Catholic user here

[Anymouse]

Hello.

I'm here to better understand atheism and the other theories that controdict creationism. I look forward to some good reading.

Welcome aboard then.

When I was a Wiccan (I was never a Christian), I was constantly barraged by Christians telling me I was wrong, sinful, evil, "hated God" &c.

One thing that hasn't changed from my old faith is that all still happens today.

Atheism is not a theory. A theory advances a particular understanding of something that explains all the extant evidence. Gravity has a theory. Evolution has a theory. Radio has a theory.

Atheism is a lack of belief in (any) god. In a more expansive definition of atheism, as a Catholic I presume you would be an atheist about Wicca's God and Goddess. Why is that? Do you have evidence for your position that it is correct, or that Wicca's is wrong? (One book is not evidence: anyone can write a book.) Can you demonstrate that Islam is not the true faith? That Rama or Krishna or Siva or Kali or Saraswati or ten thousand other Hindu gods do not exist?

The one fact that seems to hold about religion is that they cannot all be correct. But they can all be wrong.

The fact is you to are an atheist about every god or goddess ever proposed throughout human history; a true atheist simply goes one more for the same reason as the others: no evidence.

Atheism is the null position: it is the position that everyone starts in until they are inculcated (usually as children) with a particular set of beliefs. If you'd grown up where I did, you'd likely be a Mennonite. In Saudi Arabia you'd probably be a Muslim. Religion is largely a factor of geography of birth.

But welcome aboard—thoughtful reasoned discussion is usually received well here; proselytisation is not (we get enough of that everywhere else). There are people of all stripes here, from the brash to the retiring, well-spoken to brusque.

Atheism says nothing about a person, other than he or she does not believe in supernatural claims without empirical evidence.

It doesn't say anything about me: that I love my wife, I like cats, I like to eat shellfish while wearing blended fibres, I have no college education, I am a disabled vet and a small-town politician. All it says is all the evidence I have seen for religious belief is not evidence.

Moreover, you are likely to encounter a different definition for atheism from every individual atheist. Atheism is also all-inclusive. A gay person is just as much an atheist as a straight one, a PhD just as much as a high school graduate like myself, both an anti-military protester and me (a disabled veteran).

Muahahaha . . . we sneak about and you cannot say who we are unless we reveal ourselves . . . the ultimate fifth columnists. You can't tell us by our hair, by our politics, by our nationality.

Seriously though, welcome aboard and I hope you find what you seek here, whatever that might be.

[Cyberman]

Can I be a Polar Bear?

Polar Bears are cool.

[Nine]

Polar Bears are cool.

I see what you did there XD

[My imaginary friend is GOD]

Welcome. I hope you won't find us too hostile. Feel free to ask questions.

[Minimalist]

I hope you won't find us too hostile.

Hope springs eternal.

[Angrboda]

I'm tempted to make a play on words using our new user's name, but this being an introduction thread, prudence dictates that I choose a different course.

[Zen Badger]

I'm a badger....



BTW welcome to reality.

[Kayenneh]

Hello and welcome to AF! ^_^

[Ben Davis]

Hi! Ex-catholic here (fully excommunicated by means of apostacy). Hope you find what you're looking for.

[Aractus]

I hope you understand that most of us Xians view Catholicism as total heresy - as do atheists.