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Rang and Lang

Started by Hector Valdez, April 22, 2012, 08:33:30 AM

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Hector Valdez

I am at the point where I am comfortable being an atheist, and yet, whenever I mention my beliefs(or lack thereof), people immediately want to grill me on why I don't believe in god, do I believe in evolution, etc? Don't get me wrong, sometimes I like the debate. It lets me exercise my mind, but at the same time, I feel ill prepared and annoyed at these questions most of the time. It's like, "Shut up already!", I don't want to hear how people think that they are better than me, or that they will be praying for me, or that I will find my way back to the fold. Jesus H. Tittyfuck Christ Monkeyballs...

In any case, I would like to propose that somebody come up with a simple language designed specifically for atheists. Something preferably Latin-based, cause latin is awesome, so that we can speak to each other without christian ears prying into the conversation. I feel like Christianity has so much going for them, why can't we have something? Plus, we get bonus points if they start calling it the language of the devil.  8)

:edit: How you like my new avatar, eh?

Tank

You're definitely in 'new atheist' mode!!!  :D

I've seen this a few times. When the rose tinted spectacles finally come off it can be a little fraught. Take some deep breaths and chill a little. You'll go through a couple of phases. For the next 3 months or so you'll be really keen and outspoken as the novelty of your situation keeps you going. Then you'll hit a bit of a come down as all your expectations are not immediately satisfied. That's when you need to start reading about the atheistic world view from authors you may not have tried before. This period lasts for a few months and results in a condition where you are confident in your world view, this can take a while.

So don't expect everything to come right all of a sudden.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

ThinkAnarchy

I got to the point where I stopped defending my lack of belief. I still tell people I'm an atheist when the opportunity arises, but if they start asking questions I deflect them unless I'm in the mood for a debate. Typically if it's someone I dislike I look forward to discussing the topic further. My default answer is that there isn't enough evidence to support the idea of a god, much less one particular religion. When they want reasons for my atheism I push them to tell me why they are what they are. If they do a good job, I will spend the time explaining why I don't believe it.

As for a special language between atheists... Please don't make me hate my kind. Simply because religious people are often exclusionary doesn't mean we should adopt the same mindset.

Plus Latin is a mostly dead language, which means it's even harder to learn to speak. My Latin teacher didn't even test us on the spoken language. We simply needed to be able to write and read it on a 5th grade level.  ;)

@Tank
I never actually realized this mode before today. Now that I think about it though, I realize I did the same exact thing. When I first realized I was an atheist I searched for debates and books. I also loved debating and conversing about it. Now I'm kind of blah. Yeah I'm an atheist, what of it? Let's move on and talk about other topics.
"He that displays too often his wife and his wallet is in danger of having both of them borrowed." -Ben Franklin

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." -credited to Franklin, but not sure.

Tank

Quote from: ThinkAnarchy on April 22, 2012, 09:43:35 AM
{ship}

@Tank
I never actually realized this mode before today. Now that I think about it though, I realize I did the same exact thing. When I first realized I was an atheist I searched for debates and books. I also loved debating and conversing about it. Now I'm kind of blah. Yeah I'm an atheist, what of it? Let's move on and talk about other topics.
It's not uncommon. It's an adoption of new job syndrome.

1) Novelty keeps you going
2) Familiarity and disillusionment
3) Achieving competence
4) Effective worker

As a manager in 1 you shape and guide. In 2 you support and help. In 3 you mentor. In 4 you 'light touch' supervise and build skills. The stages vary dependent on the person and the job. 2 is the danger phase when you can lose the individual and this is where things go really wrong if the recruit has fibbed at interview or the employer has oversold the job.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Amicale

Semaestro, if your language is based on Latin, you'd better stay away from the traditional Catholics. Many of them know it, so your plans to go undetected would backfire. ;)

I also went through these stages, myself. I've noticed that they happen in many new situations, whether it's a new job, new relationship, new religion, philosophy, place to live, etc etc. For the first while, all you want to do is talk about it, explore it, etc. It's almost an obsession. After a while, you come down off your 'newbie high' as reality sets in, and you start to see it less through those rose-coloured glasses, and more as an ordinary reality.. but you might feel a little disappointed, like Tank said. Then you kinda go through a period where you adjust again, and work out how your life is going to be lived, and just get on with it. Finally, in the end, you're a lot better adjusted and the thing that captivated you so intensely at first has a place in your life, but it isn't the main thing you discuss, really.

