[Deaner]

Re: What is it like to be an atheist?

I find once the buzz kicks in it's not too bad; after that it can get pretty boring.

[Question-Everything]

Re: What is it like to be an atheist?

Too Mary Etheldreda;

Fair enough, the majority of my post was why I am. But there were some aspects as to what its like. But to be more concise on the question that you asked I will try to elaborate as best I can.

Right, I can't speak for every atheist, although, I would class my self as more a pantheist rather than atheist which is kind of sexed up atheism as opposed to a deist which is watered down theism (arguably semantics). Being an atheist to me is one of the greatest and humbling experiences one can hope to have.

It is liberating to the extent that the only impossibilities in my life are restricted to the imagination of my intellect, the questions I ask and the willingness and eagerness that I poses my self to go and find the answers to these questions using the analytical skills that I my self have developed. And not take face value the first answer I get but test multiple answers against not only peer reviewed evidence, but what I see as what makes more sense or more probable. This brings much enjoyment and peace to my life whilst opening my eyes to the true beauty of the world;

I see the natural world fascinating! Every scientist talks of evolution and the one common ancestor. But plants and trees are not only the life force of this planet but the FIRST complex organism. Without which nothing else could be here! I see the beauty of this and ask; how do they work? Everyone knows its due to photosynthesis but you really must see the beauty of the kreb cycle to understand the whole process of how 1 living organism can feed on only light and water and provide so much to so many!

I fill my life with knowledge (you can never read too much). I only wish that I found this thirst for knowledge at a younger age instead of marveling in the wonder of God. I was not satisfied with the same answer for everything; God done it.

Now to really understand me - an atheist;

My day consists of much the same as you, only I elect to drop prayer in the morning and instead go to the gym and run a few miles and de-stress with weights which I find much more appealing, relaxing and satisfactory for my lifestyle. After which I spend 8 hours a day in either in a library with colleagues/friends or a laboratory testing the safety of pharmaceutical products, if they are fit for purpose and consist of the ingredients or amount of ingredients that are stated on the package and look into their toxicological profiles. Or sometimes test effluents, food and alcohol composition for trading standards, test animal feeds, cosmetics, environmental aspects such as; pesticides, earth and water, petrol's, forensic analysis of evidence brought in by the police which could be DNA, illicit drugs or composition of fibers. Essentially I am a Forensic Public Analyst.

In the night, me and my girlfriend do various things. Restaurant with friends, Karate, visit family and friends, go to our local pub or just stay in and watch T.V, read or go to the cinema. Some nights she may stay in and I go catch up with friends and vice versa....

My weekends consist of catching up with friends and family going out for food, drinks and good conversation. Occasionally hitting a club and having a dance and yup, getting wasted! Some times we go away for a nice weekend. Or taking in the culture of some foreign land for a few weeks.

Coincidentally we are both from the same town but never met, we got friends whilst backpacking through Vietnam and Australia and the rest is history...

My life as an atheist is just as good and meaning full as everybody else's here -maybe better than some- the only difference between me and any other religious person (of any denomination) is that I choose to believe in one less God than you.

[Dr Laurence Niles]

Re: What is it like to be an atheist?

Too Mary Etheldreda;

Fair enough, the majority of my post was why I am. But there were some aspects as to what its like. But to be more concise on the question that you asked I will try to elaborate as best I can.

Right, I can't speak for every atheist, although, I would class my self as more a pantheist rather than atheist which is kind of sexed up atheism as opposed to a deist which is watered down theism (arguably semantics). Being an atheist to me is one of the greatest and humbling experiences one can hope to have.

It is liberating to the extent that the only impossibilities in my life are restricted to the imagination of my intellect, the questions I ask and the willingness and eagerness that I poses my self to go and find the answers to these questions using the analytical skills that I my self have developed. And not take face value the first answer I get but test multiple answers against not only peer reviewed evidence, but what I see as what makes more sense or more probable. This brings much enjoyment and peace to my life whilst opening my eyes to the true beauty of the world;

I see the natural world fascinating! Every scientist talks of evolution and the one common ancestor. But plants and trees are not only the life force of this planet but the FIRST complex organism. Without which nothing else could be here! I see the beauty of this and ask; how do they work? Everyone knows its due to photosynthesis but you really must see the beauty of the kreb cycle to understand the whole process of how 1 living organism can feed on only light and water and provide so much to so many!

