"atheist" isn't about chasing utopias, or titles or morality. "atheist" merely means "off" on god claims.

You leave any position on ANY subject, you do it for one reason, and one reason only EVIDENCE!

Answering the OP, didn't change.

I wasn't the most happy person before and I'm not the most happy person now. Guess some people just inherit their depression from a parent. In my case it was my mother. The only thing changing was the god shackle coming off. Which was a good thing.

(February 7, 2016 at 8:04 pm)Thena323 Wrote:

(February 7, 2016 at 6:40 pm)Lek Wrote: There are some things about being an atheist that are attractive to me.  There are a lot of unfair income taxes that I wouldn't pay if I wasn't a christian.

Like what?

Must be all the tithing that atheists get to write off.

I call shenanigans.

(February 7, 2016 at 7:23 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: Christians aren't taxed differently.

I think you can claim the tithes on your taxes. I would rather keep the money in the first place.

(February 7, 2016 at 9:31 pm)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote: Must be all the tithing that atheists get to write off.

I call shenanigans.

I was assuming he gives 10%, but he may give less.
A lot perhaps, but not enough to claim itemized deductions.

Many people can't do 10, due to extenuating circumstances...like a spouse saying "Hell no!" for example.

(February 7, 2016 at 10:22 pm)Thena323 Wrote:

(February 7, 2016 at 9:31 pm)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote: Must be all the tithing that atheists get to write off.

I call shenanigans.

I was assuming he gives 10%, but he may give less.
A lot perhaps, but not enough to claim itemized deductions.

Many people can't do 10, due to extenuating circumstances...like a spouse saying "Hell no!" for example.

Right, I get that, but the idea that somehow atheists get tax benefits that Christians don't is ludicrous.

Am I missing out on some income tax reduction from being an atheist? I'd like to know if I am.

Or does he just mean tithing, which isn't required of Christians and not part of an income tax at all?

Having babies at the end of the year, devouring them, and being permitted to claim them as dependents for the entire year?
hehe..We may never know what the hell Lek meant. 

I'll be doing my taxes soon...Will be on the lookout for any additional heathen credits, that may have been overlooked.
I'll be sure to post.  

Reading list for you if you have not read.

1. The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins
2. The New Atheism, Victor Stenger
3. God The Failed Hypothesis, Victor Stenger
4.God Is Not Great, Christopher Hitchens
5.Infidel, Ayaan Hirsi Ali
6. The End Of Faith, Sam Harrris
7. Letter To A Christian Nation, Sam Harris
8. 2000 Years Of Disbelief, James Haught

Others can add to this list, take your time, took me years to read all these.

Terms you should learn and know if you dont.

1. Occham's Razor
2. Fallacy of Pascal's wager
3. Selection bias and sample rate error.

Scientist to follow,

Neil Degrasse Tyson
Richard Dawkins
Lawrence Krauss
Bill Nye
Brian Greene

http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com is a great resource of scientific absurdities and contradictions.

Others can add to this list.

But always keep in mind, if you get stuck, you can always bounce what you read off of other atheists. And believe me, if you hear one religion make an argument all religions make the same arguments, they simply give the skunk a different color tux.

(February 8, 2016 at 12:49 am)Cecelia Wrote: Am I missing out on some income tax reduction from being an atheist?  I'd like to know if I am.

Or does he just mean tithing, which isn't required of Christians and not part of an income tax at all?

I remember hearing a little while ago that things changed in Germany. People had a percentage taken from their income to be given to their stated religion, but if you declared yourself atheist, you didn't lose anything. That was quite the "test of faith" I bet!