I've went through those stages with a bunch of different things. It REALLY messes with your head when it's a religion, because you get the 'new believer's high', and then the crash comes, and so you start thinking "what if I wasn't really saved??" and it can spiral badly, and yo-yo back and forth.

Semaestro, Tank gave you some excellent advice. I'd just add this: don't rush yourself. You're just coming out of Catholicism. I'd bet anything you have some baggage, maybe some anger or disillusionment, and you're still dealing with it. That's totally OK. Just take it nice and easy, and let yourself go through the thoughts and feelings you need to. Absolutely nobody jumps right out of religion into atheism and is suddenly 100% adjusted and settled into it. These things take time. It's just how our brain processes new stuff. :)


"Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb we are bound to others. By every crime and act of kindness we birth our future." - Cloud Atlas

"To live in the hearts of those we leave behind is to never die." -Carl Sagan

DeterminedJuliet

Heck, I'd consider myself a "non-believer" for some time now, but I still don't think I've really settled on a world view, even when it comes to religion. Some days I think it's okay and serves a social function and other days I hate it and wish it didn't exist. There's something to be said for a constant state of flux.  ;D
"We've thought of life by analogy with a journey, with pilgrimage which had a serious purpose at the end, and the THING was to get to that end; success, or whatever it is, or maybe heaven after you're dead. But, we missed the point the whole way along; It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing, or dance, while the music was being played.

Ali

Samaestro, I had it in my head that you were a practicing Roman Catholic.  Is your conversion to atheism brand new, or was I just wrong about that?

Anyway, I agree with Tank, except for the small caveat that I still go through "atheist" phases where I feel compelled to seek out and talk to and read about atheism even though I've been a non-believer for a long time now.  It was during my most recent "atheist" phase that I sought out HAF.  :)

xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Tank on April 22, 2012, 10:18:18 AM
Quote from: ThinkAnarchy on April 22, 2012, 09:43:35 AM
{ship}

@Tank
I never actually realized this mode before today. Now that I think about it though, I realize I did the same exact thing. When I first realized I was an atheist I searched for debates and books. I also loved debating and conversing about it. Now I'm kind of blah. Yeah I'm an atheist, what of it? Let's move on and talk about other topics.
It's not uncommon. It's an adoption of new job syndrome.

1) Novelty keeps you going
2) Familiarity and disillusionment
3) Achieving competence
4) Effective worker

As a manager in 1 you shape and guide. In 2 you support and help. In 3 you mentor. In 4 you 'light touch' supervise and build skills. The stages vary dependent on the person and the job. 2 is the danger phase when you can lose the individual and this is where things go really wrong if the recruit has fibbed at interview or the employer has oversold the job.

I don't know why, but I find these sort of things fascinating. I wasn't familiar with the "adoption of new job syndrome". Wiki, dear friend, where are you?
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


history_geek

It's kind of funny and interesting that although I realized my position as an atheist when I was around 16 or 17 (before that I would mostly likely have called myself an agnostic. And only partly because I was given the faulty definition of atheist as "a person who doesn't believe in anything"...), and I have pretty much come to term with my worldview, I still have disputes with my "inner Hitchens" and the more tolerant side of myself that realizes that there will always be religious people and religions. They always leave my feeling somewhere between "get rid of them" and "just ignore them"... ???

And yes, I can see myself as going through those phases as well. I suppose there is just something like a feeling of finally finding what you were looking for and feeling like you are right, that one gets at that point when you realize "god" for what it is...like winning a prize in a quiz or something. And now that the first fumes of "victory" have passed, you start realizing why you are right... ;)
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Arthur C Clarke's Third Law
"Any sufficiently advanced alien is indistinguishable from a god."
Pierre-Simon, marquis de Laplace:
Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothése - I do not require that hypothesis[img]http://www.dakkadakka.com/s/i/a/4eef2cc3548cc9844a491b22ad384546.gif[/i

Sweetdeath

My gf says i am an angry atheist. i suppose i can understand this. I do seem to get into a mood whenever someone blesses me.
Hey, just yesterday evening, i went to buy hair bleach from the korean beauty store. I have been going there for years, but  i guess they got new worker or something...
I go to pay for my bleach. She suddenly grabs myself and ask if i believe in jesus. Ifshe wasnt on a platformed counter, i more than likely would have punched her. I felt extremely insulted to be asked that out of nowhere, when i just got off job and wanted to head home to shower and eat.
She smiled so idiotically as she asked me to. I just grabbed my bag and walked off. I seriusly had no retaliation. I was pretty steamed for the next hour, because the whole incident made no sense to me.
People have nerve. So i understand your point of view, OP. I really do.

