Poll: A Question To Atheists

[Insomniac55]

Well, my mum is somewhat religious (Catholic, but only goes to mass every now and then, or when it's Christmas etc). Dad on the other hand is completely Atheist. I was sent to a Catholic school (due to the fact mum worked there) and now I'm going to a Catholic high school (as it is where the majority of the people I know went, but I had the option to go to a public school).

So all my life I've had religion around me, but I never believed it. I suppose it can be partially attributed to the way dad would explain lots of science stuff to me when I was little (not specifically regarding religious stuff... he made his views known but didn't try and force me to believe anything), so when they told me religious stuff at school I would never get a satisfactory answer. If dad told me somthing and I questioned why, he would either have an answer backed up by fact, or he would admit that there's not enough evidence to prove it. If I asked the same sort of thing to one of the teachers regarding religion, the answer would either be illogical or 'just because' or 'because the Bible says so', which was simply not convincing enough. Religion class always annoyed me somewhat, as I'd have to bullshit my answers to not rock the boat, but it will be better in my HSC years. For the HSC we can choose 'studies of religion' rather than the more Catholic approach we've had for the rest of our school lives. 'Studies of religion' is Ok because it's just the study of what many other religions believe.

So yeah, all this has had the effect of me being agnostic while leaning towards Atheism. Ie I'm Atheist for all intents and purposes but I still realise I could easily be completely wrong.

 

[Ushario]

My parents weren't very religious at all, they never go to church or anything, although they did get me baptised.

I went to church when I was young. I used to ride my bike down the street after ironing my shirt in the morning and bugging the crap out of my mum for some change for snacks. I got very disillusioned with it all when I found out that the Bible has been edited thousands of times and had parts added or removed completely.

The oldest known Bible tells a significantly different story to what every modern 'Christian' religion uses as their Bible. This made me rethink my faith and I found being athiest, rationalist and a humanist to be more to my taste.

In other words I believe there is no god, that everything can be rationaly explained through logic and that the furthering of the human race in all aspects is the highest asperation. Forgive me if I've made any errors, I had a big night out last and am really feeling it.

 

[GothmogII]

Yes, I did. I had to get a conformation, because my parents forced me to, but I still am an atheist. My family wasn't angry about choosing my religion, and they were very tolerant.

You know, I actually found all that mess okay. Free money for mumbling out some prayers and hymns, eating free cake. At that point I still wasn't a believer mind you, I was just going along with things. Not be blip in the grand scheme. Even went to my sister's confirmation recently, and hey, whaddya know? More free cake, and tea this time!

 

[minarri]

My family stopped going to church around the time I went into middle school, but both of my parents are spiritual if not outright pious. I did have a huge argument with my parents about religion and spirituality when I was in high school (about eight years ago, when I was more agnostic than atheistic), but other than that we haven't really talked much about it.

So my brother and I did get baptized and had our first Holy Communion, but when we didn't get Confirmation one of my aunts stopped talking with us. Not that I mind, really, the woman was on the obnoxious side.

 

[Radeonx]

Yes, I did. I had to get a conformation, because my parents forced me to, but I still am an atheist. My family wasn't angry about choosing my religion, and they were very tolerant.

You know, I actually found all that mess okay. Free money for mumbling out some prayers and hymns, eating free cake. At that point I still wasn't a believer mind you, I was just going along with things. Not be blip in the grand scheme. Even went to my sister's confirmation recently, and hey, whaddya know? More free cake, and tea this time!

Yes. The better part was that my conformation class was really small, so it was only like a 2 hour ceremony. And I got like $2000. Totally worth it.

 

[Insomniac55]

i dont see why nihilism isnt mentioned so often people seem to forget athiests believe there is a meaning to life and an afterlife. i personally am a nihilist but grew up with my mom being a laid back catholic that almost never mentioned it.

Whoa hold on a minute. Atheists for the most part don't believe in any supernatrual phenomena... that includes the concept of an afterlife and the idea that life has some greater meaning.

 

[Rimefrost]

One side of my family is indifferent to religion, the other is devout Catholic. I remember having to go to some religion classes as a kid where I was supposed to memorize prayers but I never really did, and my family eventually stopped pushing it. Although I'm not sure I'd call myself an atheist... defiantly agnostic.

 

[bodyklok]

My mum never really mentioned religion to me when I was growing up. I almost managed to get away with not hearing about it as a child, anyway, I'm an atheist but my parents were hippys. So I don't have a clue as to what they believed. Damned hippys.

