Causes of Atheism

[Luddly Neddite]

WHY do believers care about you??? WE ARE TOLD BY JESUS that we should care,He cared enough to go to the cross in your place to pay the price for your sins, SO we care enough to tell you the gospel=the good news that you can confess and repent and be forgiven and not go to hell!!!

gismo, all you "care" about is yelling the loudest.

Answer the question:

Why are christians always wanting a fight about this?

I have no investment in what they believe, don't care, never think about it except when I read stuff like this thread.

Why are they constantly trying to get others to believe as they do?

Just quit the yammering and preaching and bible thumping and accept that not everyone believes as you do.

JESUS sends out believers to all the world with the good news= THE GOSPEL=HIS WORD. why??? to keep you from eternal hell!!!

IOW, you can't even try to answer.

Why do you try to pass as a christian?

You're back on ignore.

 

[ZenBubba]

Fun filled fact: One is born an atheist.

One is also born illiterate and poops ones self.

 

[GISMYS]

gismo, all you "care" about is yelling the loudest.

Answer the question:

Why are christians always wanting a fight about this?

I have no investment in what they believe, don't care, never think about it except when I read stuff like this thread.

Why are they constantly trying to get others to believe as they do?

Just quit the yammering and preaching and bible thumping and accept that not everyone believes as you do.

JESUS sends out believers to all the world with the good news= THE GOSPEL=HIS WORD. why??? to keep you from eternal hell!!!

IOW, you can't even try to answer.

Why do you try to pass as a christian?

You're back on ignore.

ROFLMAO!!! LIARS ARE LIARS!!!HUH??? good now you can't try to waste my time!!! TWEAK!!!

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Fun filled fact: One is born an atheist.

One is also born illiterate and poops ones self.

Oh terrific. Another "christian" who thinks being rude, nasty, abrasive and insulting is doing the work of god.

 

[Pennywise]

Fun filled fact: One is born an atheist.

One is also born illiterate and poops ones self.

Oh terrific. Another "christian" who thinks being rude, nasty, abrasive and insulting is doing the work of god.

Another moron. There was nothing rude in that post. Apparently the all enlightened atheists cannot discern when a valid point is presented.

 

[hipeter924]

The irony is that the citizens of an atheist state make most of the Christian fundies consumer goods. Good luck with that get rid of atheism thing, China is going to overtake the US economy fairly soon.

 

[Disir]

I'm agnostic.

You freak!!

I was talking about the OP and his following posts. But, I mean...........sure you might qualify.

Yeah.

Or maybe you're just an arrogant moron hypocrite who thinks they have all the answers and tells the other guy he's wrong because he thinks he has the answers.

You're a joke.

Or maybe you're a chicken that pretends to sit on the fence thus making sure that you don't get nailed and can play any side that suits your fancy.

 

[Disir]

Fun filled fact: One is born an atheist.

One is also born illiterate and poops ones self.

Very good.

 

[Machaut]

Why are christians always wanting a fight about this?

I have no investment in what they believe, don't care, never think about it except when I read stuff like this thread.

Why are they constantly trying to get others to believe as they do?

Just quit the yammering and preaching and bible thumping and accept that not everyone believes as you do.

I can't speak for others, but I started this thread not to convert anyone, but to genuinely ask about what causes people to convert to atheism.

Of course, I've made frequent comments about butthurt atheists etc. throughout the thread, but I intended them as lighthearted rather than malicious.

I think that the Internet is a major obstacle to determining someone's intent and tone, and the fact that this site is the home to many heated discussion probably doesn't help. I encourage others to view this thread and the posts in it as laid back and inquisitive rather than angry and accusatory. Unless they use the face, which is the universal symbol for "I am not feeling laid back right now."

Threads like this one can be very informative if we debate ideas rather than the people who have them.

 

[amrchaos]

Fun filled fact: One is born an atheist.

I've heard this argument before and still can't quite grasp it. It's like saying one is born a Holocaust denier.

Actually, your analogy is incorrect. Let me explain why.

An atheist is some one who does not have an active belief in god. Hence when one ask the question" Do newborns have an active belief in God?" What is your answer?

Religion must be taught. God/Gods of a religion must be taught. If no religion is taught, then the person in question cannot posses an active belief in god because he has no knowledge of what a god is.

On the other hand, a person who denies the Holocaust is a Holocaust denier.
While one who is ignorant of what the Holocaust is is not a Holocaust denier. This person has to be taught about the Holocaust before he can even become a Holocaust denier. This usually depends on who teaches this person!

Atheism is not taught. When one 'converts" to atheism, the process is sometimes referred to as "deconversion" because it involves questioning the prime reason of why you accepted something as true. Those excuses you gave, are probably one of the many questions the celebrities asked themselves before they deconverted.