Law 35- "You got to go with what works." - Robin Lefler

Wiggum:"You have that much faith in me, Homer?"
Homer:"No! Faith is what you have in things that don't exist. Your awesomeness is real."

"I was thinking that perhaps this thing called God does not exist. Because He cannot save any one of us. No matter how we pray, He doesn't mend our wounds.

Jimmy

#10
Quote from: The Semaestro on April 22, 2012, 08:33:30 AM

In any case, I would like to propose that somebody come up with a simple language designed specifically for atheists. Something preferably Latin-based, cause latin is awesome, so that we can speak to each other without christian ears prying into the conversation. I feel like Christianity has so much going for them, why can't we have something? Plus, we get bonus points if they start calling it the language of the devil.  8)


How about Elvish from LOTR? It's  awesome and would satisfy my inner geek and keep most prying eyes and ears away! Better yet, let's speak the evil language from Mordor, because we all know we're going to hell anyways ;)

On another note, although people often express  religious sentiments, I find many people are more publicly superstitious than publicly religious, in general and I'm REALLY vocal about openly denying most of their superstitious claims. For example, if it isn't busy at work I will say, "boy, it's nice and quiet tonight," and people will go nuts! "SSSHHH," they will exclaim. "You don't want it to get busy do you?" MANY people firmly believe that if talk of it being a slow night or if you bring a book in case  it's slow, then you'll consequentially have a busy night. How ridiculous!! I just tell them,"as if I can have that much effect!!"
For if there be no Prospect beyond the Grave, the inference is certainly right, Let us eat and drink, les us enjoy what we delight in, for to morrow we shall die.   ~John Locke~

En_Route

Quote from: The Semaestro on April 22, 2012, 08:33:30 AM
I am at the point where I am comfortable being an atheist, and yet, whenever I mention my beliefs(or lack thereof), people immediately want to grill me on why I don't believe in god, do I believe in evolution, etc? Don't get me wrong, sometimes I like the debate. It lets me exercise my mind, but at the same time, I feel ill prepared and annoyed at these questions most of the time. It's like, "Shut up already!", I don't want to hear how people think that they are better than me, or that they will be praying for me, or that I will find my way back to the fold. Jesus H. Tittyfuck Christ Monkeyballs...

In any case, I would like to propose that somebody come up with a simple language designed specifically for atheists. Something preferably Latin-based, cause latin is awesome, so that we can speak to each other without christian ears prying into the conversation. I feel like Christianity has so much going for them, why can't we have something? Plus, we get bonus points if they start calling it the language of the devil.  8)

:edit: How you like my new avatar, eh?


Latin is awesomely difficult.  Moreover, it lacks a word for "Ipad" . Or "Spandex" for that matter.
Some ideas are so stupid only an intellectual could believe them (Orwell).

Ali

Quote from: En_Route on April 29, 2012, 04:16:54 PM
Latin is awesomely difficult.  Moreover, it lacks a word for "Ipad" . Or "Spandex" for that matter.

*Points and laughs*  HAHA stupid Latins.  Didn't even know what an iPad is! 

;D

Amicale

Quote from: Ali on April 29, 2012, 06:52:16 PM
Quote from: En_Route on April 29, 2012, 04:16:54 PM
Latin is awesomely difficult.  Moreover, it lacks a word for "Ipad" . Or "Spandex" for that matter.

*Points and laughs*  HAHA stupid Latins.  Didn't even know what an iPad is! 

;D

Tablet Comparison  ;D



"Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb we are bound to others. By every crime and act of kindness we birth our future." - Cloud Atlas

"To live in the hearts of those we leave behind is to never die." -Carl Sagan

Hector Valdez

Lol. I hate the goddamned Ipad.  >:(