 

[minarri]

Whoa hold on a minute. Atheists for the most part don't believe in any supernatrual phenomena... that includes the concept of an afterlife and the idea that life has some greater meaning.

I think you might be confusing that with agnosticism. Atheists just don't believe in God(s).

 

[Cliff_m85]

My parents brought me to church once, on my request to have a small (albeit lame) party with a friend. They were always open to me experimenting with faith. I have to say I wasn't an Atheist until I turned about 18 (Agnostic, albeit a misunderstood agnostic, when I turned 14). I decoverted my mother a little bit after my 20th Birthday.

 

[Insanum]

Okay, now that thats out of the way, I would like to ask the atheists here a question, Did you guys Grow up in a very religious family?

Yes, My mother is a devout Jehovahs Witness & still tries to take me to the meetings. When i turned 14 (im now 20) she stopped forcing me to go, mainly because my snoring was getting loud (no joke, But i only snored at those meetings)

Unfortunately i just saw religion as a way of people becoming blind, or acting strangely.

 

[ReSpawn]

In the context of religion and the perspective of the parent, aren't the only choices with or against?

Even agnosticism might conflict with someone's belief (somehow).

On a more personal note, I find the term 'Atheist' to be an unfortunate one. The proponents of reason have found themselves labelled such, but it mentions nothing about their actual philosophy, or at most one aspect of it.

The fact that the media can use terms like "prominent atheist" is astounding.

Moving forward, I'd prefer a popularisation of secular humanist as a descriptor of those who would have been called atheists. I'd imagine they would be okay with that.

It's what, push come to shove, I'd call myself.

 

[iblis666]

I could never be a atheist but i find strong faith in anything even the disbelief in a god an amazing thing. As for my self im agnostic i just cant deny the possibility that there is some sort of god like being or force out there. Hell i cant even deny that the christian god might exist even if it is almost impossible that it exists exactly how it does in the bible.

 

[A random person]

I voted other but it resembles the second answer. My grandfather is a religion professor and my dad (same side of family as grandfather) is a very liberal Christian. I was not raised to follow the bullshit about gays being sinful or the many other lies fundies crap out. So I went to church when I was very young but it didn't really affect me that much, since I didn't really pay attention. Oh, and I was never baptized.

And thanks to my brother, the internet, and being repulsed by my more strongly religious classmates who insisted Halloween was the devil's holiday, I was raised with a strong hatred of fundies and will fight conservative evangelical Christian dogma on the many occasions it faces me here in the south.

 

[Insomniac55]

Whoa hold on a minute. Atheists for the most part don't believe in any supernatrual phenomena... that includes the concept of an afterlife and the idea that life has some greater meaning.

I think you might be confusing that with agnosticism. Atheists just don't believe in God(s).

Well, no, not really. By definition an Atheist is simply somone who lacks a belief in deities. However the reasons that the majority of atheists have for not believing in them is that they can't see enough evidence of their existance. And because of that most atheists would not believe in an afterlife either. I'm not saying all atheists lack the belief, but the majority do. The quote I was replying to claimed that atheists belive in the afterlife/meaning of life... which by definition has nothing to do with atheism, and shouldn't really be linked to it.

 

[Crimsane]

My family was rather religious, but not terribly forceful with it. I was baptized at age 8 or so, we always went to church on Sundays and Wednesday nights, and always said a prayer at every meal. That's about it. When I moved out and experienced how the world really is, I developed my own ideas. Unfortunately for them, I have a brain, and I use it in every aspect of life.

 

[Insanum]

Yes, I did. I had to get a conformation, because my parents forced me to, but I still am an atheist. My family wasn't angry about choosing my religion, and they were very tolerant.

You know, I actually found all that mess okay. Free money for mumbling out some prayers and hymns, eating free cake. At that point I still wasn't a believer mind you, I was just going along with things. Not be blip in the grand scheme. Even went to my sister's confirmation recently, and hey, whaddya know? More free cake, and tea this time!

Sorry to seem ignorant...Whats a conformation? I want free cake

 

[blaze338]

I come from a religious family but my parents never forced me to go to church or anything, i chose to be an athiest and they are cool with it.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Well I'm not an atheist I'm an agnostic, but yes I my family was rather religious. However I was also raised to question the world around me, and after seeing the dark side of the world I could no longer accept the existence of a God.

 

[Souplex]

My parents taught me the basics and then let me decide for myself.