The diversity of Atheists

[Captainteeth]

Anyone want to help me? I'm working on a project to show fellow atheists, who are "in the closet" so to speak, that are afraid to admit to their peers what they are simply because they don't want to face ridicule or let down their parents, etc. If anyone can help by sharing an amazing story with me in regards to how awesome it is to be an atheist, something that happened to you personally, why it's important to share our non belief, or something else generally welcoming and inviting to those who remain closeted. I'm going to compile these answers in some form or another be it on the net or in a book and try to show some of the positive aspects of "coming out". We have plenty of deconversion tales, science reports, political agendas and the like available, but very little in the general coolness of life that one can miss out on trying to please the enemy, beyond the Saganistic "billions and billions" or "the world is so pretty" stuff. Things that have to do with everyday life and freedom from the church.
So please, if anyone would like to share an anecdote or philosophy or just pointers for coping with being an outcast from your family and friends, please contact me. If I'm in the wrong forum I apologize. I couldn't decide what would be best, I'm new here to AF.

[frankiej]

I am sure if you change that crazy font then people may help you out. It hurts my eyes

[wbegg]

I’ll start, as I am a new member:

I have been an atheist for some time, and have gone through stages of conversion. Many can probably identify with these stages, and I will outline with an evolutionary history.

Stage 1: Praise the Lord!

I was raised in a very devout, Baptist household. I was baptized at the age of 9 and myself accepted Jesus Christ fully and non-conditionally. I was in the church choir, attended youth ministry trips, taught youth Sunday school, and always served my church to the greatest extent possible. I attended Christian camp as a child, and even served as a counselor in my teenage years. Summary: I WAS DEVOUT!! Well, let me rephrase, I was a devout Baptist. Things were about to change.

Stage 2: Oops!

Our minister at our church was a well respected man. He could do no wrong. He gave great sermons, he was well respected, he had the following of a VERY large congregation. He Baptized me, so he must have been perfect, right?
Wrong! At the end of my Senior year in high school, I got the discomforting news that he had been caught cheating on his wife with the youth ministers wife. Well, needless to say, I was extremely upset.
To make a long story short, the church basically excommunicated him, and at the time, I agreed. Then I started thinking. Everything I had learned from the church in the last 16-17 years of my life told me that I was supposed to “forgive” this person that brought transgressions against me, so I did, but the church sure as hell didn’t, which led me to an epiphany (stage 3).

Stage 3: Freedom!

This is a very brief period my freshman year in college where, of all things, I started doubting the Baptist denomination. It was at this point where I started to refuse to go to church because I didn’t want “rules” imposed on me to dictate how I needed to pray to the one almighty! I’ve already accepted him, I knew how pray and what to pray for, I still had Jesus in my heart and God on my side! I felt great about this. (Plus I had Sundays free, to cure my hangovers. I was in college now). WOW! What a revelation! And then I chose my major.

Stage 4: Release!

In college orientation, I was told I had to take a science. I looked rough the list diligently and actually asked the question “what is geology?” Being an avid backpacker at the time, geology sounded interesting. Fast forward to my Sophomore year in college. I declared Geology as my major. The more I studied, the more I doubted the “writings” of the bible. So, why believe in the “bible” god and his only son? So dawned the age of wisdom. At this point I was monotheistic. I believed, but not completely sure what I believed "in". Sure, I couldn’t explain my existence, but that’s the whole reason at this point in my life where I surmised that, If I couldn’t explain it, there must at least be a higher being! Shoot, we’re supposed to be able to explain everything. The more I learned in the next few years of my advanced education, the further away I was from the answer to the big question: “Why do I exist.”

THE BIGGEST, mind blowing, brain exploding stage was soon to come!

Stage 5: Atheism

Still in college, I actually stood up in bed one night with an answer to a question that had been haunting me for the past 2 years, “Why do I exist”. After all, I should know, I’m educated! I had an answer! And the answer was “I can’t explain it, because, I can’t explain it!”. Let me explain. My great discovery was the self-realization of the fact that maybe no one is smart enough (yet) to explain why we’re here, and most likely, that’s why people are so set on believing in a “supreme” being. At this point, I viewed religion as a cop-out.

