I always seem to end up having blowout conversations where family or friends all tell me stupid reasons why they believe in a god, and for them that's all the proof they need. But when I counter their failed logic with real scientific facts or common sense, they all refuse to listen or even consider what I am trying to say. The worst part is I am the only one, every one else in the room agrees with the stupid logic and it makes me so dam frustrated it just drives me insane. My face gets red, BP goes up. Everyone thinks Im the one thats wrong. I need to start meeting to like minded people. I consider them all willfully ignorant.
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You came to the right place. A lot of us have gotten red faced from the lack of logic displayed by theists. Welcome to the forum:)
Thank you, I wrote that about a half hour ago because I just had one of those arguments and I was so frustrated I came home and looked for an online community so I can have some one to talk to. I have calmed down now and am a little more relaxed. I am getting so tired of having these arguments, they go no where and I just end up frustrated. I love my family and friends, but cant figure out why they are all so stupid.
Ive been there. Had to vent post multiple times because my family is passionate about their beliefs. They are just scared to lose you to a normal rational world of thinking. How old are you and you have dogs?
@LoveMyDog23 "cant figure out why they are all so stupid"
Maybe it's fear rather than stupidity. Atheism is a big step into the unknown for many people.
Anyway, welcome to the forum. It's good to meet people who appreciate the here and now.
I'm a 65yo ex-British New Zealander living in Queensland, Australia.
Thanks man, I have always wanted to visit Australia. Its a beautiful country with great people. Maybe someday.
We all have subjects we can't be rational about. I'm not rational when it comes to my favorite team in sports, so I guess you could call me a superfan or something.
When you can't be rational about iron age origin mythologies, we call you a theist/religious.
Nyarlathotep
Do you yell and the tv ? Do you have stinky socks superstition? You have never seemed irrational.
Once in a while :)
Nyar
Nice to hear. Love it when logical people lose it some times. Not to judge, but you become more relatable.
Well tonight is my first night on this site. I am hoping to make a new set of friends that I will be able to relate to and talk with. Im really glad I found this site. Im 45, live in New Jersey, and have a very sweet loving chihuahua named Molly. I love her more than anything.
Awe jersey boy
I married one of you:)
We lived in New Brunswick for a couple years. Jersey folk are good people.
LveMyDog23
What religion is your family?
They are christian, but none have common sense. They just believe what they know and never bother to question anything. I had to do a lot of soul searching and eventually came to the conclusion that I just didn't believe it. I wish I was wrong but I am convinced Im not. the world makes a lot more sense when you look at it from the point of view that god just doesn't exist, and that's why the things that happen do. There is just too many things about religion that don't add up. So you lived in E. Brunswick, do you miss it here in NJ? Im in Bridgewater. How did you become an atheist?
I was a bubbly naive 23 year old so I learned a lot. Not to wait for cars to stop but start crossing the street. Jersey people were often more blunt and honest than what I was used. It was my first couple years as a hairdresser so I fucked up some jersey hair. :) lol
There were some people I was drawn to because of their truthful way of living.
I loved the parks and change of weather.
I think my turning from born again to atheist was a very long process with a lot of years of denial in the middle. Like growing up and being sad that Santa isn't real but in return you get to experience life as it's happening. Not living for eternity or being depressed about your past. But figuring out one day at a time. I'm 39 now and learning interesting new things everyday.
LoveMyDog23,
Christianity was started after a serial killer saw a bright light in the sky when he was on the way to kill more people. He said that if a woman goes to church with her head uncovered that the guys should grab her and cut off her hair. And he believed in zombies and based his religion on it although he had never seen any dead people return to life. He said that if the dead don't rise then his teachings were BS. Have you seen any real zombies?
I have a sister, a brother, and two friends who are not only religious but very politically conservative. We can't discuss these subjects without it becoming an argument. When logic fails them, as it always does, they resort to the most idiotic statements and personal criticism of me. It's pointless. I now avoid these subjects, and if they bring them up, I remind them that I don't want to argue and so they should change the subject. If they don't, I then give them a healthy dose of reason, which they hate. So I usually convince them to move on to other subjects.
Welcome!
Welcome to the AR
Welcome. Nice to have you here. :-)
Welcome LoveMyDog23, I can empathize with being at odds with religious family members. I really got tired of the “little talk” requests and religious pamphlets in the mail.
Welcome to AR!
Thanks everyone, I appreciate all the friendly welcomes. I look forward to being a part of your community. Thanks again.
Welcome! I love my dog as well, he's an atheist. And he is very moral.
Man I was just out in WildWood last summer. That's always been a go to spot for my family. Convenient cause we didn't have to drive far too lol
Welcome to AR! :)
I become a lot less rational and much more emotional when I am sick and/or in pain.
People are very emotional when it comes to theism, (if they are theist.) Took me a long time to figure that out, but logic does not really work when it comes to that subject for theist.
Willfully ignorant is not how they view themselves. Willfully hopeful seems to be more accurate to my thinking. With regard to debate, yes, they will take a stance that seems to entertain a preference for ignorance rather than deny all hope.
All have their doubts and certainly don't need to be reminded of them. This is where atheism and anti-theism become confused. If you're the former, observe it quietly and make no outward premise about it. If you are the latter, you will be outlawed and deserve every feature of it that reflects in your behavior.
There is no righteousness in a theological perspective, no upmanship, no competition and certainly intelligence is a relative term where fact is not at work.
Yes, you can be well-read and stoically enamored of the power you can wield in debate. But, that debate is not your privilege to mount when and where you decide such an attack serves you and you alone. Get over yourself. People need their imaginings no less than your psyche champions your own perspectives.
I just don't understand the hurt people need to posses the power over and theism is everything the atheist resolves as wrong. The power to hurt is one of the features theism possesses, and atheism abhors, yet atheists readily pretend to have a righteous grasp and use of it. Nonsense.
Anti-theism is an army of god's loyal opposition.
So what you are saying is to not be an anti-theist and argue opposing view points, but just be an atheist and keep quiet in order to save my sanity. Is this correct?
If it is, then you are correct, I need to learn how to let things go, not engage in debate.
The other night, if I would have just got up and went in the other room to watch TV at the point when I realized we were heading down the path of a religious debate then yes all of the anguish that followed would have been avoided. I know you are right, I just don't know if I can control myself. It seems to be in me to want to debate, and if I haven't learned my lesson by now then I am the fool and the cause of my problems. I really need to learn self control, no doubt.
You forgot arrogant and condescending. It is arrogant to believe you have a hotline to the creator of the universe that cares about what you do and think and answers prayers.
Lovemydog, you must find your own way. Yes, this site helps because people have been and are where you are at.
I am more or less hostile to christians especially when they try to force their shit on me. I don't agree with Pitar. I find being passive only exacerbates the situation. They feel dominate because you won't defend your position. You don't have to defend your position, and I certainly don't recommend doing that with everyone every time, but standing your ground has benefits also. Your family and friends will get use to it and won't challenge you and will think before they try and force shit on you. It's not like you are forcing the to renounce what they believe. you are only expecting that they respect your nonbeliefs.
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