Did you choose to be an atheist because you wanted to escape morality?

[Liar For Jesus]

Oh yay, it's our best pal, SA!!

Well, people become atheists for many different reasons. We are technically born without religion, butbit is enforced on us by our parents or whomever.
I was never religious, but realised I was definitely an atheist at 14 when I first heard the term. Something aweful also happened to me that year that confirmed (for me) there is no god. So yeah...

I hope its ok with you that I struggle with some of things associated with atheism . Im sure that i am hardly alone.

I never asserted that people become atheist for one reason , and agree there must be several reasons why they do.   And as you pointed out,  it could be due to personal struggle within ones life  .  Ive had a few of those and i find almost everyone has  .  

I think its reasonable to assert that everyone is born without a religion (for obvious reasons) , but  as one goes thru their very formulate years of adolscence  , they become influenced by the public school system .  I wonder if it is this indoctrination into an atheistic worldview that many people find philosophically appealing to lifestyle freedoms (?)    Not all, but maybe a good many (?)    

What exactly do you struggle with in regards to atheism?  Of course it's fine to have peoplefrom all walks of life, but I would be interested to know exactly what your issues are.  Maybe my thinking is too black and white, but I'm kind of at the point where either you believe or you don't, you know?

I think we all have friends who have struggles with their Faith/Religion/or acquired Philosophy  so i dont see that as anything abnormal ..at least not in my circle of friends.  As to the things i struggle with concerning atheism, maybe ill start a new thread  so be watching for it.  I guess the 'Lifestyle' room would be the best place to post it so ill try there .

[Liar For Jesus]

Is that you Ex Atheist?

Another reason I keep asking, is because this Ex Atheist person has demonstrated troll behavior, shown to be extremely dishonest and has been a waste of time to talk to. So if you are the same person, then I'd rather just not bother.

Have you got OCD too ?!   Its pretty contaigous in this place .  And, i take issue with your Troll  conclusion ;  last time i checked  the Forum Rules ,  it grants everyone who is a Member to attend whichever Room he/she wants for exchanging ideas/info/and to attain knowledge.   Stop the uncivil behavior with your accusations -- that is a violation in this Forum. 

[Ali]

Have you got OCD too ?!   Its pretty contaigous in this place . 

Am I the only one who thinks that this is out of line and a sort of backhanded slight against one of the members that actually has OCD?  Not cool.

[Davin]

Is that you Ex Atheist?

Another reason I keep asking, is because this Ex Atheist person has demonstrated troll behavior, shown to be extremely dishonest and has been a waste of time to talk to. So if you are the same person, then I'd rather just not bother.

Have you got OCD too ?!   Its pretty contaigous in this place .  And, i take issue with your Troll  conclusion ;  last time i checked  the Forum Rules ,  it grants everyone who is a Member to attend whichever Room he/she wants for exchanging ideas/info/and to attain knowledge.   Stop the uncivil behavior with your accusations -- that is a violation in this Forum.

I didn't make any troll conclusion about you, unless you are the same person. I made no accusations, I've just been asking if you are the same person and gave my evidence for why I think that you might be the same person. If you are the same person, then I'll just ignore your posts.

[pytheas]

No one wants to be ill

Really..?

I stand corrected

Not consciously at least, certainly not if chanced with a sample taste of a healthier equivalent.

you may speak of freightening human mind indoor greenhouses with reactionary growth

I can not insist,  the rwandan intensive gardening example is part of your evidence

[Asmodean]

It was this person who offered up the statement that it wasnt science which was the catalyst behind him being an atheist and it begged the question 'Then what was it?'  .   Not everything has to be 'a concern to us'  when we are speaking to another ... but can be simple conversing or curiousity.

From the wording in your comment, I have assumed that you attempted to pry.

[Stevil]

Is that you Ex Atheist?

Another reason I keep asking, is because this Ex Atheist person has demonstrated troll behavior, shown to be extremely dishonest and has been a waste of time to talk to. So if you are the same person, then I'd rather just not bother.

Have you got OCD too ?!   Its pretty contaigous in this place .  And, i take issue with your Troll  conclusion ;  last time i checked  the Forum Rules ,  it grants everyone who is a Member to attend whichever Room he/she wants for exchanging ideas/info/and to attain knowledge.   Stop the uncivil behavior with your accusations -- that is a violation in this Forum.

I didn't make any troll conclusion about you, unless you are the same person. I made no accusations, I've just been asking if you are the same person and gave my evidence for why I think that you might be the same person. If you are the same person, then I'll just ignore your posts.

This is interesting Davin, the punctuation issue is the same.
Even more interesting that SA thinks a reference to EA means an accusation of being a troll. Why does SA think EA is a troll?

[Liar For Jesus]

It was this person who offered up the statement that it wasnt science which was the catalyst behind him being an atheist and it begged the question 'Then what was it?'  .   Not everything has to be 'a concern to us'  when we are speaking to another ... but can be simple conversing or curiousity.

