What’s something most people don’t understand?
I’m an atheist. That’s not a secret. But being an atheist makes me misunderstood by many and reviled by some. Most people don’t really understand what atheism is. Some believe that it means you hate God. I don’t hate God. I don’t believe that God exists, and why would I hate something that isn’t real? Also, many people refer to atheists as “non-believers.” But that’s not accurate either.
If someone calls those who don’t believe in God “non-believers,” their definition of “believer” is way too narrow. They’re thinking that the word “believer” applies only to a belief system, a religious belief system. A belief in a supreme being, a greater intelligence, a supernatural deity. And for most Americans, that means believing in God, Yahweh, Allah, or whatever they call their deity.
As an atheist, I believe that God does not exist. I believe that Christians, Jews, Muslims, and others who worship God made up God in the same way that Greeks and Romans, for example, made up Zeus and Jupiter and all the other gods they believed in.
But just because I don’t believe that God exists doesn’t make me a non-believer. Because that would imply that I don’t believe in anything. I believe in a lot of things.
I believe that we didn’t exist before we were born and that we will cease to exist in any form after we die.
I believe that our universe is almost 14 billion years old and that the planet we live on is 4.5 billion years old. I believe in evolution. And I believe that we are working pretty damn hard to destroy our planet’s ability to sustain human life.
I believe in a woman’s rights to choose. I believe in free speech, in freedom of (or from) religion, in equal rights for gays, and in gun control. I also believe in the separation of church and state.
But wait, there’s more that I believe. I believe that humans are fallible and that we all make mistakes. Some more than others. I believe that most people are good, decent, and moral, regardless of their religious beliefs — or lack thereof.
Consider this. We were all natural-born atheist. We did not come out of the womb believing in God. We were taught about God by our parents and from the pastor, priest, rabbi, or imam at the church or temple we and our parents attended. Our religious beliefs as a child were our parents’ religious beliefs. As with just about everything else, we did what our parents told us. We followed their lead.
But many of us, as we grew up, became skeptical of the religious beliefs of our parents due to the inconsistencies, and in some cases, the outright hypocrisies, of those beliefs. We asked questions and sought evidence. Answers like, “Because it says so in the Bible,” or “You just have to have faith, you just have to believe,” didn’t cut it with us. We grew into pragmatists who think rationally, and logically, and after weighing all of the available evidence, we chose to not believe in any supernatural deity or supreme being.
Don’t Pity the Poor Atheist
Many Christians seem to believe that atheists are a bad, sad, miserable, immoral, lost lot. They feel sorry for or pity us because we have lost our way; we have strayed from the path of righteousness. They can’t understand how we can be moral individuals if we don’t believe in God or an afterlife. It’s so sad that we can’t or won’t allow ourselves to bask in the glory that is God, or to accept Jesus as our savior. Which is why they want to “save” us. How magnanimous of them.
Or if they don’t feel sorry for us, they are angry at us. How dare we question their beliefs? How do we have the audacity to suggest that the Bible isn’t “The Truth,” and that God didn’t create us in his image, or that we evolved from monkeys?
We, as atheists, are, therefore, condemned to eternal damnation unless we change our evil, secular ways and embrace God and Jesus. Only then will we be saved. Only then will the light of God’s truth reveal itself to us.
Atheists are not people you should feel sorry for or be angry at. We are not bad, immoral people. We just don’t live our lives built around the God myth. But hey, whatever floats your boat.
This, That, and the Other 
Using data from a U.S. study of 6,825 adolescents, the authors found that the average IQ of atheists was 6 points higher than the average IQ of non-atheists.
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I’m not surprised.
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When Jesus came along, he opened the doors to those who the others deemed to be unworthy, and that’s why you have a second vineyard story, to remind the elite, that things change, and as to what makes you worthy, is love for all that is created by God, so in short, many atheists, actually believe in God and don’t even realize it, how does that sound, have a great day, amen.
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It sounds like a circular argument. Atheists don’t believe that God exists, therefore, don’t believe that God created “it all.” But we can appreciate “it all” that YOU believe God created without, ourselves, believing in God.
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What do you mean by “a second vineyard” story?
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Amen! I agree 100 percent!
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👍
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Very well written. I am an Animist. I follow the spiritual practices of my ancestors. It’s surprising and disappointing how many other religious practitioners “judge me” or have even called me heathen, while spouting acceptance and equality for all. If a persons actions reflect their beliefs, they are a believer and practitioner of their belief system. Even if they do not, that’s their problem not mine … unless they try to infringe upon or force their belief system on me. Then we do have a problem. The old adage “practice what you preach” holds true, especially for so many these days. I believe you and yours have a right to your beliefs and it’s none of my business. You are my friend, peer or acquaintance until actions dictate otherwise. 💜
(Animism is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence.)
