Atheism. Only for the strong of character?

[GANIMEDE]

I have been accused by various "Believers" of being primitive and heathanistic, and subject to being a slave to physical instincts, because I do not live in the fear of the wrath of their "God" and refuse to abide by "His" strict rules and rituals.

I can only speak for myself: My life experiences have proven to me over and over again that decent respectable behabior is it own reward. I feel better doing "what is right" without fearing punishment from a vengeful creator.

I am perfectly aware that we humans are suceptable to obsessive and addictive behaviors. Growing up, I became aware of the dangers of excess and was able to make sesible decisions concerning my ultimate behavior. Some of the people I grew up with did not fare so well. I have had friends, as well as family members, who have fallen to various forms of addictive behavior. Some of them went so far down hill that they eventually turned to religion to "set them on the right path" and I am forced to give deferance to these "community based" organizations and I must admit they can benefit the weakest among us. Nevertheless, their transformation in the hands of the religious does nothing to cause me to accept the pricipals of their beliefs.

I may have been lucky, and my heart goes out to the less fortunate,
but I fell quite comfortable being a moral and decent Atheist.

Perhaps Atheism is only for the naturally strong?

[Ashendant]

I'm not of particular strong character although i consider myself a intelectual

I fight my addictions by not taking them in the first place, never drank alcohol, smoked cigars or took drugs, i sweared off any of these things because by experience of others i learned that it ends wrecking lives.

Although i have a addiction, that stems from being a intellectual, a hunger for knowledge that keeps me on the computer for whole days, also chocolate because it's anti-depressive

[Minimalist]

I have been accused by various "Believers" of being primitive and heathanistic, and subject to being a slave to physical instincts, because I do not live in the fear of their God and refuse to abide by His strict rules and rituals.

Why do you give a rat's ass what those morons say?

They grovel to a non-existent entity. Fuck 'em, I say.

[Rhizomorph13]

I'm not of particular strong character although i consider myself a intelectual

I fight my addictions by not taking them in the first place, never drank alcohol, smoked cigars or took drugs, i sweared off any of these things because by experience of others i learned that it ends wrecking lives.

Although i have a addiction, that stems from being a intellectual, a hunger for knowledge that keeps me on the computer for whole days, also chocolate because it's anti-depressive

No alchohol, no cigars, and no drugs? Because they are dangerous?! Do you drive a car? Plan on getting married ever? Those have even worse stories linked to them you know.

Existing is about calculated risk, in my opinion risk begets reward so risk little and you will have a long dull life. It reminds me of what a boss of mine told me when I told him I didn't like whiskey or cigarettes, "WHAT?! Son, those are the good things in life! You probably don't like eatin' pussy neither!" I didn't dare inform him of my virgin status at the time...

Fuck the moral high ground, live a little, take drugs, make sexy time, stare death in the face, and flip it off. Addiction is overplayed in the media and isn't as big a deal as you think it is.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

I have been accused by various "Believers" of being primitive and heathanistic, and subject to being a slave to physical instincts, because I do not live in the fear of their God and refuse to abide by His strict rules and rituals.

Why do you give a rat's ass what those morons say?

They grovel to a non-existent entity. Fuck 'em, I say.

Indeed.

Speaking personally only,my atheism is not a choice, simply an inevitable conclusion. It is morally neutral as a position,being neither praiseworthy nor worthy of condemnation.

Ash, I'm not sure what you mean by "intellectual" nor what if anything you are implying.

My Concise Oxford Dictionary says:

" Intellectual: 1: Of,appealing to,requiring or given to the exercise of,intellect. 2Person) possessing a good understanding,enlightened (person)"

My perception is the first fits quite a few people here,the second,not so much. I make no comment about any individual.

[thesummerqueen]

I have been accused by various "Believers" of being primitive and heathanistic, and subject to being a slave to physical instincts, because I do not live in the fear of their God and refuse to abide by His strict rules and rituals.

This morning I was screwing around on the 'net and in searching for something stumbled upon a forum for Chassidic Jews in which a thread astounded me: a group of women were discussing whether or not it was acceptable to wear a regular, one piece, modest bathing suit to an indoor pool in front of each other under the supposition that no man would be present, nor could one look through the windows at them, with all female lifeguards. And would they still have to cover their hair?