There really is, at this point, no stage 6. This is the primary reason I joined this forum. I want to make stage 6 my coming out stage. I have told a select few friends, but they still deny that this is what I believe. Hopefully I will get some answers here from people whom have been through my future tribulations.

Do I think atheists should broadcast their beliefs? Only if confronted, or if such arguments warrant some improvement in the social structure. Sure, we have to educate, but we have to be careful. No revolutions here, just academic awareness (at first).

Amen. (sorry, had to add that for comedy effect).[/b]

[cdog]

It's not awesome, you realize everything you lived for was wrong and you're not going to live forever/go to heaven. I don;t think people who aren't already skeptical of their religion are capable of abandoning it.


edit --- sorry too much wine i didn't read clearly I don't think "coming out" is always a good idea, if you are surrounded by fervent christians, (especially if you're dependent upon them) they won't take it well. Most of my family is christian, and they know I'm "not religious" (ie i've been living with my girlfriend for 7 years) but I haven't gone out of my way to tell them I'm an atheist. If they bothered to ask, I'd be honest, but unless they confront my religiosity I'm not going to bring it up. They can go on pretending I'll see the error of my and come back to the fold, and I can pretend that they'll see the stupidity of their way and be reasonable.

[fr0d0]

The intro section is full of just what you want already Teeth, tho wbegg gave an excellent answer.

[cdog]

you don't think I'm bursting with joyful happiness frodo?

[fr0d0]

I think you lost your carer doggy

[Faith No More]

I can't really help you with what it's like to have freedom from the church because I was never really a believer even though my parents took me. They did, however, stop making me go to church after I told them I didn't believe in god, so the most freedom I experienced was free Sunday mornings.

[MilesTailsPrower]

Step 1: Don't give a fuck! The last thing you should care about is what people think of you, you shouldn't be wasting your time trying to get 'accepted' by someone that can't accept you for who you are. I have many christian friends and they think that being atheist is a bad thing, and that there is some deep dark reason on why I'm atheist; turns out there isn't. We all have different opinions, and it shouldn't matter about how many people like your opinions or what you believe in. So whats the antidote to cope with all this? Don't give a fuck. Or at least that's what I do. When in terms your problem concerns your parents not accepting your choice of being atheist, still don't give a fuck. It seems that if you do good in school, don't get in trouble and do what you are told except for what your parents tell you to believe it becomes some huge problems that somehow concerns your future career (or whatever they are bitching about how it can affect your life). My parents say I'm never going to be a doctor because I don't believe in some 'almighty god', which I still don't understand her reasoning for that. Her excuse (my mom, because my dad doesn't give a fuck ) is that I won't be a good doctor because I don't believe in god, when I asked her how it could effect me being a good doctor she said "Because you won't respect other peoples beliefs", ironic isn't it? I've replied to this with "I'm not just going to sit there and let someone die, because you expect a unreliable god to heal someone that's dying." then comes another half ass excuse is that "A doctor helps someone heal, but god does the rest". But somehow that brings up her phrase "When someone tells you that you have 1 day to live you will be on your knees praying for god to save you" which brings up a huge argument because she says that I WILL believe in a god, so I sit there and argue with her (If you want to call it that) then she rages because I'm laughing at her and I'm not taking the argument seriously (I don't take anything serious) so she yells at me and leaves the room. I've never had someone avoid me because I'm atheist but still, if they can't accept you why would you want to waste your time on their prejudice ass? I deal with religion everyday, and every time I deal with a situation over religion it just makes me smarter, and yet to come; a beating.

Step 2: Don't give a FUCK (Refer back to step 1)

Step 3: Don't give a FUCK (Refer back to step 1 & 2)

[twocompulsive]

Captainteeth : you could also go to Rational Skepticism with this as it is the best
site on the web. The quality of debate is without parallel. You would learn a lot
Also try Thinking Aloud Forum and Rationalia which is rather more irreverent
Try others as well if you like but those are the ones that I my self frequent
And you should really change that font - use the same as everyone else