Hello,
I am 16 and if you met me in real life, I would tell you that I am Christian. However, I have been thinking a lot about this topic, and the more I think about it the more I think I don't believe it.
I have been thinking about posting here for months and have finally decided to do it, I haven't told anyone about my beliefs and wish to keep it that way, which is why I'm not using my real name. I don't think my family would disown me or anything like that, but I feel if I tell them I wouldn't have the same closeness towards them. I also fear losing many of my close friends and connections, as I have met most of them through Church or through family. So my only fear of coming out would be losing the sense of community.
Another fear of admitting my beliefs, or lack there of, would be answering the hard questions because I'm still young and don't have the knowledge yet.
In saying that, I wanted to post on here to see if I could get that same sense of community here. I hope I can be more involved on this forum in future and want to learn more. I have recently been watching a lot of atheists of YouTube. For me the main person who convinced me was Aron Ra, his knowledge of religion amazes me, and I have learnt quite a lot from him. Another one of my favourites is Lawrence Krauss, I have read a few of his books and really enjoyed it. I am really into physics and have enjoyed his books a lot.
I hope to enjoy being here, and hope to learn a lot. If you have any questions for me or anything you think I missed or should know, let me know.
Thanks a lot. :)
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Welcome Intelligent Ape. That's a great name you've chosen. You're wise not to put your real name on the Internet for all sorts of reasons.
Don't worry about the hard questions and a lack of knowledge. We're all here to learn (except the theist proselytizers perhaps). As an old Japanese proverb says: Not knowing is a moment's shame. Not asking is a lifetime of shame. Jump in and share your views, and don't be discouraged if people counter-attack.
Thanks, when I was thinking of a name, I thought this would be good. I like that proverb and would say that I try to live that way.
@ Algebe: Ewwwww...... I like that one. I have to remember it!
Ewwwww! Another monkey! Bonobo? Orangutan? Chimpanzee? I can't wait for the pic!!! Wait.... it could be one of those humans! Welcome to the site!!!
Arron and Lawrence are two good ones. You are off to a good start. Lots more out there but do not forget to listen to people like William Lane Craig. You have to know what the religious are throwing at us before you can understand the rebuttals. In the end, you should be able to defend your Christian beliefs better than the average Christian. You should know the twists and turns they make to avoid giving answers and recognize their manipulations. It's not just learning about atheism. You must know the Christian claims to debunk them. Atheism is the rejection of Christian claims. When you hear your pastor or a religious friend say something, I invite you to post it and see what responses you get. There are quite a few very smart people around here. Participate as much as you like and join in on the fun.
Thanks a lot. As far as what monkey I am, haven't thought about that haha. But I will definitely do that, thanks for the suggestion.
@Intelligent Ape
Welcome to the atheist republic forums! Having other people to talk about atheist subjects can be very rewarding, and help you become better informed. When I first joined atheist republic I was a lot less sure of my atheist conclusions then I am now.
@Algebe
I too like that Japanese proverb.
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▮ I am an atheist that always likes a good debate. ▮
▮ Please include @LogicFTW in responses directed to me. ▮
▮ Useful list on forum usage. A.R. Member since 2016. ▮
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Welcome Intelligent Ape
Along Algebe's Japanese proverb, here is something I have learned: "There is no shame in being self-taught. The only shame lies in not seeking to learn in the first place."
And have fun while you are here.
rmfr
@Intelligent Ape
Congratulations! People who wake up from delusions, like you, restore my hope for the future humanity.
It looks like you're doing everything right, reading, searching answers, thinking for yourself and reaching out to talk to others. While at the same time being mindful about revealing your lack of belief.
Thank you all for commenting. It feels good to finally tell someone about my beliefs. I will definitely keep posting if I have questions.
What beliefs? I thought you said you were an atheist?
I mean, lack of, wasn't really sure how to word it.
he he he ..... No one knows what you believe. But if you hang out here you generally do not believe in God or gods.
Not believing in a God is the same thing as not believing the number of stars in the sky are even. If you say you do not believe they are even you are not asserting they are odd. You just don't believe the claim that they are even. Similarly, if you do not believe god claims, it says nothing at all about what you do believe. You are not asserting that there is no god. You are just saying that you do not believe the claims theists are making. None of the claims can stand up to critical inquiry.
The God hypothesis is a failed hypothesis. It has failed for 2000 years.
For anyone who thinks they have some proof of God. all we ask them to do is prove it.
Ah I see. Do many people assert that there are no gods? Or is it mostly just a lack of belief in the claims made by theists?
If you assert there is no god, you are stating a belief and thereby accepting a burden of proof. (This is the anti-theist assertion) a sub category of atheism. Before you make the statement, "God does not exist," you should know which god you are talking about. How is the theist defining God? Never let them con you into defining it. That just leads to "Moving the Goalposts." "Well, that's not really the god I mean."
Atheism is the rejection of God claims. Atheists do not believe in Gods, This is the set of all atheists. Some atheists assert, "god does not exist." But if you are going to make such a statement you must have the knowledge to defend it. To some, this distinction is called "soft vs hard" atheism. I prefer anti-thiest. And there are times I a proud to wear the badge. I have a serious dislike for organized religion of any kind. In some discussions the "anti-theist" in me just comes out. But when it does, I am generally on very solid ground.
@ IA
"Or is it mostly just a lack of belief in the claims made by theists?"
Atheism is entirely the lack of belief in god or gods...and the claims made by theists. That is ALL it is. Not a lifestyle choice, not a world view, not an alternative belief, its a lack of belief in a god or gods.
Welcome to you. Stick to the basics...ask away, there are great people on this site that will help you with any questions you may have. Having said that, this is the internet, take the usual precautions.
Welcome fellow primate.
@Intelligent Ape
Hey there, young man. Glad you decided to join out merry little band of "Deplorable Heathens". *chuckle* My apologies for the delayed welcome. Been tied up on a couple of other threads. Great having you with us. Seeing youngsters like yourself here gives me hope. Congratulations on being able to escape from the insidious tentacles of religion at such an early age. I'm almost jealous of you. *grin* Took me a vast majority of my life to finally break away.
As others have already said, continue to learn. Read. Research. Seek knowledge. Question everything. Don't be afraid to ask the difficult questions. And here on the AR is the perfect place to do exactly that. Plus, we do like to have our fun... *mischievous snicker*... So, look around and make yourself at home. Looking forward to seeing you around.
Welcome to AR, Ape, happy to have you aboard!
Hello and welcome! Wow you picked two good ones to start with. There are many more on you tube. Might I suggest a few that I have watched?
Dark matter 2025. Just keep in mind some of the language is a bit rough
43alley is a good one.
I like the friendly atheist also known as The atheist voice