What is being an Atheist like?

[Jenny A]

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.

It can be hard to give up things your parents taught you.  But if you can't figure out why you believe, and you don't actively try to believe, chances are you will just gradually cease to believe.  Actually reading the Bible, odd as that may sound, might hurry the process along.  

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.

There isn't an atheist community in the sense that there are church communities.  Atheism isn't a club or a religion.  There are atheist groups of course, and online sites like this one, but they are few and far between.  Most atheists don't think much about atheism.  It's a position on a single issue and there isn't necessarily any philosophy attached to it.

If you have social difficulties, make friends who are either atheist or who won't care if you are before coming out atheist rather than after.   As to "giving up" god, it sounds as if you already have.  That is to say you don't appear to believe in him, but you have some remaining feelings for religious people.  That's normal.

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.

If you don't believe, you are actually already an atheist.  What you decide to call yourself is another matter.  But while belief in god comes down to faith, not believing is a matter of reason.  There are a number of things we can't disprove, like unicorns and dragons.  But we don't waste time considering whether they exist because there is no evidence for them when you would expect there to be evidence if they did exist.  This makes their existence unlikely.  The god claim is similar.  If there were an omnipotent being, you expect there to be some real sign of it, but there isn't.  Therefore god is highly unlikely.

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.

Hell strikes me as even more unlikely than god.  It's story concocted to make you believe in a particular god out of fear.  But, sometimes it's hard to dismiss things told to scare you.  I would begin by reading the Bible's descriptions of the afterlife.  There aren't many.  In the OT they begin Sheol which is a sort of gray unplace.  And not much is said of it.  Later in the OT death looks more like the Greek version of the afterlife.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SheolIt's not until the NT that the idea of hellfire comes up.  Read a little Greek mythology and compare.  The point being that it's all myth and really wrapping your head around that may help.

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

I hope I've helped a little, but you might get better help from others who went through a stage of being afraid of god and hell.  I didn't, so my advice is probably less valuable.  Good luck.

[I_am_not_mafia]

You can think of it like this Connie.

How does it feel not to be a stamp collector?

[GrandizerII]

In my experience, my fear of hell as a former Christian was maintained through ignorance. Once I got into reading lots of educational and secular materials, I realized just how unlikely (or even impossible) hell is, and the fear alleviated.

[Kingpin]

Remove all aspects in your life that have any reference to God or Gods but keep everything else. That's an atheist. Prayer, fasting, church, etc. Just remove all that and keep your job, friends, social life, etc. Atheist or theist, we are all people and have lives. I'm a theist and have friends who are atheist. When we have a meal, I pray, they don't. We still eat the food.

[The Grand Nudger]

@The Title Q - it's alot like having hair on your hand, or fingers on your hands.

[Thumpalumpacus]

1.) Why are you an atheist?

Because I have no faith, and there is no evidence of any god.

2.) What is life like for an atheist?

The same as it is for everyone else, except I have more time on Sunday mornings for myself.

3.) There is no God. How do you cope with that? How do you find purpose and meaning in your life?

The same way everyone else does -- I define what is meaningful to me. Christians and other theists have done the exact same thing -- they've simply decided that their faith is what makes life worthwhile.

4.) What are your thoughts on death?

It doesn't sound very fun, but it looks like everything that lives ends up dead, so I accept its inevitability.

5.) Has being an atheist changed your life in any way? If so, how?

Yes, it has led me to the path of reason.

Welcome to the forums.

[Simon Moon]

Hi, I'm Connie, I'm new to these forums and atheism in general. I actually am Christian, and have been raised that way my whole life (baptist denomination). Being in the church is hard for me since I'm transgender, but I'm not leaving yet, because I still believe in God. However, I am willing to get some insight on to what atheism is like, from atheist themselves. I'm, how should I put it...educating myself on atheism. So, wooo!

My questions:

1.) Why are you an atheist?

Because the case for the existence of a god has never met it's burden of proof.

There is drastically insufficient demonstrable evidence, and valid and sound logic, to support the claim that a god exists.

2.) What is life like for an atheist?

Atheism is the position of being not convinced to a single claim, that at least one god exists. Nothing more.

There is no dogma or doctrine. Atheism is not a worldview, nor an ideology. 

So, life for atheists is different for almost every atheist. 

3.) There is no God. How do you cope with that? How do you find purpose and meaning in your life?

Well, technically, atheism is not the claim that there is no god or gods. It is the lack of belief that gods exist.

As an atheist, I provide meaning to my own life. 

Ponder this, you wouldn't want an authority figure to pick your career for you, who you love or your spouse for you, your hobbies for you, your taste in music, food, art. Why would you want an authority to pick your life's purpose for you? Especially an authority figure that seems to be completely absent?

4.) What are your thoughts on death?

It's part of life.

I was nonexistent for 14.7 billion years, I don't think it will bother me after I am dead.

5) Has being an atheist changed your life in any way? If so, how?

I am able to accept or reject claims purely on the strength of the evidence and reasoned argument that is available to support said claims. Not because some pastor or  ancient texts say so.

I want to have as many true beliefs and as few false beliefs as possible. The best path to accomplish this, is to base one's beliefs on evidence and reasoned argument. Not faith.

Those are all my questions for now. If I have anymore, I'll be sure to ask.

Connie

Hope that helps.

[Simon Moon]

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.

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.

There is no 'want to become an atheist'.

Either you are convinced that a god exists, or you are not.

If you are convinced that a god exists, you are a theist. If you are not, you are an atheist.

For the vast majority of atheists, our atheism is a byproduct of critical thinking and skepticism. It's not because we set out to be an atheist. 

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.

Sort of sounds to me that you are already a nonbeliever. 

As far as faith goes, don't feel bad about not having any. Faith is not a virtue. Nor is it a reliable path to truth.

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.

Aaannndd... this is why I believe Christianity is an immoral religion. Just look at what your indoctrination has done to you. You are afraid of something that is almost assuredly nonexistent. 

By the way. How much time do you spend worrying about the hells and punishments of all the other gods you don't believe exist?

[Alex K]

I don't have time to answer in detail right now, let me just say that being an atheist is so normal for me that I simply don't think about it in everyday life. And I don't think the way I lead my life differs so dramatically from mainstream Christians. Maybe less guilt?

[Longhorn]

Hi Connie

1.) Why are you an atheist?

Why are you an a-fairyist?

The god hypothesis, in light of the available evidence, is a proposition too laughable to take seriously.

2.) What is life like for an atheist?

Atheism is entirely irrelevant to my life. I don't discuss it outside of these forums. I live my life like you do, just without the religious parts.

3.) There is no God. How do you cope with that? How do you find purpose and meaning in your life?

Well, I've spent a considerable amount of time surviving, and it occurs to me that it would be a horrible waste of effort to simply decide life has no meaning and give up what I've been fighting for.

I have people in my life who are dear to me. I'm itching with an insatiable curiosity for my environment. Mostly, I'm here to enjoy the show. I'm a speck of organic matter sitting on a dust mote, witnessing a minuscule fragment of *everything* happening. That perspective, to me, is humbling enough to consider the lack of a warm fuzzy safety blanket entirely meaningless.

To the contrary - rather than having a parental figure hold my hand throughout my life, I take comfort in the perspective of being strong enough to brave everything that might be thrown my way on my own.

4.) What are your thoughts on death?

What do you mean? Death is the permanent and inevitable cessation of all vital functions of an organism. I don't think about it any deeper than that.

5.) Has being an atheist changed your life in any way? If so, how?

I have stopped feeling the urge to harm people. I don't hate myself. I'm overcoming the guilt instilled in me by a vile institution. And I eat babies.