First Day As An
While I’ve for the most part given up with this blog (what’s the point anymore?) I figured it would be rude not to answer Jorizza’s invitation to join a blog meme. Here goes.
Can you remember the day that you officially became an atheist?
Definitely not. The change came slowly, from about the year I was eleven or twelve. Before then, I had believed in God rather unquestioningly, and believed in the Bible, though I felt parts of it didn’t make sense or felt ‘wrong’–but my indoctrination taught me to just accept it.
It was after meeting my future stepbrother that things started to change. He was a real saint–he accepted me as his sister instantly, took me in and made me feel loved and welcome. At that time I thought that homosexuals were evil and sinful, because that’s what my dad had always taught me (I’m sure you can imagine how well he and my new stepbrother got along).
When I found out my stepbrother was gay, it forced me to stop accepting everything and to think. It took me some time, however, to re-evaluate the beliefs I already had.
Do you remember the day you officially became an agnostic?
No point answering, since I consider myself atheist, not agnostic.
How about the last time you spoke or prayed to God with actual thought that someone was listening?
I think it was around the time I was nine or so. While I was still Christian up until around eleven or nine, I had started to get reasonable and realize that praying was outright silly.
How does a nine year old realize that, and not a full-grown adult?
Did anger towards God or religion help cause you to be an atheist or agnostic?
I think so, yes. While it wasn’t originally what fueled my willingness to start questioning and drift away, it did help with my ability to admit to myself that I was an atheist, and to admit to myself that this was simply how the world was. It gave me courage where I would not have had any, to speak out and to criticize the Church.
Here is a good one: Were you agnostic towards ghosts, even after you became an atheist?
Yes. I have a hard time getting over my belief in ghosts, even as I realize that the idea of the soul is illogical. It’s one of those things I was simply raised to believe in more than Christianity. I suppose that I still very much want to believe in supernatural things and mysteries, that a sort of Godless spiritual world can exist. I’m more open to the idea than to the idea of a Christian God or even to gods at all, but not by much.
Do you want to be wrong?
Sort of. I mean…I’d absolutely love for there to be a soul and absolutely love for there to be a meaning to life and a kind and loving god or gods. I’d love for there to be an afterlife (the idea of simply ending when I die scares the hell out of me, I can tell ya). I’d love that sort of thing. But I hope I am right about Hell. I hope I am right about all the negative aspects of religion and spirituality. Because I would rather not exist after death than have myself and good people who have committed ’sins’ like not believing in God, being homosexual, or having sex before marriage go to Hell. It’s immoral of a being that is supposed to be moral.
I’ll tag someone when I decide who…
You are the epitome of A.D.D.
I have trouble keeping up with your new interests lately :)
We’ve lost your from the ACP as well it seems but no worries, you’re welcome to post again when inspiration strikes you.
Wow…you’re right, I am, so much so that I forgot to finish the freaking title! xD
Thanks for accepting the invitation. It’s nice to read about the different ways people loose their faith. Too bad most of the events that drive people away from theism come with heavy emotional sacrifices and the choices that have to be made in order to cope with them.
The Bay Psalm Booked, from 1640, containing a new translation of the psalms, was the first book printed in what is now the United States. problem behind Bible
You say: “Christianity controls most of the most powerful nations on Earth…”
Which nations? According to USA Today: “Surveys show a sharp decline in church attendance and religious practice in most European countries. A series of Eurobarometer surveys since 1970 in five key countries (France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy) shows that regular church attendance fell from about 40% of the population to about half that figure. Declines were sharpest in predominantly Catholic nations.”
You say: “Christianity is controlling you directly through laws…”
Since ALL of our laws derive from and are subordinate to The United States Constitution and there is NO endorsement of religion, God, theism, or Christianity in it, can you please tell me which laws you are referring to specifically and which branch of Christianity created them (Lutheran, Catholic, Presbyterian, etc.)?
You say: The Christian right would prefer this money go to the war in Iraq…”
Out of the 100 votes in the Senate on the joint resolution to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq (U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 107th Congress – 2nd Session) and the 429 votes in the House (a total of 529 votes), only 263 voting “yea” were “RIGHT.”
You say: THE CHRISTIANS “love to take taxes…”
The landmark 1986 tax reform bill, which reduced top tax rates and eliminated many popular deductions, was the product of a compromise between a Democratic-controlled House and a Republican-led Senate.
You say: “…it [Christianity] also directly controls this nation because in the U.S. you can’t get into office if you aren’t a Christian…”
NPR published this story on July 6, 2008: “Evangelical Christians Adrift Without Candidate” [i.e. they don't consider John McCain one of them].
A surprising new survey [Barna study] out Monday, 2/4/08 found that more born again Christian voters said they would support a Democratic candidate than a Republican candidate, breaking the long tradition of born-again support for the GOP…Similarly, a poll by GodTube.com on Monday showed that Christian voters currently favor Democrats over Republicans.
