completely agree with you when you say it is circular....God is real cause the Bible says so and the Bible is true cause God says so. Doesn't make sense to me.
___________________________________________________________________
Sometimes changing isn't a bad thing.
A majority of people that I am close to (friends and family) are aware of my atheism. My grandmother, however, is not aware. I don't tell her because I'm afraid that she'll try to have me disowned or lecture me continuously about believing in God.
So, me saying this is hypocritical, but I think that if you're having doubts, sort them out and talk about it with your family. If ever there was something that should not be kept secret, it's your spirituality. And you shouldn't be ashamed or afraid to say how you feel about it.
But that's just me.
Thanks for the comment and good luck with everything!
MONTARIA ROBINSON
i am a christian however i do have friends wgo are athiest. we just dont try to convert them or anything we respect their beliefs. if thats what u believe the so be it. u cant stop being nobody friend because of their religion
I didn't say all people disrespected my (dis)belief. I just said that when I say that I am an atheist, most people immediately jump to conclusions.
I think it's great that you, as a Christian has friends that are atheist, accept your friends for who they are! That's what I was trying to say with my post - that even if you disagree with a person's belief, you should still respect that and hear them out.
I like how you simply stated what you believe, without attempting to speak for those who believe differently.
I'm agnostic, but I have sort of the same feelings about religion that you have. The difference is, I WAS given the "stuffed animal" as a child, so I have a hard time taking the leap from maybe to definitely not.
A story you may appreciate: the son of a rabbi I know once asked his dad which was right, the Torah or evolution. The rabbi told him, "Science tells us how the world came to be. The Torah tells us how to be in the world." I thought that was a very wise response.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I'm really glad you enjoyed the post. I also think it's great that you are open-minded enough to question what you have been taught - whether you decide that you do believe in a higher power or that you don't. I think questioning religion is the best thing people can do to find out what's right for them and what they truly feel.
That story about the rabbi is wise. I like that idea and I wish more people felt that way.
Thanks for the comment!
That was one of the best explanations I've ever heard for being an atheist or agnostic. I'm neither myself, but then my beliefs on "god" are a bit out of the ordinary for our Judeo-Christian society.
I spent some time in Nepal a few years back with my atheist ex, and one of the questions that Nepalis and visiting Indians would ask when they met you was "What religion are you?" Seriously. It normally came right after "Are you here on holiday? Or business?".
The problem was that they just could NOT understand when my ex said he was not of any religion. "No, no. You no understand. You, you are Christian yes?" "No. I'm not any religion." "But you must have a religion. You are Muslim?" "No, I'm an atheist." "What is that?" "Its somebody who doesn't believe in God." "What? No, no. You must have religion. I am Hindu, she is Buddhist, you know? Christian? Muslim? Sikh?" "No, I'm really not any religion" "Well, what religion are your parents?"
It still amazes me that some people can't even begin to grasp the concept of being religion-less.
~~Every human heartbeat is a universe of possibilites.~~
Gregory David Roberts
Seems you're my type of person... I realizes this all at a young age...
Here's something to consider tho(not that I believe this, but I never eliminate possibilty)
The whole atheist thing, I used to myself say I was atheist, but I've learned I'm agnostic.. Atheist believe in no superior being, and that is counting a being of higher intelligence.
I dont believe in being created, by any means, but if life lets say, was close to our own and evolved another 100,000 years.. they could paint with DNA like we do with computers, they could know enough about science to create a biosphere such as our own. I am not saying I believe anything close to this, just doing the scientific reasoning and never eliminating a potential outcome.
I do believe in higher intellects in the universe, surely.. There's 300 billion galaxies, averaging 100 billion stars a piece, with 6-32 planets a piece, with some exceptions having less or more I'm sure. This has all formed over a 13.7 billion year span.
Say there are just 8 planets a piece
8(P)x300bill(G)x100bill(S)
2.4 x 10 to the 24th planets
24,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 planets(to lamens)
Thats a lot of possibility with life spreading on comets/meteorites in a variety of ways..
