Why did you choose Atheism?

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dtommy79's picture
Why did you choose Atheism?

I'm just wondering what made you choose to become Atheist? Did you just decide this is the best way to go or did you evaluate different religions and reached a conclusion that they were not for you?

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Serjaydee's picture
I chose it by way of

I chose it by way of evaluation. Even though there is no such status that you can choose in my country. :P Are there any country where you can register as an Atheist? Anyway, my family are all Christians. When I was a kid I really wanted to be a priest and thus I memorized a lot of things that I can in the Bible because I know I'll go through it anyway when I grew up and went on with priesthood. But being a very educated child as well, I think that's the reason why I started to doubt about the Bible and all other stories on why people should believe god. Then I check about the Jews and the Muslims and discovered that every religion does seem to have the same problem, none of them can answer direct questions about the existence of a god.

catandmouse's picture
What made you to doubt bible?

What made you to doubt bible?
I mean its said that bible encloses all the answer for your questions.
I am sure their might be some cause that lead you to become an atheist.

dtommy79's picture
Isn't it kind of strange when

Isn't it kind of strange when your family is Christian and you believe in a whole different story? My mother is very religios, and although I believe in God too, I have very different views on the Bible and God. Sometimes we have very heated arguments :)

atheister's picture
I did not choose atheism but

I did not choose atheism but it chose me and am glad that it did....

Mirta's picture
I can't define me an atheist,

I can't define me an atheist, neither a christian or a buddhist or anything else...
I can't find a religion that really fitted to me, neither the absence of religion...

Zarathustra's picture
I didn't choose, and I don't

I didn't choose, and I don't define myself as an atheist. An atheist is literally someone without Gods. As I have never believed in Gods, I never chose to not believe, I simply never chose to believe. The best I can say I am is a Humanist, that is, one who finds love and compassion for all our species, but rejects supernatural or religious notions of this world. The absence of hair is not the same as having it. The absence of pizza is not the same as pizza. I.e. you do not choose to not have pizza, you simply haven't acquired any.

SammyShazaam's picture
Excellently stated :) I fell

Excellently stated :) I fell pretty much the same way. I was raised to believe, not very firmly though, but more presented information and told to make my own choice. I've chosen not to follow any of the theistic belief structures presented to me.

Tman127182's picture
Basically, I stopped

Basically, I stopped believing in a god when I started questioning my upbringing. I couldn't find a logical reason to believe in a deity, especially one that is based on an archaic book.

mysticrose's picture
I can also consider myself as

I can also consider myself as a humanist because I find goodness more important that believing in gods that religions want us. But it doesn't matter to me if they call me an atheist too because I can't see something wrong with being an atheist, knowing that being an atheist is not being bad but becoming skeptic, wise, and logical.

sjewins's picture
When I was 14 years old I was

When I was 14 years old I was a devout Christian and decided to read the Bible from cover to cover. I got half way through it and realized that it was ridiculous bullshit and that the god character was an asshole. I got rid of the Christian delusion and have never looked back.

LogicFTW's picture
Did you reply to a nearly 5

Did you reply to a nearly 5 year old thread 2 hours ago, (from time of this posting?) Or did the forum bug out a bit and change the date of this posting and "Simon Ewins" is an old forum user that likely has not been posting here for several years?

mickron88's picture
hhmm...yeah...i noticed that.

hhmm...yeah...i noticed that..

seems to me that it's a glitch..

is it possible cyb?

CyberLN's picture
New member...

New member...

LogicFTW's picture
I do not want to derail this

I do not want to derail this topic too much, but, I have seen many forums that have a sort of "topic graveyard" section where postings automatically get moved to once they go without a reply or any activity for a set amount of time. (can be a month, a year, etc.) Typically topics in this "graveyard" cannot be replied to. Ofcourse people can start new post and reference an old thread as needed. Just an idea if admin considers resurrected "zombie" posts to be an issue.

CyberLN's picture
I guess I just don’t see the

I guess I just don’t see the problem with adding to a string no matter its age. If someone has something to add, gopher it. I see no reason a brand new string needs to be started based simply on a date.

