RE: What is being an Atheist like?
October 9, 2015 at 1:09 am
(This post was last modified: October 9, 2015 at 1:10 am by connietheTgirl.)
Thanks for the responses everyone, I'm sure there will be many more to come. I'll try to respond to as many as I can! I don't know how to put in quotes, so sorry if the format looks weird.
JennyA said:I couldn't understand why grown-ups believed in such odd stories.
I actually don't understand why I believe in God either. I want to be in an Atheist too, but it's hard to deny that's there's a God when its something you were taught from when you were born.
JennyA said: Probably not all that much different that yours. I have a husband and kids. I work, clean, read, and travel. I love my family and friends. What I don't do is bemoan my sinfulness, go to church, pray, or look forward to heaven, or fear hell.
Well, I'm sure our lives are a bit different in the fact you have much more experience than me. I'm only 19, lol
No wife or kids yet, and I haven't traveled. I haven't traveled yet, but want to. I haven't prayed in over 10 years.
JennyA said: So my take away questions for you:
1. What meaning does god provide you?
2. Other than worship, prayer, and church attendance, would you behave differently if you were an atheist?
3. On what evidence do you believe there is a god? And on what evidence do you think it is the Christian god?
4. Are you afraid of death?
1.) God provides no meaning in my life whatsoever. I haven't actively followed him in 5 years. I left the church for a year but soon returned. When I opened up about being transgender, well no one ridiculed me, but I feel like some of my Christian friends are brushing me off. Maybe their homophobic, I really don't know, and I actually don't care. I tried turning to God for help, but it hasn't helped me. I try to pray, but I feel awkward when doing so.
2.) I want to become an atheist. But I'm afraid to. There many reasons for this. Social stigma, lack of support, having to abandoned a way of life a grew up with, and change. I lack social skills, and am not good at making friends, so if I enter the Atheist community I feel making new friends will be a long way off, and there's already a social stigma attached to me being transgender, add atheist to the equation, well that only makes it worse. So, it's fear that holds me back. And the fact I'm unwilling to give up God totally.
3.) I have no evidence. I believe, but I don't believe. I struggle back and forth with this question all the time. Does God exist? I guess I will never truly know, since philosophy and science can never disprove or prove there is a God. It all comes down to faith, and I absolutely zero faith. I could become agnostic, but I feel like that is just sitting on the fence.
4.) I am fearful of death. Because I know if God really does exist, I will go to hell. Not only because I cross-dress, but because I have no faith in him. The fear of hell scares me the most.
ForsakenHeretic said: Death is supposed to be a very peaceful experince.
I wouldn't say that, there's some people who die very painfully before their actually dead:/
I'm probably gonna head to bed now. I'm very tired. I really want to get to know atheism better. I feel like it can really give me a new perspective on life. I've been brainwashed my whole life and I really want to "heal" from it. I just find it really hard. Any advice you can give would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Connie
JennyA said:I couldn't understand why grown-ups believed in such odd stories.
I actually don't understand why I believe in God either. I want to be in an Atheist too, but it's hard to deny that's there's a God when its something you were taught from when you were born.
JennyA said: Probably not all that much different that yours. I have a husband and kids. I work, clean, read, and travel. I love my family and friends. What I don't do is bemoan my sinfulness, go to church, pray, or look forward to heaven, or fear hell.
Well, I'm sure our lives are a bit different in the fact you have much more experience than me. I'm only 19, lol
No wife or kids yet, and I haven't traveled. I haven't traveled yet, but want to. I haven't prayed in over 10 years.JennyA said: So my take away questions for you:
1. What meaning does god provide you?
2. Other than worship, prayer, and church attendance, would you behave differently if you were an atheist?
3. On what evidence do you believe there is a god? And on what evidence do you think it is the Christian god?
4. Are you afraid of death?
1.) God provides no meaning in my life whatsoever. I haven't actively followed him in 5 years. I left the church for a year but soon returned. When I opened up about being transgender, well no one ridiculed me, but I feel like some of my Christian friends are brushing me off. Maybe their homophobic, I really don't know, and I actually don't care. I tried turning to God for help, but it hasn't helped me. I try to pray, but I feel awkward when doing so.
2.) I want to become an atheist. But I'm afraid to. There many reasons for this. Social stigma, lack of support, having to abandoned a way of life a grew up with, and change. I lack social skills, and am not good at making friends, so if I enter the Atheist community I feel making new friends will be a long way off, and there's already a social stigma attached to me being transgender, add atheist to the equation, well that only makes it worse. So, it's fear that holds me back. And the fact I'm unwilling to give up God totally.
3.) I have no evidence. I believe, but I don't believe. I struggle back and forth with this question all the time. Does God exist? I guess I will never truly know, since philosophy and science can never disprove or prove there is a God. It all comes down to faith, and I absolutely zero faith. I could become agnostic, but I feel like that is just sitting on the fence.
4.) I am fearful of death. Because I know if God really does exist, I will go to hell. Not only because I cross-dress, but because I have no faith in him. The fear of hell scares me the most.
ForsakenHeretic said: Death is supposed to be a very peaceful experince.
I wouldn't say that, there's some people who die very painfully before their actually dead:/
I'm probably gonna head to bed now. I'm very tired. I really want to get to know atheism better. I feel like it can really give me a new perspective on life. I've been brainwashed my whole life and I really want to "heal" from it. I just find it really hard. Any advice you can give would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Connie
