Top 5 things people think atheists do
1. I worship the devil. (FALSE)
Not believing in gods or the supernatural does not equal devil worship.
2. I hate god.(FALSE)
Just like I hate fairies, Santa Claus, the chupacabra, werewolves, and vampires; I do not hate something that I don't believe exists.
3. I was hurt in the church, that's why I left.(TRUE FOR ME ONLY, BUT MORE THAN JUST THAT)
Only a sadist would stay in something that caused them pain. I used to shy away from admitting that past hurts played a role in where I am. I was indeed hurt over and over for many years due to my religious affiliation but that is NOT the experience of all non believers.
4. My life has no meaning.(FALSE)
My life has meaning because I give it meaning with every breath I take. When I die, those who come after me can determine how much meaning my life had in the aggregate.
5. I am angry and need to experience god's love.
I am not angry and how can I experience something that I do not believe exists. I experience love from other people and I give love to others.
I have re-read this post of yours several times and I have given it much thought.
ReplyDeleteI think I would prefer to call myself an Ex Christian non-theist. So what is the difference between an Atheist and a non-theist? Pretty much only the Capital letter "A".
If I tell people that I am an Atheist, then I might as well tell them that I am a terrorist. I am met with instant disdain and distrust. However, most people are too obtuse to make anything out of a "non-theist". They just think that I am a nut. So, I don't have to defend myself, I can just tell them why I am a non-theist. Makes sense to me.
Actually, I have a slight problem with most Atheists; (Capital "A"). I say most Atheists because I don't necessarily put you in this category.
Most Atheists don't just not believe in God, but they feel like they have to prove that there is no God and will argue until sunset doing so. Most Atheists believe that it is their duty to prove that there is absolutely no supernatural anything and will go to great lengths to debunk such things. In this regard, they are as fervent as most fundamental christians.
My wife and I are ex fundies and we have fundie friends and relatives. Most of them know that I am not a christian and probably know that I don't believe in god, but we just keep on loving them because they are friends and relatives. If they are interested in bolting from their belief, they can come to me; it would do no good for me to try and convince them that they should change. This is especially true for the older people.
You say Atheist, I say non-theist. You say tomato, I say tomahtoe. :-)
Cheers
Thanks Hal ! I am cool with using the term because atheist only expresses my lack of belief in the supernatural. For folks in my circle, the fact that I am not a christian is political enough. It does not matter what I am because I have walked away from the faith, LOL
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