Poll: A Question To Atheists

[LevelSix]

I was always allowed to believe whatever I want. My parents weren't religious, though my father did go the Christian route a few years ago (well after their divorce). My tendency towards Atheism comes from a lack of proof. That and I tend to believe the Scientists have some idea about what they're talking about, and can throw some evidence my way.

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.

Case in point.

 

[Valiance]

Let me say this first, this is not meant to be against atheism, and certainly not meant to be insulting in any way, you have been warned.

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?

My reason for asking this is because I have noticed that a large number of the Atheists I have debated with had came from very religious families and I would like to see if there is any truth to something my teacher said a long time ago regarding the issue, he said that children will almost always go with there parents, or completely against them.

@ Mods; If this becomes a religious flame thread please close it.

EDIT: I guess it is only fair that I explain my situation, my parents are Christian, as am I, but I am more "liberal" with it for lack of a better word. We go to church every time the planets align(figure of speech), but my parents didnt force me or my brother, as a matter of fact my brother is atheist and no one really gives a damn.

So not only are you stereotyping "Atheists" and everyone on the board as "children," you're saying that we're only Atheist because our parents aren't?

 

[Jerious1154]

My family consists of semi-observant Jews, but my parents are very open minded and tolerant. My mom converted to Judaism, so she understands having doubts about religion.

I'm more of an agnostic than an atheist, but I don't really feel the need to bring it up with my family. It's easy for me to live in a semi-religious family because even though I don't believe in God I still identify as being Jewish in a sort of cultural way, so I don't have a problem with attending services or celebrating holidays.

 

[The Political Gamer]

I my family could care less about if I am an Atheist or not, its the kids at my school that are the intolerant jerks.

 

[twistedshadows]

I chose "other" because my family was quite religious as I grew up, but weren't conservative in the least. I was raised Catholic and attended a somewhat liberal church (as far as churches go, anyway); I was even an alter girl and went to catechism for years. I stopped believing in Christianity when I was around 13. I didn't abandon religion in order to go against my family's ideals, it just didn't sit well with me personally.

 

[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.

Do you mean to imply that life has no greater meaning without the presence of deities?

Well, it all depends on what you mean by 'greater meaning'. As far as some sort of meaning beyond what humans attach to life, then no, I don't think such a thing exists (or could exist) without deities or other supernatrual phenomena (for the purposes of this discussion let's group deities together with any other supernatural concepts)

IMHO, people are just intelligent animals... we've evolved to the point where we start seeing meaning where there is none, and people start to belive there's some sort of greater plan or meaning to the universe... which personally, I don't belive. I only belive life has meaning insofar as what we attach to it...

This doesn't mean I think life is meaningless... I believe going around killing people/causing people pain is absolutely wrong, as you are taking life away from others, and causing pain and grief to those they left behind. However 'greater meaning' in the way that religious people often mean it, I don't believe in. That's just my opinion though, I'm not trying to start an argument.

 

[Graustein]

My family consists of semi-observant Jews, but my parents are very open minded and tolerant. My mom converted to Judaism, so she understands having doubts about religion.

I'm more of an agnostic than an atheist, but I don't really feel the need to bring it up with my family. It's easy for me to live in a semi-religious family because even though I don't believe in God I still identify as being Jewish in a sort of cultural way, so I don't have a problem with attending services or celebrating holidays.

This is almost exactly my situation, except that my mum's Catholic and doesn't want to convert. Not that anybody tried to make her in the first place.

 

[ultracheeser]

Religion barely exists in my family. No church, no prayer, nothing. I don't think that has anything to do with my own beliefs though.

 

[Disaster Button]

Well my dad is Atheist and will sometimes mock Religion in a joking manner, but that doesn't mean he believes people who believe in religion are stupid, he just likes to poke fun.

My Mom is catholic but not a strict one. She believes in a God but doesn't go to church or anytihng like that but doesn't force her beliefs on me or anyone because she believes people are entitled to their own opinion.

Weirdly, I am Atheist but am closest to my Mom.

 

[Bored Tomatoe]

I'm fifteen, and have only recently ceased believing in some kind of divine entity. I never really believed in a "god" as proposed by most monotheistic religions, but for a long time I thought that there was some kind of supernatural force that couldn't be explained. My family has never been strictly religious, with my Dad being an Agnostic, and my Mom a Universalist. So I doubt that my religious upbringing had anything to do with my newly found outlook.

 

[AkJay]

My mom and dad were Catholic, but we did not go to church or anything, and they never pushed it on me. My grandparents on the otherhand are VERY catholic and would perform an excorsism on me if they found out i was an athiest.