I fill my life with knowledge (you can never read too much). I only wish that I found this thirst for knowledge at a younger age instead of marveling in the wonder of God. I was not satisfied with the same answer for everything; God done it.

Now to really understand me - an atheist;

My day consists of much the same as you, only I elect to drop prayer in the morning and instead go to the gym and run a few miles and de-stress with weights which I find much more appealing, relaxing and satisfactory for my lifestyle. After which I spend 8 hours a day in either in a library with colleagues/friends or a laboratory testing the safety of pharmaceutical products, if they are fit for purpose and consist of the ingredients or amount of ingredients that are stated on the package and look into their toxicological profiles. Or sometimes test effluents, food and alcohol composition for trading standards, test animal feeds, cosmetics, environmental aspects such as; pesticides, earth and water, petrol's, forensic analysis of evidence brought in by the police which could be DNA, illicit drugs or composition of fibers. Essentially I am a Forensic Public Analyst.

In the night, me and my girlfriend do various things. Restaurant with friends, Karate, visit family and friends, go to our local pub or just stay in and watch T.V, read or go to the cinema. Some nights she may stay in and I go catch up with friends and vice versa....

My weekends consist of catching up with friends and family going out for food, drinks and good conversation. Occasionally hitting a club and having a dance and yup, getting wasted! Some times we go away for a nice weekend. Or taking in the culture of some foreign land for a few weeks.

Coincidentally we are both from the same town but never met, we got friends whilst backpacking through Vietnam and Australia and the rest is history...

My life as an atheist is just as good and meaning full as everybody else's here -maybe better than some- the only difference between me and any other religious person (of any denomination) is that I choose to believe in one less God than you.

I don't getnyour point.

Could you elaborate?

[Professor Bessemer]

Re: What is it like to be an atheist?

Too Mary Etheldreda;

Fair enough, the majority of my post was why I am. But there were some aspects as to what its like. But to be more concise on the question that you asked I will try to elaborate as best I can.

Right, I can't speak for every atheist, although, I would class my self as more a pantheist rather than atheist which is kind of sexed up atheism as opposed to a deist which is watered down theism (arguably semantics). Being an atheist to me is one of the greatest and humbling experiences one can hope to have.

It is liberating to the extent that the only impossibilities in my life are restricted to the imagination of my intellect, the questions I ask and the willingness and eagerness that I poses my self to go and find the answers to these questions using the analytical skills that I my self have developed. And not take face value the first answer I get but test multiple answers against not only peer reviewed evidence, but what I see as what makes more sense or more probable. This brings much enjoyment and peace to my life whilst opening my eyes to the true beauty of the world;

I see the natural world fascinating! Every scientist talks of evolution and the one common ancestor. But plants and trees are not only the life force of this planet but the FIRST complex organism. Without which nothing else could be here! I see the beauty of this and ask; how do they work? Everyone knows its due to photosynthesis but you really must see the beauty of the kreb cycle to understand the whole process of how 1 living organism can feed on only light and water and provide so much to so many!

I fill my life with knowledge (you can never read too much). I only wish that I found this thirst for knowledge at a younger age instead of marveling in the wonder of God. I was not satisfied with the same answer for everything; God done it.

Now to really understand me - an atheist;

My day consists of much the same as you, only I elect to drop prayer in the morning and instead go to the gym and run a few miles and de-stress with weights which I find much more appealing, relaxing and satisfactory for my lifestyle. After which I spend 8 hours a day in either in a library with colleagues/friends or a laboratory testing the safety of pharmaceutical products, if they are fit for purpose and consist of the ingredients or amount of ingredients that are stated on the package and look into their toxicological profiles. Or sometimes test effluents, food and alcohol composition for trading standards, test animal feeds, cosmetics, environmental aspects such as; pesticides, earth and water, petrol's, forensic analysis of evidence brought in by the police which could be DNA, illicit drugs or composition of fibers. Essentially I am a Forensic Public Analyst.

In the night, me and my girlfriend do various things. Restaurant with friends, Karate, visit family and friends, go to our local pub or just stay in and watch T.V, read or go to the cinema. Some nights she may stay in and I go catch up with friends and vice versa....

