Hey. I am new over here. I would not call myself an atheist, since it is not so clear to me what this means. My grandfather alway said from himself that he is an atheist. But I think he only wanted to say that he is not trusting in any god, but only in himself. This is a definition that fits more than one group. In winter I am used to do some winter hiking in the austrian Alps. Two years ago I stopped for a bit to eat and some hot choclate in a little hut on a mountain. The hut was small and quite full of people and there was no free table. So I sat Down on a table where only a single man was sitting. While wie were eating, ist seamed to me a little bit silly not to talk to each other, and so I just started some conversation. It was quite interesting and it took us not a long time to come to topics like phylosophy and religion. We shared the way back downhills to have more time for this good talking. He told me that he is an atheist and just give me a quick introduction by telling me that this is more like having a philosophy, or a way of living and thinking. This explanations were of course more sophisticated than the short definition of my grandfather. So as I am a curious person I like to find out, what this really is all about.

I do not have the need to backbite or complain about christianity or islam or what else. From that what I see up to now I just the impression that people involved too much in those kinds of religion, put themself into chains. In many cases I see a lot of fear and power abuse in their institutions (but this is the way the "civilized" world just functions, and you also can replace religion by politics or money and others). So if people need to be in such systems because it gives them the illusion to be save, to be good humans, to do the right thing, they have to join there. What sometimes get on my nerves is the arrogance and self-rightousness on the one hand and a tendence for self-pitying and the neurotic need to help others (also if they do not wanted to be helped) instead of taking the full responsibility and consequence for what they do, think and the way they live in their own lifes.

So here I am, saying hello and trying to learn something over here, and to understand what this atheism is all about and what ist is god for.

Hi, and welcome!

welcome.

(December 21, 2011 at 11:30 am)Mind42 Wrote: I do not have the need to backbite or complain about christianity or islam or what else. From that what I see up to now I just the impression that people involved too much in those kinds of religion, put themself into chains. In many cases I see a lot of fear and power abuse in their institutions (but this is the way the "civilized" world just functions, and you also can replace religion by politics or money and others).

Religion is a terrifying disease that has the power to destroy morality and to keep entire civilizations in the dark ages, and although many christians are not offensive as others, their religion encroaches on my rights and I do indeed backbite in order to maintain the balance.

I openly complain about christianity --- as it is a thorn in my side and a detriment to wisdom, science, knowledge, and the overall goodness of humanity.

Hey, Tanks for your welcome
I understand your anger very well. So many crucial, respectless, life-negating bulshit they produce. If you are or have been a target of such people it is a very good line-drawing refusal. Since I never had to defense myself from those kind of people. But believe me, there are people driving me mad, because of equal things not only connected to religion. But I agree with you and Nitzsche: Religion is nothing else then adictive opium for the dull.

Oh hello new comer.

(December 21, 2011 at 12:56 pm)Mind42 Wrote: I understand your anger very well. So many crucial, respectless, life-negating bulshit they produce. If you are or have been a target of such people it is a very good line-drawing refusal. Since I never had to defense myself from those kind of people.

So you'd have to be personally affected by something to oppose it?

Anyway, welcome to the forums. Contrary to your walking companion's statement, atheism is simply the lack of belief in a god or gods. There are compatible philosophies, but in and of itself that's all it means.

Welcome, glad you could join us.

Ah, my sentence was unfinished I see. Writing with taptalk is sometimes annoying since I have always have to take care that my words are not changed by the correction function, and sometimes my sentences are completey blemished. This time, I forget to rewrite the second part. I wanted to say, that I was not target of straight religious education or something like that, and was not hurt by religious influenced people, so my anger about such people is not so personal than it may be for people who had suffered a lot from those people. But I adjuge their ignorance and blindness. This is what makes me angry. But what I see there is a problem that every power-abusing system has.

Hm, so what really is means by this term god? An entity outside human or creature? Or also some kind of universal spirit which is contained in everything or is within the self? What about the idea, that everybody is its own god? Do not get me wrong. I just want to know what is denied.