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Unfortunately, in the U.S. today, conservative Christian politicians are, indeed, trying to force their belief systems on the rest bof us by proposing and, in some cases, passing legislations that codifies their religious beliefs. They want to turn this country into a Christian nation, a Christian theocracy.
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Agree 100%! 👍
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I think they use the excuse of Christianity, and the goals are something else. Then again… “Christianity” pretty much is that anyway; established in a year past 300 AD to serve ”other” goals. And I don’t say that to diminish who Y’sua was (from BCA to around 30) but to get back to the essentials. Imagine being a person of faith while not of the magnetically dominating boxes. I’m thinking this is more misunderstood than atheism.
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This kind of scholarly discussion used to only be available in Jewish community centers and the halls of cloistered universities or colleges. I was pleased to see this is at Target now. The intentions or goals of Brigitte Kahl (and her friend, Mark Nanos, who recommended this book to me in addition to his own) are to bring together what has historically been ripped up by religionisity in political power.
https://www.target.com/p/galatians-re-imagined-paul-in-critical-contexts-by-brigitte-kahl-paperback/-/A-84222644
Kahl brings to this insightful reading of Galatians a deep knowledge of the classical world and especially of Roman imperial ideology. The first wave of scholarship on the Roman imperial context of Pauls letters raised important questions that only thorough treatments of individual letters can answer. Kahl sets the letter to the Galatians in the context of Roman perceptions of vanquished peoples as represented in the Great Altar at Pergamum.
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To differentiate between the different imperial settings:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/paul/timeline.cfm
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They’ve got this at 64 of the Common Era: The Great Fire in Rome; Major persecution of Christianity begins
… the only time they use the word “Christianity.”
It can be argued that Christianity started with Paul. Most people don’t apply the logic, though, and go ahead on back to Christ/Y’sus/Jesus (rather than noticing Paul was trying to devise a way for gentiles to live under Roman rule without subjecting their thinking to the Roman cult). My point of view is that Christianity was established with Constantine (and Eusebius, his apologist, who invented a mythology with his emperor as the hero). Whatever a labeling term or real characterization of the people in 64 should be, it’s true that they were persecuted.
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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_the_Great_and_Christianity
This led to both a system of patriarchate without one single leader and the papacy (one leader of certain followers of men). This couldn’t have happened without a military complex.
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Animism is an interesting idea. It is good to have this thoughtful connection with the world. GROG
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Thank you Grog. It is a connection to all things which connects us back to self-awareness. Whether or not there is one God, one Goddess, A Creator, Great Father, or nothing at all, does not matter – we will all find that answer eventually. What does matter is the way in which we treat each other, our world, the creatures and natural habitat within it, that surrounds and supports us and them. 🙏
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I rather like the Japanese and their Shinto religion. Spirits everywhere, but most take it for what it’s worth..keeping united. Stay sane. GROG
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You should believe whatever you want to believe, nobody has a right to force their agenda or beliefs down another persons throat. xo
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I totally agree and the greatest violators of this freedom to believe are parents from whom children have no protection. Deluded parents are allowed to pass on their supernatural beliefs and deny their child the opportunity to think. We need better educated parents! GROG
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It’s called indoctrination.
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Me: … if people talked most of the world into religions that don’t comport with reality (which isn’t necessarily the same thing as if there is an all-knowing and/or creative being or spirit[/Spirit]), people can convince the great majority … of all kinds of … things.
Me: … “Christianity” pretty much is that anyway; established in a year past 300 AD to serve ”other” goals.
This wasn’t established with “talking” primarily in my view. There was a lot of talking, but Constantine was an emperor and led armies.
Quoting GROG: … greatest violators of this freedom to believe are parents from whom children have no protection. Deluded parents are allowed to pass on their …
Someone is going to raise the children. Do you think that if the responsibility was taken away from parents that whoever else would take it over would do better? Would actually want the children to learn reality and develop thinking skills? Critical evaluation? I see very little or no evidence of that. Religions are established for reasons of domination, governance. (And where atheism is the state imposition, that becomes as religion.)
The people (or at least some of those) who are often called Christians per 64 CE were effectively atheists (and were called that), because they didn’t buy into or fit into an approved religious body — of which there were several approved — all overseen by the present Roman empire (as the Herodians in Judea and the immediate surrounds and of others in other locales).