And if matter is as predictable as we believe there are probly plenty of stars whos planets have distributed matter close to ours..
The human race, after evolving, or seperating its genes from a ape has only been with higher levels of thought for 28,000 years, just imagine another 300,000.. we would have technology that would look like magic to modern man. It's like a dog seeing an automobile.. it has no concept of fuel or motion or automation in a machine, and therefor thinks its a live creature, or some kind of magic it can't comprehend. I feel like this is the point the human race is still at, if some all knowing(or much closer to) being visited us, we wouldn't be able to muster anything but awe. I think that is how the humans thought of the universe long ago, with awe, and that(combined with the need of greed and control..) established the magical misunderstanding we know as religion today. Its writers realized the insecurities of man about death, and a lack of knowing what to do with their lives and capitalized on it.(unfinished point I got something I gotta go do)
And just kinda a P.S. to warn you there are a lot of religioust ppl on here, that when you talk science to will literally respond, "I dont base my beliefs on facts or reason so you say all you want"
Some ppl on here are logically impossible to break it to, so dont waste time trying like I have really gets ya no where...
Just thought I'd point out the agnostic belief in the possibility of superior life.. like I believe incase its a view you're interested in, cause I feel theres no way I'm the epitome of intellect..
I have also found, that being the most intelligent person in your setting is what I would define as a Hell, its like a gifted voice surrounded by the deaf, vivid color surrounded by the blind, ect... to all the extents of the senses.. Its just a setting which cant properly interpet or reason with you.. and thats where I'm sitting at mind wise lately, you might be there too someday.. just thought I'd share another perspective you might run into thru your course(which I have diagnosed none of us control ourselves)... but ya.. glad to see another free minded person on the site. There's a few.....
Everything, you have done, and will do, is chemically predisposed by matter, even the fact you are reading this message. You make no choices, only perceive a given reality.
Your comment was mind blowing.
I'll be honest in saying that I haven't cast aside the possibility of having an agnostic view rather than an atheist view. But I think that where I am right now is under the belief that there is no higher being.
Luckily, in regard to people who have commented this post so far, I've found that they've appreciated it. I'm actually really surprised I haven't gotten any comments like you said.
I saw on your profile that you're a college sophomore. Mind if I ask what you're majoring in?
I was majoring in psychology, I took a year and learned all I could about humans.
Sociology, gen and advanced psych, anthropology, history, philosophy, ect..
And after learning what I was interest in I read the other classes and was not willing to pay to learn those subjects lol, so at the moment I'm a drop out who will never learn how to follow in someone elses footsteps through education.
"The Only time the path most traveled by is a wise choice, is in the snow."-Me
I've also invented some deviced that could make me a pretty powerful person, but I see how the power within them could be abused, so you'll never see them.. just to point out I'm not a mindless bum after the dropout comment..
~Zeros and ones~
"I've also invented some deviced that could make me a pretty powerful person, but I see how the power within them could be abused, so you'll never see them.. just to point out I'm not a mindless bum after the dropout comment.."
Um, do you realize that sort of comment makes you sound like you're totally bullshitting everyone about every aspect of your life? It makes it hard to take you seriously.
(It's also pretty funny. But I don't think you meant it to be funny.)
You can view it how you want, there's no bullshitting about me.
Unlike you, I don’t lie to myself or anyone around me.
The real funny thing is that you're laughing at the truth, and I laugh at you all the time for your lack of truth, you're just proving once more how truth is something you can't grasp.
You can question the validity of what I said there all you want(and note the spelling errors) but your consensus as well as the consensus of anyone else who reads it is not at all relative to how truthful the comment is. I was just stating that if i wanted money(which is the reason people get a degree) I could talk to some people and release and paten, and more than likely make a lot of money, which I was defending I do not have the inability to earn.
