Atheism is not a religion nor a philosophy it is in my opinion the negation of religion altogether. Atheist's have no philosophy to follow or unholy texts to read or places of non-worship the definition of the word atheism speaks for itself A = without theism = god/or gods. I have had a rough road to recovery coming from an extremely fundamental church that believed in the practice of faith healing, tongues and all the other so called gifts of the holy spirit. I used to preach and believe every single word in the bible as literal and the inspired word of god no matter how ridiculous it seemed at the time. We were taught not to question anything in there for fear of committing the unpardonable sin of inadvertently blaspheming the holy spirit.
I too used to serve up the stock answers to questions regarding the faith such as: If god made man then who made god? I would say "he is is the alpha and the omega the beginning and end of all things etc. etc." and my friend fr0d0's favorite cliche, "he just is". I actually felt genuine fear when I started to have doubts about my faith. It took me awhile to go from fanatic to atheist but it was a step that was necessary to my growth as a person. I don't miss god nor do I need a belief in him in my life. Most of all I don't miss the bunch of hypocrites I used to worship with that conveniently began condemning me to hell as soon as I left the church. When I finally left the church I also cut off all of my friends and acquaintances from the church as well.
I just thought that it was hard enough dealing with my doubts and at the same time my new found agnosticism than to have to have some idiots meeting me all the time trying to reconvert me. I grew sick of the foreboding warnings of doom that awaited me if I did not go back to god on bended knee and cry a river for forgiveness. Everybody I knew in the church wanted to pray over me when they saw me on the street. I came out of religion with all kinds of negative sentiments and a true hatred for what religion had done to me or rather I had allowed to be done to me. I still harbor some bitter sentiments to this day and that was 15 years ago give or take a few months. I don't waste my time with those feelings anymore but I can't deny that they are still there and tend to come out at the weirdest moments lol.
This forums and others are the only place I have to express my feelings and opinions on religious beliefs since I am the only atheist in my entire family. No one in my family is on the same intellectual level as myself so talking religions with any of them is like trying to teach a dog to speak, very frustrating and a fruitless unpleasant endeavor.
I too used to serve up the stock answers to questions regarding the faith such as: If god made man then who made god? I would say "he is is the alpha and the omega the beginning and end of all things etc. etc." and my friend fr0d0's favorite cliche, "he just is". I actually felt genuine fear when I started to have doubts about my faith. It took me awhile to go from fanatic to atheist but it was a step that was necessary to my growth as a person. I don't miss god nor do I need a belief in him in my life. Most of all I don't miss the bunch of hypocrites I used to worship with that conveniently began condemning me to hell as soon as I left the church. When I finally left the church I also cut off all of my friends and acquaintances from the church as well.
I just thought that it was hard enough dealing with my doubts and at the same time my new found agnosticism than to have to have some idiots meeting me all the time trying to reconvert me. I grew sick of the foreboding warnings of doom that awaited me if I did not go back to god on bended knee and cry a river for forgiveness. Everybody I knew in the church wanted to pray over me when they saw me on the street. I came out of religion with all kinds of negative sentiments and a true hatred for what religion had done to me or rather I had allowed to be done to me. I still harbor some bitter sentiments to this day and that was 15 years ago give or take a few months. I don't waste my time with those feelings anymore but I can't deny that they are still there and tend to come out at the weirdest moments lol.
This forums and others are the only place I have to express my feelings and opinions on religious beliefs since I am the only atheist in my entire family. No one in my family is on the same intellectual level as myself so talking religions with any of them is like trying to teach a dog to speak, very frustrating and a fruitless unpleasant endeavor.
There is nothing people will not maintain when they are slaves to superstition
http://chatpilot-godisamyth.blogspot.com/
http://chatpilot-godisamyth.blogspot.com/