My weekends consist of catching up with friends and family going out for food, drinks and good conversation. Occasionally hitting a club and having a dance and yup, getting wasted! Some times we go away for a nice weekend. Or taking in the culture of some foreign land for a few weeks.

Coincidentally we are both from the same town but never met, we got friends whilst backpacking through Vietnam and Australia and the rest is history...

My life as an atheist is just as good and meaning full as everybody else's here -maybe better than some- the only difference between me and any other religious person (of any denomination) is that I choose to believe in one less God than you.

My goodness you are long winded. Both of your posts are practically novellas. I will be careful not to ask you any open ended questions.

[Capt. Aaron Portway]

Re: What is it like to be an atheist?

An extra four;

11. Enjoy your own sex life (so long as it damages nobody else) and leave others to enjoy theirs in private whatever inclinations, which are none of your business.

12. Do not discriminate or oppress on the basis of sex, race or as far as possible; species.

So you're one of those dog fuckers then?

You disgust me!

[Mary Etheldreda]

Re: What is it like to be an atheist?

the only difference between me and any other religious person (of any denomination) is that I choose to believe in one less God than you.

So you believe in the gods of Egypt (Exodus 12:12; Exodus 15:11; Exodus 18:11; Exodus 20:3, 5, etc), the gods of Abraham's ancestors (Joshua 24:2; Joshua 24:14) Chemosh, god of the Moabites (Judges 11:24), or all the gods that came forth from the earth in front of the spiritualist who spoke with Saul (1 Samuel 28:13), and the congregations of all gods (Psalm 82:1), all the gods who worship Yahweh (Psalm 97:7), but not Yahweh Himself?

I'm very confused. You atheists are very confusing.

[Question-Everything]

Re: What is it like to be an atheist?

I don't see how you could be confused Mary. Since your God is the only worthy or one true God in your eyes, your are by definition;(and I do hope I'm not stepping over a boundary here!) atheist, to all those Gods that preceded and the ones that other cultures subscribe too in this age. Since your religion is monotheistic - I simply believe in one less than you.

[Pastor Ezekiel]

Re: What is it like to be an atheist?

I don't see how you could be confused Mary. Since your God is the only worthy or one true God in your eyes, your are by definition;(and I do hope I'm not stepping over a boundary here!) atheist, to all those Gods that preceded and the ones that other cultures subscribe too in this age. Since your religion is monotheistic - I simply believe in one less than you.

There is only one God to believe in or not. The rest are demons. You can choose to worship God or satan. Either way, it's your choice.

Denying the existence of God is not unbelief but an exercise in self-deception. You may know things, but you cannot account for anything you know. Arguing against God's existence would be on par with arguing against the existence of air, breathing it all the while. You use the universal, immaterial, unchanging laws of logic, mathematics, science, and absolute morality in order to come to rational decisions, but you cannot account for them. These laws are not the only way God has revealed himself to you, but they are sufficient to show the irrationality of your thinking, and expose your guilt for denying Him.

There is a reason that you deny the existence of God and it has nothing to do with proof. I can show this to you. Do you think that you can continue to deny God because surely somewhere, sometime, a philosopher or scientist will come up with an explanation for universal, immaterial, unchanging laws apart from God?' Did you ever try to come up with an alternate explanation on your own?

Hoping that an alternate explanation for universal, immaterial, unchanging laws can someday be found apart from God, is a blind leap of faith, or wishful thinking. Isn't it interesting that this is exactly what professed unbelievers accuse Christians of?

Please examine the real reason why you are running from God. It is my prayer that God will open your eyes and change your heart so that you may be saved from your sin, embraced by His ferocious love, and that you will tithe robustly immediately using the Paypal button at the bottom of this page.

[piglttn]

Re: What is it like to be an atheist?

I don't know if i am, what you call an atheist, but i do not believe in god.
I believe in people having the right to be who they want to be, and by that, live on what i would like to call, common sense, obviously "bad things are bad" but i hope you catch my drift.

As for the bible, i believe it's a way to base your living to become a good person, besides the hatred towards some people (homosexuals etc.) by that i mean, a book of guidance based on common sense.

As for Christians, and other religious groups, i like to see people finding comfort, friends, and all that it comes with, by living a religious life.