What happened when Native American parents didn’t impose, ironically, Christianity (or, really, so-called — also ironically — western habits of culture in dress and language or Christianity so-called) on their children? Their children were taken from them. The Indian parents did have spiritual beliefs of their own (often non-hostile to the teachings of Jesus), but the denominations who made the DC government the happiest wanted those children to be protected from the delusions of their unsophisticated or different ways.
The Galatians Re-Imagined research and book didn’t exist when I had young children. If I had it to do over and had this book, I would involve us in a lot of focusing on the relevant ancient times and contrast (as the book does) as to what the mythology and functionality of Rome was and how different the teachings of Jesus/Y’sua (and then Paul/Saul) were; an overturning.
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I’ve got a friend who calls himself a “hard core” atheist – he’s actually the most Christ like person I know. I can’t say I’m truly an atheist because I know there’s something there but I definitely don’t believe it’s a manlike form sitting on a golden throne dispensing tickets to a heaven that looks like the suburbs of LA. (as you can tell – I’ve been exposed to Mormonism)
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Well, JT welcome to the club of “not ever a serious believer” Mormon. They really do have a fantastical version of religion. If you’re not yet a fully hatched atheist, I recommend Christopher Hitchens. GROG
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My ex-husband joined the Mormons after our divorce and took great joy in telling me that, as his least favorite wife (he’s had four), I am not the one he will be inviting up to heaven. Ha! Then he proceeded to post-death baptize all his Jewish ancestors.
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You had a real nut on your hands. Once convinced that they are special the believers have no shame in their delusion. GROG
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I’ve been looking at Del (Dr.) [I think Carter] videos because of a person who will make fun of me for believing anything (even “believing” he said what he said… aka believing reality). Same person will join a church or any damn thing to be superior or part of the crowd; including be an atheist. Narcissist.
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See the fierce love (first time I’ve seen her) writer as guest — while I probably have the host’s name (above) wrong — video below. Whatever anybody says they are, they can be an asshole.
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🙄
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Fierce Love As an Alternative To
Narcism, Featuring Dr. Jacqui Lewis
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Well written F
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
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After convincing myself that I am an atheist I wondered why religion is so tenacious? Wondering how it all began, the thoughts of spirits and the spirit world came to mind. Without a spirit world there is no place for spirits or gods to reside. My position is the supernatural realm called heaven is created by human imagination. It is a delusion to think/believe that it exists outside of the human mind. GROG
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I agree. God was created by humans in their own image.
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It’s all about fear, ignorance and superstition. GROG
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Because humans have spirits or souls, God was ”created” as a Spirit?
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I believe God was created to resemble a human being. Most gods throughout human history were at least part human.
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I do think it’s worth the considering (if only as an exercise). You may recall that I try things out even when they challenge what I think or believe (such as that God, for an oversimplifying word, is). It would make sense that people created a spirit god because there is something of humans beyond the physical.
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https://youtu.be/y7RL__ZgdEw https://youtu.be/y7RL__ZgdEw
The Whispering Mind: [four guests] The
Enduring Conundrum of Consciousness
Introduction on what has been meant by consciousness
or mind: 2:30 or 4 minutes to 14:30+ or ~18:45 or 34:45,
while you probably don’t want to miss the lead in to 46:45
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Finding Nemo: Are you my conscience?
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Well written. Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful day!
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I believe you are right
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And I believe you, Brian.
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https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2023/02/22/biden-ash-wednesday-244793
“Today, I join Christians worldwide in observing Ash Wednesday,” Biden wrote on Twitter. “The Lenten season is a time for reflection and discernment and an opportunity to recommit ourselves to God and to one another.”
“May we continue to keep the faith and look with hopeful hearts towards Easter,” the Catholic U.S. president added.
Social media users quickly observed a faded cross on the president’s forehead on the pictures from the Feb. 22 Bucharest Nine (B9) summit held at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw.
In Poland, ashes are sprinkled over one’s head, which left social media commentators surprised at the smear of ash on the president’s forehead during the official meeting hosted by Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Father Dawidowski, an Augustinian, shared his experience of the Ash Wednesday Mass with Biden on his Facebook page.
“Today is Ash Wednesday. Even the most powerful in this world take ashes — if they belong to the Catholic tradition,” Father Dawidoswki said. “I had the honor today of placing ashes on the forehead of the US President Mr. Joe Biden.”
