The beauty of atheism

[West491]

Irreligious wrote

Is your atheism something you're compelled to disclose even when you're pretty sure it's, otherwise, not going to be an issue?

Absolutely not.

[sgt8]

I think the way people would answer that question would depend on their geography.

I don't think I've gained anything as an atheist. I grew up in India, among Hindus. Hinduism is not dogmatic. It is seriously fucked up in many ways, but strangely, if you express non-belief or another belief, rather than swarm you and preach at you, they leave you alone. I got exactly the same treatement from friends, family and co-workers as an atheist that a Hindu got. If I had ever sought any sort of public office, my atheism would not have been an issue either.

So I don't think I personally gained anything from my society at large from being an atheist that I would not have as a theist.

It is in fact easier for me to answer the inverse of the question: What would I have lost had I been a theist? I think the answer is "Time." I would have spent a bunch of time and money at temples, religious festivals, etc. that could have been better spent wanki...er, improving the human condition.

Edit: Edited for grammar.

[Stargazer]

As an atheist, I am free. Free from having my life imposed upon me from without. Free to entertain any thoughts or ideas I choose. Free from artificially imposed guilt. Free from the twisted logic and rhetoric others try to twist their minds about in order to be accepted by an organization designed to control and coerce. Free to decide for myself.

[orangeitis]

Eternal wrote

Would you not class this as special? In a nation that is so overrun with dogma the acknowledgement of only true things is a rarity. You are in a minority. I agree about changing your status as an atheist, and was not suggesting that we would think any particular way because we are defined as atheists. I was more thinking of creating something with slightly more positive undertones for any curious people passing through. As I have said above to Irr, maybe I didn't word it as good as i could have.

Well if you look at it that way, you have a good point. =)

[Eternal]

orangeitis wrote

Well if you look at it that way, you have a good point. =)

I knew that one day sooner or later i would have one.

[Eternal]

sgt8 wrote

It is in fact easier for me to answer the inverse of the question: What would I have lost had I been a theist? I think the answer is "Time." I would have spent a bunch of time and money at temples, religious festivals, etc. that could have been better spent wanki...er, improving the human condition.

Edit: Edited for grammar.

Well I suppose following a strict regime to build the strength in your arms could be classed as improving the human condition. Just make sure you switch arms occasionally.

[Eternal]

Stargazer wrote

As an atheist, I am free. Free from having my life imposed upon me from without. Free to entertain any thoughts or ideas I choose. Free from artificially imposed guilt. Free from the twisted logic and rhetoric others try to twist their minds about in order to be accepted by an organization designed to control and coerce. Free to decide for myself.

Well said star.

[DyingStrong]

Eternal wrote

Sorry if something like this has been done already. I did have a browse but could not see anything like it.

I thought it may be beneficial to anyone who looks to see some of the reasons why we are atheists. Not just the obvious slagging off religion, maybe something a little more poetic. Can you name one thing about atheism that has improved your life, enriched your outlook or anything else that you see as a great positive.

One I am aware of is the added respect for life it has given me. The thought that there is no afterlife and that this life is all we get. That knowledge makes this life (mine and others) all the more precious.

...beauty on atheism?! did you ever feel/see beauty on theism?! Sorry, I can´t see any "beauty" on any of them. They both (theism and atheism) oppose each other, they both exist because the other one does.

[DyingStrong]

Stargazer wrote

As an atheist, I am free. Free from having my life imposed upon me from without. Free to entertain any thoughts or ideas I choose. Free from artificially imposed guilt. Free from the twisted logic and rhetoric others try to twist their minds about in order to be accepted by an organization designed to control and coerce. Free to decide for myself.

You mention the word the I love the most: "free"...freedom...liberty...

Being free, having freedom is the most precious thing any human can have, and we can all acquire it by different means. It is most certain to me that theism chains us and puts a blind over our eyes and brain, but to go as far as recognizing atheism as a mean of liberation?

I don´t think so.

Humans are not born atheists; humans are born...h u m a n s, naked, without titles of any kind.

Freedom from titles and labels, freedom from rules of others, sovereignty, individualism and self government is what I am after and what I pursue.

Not attacking your point of view, just my own personal opinion.

[ghoulslime]

orangeitis wrote

There's nothing particularly "special" about it for me. It's merely a rejection of theistic claims, that's all. If there was peer reviewed scientific proof that a deity exists tomorrow, I'd become theist, because I(and probably many others here) think that it's more important to acknowledge true things and reject false things than my actual status as an atheist.

That's pretty much my take on it. I think truth is beautiful. Even ugly truth is more beautiful than the most garnished of lies.

[ghoulslime]

West491 wrote

I want to be able to experience new friendships without having to state the fact that I don't believe in fairies, ghouls and goblins.

[sgt8]

Eternal wrote

Well I suppose following a strict regime to build the strength in your arms could be classed as improving the human condition. Just make sure you switch arms occasionally.

[Eternal]

DyingStrong wrote

...beauty on atheism?! did you ever feel/see beauty on theism?! Sorry, I can´t see any "beauty" on any of them. They both (theism and atheism) oppose each other, they both exist because the other one does.

Maybe a better way to word it would have been, what traits or knowledge do you possess that you think are advantageous over the traits or knowledge that would lead to you having a theistic world view. Whether something is beautiful is personal perception. Lots of things exist because the opposite does, I don't think that means that opposites can't carry advantages that can be large and dramatic.

[Eternal]

DyingStrong wrote

You mention the word the I love the most: "free"...freedom...liberty...

Being free, having freedom is the most precious thing any human can have, and we can all acquire it by different means. It is most certain to me that theism chains us and puts a blind over our eyes and brain, but to go as far as recognizing atheism as a mean of liberation?

I don´t think so.

Humans are not born atheists; humans are born...h u m a n s, naked, without titles of any kind.

Freedom from titles and labels, freedom from rules of others, sovereignty, individualism and self government is what I am after and what I pursue.

Not attacking your point of view, just my own personal opinion.

Maybe it is my bad explanation again. I don't think anybody is saying that atheism is a means of liberation, more that we liberate ourselves and after doing such society classes us as atheists. So while it isn't a form of liberation, there may be some consistent traits that leads to a lack of belief in deities which then leads to society classing us as atheists.

If for instance you took the "As an atheist" of the front of stars post so it just started "I am free" etc Then at the end put "because of this I am classed as an atheist" would you then agree with it?

As you say, just my personal opinion, and that is one thing that is always open to change.

[psychodiva]

ghoulslime wrote

I believe in you