Is this living by God's rules? That if my family had been stricter, I would have to worry about covering my hair at all times lest I drive some poor man to lust with my luxuriant Jew 'fro? That I should be ashamed of my body even in front of my best friends and sisters, and that these clothing laws are in place because men want US to sacrifice everything because they can't keep it in their pants? Then someone jumped in to say that these laws only apply to dealings with Jewish men...apparently it doesn't matter when someone of a different religion sees you uncovered? wtf?

This is just a minor piece of insanity when it comes to "rules".

If following God's rules means I can't walk outside in the North Carolina summer heat in a sundress and hair loose, then fuck God even more that he already should be.

You're damn right I'm a slave to physical instincts: 1) there isn't enough deodorant to save the person who'd be dressed "properly" in that heat, and I value my nose. Nor is it safe to swim in clothing that might be designed to hide your body shape, and I sort of value the physical sensation of living.

So fuck 'em.

[Anomalocaris]

It takes as much strength of character to be a Christian in a Muslim theocracy as it does to be an atheist in a southern hick town. There can be many reasons for a person to be an atheist as there can be many reasons for one to be theist. But I believe there is really only one reason that is unique to atheists, that reason is clarity of rational thinking.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

It takes as much strength of character to be a Christian in a Muslim theocracy as it does to be an atheist in a southern hick town.

A belief takes no courage.Wearing one's beliefs (or lack of them) on one's sleeve in a hostile environment requires a special mix of arrogance,bloody mindedness and plain stupidity.

[KichigaiNeko]

I have been accused by various "Believers" of being primitive and heathanistic, and subject to being a slave to physical instincts, because I do not live in the fear of their God and refuse to abide by His strict rules and rituals.

Yes...marvellous what "intellectual" rhetoric some people will come up with because you "seem to be different to them" When all is said and done I like to think that these people with all their 'rituals' do not have the makings of a synapse; woe betide if something should happen to put a 'spanner in the works' and they have to think for themselves

I can only speak for myself: My life experiences have proven to me over and over again that decent respectable behavior is it own reward. I feel better doing "what is right" without fearing punishment from a wrathful creator.

Agreed...after all, YOU are the only person in the room and YOU are the only one who will cop the consequences of YOUR actions and NO amount of praying is going to alleviate that.

I am perfectly aware that we humans are susceptible to obsessive and addictive behaviors. Growing up, I became aware of the dangers of excess and was able to make sensible decisions concerning my ultimate behavior. Some of the people I grew up with did not fare so well. I have had friends, as well as family members, who have fallen to various addictive behavior. Some of them went so far down hill that they eventually turned to religion to "set them on the right path" and I am forced to give deference to these "community based" organizations and I must admit they can benefit the weakest among us. Nevertheless, their transformation in the hands of the religious does nothing to cause me to accept the principles of their beliefs.

Yes we are a susceptible species, gullible and have a tendency to obsessive behavioural patterns. We also have a brain and mind that is VERY good at detecting those patterns.

Congrats that you feel that you have negotiated life's' little pitfalls. Many of my friends and family have excessive behavioural patterns and they lived very well so I am of the opinion that this is no hindrance to a successful and fulfilling life. (Many did this sans religion)

I may have been lucky, and my heart goes out to the less fortunate, but I fell quite comfortable being a moral and decent Atheist.

Define "less fortunate"...? IF by this definition you mean those who are unable to embrace the level of 'uncertainty', who are incapable of discerning the patterns of the universe AS IT IS and who wish to impose their own chronological certainty on to a matrix that is as flexible as the universe seems to be then ...YES you are lucky ... as are all of us on this forum who question EVERYTHING and just stand back in awe and wonder that the whole fucking 'world/Universe' functions the way it does.

Perhaps Atheism is only for the naturally strong?

[Anomalocaris]

It takes as much strength of character to be a Christian in a Muslim theocracy as it does to be an atheist in a southern hick town.

A belief takes no courage.Wearing one's beliefs (or lack of them) on one's sleeve in a hostile environment requires a special mix of arrogance,bloody mindedness and plain stupidity.

It also requires a certain level of strength of character if it is dangerous to wear it on one's sleeves and yet there is conviction that doing so materially advances the cause of that belief. I would not described many civil rights marchers in the terms of arrogance, bloody mindedness or plain stupidity rather than strength of character.