There is one strange observation I noticed about people going through deconversion--in the process, the theistic-based identity of the person is destroyed, leading them to ask many of the same questions that I find theist ask atheists but in a different manner.

If you ever wanted to gain insight into the world view of an atheist without feeling to offended, look up books on "Why I became an atheist" or other books concerning deconversion.

WARNING: these books may offended you because these people are questioning their religion. Ridicule of a previous held belief will often pop up.

 

[GISMYS]

GOD TELLS US WHY ATHEIST BECOME ATHEIST ===That man is a fool who says to himself, “There is no God!” Anyone who talks like that is warped and evil and cannot really be a good person at all.Psalm 14:1===Only a fool would say to himself, “There is no God.” And why does he say it? Because of his wicked heart, his dark and evil deeds. His life is corroded with sin. PSALM 53:1 and you???

 

[Machaut]

The irony is that the citizens of an atheist state make most of the Christian fundies consumer goods. Good luck with that get rid of atheism thing, China is going to overtake the US economy fairly soon.

Ultra-mega irony: Most Chinese atheists are completely different from American atheists in their attitudes towards religion. All of the born-and-bred Chinese I've met, both online and in person, have been either irreligious (don't care about religion as opposed to the common American atheist stance of being anti-religion) or had a kind of "cool story bro" view of all other religions. Like, the same way we view the pagan/polytheist faiths in Lord of the Rings, Warcraft, D&D, etc. as being interesting (if you're into that sort of thing) but not real and thus not offensive or competing with our own beliefs, so too do they view the Torah, Bible, Qur'an, etc.

I call this irony because, although many "Christian fundies" do view atheism as evil, and China is thought of as being essentially the atheist state, Chinese atheism is more along the lines of that innate "Well I've never really thought about it" brand of atheism Disir is trying to allude to, not the typical conscious atheism found in the West.

 

[GreenBean]

Fun filled fact: One is born an atheist.

I've heard this argument before and still can't quite grasp it. It's like saying one is born a Holocaust denier.

Or one is born Gay

 

[GreenBean]

The irony is that the citizens of an atheist state make most of the Christian fundies consumer goods. Good luck with that get rid of atheism thing, China is going to overtake the US economy fairly soon.

Ultra-mega irony: Most Chinese atheists are completely different from American atheists in their attitudes towards religion. All of the born-and-bred Chinese I've met, both online and in person, have been either irreligious (don't care about religion as opposed to the common American atheist stance of being anti-religion) or had a kind of "cool story bro" view of all other religions. Like, the same way we view the pagan/polytheist faiths in Lord of the Rings, Warcraft, D&D, etc. as being interesting (if you're into that sort of thing) but not real and thus not offensive or competing with our own beliefs, so too do they view the Torah, Bible, Qur'an, etc.

I call this irony because, although many "Christian fundies" do view atheism as evil, and China is thought of as being essentially the atheist state, Chinese atheism is more along the lines of that innate "Well I've never really thought about it" brand of atheism Disir is trying to allude to, not the typical conscious atheism found in the West.

Oriental Religions differ from Judeo-Christian Religions in that they are more philiosophical and less of the "bow down and worship" and subjugation of "sinful humans" to a jealous God . In the West a large number of free thinkers who migrated to Atheism out of distaste for religous institutions , eventually define themselves as Agnostic .

 

[Montrovant]

Oh look, yet another thread where atheism is not defined and people seem to be arguing about different definitions of the word.

 

[Machaut]

Fun filled fact: One is born an atheist.

I've heard this argument before and still can't quite grasp it. It's like saying one is born a Holocaust denier.

Actually, your analogy is incorrect. Let me explain why.

An atheist is some one who does not have an active belief in god. Hence when one ask the question" Do newborns have an active belief in God?" What is your answer?

Religion must be taught. God/Gods of a religion must be taught. If no religion is taught, then the person in question cannot posses an active belief in god because he has no knowledge of what a god is.

On the other hand, a person who denies the Holocaust is a Holocaust denier.
While one who is ignorant of what the Holocaust is is not a Holocaust denier. This person has to be taught about the Holocaust before he can even become a Holocaust denier. This usually depends on who teaches this person!

I believe that I understand your point. However, while newborns do not have an active belief in God, they also do not have an active belief in the Holocaust.

I think that a large part of this debate about being born an atheist could be settled by each side, and hopefully society, defining their terminology more accurately. I would say that babies are not truly born as atheists; but rather, they are born irreligious. Atheism--and as you are someone who appears to be an atheist, please correct me if I am mistaken--refers to an active disbelief in or rejection of theism, not simply the passive lack of belief in it. I consider atheism to be a religious affiliation, whereas irreligion is not. What are your thoughts on the matter?

Atheism is not taught. When one 'converts" to atheism, the process is sometimes referred to as "deconversion" because it involves questioning the prime reason of why you accepted something as true. Those excuses you gave, are probably one of the many questions the celebrities asked themselves before they deconverted.

