Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We usually provide caustic though rational commentary on all the R&P subforum Christian threads and posts that constantly irk or insult us atheists.
So... "and now for something completely different..."
What positive aspects in your spiritual and day-to-day life can you directly attribute to your lack of a belief in any specific god(z)? What positive event(s) happen to you because of your lack of any strictured set of rules, of "Do's and Don'ts".
__________________________________
In my case, I left Christianity when I began my first degree in engineering, and also wholly enjoyed my time in the bush as a camper, hiker and hunter. I found the natural world to be endlessly fascinating, to the extent that I began to openly question the simplistic and implausible explanations provided by my first source of knowledge, the youth pastor. That was truly the Church's mistake; his arrogant answers and suggestion that "I shouldn't ask such questions in the house of God!".. were beyond the imagination for a supposed teacher. Yikes! Orchestrated ignorance, huh?
However, for me, because his deflections prompted me to read about the natural sciences, and to start watching Nova and Nature (..with George Page. Remember?) and to read Scientific American and other excellent books, I matured and grew intellectually and logically.
A few years later I returned to school and took up several more degrees in biology, evolution and toxicology, and also dabbled in some grad courses in geology as regards debris torrents, varves and other topics related primarily to remote sensing, hydrology and rocks. To this day, I haven't entirely stopped in my pursuit of formal post-grad education. Knowledge is quite addictive!
So, I can say that my life has been thoroughly, powerfully and amazingly ENRICHED specifically by my departure from a total reliance on the bible and church as The Unquestionable Source of all explanations. I developed a severe disregard for those who wave off innocent or logical questions, or who provide irrational answers that are inescapably linked to some ancient but implausible text. Their obvious utter dependence on others to do all their thinking is stultifying to me. Why would anyone wish to be an intellectual drone, after all?
I then went on beyond my university years to help save and manage wild polar bears (part of my original Master's), expanding that to work with grizzlies & black bears, salmon, ducks and other species. I saw the critical importance of habitat and of unmanaged pollution. I denounced and now rail against the arrogant and ugly Christian concept of man's inherent dominance over 'the lesser beasts".
As well, I have thoroughly enjoyed passing my experiences on to many others, and I particularly enjoy educating children about the real world around them. I work hard to impart a sense of critical thinking to them, to never accept at face value what others tell them is supposedly true. And I teach them to disregard all spiritual fear-mongering talk.
__________________________________________
So, I personally feel very fullfilled at this point in my life. I happily owe much of it to my total rejection of Christ and God. I feel as though I've seen so much more than many have, since I was flown, all expenses paid!, around the Canadian and American Arctic regions, as well as many very remote bush locations in this world, where I could apply the storehouse of "book-larned" theories that others had given me.
Those destinations and resulting experiences, coupled with my personal spiritual outlook, gives me, I believe, a very clear and unencumbered perspective. The University tutilage part was only the bare beginning of an education. Such learning is often disparaged by the religious acolyte as "superficial" and biased. Well, of course, as with all knowlege, you have to then go out and apply it, and see if it fits.
As a result of that application, I can report with complete confidence that my broad knowledge of science, coupled with a rational approach to questions and answers fits the observable world very well, with continued and obvious improvements from my fellow scientists and engineers all the time.
Had I obediently clung to that intransigent religious outlook, I would have NEVER ventured out into the real and fascinating world. I'd have been forever naive and constrained. Any commentary from me on life would have been thereby diminished.
The rest of life is getting out there and living it. It's been so enjoyable for me, contrary to the dire pronouncements of the devoutly religious fundamentalists!
And you other atheists? Details please. I'm waiting in eager anticipation!
the bible does explain all! atheists must belive in something! even if they deny it! i am a christian at 18yrs old if you discriminate me i may disc. against you...(maybe not the best approach)
In my case, nothing really changed for me other than I get to keep the tithe I wasted on the church.
In all my years as a theist I was skeptical of much of the bible and never took it literally except for the threat of hell. Finding no answers from the herr doktor pastor of our church, I ended up studying the bible and church history for myself.
Needless to say, this led to my deconversion.
As i said, not much has changed other than the fear of death has gone. The sun still rises in the east and sets in the west and the sky did not fall.
At my age, watching all the xians dying of diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's, one has to wonder why their Moderator cut: deleted does not let them go peacefully in their sleep w/o suffering.
Prayer and worship is a waste of time and only makes one feel good for a short while. Weed has the same effect but thankfully I kicked that habit after 6 months, it took a whoile lot longer to kick the addiction to goss-pills.
What positive aspects in your spiritual and day-to-day life can you directly attribute to your lack of a belief in any specific god(z)? What positive event(s) happen to you because of your lack of any strictured set of rules, of "Do's and Don'ts".
Hmm, I think the most positive aspect in my daily life is that I tend to look for more than one answer to a problem or challenge. Where someone who is religious might just say it's god's will and that prayer will give the answer, I get out and dig to find solutions. As a result, I generally have a pretty positive outlook on life, because every time I've had a hurdle to meet, I've done so.
I think I also demand a lot more personal responsibility of myself and others than the religious do, for one reason because I can't just ask forgiveness and have my wrongs expunged -- I have to 'fess up and take care of them myself.
The positive aspects for me are not spending time on some imaginary man, but rather giving my time and energy to real people. Another positive aspect is not relying on some divine force to save me from my problems, but rather my own hard work. Another is actually taking responsibility for my actions rather than blaming it on some deity. A fourth is that it was much more freeing. I can pursue philosophy and scientific inquiry without being constricted to what some religion tells me to believe.
the bible does explain all! atheists must belive in something! even if they deny it! i am a christian at 18yrs old if you discriminate me i may disc. against you...(maybe not the best approach)
Not the intention of course. When this is properly moved to the Atheism sub, it will be safe then.
It's certainly not discrimination to specifically ask atheists what they think about something. Seems to me that pretty much excludes a non-atheist from providing commentary about how atheism has positively changed their lives. But if you feel that way, how a disbelief on your God has worked out well for you, please... be my guest!
P&L2A!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
