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.
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.