Blue, is there any country anywhere that you don’t have a problem with? (If so, maybe you should weigh a lifetime of fighting the “true enemy” here with getting yourself a ticket there.) A lot of people actually die trying to get here…they might think it’s odd that you are so busy trying to fight the values other people hold in such a free country (have you ever heard of a busybody?) . Hey, why not get rid of philosophy too while you’re at it: Karl Marx wanted to!
You say: “Christianity controls most of the most powerful nations on Earth…”
Which nations? According to USA Today: “Surveys show a sharp decline in church attendance and religious practice in most European countries. A series of Eurobarometer surveys since 1970 in five key countries (France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy) shows that regular church attendance fell from about 40% of the population to about half that figure. Declines were sharpest in predominantly Catholic nations.”
You say: “Christianity is controlling you directly through laws…”
Since ALL of our laws derive from and are subordinate to The United States
Constitution and there is NO endorsement of religion, God, theism, or
Christianity in it, can you please tell me which laws you are referring to
specifically and which branch of Christianity created them (Lutheran,
Catholic, Presbyterian, etc.)?
You say: The Christian right would prefer this money go to the war in Iraq…”
Out of the 100 votes in the Senate on the joint resolution to authorize the
use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq (U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes
107th Congress – 2nd Session) and the 429 votes in the House (a total of 529 votes), only 263 voters were “RIGHT.”
You say: THE CHRISTIANS “love to take taxes…”
The landmark 1986 tax reform bill, which reduced top tax rates and eliminated many popular deductions, was the product of a compromise between a Democratic-controlled House and a Republican-led Senate.
You say: “…it [Christianity] also directly controls this nation because in
the U.S. you can’t get into office if you aren’t a Christian…”
NPR (July 6, 2008): “Evangelical Christians Adrift Without Candidate” (they
don’t consider John McCain one of them!).
A surprising new survey [Barna study] out on 2/4/08 found that more born again Christian voters said they would support a Democratic candidate
than a Republican candidate, breaking the long tradition of born-again support for the GOP…Similarly, a poll by GodTube.com showed that Christian voters currently favor Democrats over Republicans.
Blue, is there any country anywhere that you don’t have a problem with? (If so, maybe you should weigh a lifetime of fighting the “true enemy” here with getting yourself a ticket there.) A lot of people actually die trying to get here…they might think it’s odd that you are so busy trying to fight the values other people hold in such a free country (think: busybody) . But hey, why not get rid of Philosophy too while you’re at it–Karl Marx wanted to!
Linda Starr said:
“Blue, is there any country anywhere that you don’t have a problem with? (If so, maybe you should weigh a lifetime of fighting the “true enemy” here with getting yourself a ticket there.)”
In other words, “if you don’t like it here go somewhere else”
Shame. That is an extremely closed-minded attitude that I’ve seen used pretty much only by the losing side of any political or religious argument. The separation of church and state has been breached by pandering politicians – especially the republicans. We could have avoided these last 4 years (if not all 8) of Bush, had it not been for the religious vote. Do you not agree?
McCarthyism, anyone? Adding “In God We Trust” to our currency was an act of religious and political propaganda against communism. One of the criticisms of communism was that it was “Godless”. My point is not about communism, but about how religion was unconstitutionally injected into American politics in order to, well, ‘help’ people form opinions that concurred with those in power (to put it lightly).
Regardless of what you are saying, the republican base consists of those bible-belt anti-choice, anti-gay, antisemitic, anti-intellectual types of people. The republican party got their support by pandering to their crazy religious beliefs and wearing their religions (whether phony or genuine) on their sleeves.
If the separation of church and state was strong, then gay marriage, abortion, stem cell research, etc would not be issues of debate to the level that they are now. This country is falling behind the rest of the industrialized world, because of our religion and Milton Friedman economics (greedy laissez-faire capitalism). We need people like Blue to question what is going on so we can better our country. If you have everyone who questions what is going on in your country leave it, then you are left with a fascist dictatorship. Is that what you want America to become?
For me, I think that the ultra-wealthy elite are more to blame the religion itself. But those in power use religion to have control over people who like to follow their emotions instead of their logic. Sheep in other words. Money and power are what greedy people desire, and religion/ignorance is the best tool they could possibly use to get people to agree to let them have it all. But I digress, my point is that a country can not be great without dissenters.
Linda, your feigned ignorance is very amusing.
You really think Christians don’t control this country? And other powerful countries?
I dare you, then, to try running as an atheist. I dare you to try running as any religion but a Christian.
Or, we could stop playing the ‘Well I dunno!’ game. Perhaps you’ve seen how much nutcases cared whether or not Obama was Muslim or not. Perhaps you’ve seen how Christian activist groups take down atheist billboards, try to force Christian dogma into our schools labeled as ’science’. Perhaps you’d like to stop dodging reality and admit you see it too?
I criticize the church. I much dislike the church, and most conventional understandings of God. This does not invalidate God, the foolish actings of mortals in His name. It just means that they, as mortals, are once again wrong.