There is one strange observation I noticed about people going through deconversion--in the process, the theistic-based identity of the person is destroyed, leading them to ask many of the same questions that I find theist ask atheists but in a different manner.

I am interested in this. Can you give specific examples of the kind of questions and their differences from theist-to-atheist and athiest-to-theist?

If you ever wanted to gain insight into the world view of an atheist without feeling to offended, look up books on "Why I became an atheist" or other books concerning deconversion.

WARNING: these books may offended you because these people are questioning their religion. Ridicule of a previous held belief will often pop up.

I don't get offended. Can you recommend any in particular? I would prefer to not waste my money on books that are, essentially, a recap of this thread: GISMYS-style rants about how evil Christians are, "I was abused by nuns as a kid so God isn't real," "I like wine too much for God to exist," etc.

 

[Disir]

The irony is that the citizens of an atheist state make most of the Christian fundies consumer goods. Good luck with that get rid of atheism thing, China is going to overtake the US economy fairly soon.

Ultra-mega irony: Most Chinese atheists are completely different from American atheists in their attitudes towards religion. All of the born-and-bred Chinese I've met, both online and in person, have been either irreligious (don't care about religion as opposed to the common American atheist stance of being anti-religion) or had a kind of "cool story bro" view of all other religions. Like, the same way we view the pagan/polytheist faiths in Lord of the Rings, Warcraft, D&D, etc. as being interesting (if you're into that sort of thing) but not real and thus not offensive or competing with our own beliefs, so too do they view the Torah, Bible, Qur'an, etc.

I call this irony because, although many "Christian fundies" do view atheism as evil, and China is thought of as being essentially the atheist state, Chinese atheism is more along the lines of that innate "Well I've never really thought about it" brand of atheism Disir is trying to allude to, not the typical conscious atheism found in the West.

I am very comfortable with my atheism. Thanks.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Why are christians always wanting a fight about this?

I have no investment in what they believe, don't care, never think about it except when I read stuff like this thread.

Why are they constantly trying to get others to believe as they do?

Just quit the yammering and preaching and bible thumping and accept that not everyone believes as you do.

I can't speak for others, but I started this thread not to convert anyone, but to genuinely ask about what causes people to convert to atheism.

Of course, I've made frequent comments about butthurt atheists etc. throughout the thread, but I intended them as lighthearted rather than malicious.

I think that the Internet is a major obstacle to determining someone's intent and tone, and the fact that this site is the home to many heated discussion probably doesn't help. I encourage others to view this thread and the posts in it as laid back and inquisitive rather than angry and accusatory. Unless they use the face, which is the universal symbol for "I am not feeling laid back right now."

Threads like this one can be very informative if we debate ideas rather than the people who have them.

Starting with your thread title, you contradict yourself.

"causes"? We're born not believing in anything and as we grow, we are taught various beliefs.

You've been rude and sarcastic ad insulting but you say its okay because you knew you were being "lighthearted". And, no, there is no "universal" meaning for an emoticon.

And then, with your last line, you contradict yourself again because in fact, your sarcasm and rudeness is used as a defense so you don't have to defend your opinions.

My question stands:

Why are christians always wanting a fight about this?

Why won't christians accept that their way is not the only way and that its most certainly not the "right way".

 

[Luddly Neddite]

The irony is that the citizens of an atheist state make most of the Christian fundies consumer goods. Good luck with that get rid of atheism thing, China is going to overtake the US economy fairly soon.

Ultra-mega irony: Most Chinese atheists are completely different from American atheists in their attitudes towards religion. All of the born-and-bred Chinese I've met, both online and in person, have been either irreligious (don't care about religion as opposed to the common American atheist stance of being anti-religion) or had a kind of "cool story bro" view of all other religions. Like, the same way we view the pagan/polytheist faiths in Lord of the Rings, Warcraft, D&D, etc. as being interesting (if you're into that sort of thing) but not real and thus not offensive or competing with our own beliefs, so too do they view the Torah, Bible, Qur'an, etc.

I call this irony because, although many "Christian fundies" do view atheism as evil, and China is thought of as being essentially the atheist state, Chinese atheism is more along the lines of that innate "Well I've never really thought about it" brand of atheism Disir is trying to allude to, not the typical conscious atheism found in the West.

I am very comfortable with my atheism. Thanks.

Me too and I don't need to convert people.

 

[Youwerecreated]

Religion is taught. You aren't born with it. The concept of a deity is taught. It isn't that hard. You got nothing.

Historical knowledge is taught. You aren't born with it. The concept of the Holocaust is taught. It isn't that hard.

Why can you not accept that all babies are Holocaust deniers?

Why can't you accept that the concept of a deity is taught? How is this hard? There is no historical Jesus.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5EjA-JNiVk]Richard Dawkins Admits Jesus Existed - YouTube[/ame]