 

[Evilbunny]

I grew up in a religious family and I still believe in God, I have just come to the conclusion that he doesn't care about me. I don't really know what that's called.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

It was a very tolerant upbringing, that encouraged experiencing as much as possible. The transition into agnosticism was just a result. It led to the understanding that there might be a god, or gods, or there might just be a universal divinity that could be interpreted as science, as magic, or as the power of some god. With a questioning belief in something, the alterior options have their own merit, which is what led to my position.

 

[Graustein]

I grew up in a religious family and I still believe in God, I have just come to the conclusion that he doesn't care about me. I don't really know what that's called.

Possibly Deism: A supreme being created the universe, set it in motion, and is now not involved. Could be watching, could have a grand plan for us, but hasn't actually done anything since pressing the "go" button billions of years ago.

 

[RebelRising]

I grew up in a religious family and I still believe in God, I have just come to the conclusion that he doesn't care about me. I don't really know what that's called.

If I'm not mistaken, that's pretty close to Gnostism.
http://www.gnosis.org/gnintro.htm

I'm not that familiar with it, though.

 

[letsnoobtehpwns]

I also have a question to the atheists, do you ever wonder what if there really is a god?

 

[azurawolf]

I am Atheist.

My mother attempted a couple times to get us all active in church when I was younger. We would go to a church on Sundays and I would have fun. When we moved, my mother got me and my sister to join this church youth group and I had a blast. I even went to a Prayer Group my school hosted every week. At that time, I was Christan but I started questioning God and my beliefs changed. I was encouraged but never forced. Both me and my sister are Atheist now and when we mention in front of my mom that neither of us believe in God, she gives us bad looks. I know she doesn't like it...

I also have a question to the atheists, do you ever wonder what if there really is a god?

I wonder that all the time... I still do not know. Since I question it, I do not call myself a Christan. To me, if you commit to a religion, you know there is a God... you don't wonder.

 

[thom_cat_]

Agnostic-atheist ftw.
I don't believe (and am damn sure) that God doesn't exist, but I know that you can't disprove it.

I also have a question to the atheists, do you ever wonder what if there really is a god?

No... because it's so ridiculous.
Don't take this the wrong way, but if you went to a different country and they said that an invisible man in the sky created the earth and that you should obey his commands, would you believe them?
Would you even think for a moment that this could be possible?
No. It's stupid! An invisible dictator of everything! HA!

Step back and look at your religion. Simplify it.
does it include an invisible being?
do you have to blindly obey him?
is there any proof that he exists?

Not to be offensive, but most religions are like this. And most followers do not question it.

 

[BonsaiK]

I suppose I'm semi-agnostic, I do believe in certain otherworldly concepts, I just haven't found a convenient label for them yet. But I'm not religious in any traditional sense.

Mum was raised a Catholic but never completely swallowed the doctrine, I would have described her as agnostic, Dad was raised in Nazi Germany so religion probably seemed a bit laughable in that context, so he was athetist. My parents didn't talk to me about religion much. They did however give me a Bible to read when I was very young. I really wanted to believe in it but saw a distinct lack of supporting evidence in the real world to back up what was in it. The world of the Bible seemed kind of exciting, with an almighty God interveing in human lives on a regular basis and doing all sorts of crazy, wonderful and tragic things on a grand scale that everyone could see and leaving lots of evidence behind - of course in my actual real life God didn't seem to be really doing anything like that. He certainly wasn't smiting down the bullies at school who were beating me up on a regular basis, or raining fish and bread on the starving people in Ethiopia at the time. The conclusion I reached - it's a fairytale. My parents also gave me other religious stuff to read like tales of the Greek and Egyptian gods etc. I didn't believe in those either for the same reason.

Although I don't believe in any orthodox religion and probably never will, I'm actually quite jealous of religious people. Having a set of rules laid down that you can follow and also a sense that you'll potentially go somewhere nice when you'll die is a much more comforting option than the idea that right and wrong is all relative and when you die nothing happens. The closest thing I've read that matches my actual worldview is the Satanic Bible, but even that has whole chapters worth of stuff in it that I think is just kinda silly.

 

[Fireshot25]

My Dad brought me and my sister to church every Sunday until for 2 years but I was too young to ever really pay attention in church. But we stopped going and basically stopped caring about it all.

I also have a question to the atheists, do you ever wonder what if there really is a god?

Yes. But my theory is that if there is a god and he built me, then he built me to be an athiest so its his fault. Probably not a reasonable theory but meh.