LogicFTW's picture
Fair enough.

Fair enough.

Again I thank you for doing the usually thankless task of admin on these forums.

CyberLN's picture
YVW

YVW

Sheldon's picture
I agree, though I am

I agree, though I am struggling with the way the posts are inserted into the middle of a thread, rather than in chronological order. When I click on the link to new posts I have no idea after i read the first one where the rest are? Also the thread might have 24 pages and yet I am reading the latest post on page 1? Am I missing a trick here?

LogicFTW's picture
I do a ctrl c on the

I do a ctrl c on the timestamp for that first new post the new post button takes you to, then I hit ctrl f (at least for chrome,) then ctrl v. Then you can just down arrow or click to see every post made that day. Especially useful if it is the first time that day you can get every new post for the day. You can even try to put in the hour digits to get certain time of the day post. (Switch it to 24 hour clock instead of 12.)

For example, your reply was the first "new" posting for me in this thread. I would ctrl C, V, F without the quotes the following: "03/14/2018" and then every post post on that day will be found for that page of replies. Also keep in mind even newer post like: "03/15/2018" will be below the 03/14/2018 post either in reply or in reply to original post (last page.)

Sadly there is not an option to display all replies on a single page or more of them on a single page, so you do need to do this for each page of replies, and hit ctrl f again (don't have to do c and v again.). And use down arrow key, or click the arrows with the mouse. If there is no replies with that date, it will state 0/0 found (at least in chrome.)

Every browser and operating system has a similar operation. For the more adventurous out there, you can set up a text only browser, then it is much easier to write and use scripts with the text only. Where you can essentially create your own "next new post" button. Plus lots of other highly useful things but I would imagine the server hosting the forums will thrash if everyone ran forum crawlers that pulled all new postings and did post tracking.

mickron88's picture
"choose to become Atheist"

"choose to become Atheist"

it's not choosing atheism..
i just realize that were all atheist since we were born..
you just don't know it...

exclude the atheism to be a belief system..
you sounded like you're saying that atheism is a religion..
thank you

Sapporo's picture
I disproved God early on

I disproved God early on moral grounds - the lack of evidence was a secondary concern.

I agree with the sentiment that I did not choose to be an atheist - I cannot dictate what I believe.

Tin-Man's picture
Well, for me, I chose atheism

Well, for me, I chose atheism originally because I heard the "Dark Side" had cookies. When I got here to the AR, though, I found out somebody had already eaten all of the damn things. (Pretty sure it was Old Man and Myk, but I can't prove it.) Then I read something in the AR welcome page that mentioned free vacations to the Bahamas, and free fancy cars, and penthouse apartments and shit like that for new ATHEIST AR members, so I figured, "Awesome! Even if I didn't get a cookie." Of course, I still haven't gotten any of those things yet. And I can't seem to find that part in the welcome area anymore that mentioned the free stuff. No doubt they delete that part after a new person becomes a member. So, here I am. Still hoping to get my free Bahama vacation. Personally, I think it's a big conspiracy to trick people into becoming atheists. Don't fall for it. Hell, I haven't even gotten a cookie yet. *frownie face*

Old man shouts at clouds's picture
@ TM

@ TM

After my first post on AR I got a really nice invite from some Alabama folks. They wanted to invite me to a 'necktie party' (Obviously, like western Australia you guys only wear ties for special occasions) and afterwards for a "burnin'" and I love BBQ's. Unfortunately when I applied for my visa I found that apparently I had a first class cell reserved for me in the Kentucky State Prison for "fornicatin without due care and attention while being a disbeliever" Something to do with a pastor's daughter back in my musician days.
So I had to decline the party and the bbq after. They seemed such nice people in their white robes and ceremonial weapons.

Tin-Man's picture
@Old Man

@Old Man

True story...

