Is it ok to be athiest?

Ok I have another issues thats getitng to me. I am an Athesit and have no problem with any other religion at all. What I just am curious about how when I say that im athesit people look at me like im pond scum. My parenst are religous and I do go to...

church on speical accasions and to support my mother whos in the choir at times. Is there a reason that I get looked down at because I don;t have the same beliefs as other people? I thouhg relion taught tollerance and respect. I don;t try to preach my belifs on anyone so is it ok to jsut politely say to them Thank you for that But I am currenetly sticking my belifes?|

There is NO heaven or hell...believe in yourself, not in a book written by humans. If you are a good person, you have nothing to worry about. Fear is what drives religion to recruit people, in my view...it's very sad. If there is a higher being, I don't think it would really care whether you believed EVERYTHING written in the many religious books all claiming to be correct & true. We all have a purpose, it's up to us to realise our what that is...we all have the ability to know right from wrong...and we don't need to worship anything. Be true to yourself, thats your choice. Learn from the many mistakes religion has brought upon humanity...and be a better person for it.

no its not okay

Is it OK in law? - definately.

Is it OK socially? - I think it should be. Sorry if you're not experiencing that.

Is it OK with God? - Well, I believe Him, so I'm going to include Him in the answer. I think He is OK with the fact that you're trying to think things through for yourself, that you're trying to find what's really true, instead of just blindly believing what others tell you. I believe that in the long run He wants you to find Him for yourself, but I think that at the moment He'll respect your desire to find out the truth for yourself.

Certainly your choice to ignore, but the Bible makes it clear, there is a Heaven and there is a Hell - thus making it clear there are indeed consequencies to acceptance or rejection - your choice/your risk.

omit the 'our' in my last response...

The interesting thing about atheism is this: Atheists are among the most disliked groups. In a poll several years ago more people said they would never vote for an atheist for president of the US than said they wouldn't vote for a woman, black, or Muslim. In spite of the fact we are the most disliked group nobody knows we don't believe in God unless we tell them.

I'm suprised by the number of closet atheists I've met over the years. One time while on a vacation I was talking to another couple and after we talked a while I mentioned that I was an Athiest. The woman I was talking to got excited and called her husband over. In hushed tones she leaned over and told me that they too didn't believe in God but they didn't tell anyone. She was suprised that I was candid enough about it to tell someone I just met that I didn't believe in God. At my last job at least everyone in the office or who read our local BBS or Usent group knew I was an atheist; when I left that job and made the rounds saying my good-byes several of my coworkers confided in me that they too were atheists but didn't advertise it because they feared that it would hurt their career (our boss was a devout Mormon).

When I meet people I generally don't tell them that I'm an atheist until I know them for a while. After they have opionions about my character then I tell them I'm an atheist when it is germane to our conversation. I figure that if I tell them before they know me that it may prejudice them against me but if I tell them after they decide I'm a good guy it will raise their opinion of atheists. To many of the people I meet I'm the only atheist they know so I try to be a good ambassador of Atheism.

WOW...life is certainly weird...if you said you were an atheist to the majority of Australians...they would be like...so? ummm...ok...whatever...want to beer?

...I've had a few tonight...I meant...Want 'A' beer!!!

Look at it this way - At one point EVERYONE was atheist. You have no thoughts of religion when you're born, you're free to think whatever you want.

I don't believe in God for obvious reasons that most people list but the biggest reason I don't believe is because "religion" seems like a chain letter to me. What if no one forwards you the chain letter? (meaning no one told you about God, Jesus, Buddha or Allah) You automatically go to hell? I don't believe in chain letters.

For a while I was a leader of a worship band in a Wesleyan Church... because that's what I was "supposed" to do. After a while I was frustrated that I just wasn't feeling it and quit. Plus I ask too many questions that no one could truly answer.

I think everyone should experience their own spirituality all on their own, without the need of other sources or someone telling them what to believe in.

I have beliefs that are what someone would call "new age-y" but really it's just what I've experienced first hand. I'm agnostic, I know there is a force or higher power on this earth - not necessarily a deity but something that is bigger than me.

xox
Sika

I totally agree with Fillet and I'm living my life the same way. It's not socially acceptable in some parts of the world to be an atheist (like in the Southern U.S. where I live) but so what? I can't suddenly decide to change my beliefs for no reason. I require evidence and so far I've found no evidence for any gods.

Some people are tolerant and others are not. I don't think that will ever change. Just keep trying to learn all you can about everything and go where the evidence leads. It's more important to be honest with yourself than to live a lie in order to fit in.

Im an atheist too. Your parents shouldnt feel disappointed or anything just because you are an atheist. We atheists are people too and we are not one bit less valuable than christians.

There is nothing wrong with being an atheist but a bit of advice from a christian
The bible says you can't pass to heaven UNLESS you believe in God
If you want more info read the Shock of your life and after shock by Adrian Holloway it will change your life, it changed mine.
GOD BLESS YOU!!!

