Different forms of atheism (Christ, choice, experience, atheist)

[McGowdog]

I am not atheist. At least I don't think I am.

At any given time, I'm a bit confused as to what I am in the realm of religion/spirituality/theism/Christianity/etc. So I'll admit up front; I have a hard time describing what I am. I think I'm a Christian... right up to the point where my born-again-religious-zealot-Southern-Baptist-from-Florida brother gets ahold of my ears. I'm sober in A.A... and we get into a heated debate about what alcoholism is.

But in my... spiritual program of choice...which bashes no one... be you Christian, Infidel, Muslim, Atheist, Agnostic, etc., has been accused of being too religious or too Christian. But within this wonderful melting pot of spirituality, I've come across a few atheist who I can see eye-to-eye with on some level... not always the same level.

See... the atheists I've met vary greatly from one to the next. I'm sure that's not news here. One guy says atheist means this world needs no Deity to explain it, but thinks the bible is a great history book with much culture. Another guy says it means to him that he always believed there was a God, but just not One that would have anything to do with him. Another guy says he believes in a Supreme Being, but just not One that has a willy. Another just says the human realm is the top of the heap.

But what I ask is this; what is YOUR experience of being an atheist? Or even an agnostic for that matter? Not the Wikipedia definition of the thing as they say... "Writers disagree how best to define and classify atheism" Well I'm sure "writers" disagree on the thing. But what about your experience on the thing. I aim to learn something about it with an open mind.

[Puddy4LyF]

The most basic and easiest way to define atheism is by its etymological definition: A = without; theism = belief in a deity. Anyone who doesn't believe in a deity is technically an atheist. That, in fact, makes all agnostics labeled as atheists too. It gets quite confusing, which is where 'weak' and 'strong atheists' come into play. Many terms overlap each other which also makes things confusing for others.

I consider myself an atheist, but I don't declare there isn't a God, I just don't happen to believe in one.

[cncracer]

I think the first thing to remember is all Atheists have one basic thing in common. We don’t believe in a god. From that point I have seen myself change in my views and responses to religion over the last few years. I recognized the push by the right wing religious movement and saw if I wanted to maintain my own freedom to be non religious I needed to take a stand. I shifted from the quite non confrontation Atheist to a strong in your face Atheist. I joined groups, worked with Atheist organizations and gave money to national groups working on protecting my legal right to be non religious. I learned how good it felt to say how I felt about religion, and now work to end the discrimination against atheist.
My view on other religions has taken a dark turn; I now do not over look their history, or their crimes. I point out their myth based views when ever question on religion, or by individuals pushing their religious views on me. Last but not least I vote my views, and work against individuals I see as mentally unbalanced due to their religious views. I now view religion as a sickness, and recognize the danger of not standing up against their myth based views could be the destruction of humanity.

[McGowdog]

So... being not an atheist = bad.

And.... being an atheist = good.

So... if everybody would just become atheist, the world would be kind of like Heaven?

Hmmm... if it was that easy, I'd think we could convince the world to see this and give it a try.

Otherwise, the atheists could just go underground and let the non-atheists kill each other and then the atheist can enjoy the world in peace.

Hmmm... the later kind of sounds a little bit Helter Skelter to me. I must not be a good atheist.

[Boxcar Overkill]

I'm an athiest because I don't believe in all that non-sense.

[cncracer]

Originally Posted by McGowdog

So... being not an atheist = bad.

And.... being an atheist = good.

So... if everybody would just become atheist, the world would be kind of like Heaven?

Hmmm... if it was that easy, I'd think we could convince the world to see this and give it a try.

Otherwise, the atheists could just go underground and let the non-atheists kill each other and then the atheist can enjoy the world in peace.

Hmmm... the later kind of sounds a little bit Helter Skelter to me. I must not be a good atheist.

Good and bad is a value judgment and not applicable in this issue.

The world will never be a mythical land of milk and honey. Lack of religion requires the individual to be realistic and logically accept the world’s environment can be nothing more than what we make it. No hell, no heaven, just reality and it is much better than living with the myths of religion.

