When/ how did you become an atheist?

Rebelling against old people who can't adapt anymore is called development.

Making a ton of money through success and deciding not to marry is a personal choice. The family unit, specifically the working family unit is just a mode that has been squeezed into a way of life that is essential for the triers at the bottom to buy a house etc. by governments and big business (fucking up the system).

Fuck tradition. One finds one's own way through need.

PS I am with you spidergoat.

 

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Partly, but mostly I think it is the emotional investment that the individual theist has put into their idea of a creator. Living life w/o a creator in it after believing in that creator for so many years would be too painful a process emotionally to discard. Especially if the theist was raised that way and his/her peers believe the same way, not believing is hardly ever an option for this kind of theist.

But it is an option, however, and I am proof of that!

 

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I'm not against tradition, even religious tradition is sometimes founded for real cultural needs. Perhaps the prohibitions on eating some foods in some religions have a sound scientific cause. But you don't need a god to have a family.

 

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Higher? Like, further from sea level?
And further, 'higher' sounds a lot like special status, in fact, that nuance pervades the use of higher in almost all religions (and everyday speech). How have you, as an atheist, escaped this desire for special status, when you consider your thoughts higher? Or do you notice that this is a trait you share with theists. Of course many indigenous groups would disagree with your estimate of the relative heights of human and animal thought.

Anyway as someone who believes science is the only correct methodology, you should know that a giraffe's thoughts are literally higher and utterly effective in their niche. Nor can they, it seems, present a threat to the entire natural world, despite their height.

 

Funny guy. You should write comedy.
Also I do believe that there are in fact giraffes smarter than some humans after reading your post.

 

Point is traditions are take it or leave it. Not 'you must obey to go to heaven' or some such other BS. Find one's own way, there is no perfect state of being, Personal choice is paramount (bar removing someones elses).

 

Tickled me too for sure.

 

I don't employ desire for special status because I understand how human mammals came to be, nor are my own capabilities being talked about as higher than others, but that all human mammals have more capability for thinking than plants and rocks and snails and other animals.

Do you think we were created with a special status?

 

So why would that matter? One person makes a car. He calls this car Tarcar. Now another comes along and names nothing Barcar.

People say: "but wait a secon, you dont have any car yet you named it?...you cant name a car the does not exist.

Well yeah...

 

What is your point?
There are, and have been for a long time, claims that god exists.
Atheism is stance that simply says "I don't believe that claim".
How hard is this to understand?

 

What do you call people who believe in UFO's?

Could be many names or at least a few. The can have a website, a newsletter, t.v show but if peple do not believe in UFO's would they name themselves?

 

Irrelevant.
Belief in UFOs is neither as long-standing nor prevalent (insidious) in society.
Do UFO believers make statements about how we should behave? What we should/ shouldn't do? Who we can marry? When, how and where (even THAT) we should "worship"?
How much do UFO believers [try to] influence daily life?
Please, get a clue.

 

More relevant is what do we call people, who not only believe in UFO's (reasonable position if they think they have seen something) but then choose to start up a religion, wear green head masks, sacrifice goats, sacrifice the freedom of their children and logical reasoning to plough any of their valuable time into writing texts, gathering fellow susceptibles and bowing down every wednesday to Grand Ober Lord Ork the Third from Zorgot: Crackpot nutters.

Ring any bells?

 

Yea it does.... Church bells...

 

Uh - no. An atheist is someone who does not believe something exists.

You really need to wrap your head around this not so subtle difference.

 

Originally Posted by John99
An Atheist believes something does not exist

Same exact thing.

 

I...have no idea what you. but does this change what I am showing? I cant see why or how it would.

 

No.
This is why people keep repeating the same sentence to you:
You really need to wrap your head around this not so subtle difference.

 

For myself? As much as Religion\Religious people. Even if they did...or do, i cant remember when it happened.

 

It is the same thing. If there is a difference then show it.