Yeah well... the Bible also says:

"She lusted after their genitals as large as those of donkeys, and their seminal emission was as strong as that of stallions." -- Ezekiel 23:20

So... any of you atheists want to buy a Bible?

My outlook would be, you are who you are. Atheist, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist... what ever, it's your life you live it the way you want. I'll admit, I am a Christian, I do believe god is my lord and savior, But I don't push my ideas on people. Nor do I make fun or degrade religion.

Wow I am amazed at this I thouhg I would be bombared by christians trying to convert me. Its actualy kind of nice that im not being told Im Darned to Heck forever because I don't belive. Which I never understand becuase I neither belive in heaven or Hell so is that a threat? I think what confuses me the most if how christians are taught to treat everyone equal, but, christians think its ok to look down upon people that don;t follow their religion. Im glade The repsonse for the most part is postive. It keeps my hopes up that may be decent people in the world after all that can accept that I have my own beliefs and wont conform to the "cult" of religion

Well...

There are plenty of 'Cool Christians' on this site. The ones who actually like to discuss their faith with others, without the fire and eternal damnation stuff that so many other 'Notsocool Christians' like to promote (I can see ONE up there).

Being agnostic, I actually enjoy learning about world religions, Christianity in particular, because I'm more directly connected to it (I just acquired copies of 'The Gnostic Gospels' and the 'Gospel Of Judas' ...I'll dive into those once I finish the 'Dead Sea Scrolls'). So its nice to be able to discuss it with other people, from different parts of the world on FunAdvice.

Discuss... or yell... whatever...

In my personal opinion, being an atheist is like running away from realities. Its a way people choose to free themselves of all the questions they face.

Look at it this way. There was a recent article at my school about why students watch pornography ? The answer given to this was that students want to run away from the realities of life. Facing pressure at school/society induces one into such acts. Its also a case of frustration.

People talk about religion, morality, righteousness and other stuff in great detail. Some want to hang on to those - ponder on all the complexities of life, worry about their creator and reflect upon the very existence of this Universe (which is definitely not a conjecture). Others want to run away from these questions. They want to face away from the real questions. A simple solution to this is like our pornographic analogy - reject the very existence of the central concept of God !!

Hence I would say that it's not ok to be an atheist. Although I don't have a problem with living with an atheist I would suggest that they re-look into their choice.

***Its a way people choose to free themselves of all the questions they face.***

Not everyone needs explanations for things that humanity as a whole is not able to comprehend.

motown, to the atheist being religious is running away from reality. It's just a matter of perspective.

Being an atheist is hardly the easy road. The easiest thing is to go with the majority and believe in God. To remain an atheist one has to be more interested in the truth than fitting in and getting along with others.

Most atheists have spent a lot of time reflecting on what they believe. Most atheists used to believe in God and went through a great deal of inner termoil when they lost their faith. I've been an atheist since I was 12 and people have been trying to save me ever since. They all think that I just haven't heard the right arguments and that once they can explain it to me that I will accept Jesus; in most cases I know their arguments better than they do (I have studied apologetics). I'm not saying that believers are shallow; I know a lot of believers who have spent just as much time and mental energy coming to their worldview; I'm saying don't discount atheists as people who simply don't know all the arguments for religion.

Thanks filletofspam...

Definitely not..We shouldnt (and I dont) discount the atheists...my answer needs some clarification of course. By freedom I meant regulatory restrictions.

Lets look at it this way. Religion is typically the force which keeps you away from doing certain things based on a social understanding of affairs. Most often they are profane (again based on perspective you can say but this is collective). A general social acceptance of a few things like stealing, lying etc being profane adds them into the realm of religious restrictions. However an atheist has no such bindings. Its only about an individual moral restriction which has to be self motivated. Only this may restrain an atheist from doing these things as against a set of rules set by a religion. Thats one difference I see.

Typically if an individual wants to commit such a profanity, he would turn to atheism. Qualifying his act as valid based on his individual understanding. Thats what I meant when I said about them wanting to run away from realities. If an atheist commits an ill deed (generally described in a religious text) he does not feel remorse for it..he would say that its ok to do that. Having said this I imply that the reality is the socially accepted norm of a profanity which a religion aptly describes.

To sum it up, sticking to a religion actually keeps one away (or restricts one) from profanities and atheism is just a way around it. Hence I would say that its running away !!

Motowin,

Thanks for your clarification but I think you've got it all wrong. I know lots of religious people who go to chuch every Sunday and can quote parts of their precious rule book by heart. Monday through Saturday, they don't even bother to try to live up to those rules. And I'm not talking about a few - I'm talking about a majority.

People hold themselves accountable to their morals which may or may not be part of their advertised religion. Most of us atheists have morals that both encourage and restrict our actions. We do not require any religion to achieve this.

So no, atheism is not "running away" from accountability. It's simply a lack of belief in gods. No more and no less.