Hi, I'm looking for answers

[AtheistPhil]

How can people (like my mother) hold on to their faith so strongly? Is it because my mother has been taught that way? Is it because people can't stand the truth?

The fear of death, the lack of control over one's life and the need for justice and meaning are common emotional issues which push people to believe in a higher power (or any superstition, conspiracy theory). They need to keep their belief to avoid emotional distress which leads to rejection of any evidence contradicting it. Humans desperately need landmarks in their environment.

[fr0d0]

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How can you give to others if you can't give to yourself?

Do you think atheists are selfish?

To be honest, my recognition that this life is all I have and that I need to make meaning out of it myself makes me want to help people. There is no great orgasm in the sky after this. This big blue ball is all we got, and so many people experience pain and suffering in it. It makes me want to help them. I want everyone to have the best life possible. I want us all to work together to create heaven here, because this is the only thing we know for certain that we've got. So yes, it means gaining a sense of self, I wouldn't call it pandering. If I become completely selfless, how can I truly be happy? I've given everything I have away.

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That is the Christian position.

Atheism is more than just the knowledge that gods do not exist, and that religion is either a mistake or a fraud. Atheism is an attitude, a frame of mind that looks at the world objectively, fearlessly, always trying to understand all things as a part of nature part of nature.

Not positively... see the difference?

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This has nothing to do with Christianity IMO, but superstition.

Memo to Frodo. There is no distinction there.

To the ignorant, no.

[Minimalist]

A dead jew coming back to life is superstitious nonsense, mon ami.


Hate to be the one to break it to you.

[Violet]

Hi, I was raised to be strictly religious. Me and my husband went to some Christian forums and asked some questions. I don't really know that we had them answered. So I am coming here. Me and my husband are kind of borderline right now. We believe theres a god maybe, but we are not sure that he cares or has the right motives etc.

Deism then?

You likely had asked questions answered... but perhaps not adequately enough for you to be 'at ease'? I myself make no promises to answer your asked questions adequately... though I shall make an attempt at it

My husband feels like god is playing the biggest mmo ever lol. That we are all just a game. I kind of agree with this.

Tis perhaps possible... it certainly would explain how sometimes events can seem so 'scripted'

I feel very distraught because my mother who is the a very sweet pentocostal woman lost her husband and father recently. She lost her job had to move in with us. She has a very rare disease called Dystonia (like Parkinson's but worse) amid other aliments. When they eliminated my mothers position she looked at me and said maybe god has eliminated me to.... I'm just very angry that someone (God) would do this to her. I just don't understand.

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Why would someone have to do anything at all to her? This short clip might increase your understanding of how things like this occur, and how they affect most people... but then maybe it only does that from my scaffolding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGwHUr0b4yE

And because I'm an empathic individual, this is just for you (though the philosophical substance here is also substantial):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBiLNN1NhQ

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I also, feel like some things my mother thinks are sinful are not. I feel like if we have to follow the Christian religion it would be impossible this day and time with all of the temptations and horrible things going on.

It's rather easy to do I think This time is as full of temptations as the next and those before... they have simply manifested in different forms. Of course... temptation is not a bad thing... knowing that you want a thing, or perhaps even need it, offers no little insight into one's character

Anyway mainly I wanted to give you some of my background. I want to she why all of you choose atheism? Why do you feel like there really is no god? If there isn't I know that sucks, but a lot of things in life do...

It might be a helpful thing (to know your background), especially if you happen to include your background as context of a question ^_^

I never chose to be an atheist... I simply accepted my status as one once i understood that I had no belief in the existence of any gods.

I do not perceive the presence of any gods, therefore I can make the conclusion that whilst gods may indeed exist: I certainly do not detect or know of them

Why would it suck 'if' there are no gods? That rather seems a relief to me... :S

[mem]

How can people (like my mother) hold on to their faith so strongly? Is it because my mother has been taught that way? Is it because people can't stand the truth?

Hi Jocenel. Welcome to the A.F.

My mother is also very religious-catholic-she is 87 now and she is coming to the end of her life. I've been an atheist for many years. She doesn't know. It would hurt her so much if I told her. I dont think it would be fair to try to make her turn away from her Faith. She does get comfort from it. Mom has had a lot of bad times in her life as well as good (like most of us) and it's all Gods Will as far as she is concerned.
Maybe though, if your mom is expressing doubts as to whether God has abandoned her, she might be open to a different way of thinking? Only you can judge.

I think it's easy for some of us here to say being Atheist is easy. I think for some of us it's not such a positive thing, not at the start anyway. It can be scary to throw away a perceived "safety net" and go it alone. It takes major re-thinking on almost every aspect of your life and relationships. I would say it's a gradual realisation for some of us. You wont come to any conclusions overnight. It can be an on-going process but it's great when you become comfortable with non-belief. It's very free-ing

[theophilus]

How can people (like my mother) hold on to their faith so strongly? Is it because my mother has been taught that way? Is it because people can't stand the truth?

Perhaps the reason is the she actually knows God rather than just knowing about him. Being a Christian is more that an intellectual belief that certain facts are true. When someone genuinely repents of his sins and trusts in Christ to forgive he passes from a state of being spiritually dead to having spiritual life.

Have you ever tried praying to God and asking him to reveal the truth about himself to you? If there isn't any God it won't do you any harm so you will have lost nothing. But there is a lot to gain if there is a God and he answers your prayers.

You might also talk to your mother and ask her why she continues to believe.

[Rhizomorph13]

Theo,

How about you generate an honest belief in the Invisible Pink Unicorn(BBHH) and let me know how you did it and I will use that technique to believe in your god. Remember your belief has to be able to FOOL her omniscient probing horn.

Deal?
Rhizo

[Paul the Human]

theophilus
Junior Member

Religious Views: Evangelical Christian

Evangelical Christian: Christian religion which seeks to spread the Gospel and the knowledge of the Gospel throughout the world.

To Evangelize: transitive verb
1 : to preach the gospel to
2 : to convert to Christianity
intransitive verb
: to preach the gospel

That is what people like theophilus do. They preach.

[Violet]

Okay I'll ask questions.

My husband has a good point he makes all the time. The bible is collected supposedly by a bunch of people under the spirit of God. The Roman Catholic church took out a lot of information. How can we believe that the bible is real or accurate?

The same way you believe everything else you believe. It should be noted that your believing a thing to be "real" or "accurate" does not make it so... and indeed if you have any beliefs about anything whatsoever, you should already understand how you can believe that 'the Bible' is "real" and "accurate"

Also, 'how' doesn't appear to be the question you wanted to ask. A much better question, perhaps, would simply have been "Is 'the Bible' "real" or "accurate"?"

To which I would answer, "About which points?"

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How can people (like my mother) hold on to their faith so strongly? Is it because my mother has been taught that way? Is it because people can't stand the truth?

That depends... people have faith because they are certain of a thing. If your mother is certain that the Christianity is correct: she has faith in it. If I am certain that 2 + 2 = 4: I have faith in it.

Your mother might have been taught that way, and if so very well might be a Christian largely because of her childhood indoctrination.

If she is a Christian only because she 'can't stand the truth'... then I would firstly like to say that she is a coward, and secondly would like to question wether she really has faith at all.

[Minimalist]

Being a Christian is more that an intellectual belief that certain facts are true.

Being a xtian is an accident of birth. Had you been born in Afghanistan you'd be shrieking 'allah ahkbar' with the rest of the taliban.