Though with my hand on my heart, and not to sound offensive, i believe that some believers takes their belief too far, and wishing people who apparently are against "their book" and violently wishing people die, do they not live a life like them, is messed up, and you can be "too religious" for example, God does not approve of homosexuality, and then some Christians spend a lot of time, either hating, or wishing homosexuals to die, instead of just stop fighting the battle which is lost. If you can turn a homosexual straight, then congrats, but don't use death-wishes upon them to do so.

I have love for all people, as long as they do not harm or wish to harm other people, if they do not act as you would act, you don't have to let them in to you're life.
I can dislike people for many different reasons, religion is not it. If someone do something stupid/bad cause of their religion, i do not blame the religion, but the person doing the act.

Just my 2-cents, now that you would like to know how some people who don't believe in God thinks.

Live and let live. Feel free to ask questions, I'll try to check up on it.
Thank you, good night, much love.

[Jedediah]

Re: What is it like to be an atheist?

I have love for all people, as long as blah blah blah blah blah...

So you have love for people as long as they don't come down from Heaven to temporarily die for your sins. Is that it? Jesus DIED on that cross and descended into hell for three days, all because of sinners like you. And how do you thank Him? By refusing His kind offer of Redemption and spitting in His eye. The very least you could do is get up early one day of the week, put on your Sunday best, and join others in praise and worship. But apparently you are too much of a hateful, bigoted little ingrate to say "Thanks, Jesus. Thanks for suffering so that I don't have to spend eternity in hell. I accept you as my personal LORD and Savior, and here's 10% of my income for your messengers to put to good use in bringing glory to Your Kingdom."

Put down the bong, son, and pick up a Bible. Jesus wants you to enter into a personal relationship with Him, but you can't even say thanks. It's pathetic. You are too much of a coward to be a Christian.

[Mary Etheldreda]

Re: What is it like to be an atheist?

I believe in people having the right to be who they want to be,

So why do you have a problem with Christians sharing the Good News of Jesus' temporary and mildly inconvenient death for atonement for the many sins we were born incapable of escaping?

[piglttn]

Re: What is it like to be an atheist?

So you have love for people as long as they don't come down from Heaven to temporarily die for your sins. Is that it? Jesus DIED on that cross and descended into hell for three days, all because of sinners like you. And how do you thank Him? By refusing His kind offer of Redemption and spitting in His eye. The very least you could do is get up early one day of the week, put on your Sunday best, and join others in praise and worship. But apparently you are too much of a hateful, bigoted little ingrate to say "Thanks, Jesus. Thanks for suffering so that I don't have to spend eternity in hell. I accept you as my personal LORD and Savior, and here's 10% of my income for your messengers to put to good use in bringing glory to Your Kingdom."

Put down the bong, son, and pick up a Bible. Jesus wants you to enter into a personal relationship with Him, but you can't even say thanks. It's pathetic. You are too much of a coward to be a Christian.

Now you're aggressively judge me, based on YOUR belief. I can do the same towards you, that big pile of aggression towards me, cause of something YOU believe is not gonna convert or save me.
The topic is about, what it's like to be an atheist, not "write what you think, and let us curse you for it."

[Rev. M. Rodimer]

Re: What is it like to be an atheist?

Now you're aggressively judge me, based on YOUR belief. I can do the same towards you, that big pile of aggression towards me, cause of something YOU believe is not gonna convert or save me.
The topic is about, what it's like to be an atheist, not "write what you think, and let us curse you for it."

And you didn't write about what it is like to be an atheist. You wrote about how people who do what the Bible says, instead of what YOU want them to do, are "taking their faith too far".

So answer the question already. What is it like to believe that when you die, there is nothing? To believe that no matter what you create, it will fade away when the universe dies from "heat death"?

[piglttn]

Re: What is it like to be an atheist?

So why do you have a problem with Christians sharing the Good News of Jesus' temporary and mildly inconvenient death for atonement for the many sins we were born incapable of escaping?

I have no problem with Christian sharing the Good News of Jesus, but every action done violent/aggressively just as wishing people to die, is stupidity, it does not matter if you do it cause of your belief or that your just a non-religous idiot, its completely based on the person action, not what you assume another person/god think you should.

[Mary Etheldreda]

Re: What is it like to be an atheist?

I have no problem with Christian sharing the Good News of Jesus, but every action done violent/aggressively just as wishing people to die, is stupidity, it does not matter if you do it cause of your belief or that your just a non-religous idiot, its completely based on the person action, not what you assume another person/god think you should.

What?