History shows the actions of the major religions in the past controlled the non religious and different views by killing those people. It is their standard method which has cost humanity 200,000,000 lives in the last 2000 years and it is not acceptable. Today we have freedoms under a secular system which protects us from the mythical rules of the organized church. During the last 50 years in the US there has been a steady decay of the freedom “from” religion due to the push of a religious right Christian movement forcing their myth based views on any group who saw the world in a different light. After the Bush years, I think many with other philosophies or world views recognized the danger of a rabid right wing religious movement or a non secular government. This awakening resulted in the non religious becoming one of the fastest growing groups and christians and catholics losing members at historic rates in the states and world wide.

The statement on letting the “non-atheist kill each other” is sadly one way religions have controlled the expansion of other philosophy or views for the last 2000 years. In a world with nuclear weapons humanity cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand and ignore the individuals who are pushing their mythical gods. The next religious war might be the one that ends life on this planet, and it is the responsibility of those educated enough to recognize those dangers, to protect the planet and humanity even if we have to expose the religious to the absurdity of their myths. I see religion as a form of mental illness, and see the only cure as education.

[AREQUIPA]

I agree with my friend.

McGowdog

See... the atheists I've met vary greatly from one to the next. I'm sure that's not news here. One guy says atheist means this world needs no Deity to explain it, but thinks the bible is a great history book with much culture. Another guy says it means to him that he always believed there was a God, but just not One that would have anything to do with him. Another guy says he believes in a Supreme Being, but just not One that has a willy. Another just says the human realm is the top of the heap.

As said, essentially atheism is non- belief in any god. As soon as we start trying to go any further, we run into problems as atheists are all different.

However, to take your para above, anyone who believed there is a god but not just the one would not be atheist. Such a person would be a pantheist (in the sense of belief in many god /all gods in one) as distinct from god = nature, which coincidentally comes to much the same thing.

Same with the guy who believes in a 'supreme being' as an 'it'. That is still theism, albeit one that is only on the wrong side of atheism as he 'believes' in something of which he has no actual knowledge and for which he has no good evidence.

[Spotted1]

After the whole "It doesn't look like the odds for gods are very good" bit, everything else about being an atheist is essentially up for grabs. There's nothing set in stone - and there shouldn't be - about what else you have to believe or disbelieve in before you say "I'm an atheist."

For me, there's a severe lack of evidence for the existence of any of the deities we've come up with to date. There may very well be one, but the odds just are not in the favor of a theistic world view if you ask my opinion.

[McGowdog]

Well... it's just as I've expected. The waters of atheism are just as muddy as theism.

From cncracer, I've learned that yet another form of atheist is the extreme left... or educated hippie. Am I right? No pun intended!

Us Bush loving redneck God-fearing Christains just want to blow up all the bad people and we're well on our way to doing it unless the atheist hippie comes along and does what? Educates the Far Right or murders the far-right? Am I over-simplifying this?

and it is the responsibility of those educated enough to recognize those dangers, to protect the planet and humanity even if we have to expose the religious to the absurdity of their myths. I see religion as a form of mental illness, and see the only cure as education.

So... you sound pretty certain that you are the solution and...

non-atheists are the problem...

The statement on letting the “non-atheist kill each other” is sadly one way religions have controlled the expansion of other philosophy or views for the last 2000 years. In a world with nuclear weapons humanity cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand and ignore the individuals who are pushing their mythical gods.

How do you aim to combat this religious right... and the other religions that they've provoked or been fighting with?

Maybe you guys have the key to world peace. I come from an era where the good guy wears the white hat (Roy Rogers) and he shoots the bad guy in the black hat. Is there a better way?

Peace out!

[chielgirl]

Originally Posted by McGowdog

So... being not an atheist = bad.

And.... being an atheist = good.

So... if everybody would just become atheist, the world would be kind of like Heaven?

Hmmm... if it was that easy, I'd think we could convince the world to see this and give it a try.

Otherwise, the atheists could just go underground and let the non-atheists kill each other and then the atheist can enjoy the world in peace.

Hmmm... the later kind of sounds a little bit Helter Skelter to me. I must not be a good atheist.

Looks to me like you didn't come to ask a question and get answers, you came to make judgments.

I get it.

The definition of atheist is one who does not believe in a god.
That's it. Period.

It's you who is purposely muddying the waters.