More real than you
Sorry to stir up your stew
If you thought more logically
Maybe you might agree
With more I said
You seem braindead
Sorry to say that
But I dont play that
Fairytale marri-go-round
Where your minds wound
Cause that would be fruitless
Hot air floating you're rootless
Cause you have no stance
You just like the dance
Of causing drama in responses
I'm not in keeping with waltzes
So quit singing self praise
Your lost in your own maze
And your trying to point others
Just give me a break
Your view the type that smothers
My view brings mind awake
Teaches, "Filter your uptake"
Reaches, making them less fake
You're the average howling of the crowd
You're accepted, and I'm soo prowd
Oh please. In the short time you've been on ProU, you've claimed to have "aced" multipule college classes at a young age (yet, refused to name those classes, nor the university you supposedly "aced" them at), you've acted completely arrogant without demonstrating much intelligence, but rather resorting to personal attacks, and now you're claiming that you have some INVENTION that could make you FAMOUS but you aren't going to tell anyone about it because it could be used for EVIL.
Come on. Please. Be a bit more original? Or actually start backing up your bs? Or how about, STOP TALKING ABOUT YOUR SUPPOSED ACCOMPLISHMENTS? I don't go around talking about how high my IQ is (higher than yours, fyi, since you chose to mention yours even though you don't believe IQ means anything) and how I did awesome in school and all my accomplishments. Stop boasting, it just makes you look foolish. You shouldn't have to make claims as to your intelligence, it should simply shine through in your writing.
What a delusioned world you live in, I list the classes like everytime I talk about the subject
Calc, Gen and advance psych, Philosophy, Sociology, Anthropology, Pulbic speaking, World History, Geography..thats 9 of the 12 I took, I can't recall the other 3, i think one was some kinda writing.. I had 18 class hours a semester(3 credits each) so 6 classes a semester.. and I worked 32 2hours a week on top of that, and I took a few without text books or note books. Oh yeah, and psychology statistics.. so I'm up to recalling 11 of the 12 classes for ya.. why you doubt my ability to memorize and get through school I dont understand, a chimp could do it. I was asked a question about what I took ,so I explained, and then to not BS like you seem to think I do, I explained dropping out after that year due to it costing me 6 grand a year to go there, and then because I brought up dropping out I explained my potential as people quickly assume there is none after dropping out. Your IQ is over 142, good for you? and its not a big deal to ace school anyways, anyone can with enough effort, I just like to state that I did it without effort, cause I did and always have.
"You shouldn't have to make claims as to your intelligence, it should simply shine through in your writing."
I was asked, "I saw on your profile that you're a college sophomore. Mind if I ask what you're majoring in?"
I was asked if you care to review the discussion, I was responding to a question, you're really eager to disagree with my intellect, sadly you haven't proved me wrong once on this program. You just respond with opinions.
I appreciate your candid views on atheism. It is a well-crafted argument--how about a thesis statement? But it is arguable. From talking about this to eternal lengths, I have found I don't take stock in truly anything. I was raised agnostically, minus a Bible in my household. However, I have found that science doesn't account for creation of Earth, or the size of our universe. That is not to say that we were "created"--it's stating that there is no possible way to prove the primordial soup theory or God. Science can be ever bit as assuming as religion. I'm sure there's a great quote that would be appropiate here.
By saying that I am as skeptical of science as I am religion, it often expands into bigger debates, such as the perception of our existence. To illustrate my point better, I want to say that I believe what's in front of my eyes. A solipsis at heart, but it hasn't harmed me yet. I doubt existence is living as a brain in a jar in a Matrix-like reality, just as the same as I can't credit predestination.
I realize I'm being a bit scatter brained. I would like to add that I wish society was more accepting of rational atheists like yourself. You have clear, distinct, and logical reasons for not being religious, and there's no reason why you should face any hatred for that. Unfortunately, reality is not so accepting.
Cheers from Union Jane
"I have only ever made one prayer a very short one: "God, make my enemies ridiculous." And God made it so." --Voltaire
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." --Eleanor Roosevelt
I'm definitely not putting all of my - for lack of better word - faith into science. I simply view it as a possible reason why there is no God. I'm with you in believing what is in front of my eyes.