The priest posted a photo of an improvised altar in a hotel room, the U.S. presidential seal, and himself with Biden.
“Even …” ?
Biden also says he’s the most pro-union president ever, but crushed any union leverage members had. It was either cruel or ignorant.
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https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2023/03/30/indigenous-vatican-catholic-church-discovery-doctrine-americas-244997?cx_testId=12&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=2&cx_experienceId=EX7CE8EAI0YE&cxTrackingId=%7Bkpdx%7DAAAAqGXIRJ_zawoKQXZ3ekk4Wk9wdRIQbGZ2bTl6MjNqend4ZWNrbxoMRVg3Q0U4RUFJMFlFIiUxODA1Zzk4MGNvLTAwMDAzMXBrYzgwZmRrYnNsaDdscGkyZXNvKiFzaG93UmVjb21tZW5kYXRpb25zM0VGNkhXOVpQUFk2MTRSEnYtbADwGGs3dmhqd3A0eloNMTM2LjMyLjI0Ny44NmIDdGljaOqbnaEGcAV4GA#cxrecs_s
If you get your shit together, maybe [you and] your followers won’t go to hell?
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Mark Charles Comments:
Vatican Repudiates the
Doctrine of Discovery;
Seeks to Limit Liability
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A Conversation With Robert Miller re Doctrine of Discovery
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An informative from 2020:
Accessing the Past: Digitizing
Native American Treaties
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Well said Fandango. I have always been more interested in the here and now than the hereafter. I think that I am tending more and more towards atheism these days. Religion often seems to be the cause of much unhappiness.
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I can’t disagree.
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You have expressed completely and fully, my own views!!! Thank you, Fandango, for letting me know that I am not alone! I often refer to myself as a ‘non-believer’, simply because it seems to offend others less than saying that I am an atheist, but the fact is that I stopped believing in the existence of some all-powerful, all-seeing god at around the age of 5, and though I tried a few times to summons up a belief, I’ve never managed it. I don’t put down those who do believe, for I understand that it brings them comfort to believe there is order in all the madness, that there is a better future for them, and I try not to embark on religious discussions, knowing my views will not be welcomed. Thanks again for sharing your views and putting to words my own views.
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I stopped believing in God shortly after I stopped believing in Santa Claus and in the Easter Bunny. Most people outgrow believing in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny at a young age, but for some inexplicable reason (to me), they don’t outgrow believing in God.
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I think it’s because they NEED something to believe in, need to believe that there is method to the madness, that someone or something is in control. I’m sure that for many it is a comfort, even if a false sense of comfort. Sometimes I envy them, but I’m too much of a realist to join them.
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I’m not an atheist but I think a lot of atheist are better people than those who claim to be religious.
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Having been raised by a very atheist mother and not believe in any traditional deity, I pretty much on board with you and believe pretty much all the same things. The only difference is that while I don’t believe, I hope I’m wrong and there really IS a deity and he’ll step down from wherever he’s currently hanging out and fix the world. Because frankly, looking around? I have very serious doubts that humans are going to fix this world. Every fifty years, we forget everything decent we ever knew and revert to our worst selves. Except this time, there might not be any time to turn it around.
I might not believe in a deity, but it would be REALLY nice if one showed up and did the right thing!
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Don’t hold your breath that some supernatural deity is suddenly going to show up and right all the world’s wrongs.
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What I think is interesting is that if people talked most of the world into religions that don’t comport with reality (which isn’t necessarily the same thing as if there is an all-knowing and/or creative being or spirit), people can convince the great majority of population of all kinds of wrong things. Conspiracies are the norm.
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Braggs’ … Prosecution of Trump is a DISTRACTION
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We Uncovered the Corporations
Bringing Back Child Labor in America
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CDC Officials Get Sick In East Palestine,
Gov’t Still Says Residents Are Safe: Report
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Jordan goes nuclear over East Palestine
residents being taxed on their poisoning
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Erin Brockovich Accuses Norfolk Southern
of Lying About … “Controlled Burn”
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Atheists are the best kind of believers !!! 😇
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I once told my atheist cousin that I think atheists are great. What is believing anything if you can’t be an atheist? (I know because I permitted myself to reject what I was taught.) But some atheists aren’t skeptics or anything like that, so she didn’t grasp what I was saying. She just rejects a particular thing she experienced; doesn’t analyze.
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Does everything about this universe make sense to you, with your “NON BELIEVING IN GOD” belief?
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Well, it makes more sense to me than some magical, mystical being who waved his, hers, or its magic wand, and lo and behold: everything.
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