Atheist kids these days...

[Nacht en Ontij]

Did you really miss my point? Because I don't know if I could be more sarcastic if I tried. :rolleyes: For the record: I find those arguments silly.

You really got me there. ;)

[TrueMetis]

I'm honestly not sure if Poe's law need to be invoked here or not.

[Theda Baratheon]

As the cynihilopatheist that I am

I don't know why I find this so funny, did you just make up a word and use it nonchalantly in a sentence to just trick us all? (I don't think it tricked anyone tho)

[Nacht en Ontij]

I first used this years ago on Myspace because they kept on bugging me to fill in a 'religion'. In this topic I saw 'apatheist' used as a valid atheist stance so why not this?

[Gears of the Beast]

I don't know why I find this so funny, did you just make up a word and use it nonchalantly in a sentence to just trick us all? (I don't think it tricked anyone tho)

Not only did he just randomly make up the word, it's the most ridiculous word I've ever seen. Try putting it into google, it doesn't even have any suggestions it just gives up :lmao:

[KiDisaster]

I guess I was technically raised Catholic, but it was never pushed on me much at all. I was told "We're Catholic" as a child, and both my parents identify as Catholic (even though neither of them go to church and my mother's actual views on religion have always seemed more agnostic than anything else) but the only time we ever went to church was when we were visiting my grandparents (My grandfather is the most devoutly Christian man I've ever known).

The only time I had religion pushed on me at all was when I had to do my first communion. I guess my parents made my younger brother and I do it because it was expected of them really, rather than them actually wanting us to. We did Sunday school for however many weeks, did the actual communion and that was the last time I went to church for anything other than a wedding or funeral. They never forced me into doing a confirmation, and my youngest brother never even did communion.

I've identified as atheist since I was around 14 or 15, but I never really believed in God even before that. I remember being a friend's house when I was 7 or 8 and telling him I thought the whole idea of it was "farfetched" and sounded like a fairy tale. He got scared and told me not to say that around his mom or we'd get in trouble :lol:.

I don't know if my current beliefs on religion would be different had it been forced upon me when I was a child. Maybe I'd resent it more and be one of those assholes who go around belittling and insulting people who believe in God, or maybe I'd never have ended up being an atheist if I'd had faith shoved down my throat. Who knows?

[Nacht en Ontij]

Not only did he just randomly make up the word, it's the most ridiculous word I've ever seen. Try putting it into google, it doesn't even have any suggestions it just gives up :lmao:

Yep, it's made up, ridiculous and yet somehow awesome-sounding. Fuck you, Google.

[thecryptile]

"Cynihilapatheist" is an excellent coinage IMO. I'll try to use it as often as I can, someone should use it in print so the OED has to add it.

I got the cynical nihilist atheist right away, though I missed the apathy.

[Nacht en Ontij]

"Cynihilapatheist" is an excellent coinage IMO. I'll try to use it as often as I can, someone should use it in print so the OED has to add it.

I got the cynical nihilist atheist right away, though I missed the apathy.

It will be in print, hopefully this year. Unfortunately, it'll be in Dutch.

[wolverine]

I don't know why people fear oblivion. The idea of an eternal Hell is far more disturbing to me than the idea of oblivion.

I love life and experiences. The thought of never experiencing anything ever again is pretty depressing. I would guess most faithful don't think they are going to hell.

[Dr. Pepper]

Not to hijack this thread or anything, but I would be interested to hear how people came about to lose the faith they were brought up in.

Grew up in a very religious family with three competing Christian denominations. We'd talk about the god and the bible at dinner, practically lived at church, and almost nothing could be done without blessing the little baby Jesus first. Small town school where there are hardly any books in the library because they have a lengthy banned books list and evolution is presented as a two-sentence blurb in science classes.

I was early teens when I started questioning. Can't quite remember the situation but it caused me to say god was stupid. My grandfather decided that my punishment would be to read the bible, cover to cover and monitor my progress by having us discuss the readings in detail. Really reading the text my family's belief system is based on is what made me start questioning. It pissed off gramps and pissing off the authority figures at the age was cool and just made me want to do more to keep them pissed. So I kept reading, kept asking and kept pissing them off. By the end of that 'punishment', I had decided it was all really stupid but I didn't yet have the knowledge to understand why.

It stayed in my head for a number of years but I didn't focus too much on it. After all, admitting any sort of disbelief beyond "it's stupid" was the worst possible crime I could have committed in my parent's eyes.

The church was always doing some sort of humanitarian thing. They would sponser visas for refugees, or send members on missionary visits. One Sunday, they decided to hold a fundraiser for the Starving Kids of Africa. They had photos of starving babies lining the walls and the preacher was talking about how fortunate we all were and how it was our duty to feed the body and soul of those less fortunate. That was the moment that the frayed strand of faith I had was finally broken.