Back in my early childhood days, those fine white-robed gentlemen of which you speak were a fairly common sight in the small town in which I grew up. So, here I am in the car with my Mom, standing up in the back seat looking over her shoulder with all the windows down on a fine spring day. We enter the parking lot of the local shopping center, and there is a gathering of those "Defenders of the Master Race" all decked out in their finest ceremonial costumes, complete with the iconic "Headgear of Anonymity". Apparently they were making a public appearance to reassure the faithful followers of the town they were ever-vigilant in their sacred duties to aggressively stomp out practical human decency and common sense wherever it reared its ugly head. (I guess. Hell, I was only about four or five. What did I know?) Anyway, as we neared the group, I began pointing at them and yelled out loudly to my Mom, "Mommy, mommy! Look! CLOWNS!!!" (Windows were down, remember?) Yes, heads did turn in our direction. Now, I do not remember exactly, but for some reason I am pretty sure we did not park, and we did not go to the store at that time. I somehow have this vague memory of my Mom speeding up, exiting the parking area as quickly as possible, and then returning home in a bit of a rush. No piece of candy for ME that day!

Tin-Man's picture
@Old Man

@Old Man

Oh, and I understand the "neck-tie" parties and "burnings" can be a real hoot..... (as long as you are not the guest of honor).

Old man shouts at clouds's picture
@ TM

@ TM
Oh you make me larf...I need that!

chimp3's picture
I became atheist when I

I became atheist when I stopped believing the dead could rise again! I have extended this lack of faith to necroposting also.

arakish's picture
Actually I was born Atheist.

Actually I was born Atheist. I just grew up in the worst part of the Bible Belt and had Christianity forced onto me through the child abuse of mental rape, emotional molestation, and psychological terrorism... Because the ONLY Ultimate Message of ALL Christendom is:

"You are condemned to Hell forever, unless you do as we say." (emphases theirs)

And I think I finally figured a way to keep those damned Absolutist Theists away. I have a large sign post right next to the entrance stairs to my home...

My sign says: "To Hell with the dog. Beware of Owner. Absolutist Theists will be shot on sight. Survivors shall be shot a second time. Atheists, hell come on in for a brew."

rmfr

LogicFTW's picture
I am unfamiliar with the term

I am unfamiliar with the term Absolutist Theist. (I do not live in the bible belt either.) Is it theist that believe in moral absolutism?

Cognostic's picture
@United Kingdom - Choice?

@United Kingdom - Choice?
No one chooses to be an atheist. Belief is chosen. You have chosen to be religious. You choose to ignore facts. Atheists have looked at the facts and evidence and simply do not believe Christian claims. It is not a matter of choosing not to believe them. It is a matter of the claims falling short of reason, logic, and critical analysis. You have a god that is invisible, non-corporal, who does magic but not consistently or on demand and not in a way that the magic can actually be attributed directly to him. In short there is no evidence at all for your God. This is not a choice but a logical and reasonable outcome of a heartfelt, critical, and serious investigation into the existence of god or Gods.

If you want to change the atheist position all you have to do is provide evidence.

With that said, there are anti-theists, a category of atheists, who do make the assertion that God does not exist. (This is not the atheist position. Atheists do not believe in god claims. These two things are not the same.) When someone makes the claim that a god does not exist, they have accepted a burden of proof.

Generally the claims go something like this.
1. There are millions of and 10,000 years of failed gods. There is no reason at all to assume your god is different than any other god. To make such a claim would involve "Special Pleading." (All gods are false but mine is special.) The evidence does not support your claim.

2. You have no evidence at all for the existence of your god. None. A god that is undefinable, non-corporal, beyond time and space, and who offers no evidence for his or her existence is the same thing as nothing.

3. All apologist's attempts at arguing for the existence of a God or gods are based on fallacies and have failed. Kalan Cosmological argument, Argument from Design, Argument from morality, Pascal's Wager, Teleological Arguments, Presuppositionalism, all (EACH AND EVERY ONE) are failures. None have come close to proving a God exists. NONE!

Given the complete lack of evidence for the existence of God or Gods, it takes a small leap of logic (NOT FAITH) to make the assertion that a god does not exist. In fact if you can define your god in any way at all I can prove to you that it does not exist. By the very nature of the being you are referring to it can always be greater or lesser than your definition so your definition (any definition) always falls short. If it can not be defined then what it the point in calling it real? It makes perfect logical sense to come to the conclusion that God or gods do not exist.

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