Thank you very much for the comment and I'm glad that someone appreciates rational atheists. They actually are a bit of a rarity.
Magic isn't real, science is the only solid ground to stand on for now.
So let your feet down.
Void.
explain?
"Science is the only solid ground to stand on for now..." I feel obligated to ask for your evidence. Call me terribly literal, but when you're dealing with abstract concepts like the existence of God, trusting completely in any idea whatever seems foolhardy.
Cheers from Union Jane
"I have only ever made one prayer a very short one: "God, make my enemies ridiculous." And God made it so." --Voltaire
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." --Eleanor Roosevelt
Hello, I love you, Wont you tell me your name.
First of all, I am a Christian. I am not against any person of another belief.
Even when I think someone else's ideas are odd, I still show respect for them. I don't want to be judged for my religion. I belief that there is a being who created all of this splendor. There are things that can not be explained through science. Such intricate creations on Earth can only be the work of God. I may not have seen God, but has anyone actually seen a being evolve? Sorry but I have to get this off my chest. It's been driving me insane for weeks and we've got a new debate every week.
Something interesting I'd like to share; There was an ancient fish that scientists dug up on land. They saw that it had feet. The scientists claimed that before this fish went extinct, it walked on land. Come to find out, this particular fish, though it had "feet", could not live even at the surface of the water for it would die. Thus, they were wrong.
I respect your beliefs as a Christian, and I am glad that you seem to believe them with all of your heart. However, I want to make sure you're aware that there are two kinds of evolution: micro and macro. Micro evolution is changing one small bit over centuries, sometimes longer. Many of the arguments from micro evolution involve humans learning to be bipedal, etc.
Macro evolution, on the other hand, can and has been seen. While it's not frequent, it does exist. The strongest example of this was seen in the peppered moth during the Industrial Revolution. Also an example of natural selection in action, the peppered moth changed from being a pale gray or white into black, because the paler moths were being predated on more frequently. Soon it became to where all of the peppered moths were black, in order to camoflauge into the trees.
Wiki it if you wish. The information in the citations is scientifically accredited. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppered_moth_evolution
Cheers from Union Jane
"I have only ever made one prayer a very short one: "God, make my enemies ridiculous." And God made it so." --Voltaire
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." --Eleanor Roosevelt
Why believe in a bleak afterlife?
I mean that's depressing, why not just hope for the best, afterall.. It won't kill you.
+mspin
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/weezyf
I don't recall anything about a bleak afterlife.
"Why not just hope for the best, after all?" Because I'm not just going to buy into an idea because it'll allegedly give me the best shot at getting into Heaven. That's the issue with people who believe in God and Heaven and everything like that. It seems like your basis for believing is because it's probably the best route to go. Not because it makes sense, not because you feel spiritually in touch with it. Because you want to have a great afterlife.
I'm not worried. Whatever is meant to happen to me, will happen to me. If there is a Heaven, then hey, I guess I was wrong. If there isn't a Heaven then I guess I was correct and whatever comes next is fine with me.
You, are the chemicals in your head, thats your memories, personallity and outlook(perspective). When you die, just like anything without electricity, you're dead.
Sorry to break it to you dude but thats the reality of being a bio-electric organism, its not meant to last forever, its just another way of consuming matter, like a sun burning its fuel. So too we consumer until our time is up.... There is no magical land of clouds without water in some property-less place, nor is there some random place consumed in firey rivers without itself having physical properties...you're believing in fairytales and you need a reality check..
So checkmate..
Everything, you have done, and will do, is chemically predisposed by matter, even the fact you are reading this message. You make no choices, only perceive a given reality.
Although I don't share your beliefs, this has helped me to better understand what Atheism is all about. After reading this, I can see myself being a bit more understanding of this point of view and will also stop trying to shove a Bible down one's throat (that last part about the Bible was a joke, by the way).
Happy blogging!