From the wording in your comment, I have assumed that you attempted to pry.

Everytime you ask a question then, YOU pry.

[Brieze]

I'm agnostic and pretty much always have been. I'm more "christian" than 99% of the christians I've met, and I've met a lot. That's a large reason why I never joined a religion. I didn't want to be anything like the people.

My morals come from just general common sense and the desire to do and be good.

[Liar For Jesus]

I'm agnostic and pretty much always have been. I'm more "christian" than 99% of the christians I've met, and I've met a lot. That's a large reason why I never joined a religion. I didn't want to be anything like the people.

My morals come from just general common sense and the desire to do and be good.

If i understand the Bible correctly (which is what Christians read and follow),  then you arent to get your morals from your own understanding but from the Bible ,namely, the teachings of Christ and major ones from the 10 Commandments .  Also, from what my Christian friends tell me,  there should be no such thing as a loner-Christian and such people get fueled from being in a corporate church envirnoment...much the same way that atheists find in their many formal Associations worldwide.  So if youre going to be a Christian, I think you should dive in all the way. And id say the same to an Atheist  .

[Brieze]

I'm agnostic and pretty much always have been. I'm more "christian" than 99% of the christians I've met, and I've met a lot. That's a large reason why I never joined a religion. I didn't want to be anything like the people.

My morals come from just general common sense and the desire to do and be good.

If i understand the Bible correctly (which is what Christians read and follow),  then you arent to get your morals from your own understanding but from the Bible ,namely, the teachings of Christ and major ones from the 10 Commandments .  Also, from what my Christian friends tell me,  there should be no such thing as a loner-Christian and such people get fueled from being in a corporate church envirnoment...much the same way that atheists find in their many formal Associations worldwide.  So if youre going to be a Christian, I think you should dive in all the way. And id say the same to an Atheist  .

I believe the bible also says you should pray in your closet privately VS doing so in public (not exact quote but you get the idea), there's also a line about the road to Jesus is in your heart.
So, with that in mind, a corporate church environment goes against the bible/Christ's teachings and thus makes sucky followers. ISJ

I'm okay with admitting I don't know.

[Guardian85]

I believe the bible also says you should pray in your closet privately VS doing so in public (not exact quote but you get the idea), there's also a line about the road to Jesus is in your heart.
So, with that in mind, a corporate church environment goes against the bible/Christ's teachings and thus makes sucky followers. ISJ

I'm okay with admitting I don't know.

Matthew 6:5-8, in case anyone were wondering.

[Traveler]

If i understand the Bible correctly (which is what Christians read and follow),  then you arent to get your morals from your own understanding but from the Bible ,namely, the teachings of Christ and major ones from the 10 Commandments .  Also, from what my Christian friends tell me,  there should be no such thing as a loner-Christian and such people get fueled from being in a corporate church envirnoment...much the same way that atheists find in their many formal Associations worldwide.  So if youre going to be a Christian, I think you should dive in all the way. And id say the same to an Atheist  .

Oh, this is so wrong in so many ways. Once more, with feeling. An atheist has no god belief. Period. End of sentence. There is no book, there is no meeting place, there is no set of rules. It is simply a lack of a god belief. We don't just pick our morals out of the air. We learn them from our parents, we see what works in the world. We see that our child cries when they're bullied, and so its obvious that bullying is wrong and bad and shouldn't be done. Ditto with murder, rape, pillage, etc. We are not blind. We see the results of bad acts on ourselves, our friends, our families. We have empathy towards our fellows (unless we're psychopaths) and want to be good so that they're not hurt. These concepts have existed for thousands of years. Certainly WAY before the bible was written. General moral concepts have existed in every society on the planet I'd bet. Details change, such as the negative attitude toward gays by some religions, whereas most rational people work out their ethical stance based on harm rather than ancient texts.

I really, really wish you'd come out of your closet so we could talk for real. I call you out as a religious person attempting to disguise themselves as an atheist. You clearly have NO idea what it means to lack a god belief, and I'm tired of your posturing. Honesty is a virtue. Please use it.

Edited to add: When I say "we" above, re: moral/ethical learnings, I'm generalizing. All atheists are different and these generalities are not part of an atheist code or something. I realize that could be confusing.

[Asmodean]

Everytime you ask a question then, YOU pry.

Faulty conclusion.

[Traveler]

Everytime you ask a question then, YOU pry.

Faulty conclusion.

Durn tootin'!!!

Questions are a good thing. My dad gave up Catholicism, and my mom gave up Lutheranism, in large part because questions were discouraged. Actually, questions were never answered at all. Here's the thing about questions. Its one of the only ways to learn. And the person being questioned ALWAYS has the right to say "none of your business." In fact, we count on it. If you feel something is too personal, don't answer. Simple. It's not our job to protect your privacy. That's your job. On the other hand, we're here on a social/intellectual forum to learn. So questions and answers are a major part of the discourse. I welcome questions. Always. Its a sign of a curious and active mind. Something that fundamentalists know very little about, to their detriment.