It took several more years for me to really understand what I believed or didn't believe. By then, I knew I didn't believe in god but I couldn't say the words, not even to myself. When I'd try, it would make me physically ill. I'd start to say it in my head only to remember a time when my dad said he'd disown any kid who turned out to be atheist. Finally, I said it and it felt good. Then I told the family gossip and it spread. There were a lot of uncomfortable moments for a while. I'd be nervous every time I came home, worrying that I'd be turned away. It soon stopped being whispered about, and there was a sort of agreement that I wouldn't discuss my 'lifestyle' with the kids. My dad didn't disown me and he now likes to use my atheism to warn people about sending their kids to colleges with the liberals and yankees.

I am curious, though maybe this should be in a new thread: What DO atheists think happens when they die?

It is horribly depressing to think that we are perpetually non-existent after death. Just so no one is confused, that is not an argument for an afterlife, just an observation.

I think I either become maggot food or ash tossed into the air only to be inhaled by an unsuspecting bystander.

I felt that it has been more comforting to not believe in an afterlife. Before, I was really terrified of death because I was always worried about heaven or hell or else thinking that it all doesn't matter because I can just request forgiveness for my sins on my deathbed and be automatically admited at the pearly gates. That was really depressing to me. Now, I rely on the fact that it's one life and so it's important to live the best life possible.

My sister worries that I will not be with her in the afterlife. I comfort her by reminding her that I'm generally a decent person so even if it turns out she's right, I'll definitely be there.

[Gramsci]

I am a generation displaced from the "I lost my faith" group. It was actually my mother who cast it aside, due mainly to my grandmother being a very strict Catholic. Consequently I was raised in a pretty agnostic household, though by no means atheist. My mom and I discussed religious topics regularly throughout my childhood, especially life after death; we both agreed that, of all the different beliefs regarding afterlife, reincarnation seemed like the most pleasant (though not necessarily to the extent that Jains or Hindus believe.)

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Atheists don't have no songs (until now):

:)

[Honey Badger]

So...when someone is faced with "oppressive" (your words here) religion and chooses not to be quiet your natural response is to dislike that person because they worry about the effect it's having on them and don't just take a "fuck it" attitude like you?

Y U Mad though? Being an atheist means you get to relax and not worry about it right?

You really should back up a step. 99% of the people in this thread are having very open and honest discussion about this topic. You want to go there with an O'Reilly factor attack, creating sides that need to fight. I think you missed my point about not worrying about it.

I agree that ID needs to be fought as it's not equivalent to science and shouldn't be taught that way. But it's perfectly fine taught as a book (the bible that is) in an AP English class. Instead of ID, religious people should get a clue and realize this is an atheist wedge issue. The majority of believers will want this in public schooling, while enough moderate (and I argue rational) atheists like myself will agree with its teaching as an elective or AP course, not just in college where it already exists, but in high schools and below.

[Honey Badger]

I first used this years ago on Myspace because they kept on bugging me to fill in a 'religion'. In this topic I saw 'apatheist' used as a valid atheist stance so why not this?

I think Jedi Knight is officially recognized as a religion in the UK. Just use that next time someone asks.

[IheartTesla]

Is that the Steve Martin song?

Appreciate everyone sharing their stories. I have to say, my own 'coming out' was not as painful as many people here. Part of it probably has to do with the the nature of hinduism which is very good at incorporating or absorbing ideas from other religions, or even allowing a variety of types of belief to exist within its ambit. I think non-orthodox Judaism is probably the cliosest Abrahamic analog.

It may seem a bit contradictory in a culture where religion was really ubiquitous, but that is my qualified semi-defence of some aspects of Hinduism.

At my wedding we did incorporate some of the rituals of Hindu weddings without invoking a religious deity, and the 'I do' aspects of Western weddings, again without bringing up god. Seemed to satisfy the more religious guests while being avowedly secular, know what I mean?

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

IHT,

Yup.

;)

[paddington]

I think Jedi Knight is officially recognized as a religion in the UK. Just use that next time someone asks.

Hmm not so sure its officially recognized, I do recall an awful lot of people put it as their religion in the census.

Saying that I tend to put CofE on all official stuff anyway, an I am pretty atheist. So anything that asks what religion someone is in the UK is probably going to have odd results. Mainly because putting atheist in the religion box just seems naughty somehow.

[Maltaran]

I think Jedi Knight is officially recognized as a religion in the UK. Just use that next time someone asks.

Urban legend, although the story did cause a lot of people to declare that as their religion on the 2001 census (IIRC, it revealed Britain had more Jedi than Jews).

[TheLoneliestMonk]

I don't remember what my parents told me if I asked "what happens when you die", but I would provide my children with the only honest answer "I have no way of knowing" and if they're old enough "and anyone who says they know is lying or stupid"