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Your conversion to atheism

Started by xXxWashburnxXx, January 26, 2012, 11:58:22 PM

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Hector Valdez


Ali

Quote from: Amicale on March 27, 2012, 12:14:34 AM
Quote from: The Semaestro on March 26, 2012, 09:50:38 PM
I am still Roman Catholic.

Cool. :) I used to be, also.

My cat was also Roamin' Cat-lick. Then she briefly tried the catnip over at the Puss-byterians, and now she's an athei-hissssst.  ;D

*high five*

Sweetdeath

Quote from: Ali on March 27, 2012, 05:38:05 PM
Quote from: Amicale on March 27, 2012, 12:14:34 AM
Quote from: The Semaestro on March 26, 2012, 09:50:38 PM
I am still Roman Catholic.

Cool. :) I used to be, also.

My cat was also Roamin' Cat-lick. Then she briefly tried the catnip over at the Puss-byterians, and now she's an athei-hissssst.  ;D

*high five*

Best puns ever. My pal Taguchi would love you. :)
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.

Guardian85

#78
Quote from: Amicale on March 27, 2012, 12:14:34 AM
Quote from: The Semaestro on March 26, 2012, 09:50:38 PM
I am still Roman Catholic.

Cool. :) I used to be, also.

My cat was also Roamin' Cat-lick. Then she briefly tried the catnip over at the Puss-byterians, and now she's an athei-hissssst.  ;D

You damn near killed me, woman! Choked on my morning coffee.  ;D


"If scientist means 'not the dumbest motherfucker in the room,' I guess I'm a scientist, then."
-Unknown Smartass-

Amicale

Ali, SD and Guardian, glad to have been  (needing to call an ambulance for Guardian)  of service!  ;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

cgmccall

I've been an atheist all my life, but the topic of conversion to atheism has interested me for a while.
It didn't even occur to me until a few years ago that people unconvert from religion. It's not as though it seemed impossible, it just wasn't a line of thinking that I was really exposed to. You hear about people converting to new religions, but when people talk about atheism it's often just a standoff between two people on TV. They talk about ideas but not themselves so much. Atheist just kind of...are.
Then I told a group of fellow students that I was atheist, and one guy asked me "Oh, when did you lose your faith?"
I was surprised. Why would I need have it in the first place? And...that happens? I guess it must. How often does it happen?
That's a question I've had for a while (someone tell me if it's already been discussed here) What perscentage of Atheists have always been non-believers, and what percentage unconverted during thier lives?

lebrecht52

Quote from: cgmccall on April 10, 2012, 08:33:30 PM
I've been an atheist all my life, but the topic of conversion to atheism has interested me for a while.
It didn't even occur to me until a few years ago that people unconvert from religion. It's not as though it seemed impossible, it just wasn't a line of thinking that I was really exposed to. You hear about people converting to new religions, but when people talk about atheism it's often just a standoff between two people on TV. They talk about ideas but not themselves so much. Atheist just kind of...are.
Then I told a group of fellow students that I was atheist, and one guy asked me "Oh, when did you lose your faith?"
I was surprised. Why would I need have it in the first place? And...that happens? I guess it must. How often does it happen?
That's a question I've had for a while (someone tell me if it's already been discussed here) What perscentage of Atheists have always been non-believers, and what percentage unconverted during thier lives?

Very interesting.  I always answer I have never lost faith, only have no religious superstitions. I have been an atheist since childhood.   About 70 years.
Anne

Amicale

Quote from: lebrecht52 on April 11, 2012, 03:19:27 AM
Quote from: cgmccall on April 10, 2012, 08:33:30 PM
I've been an atheist all my life, but the topic of conversion to atheism has interested me for a while.
It didn't even occur to me until a few years ago that people unconvert from religion. It's not as though it seemed impossible, it just wasn't a line of thinking that I was really exposed to. You hear about people converting to new religions, but when people talk about atheism it's often just a standoff between two people on TV. They talk about ideas but not themselves so much. Atheist just kind of...are.
Then I told a group of fellow students that I was atheist, and one guy asked me "Oh, when did you lose your faith?"
I was surprised. Why would I need have it in the first place? And...that happens? I guess it must. How often does it happen?
That's a question I've had for a while (someone tell me if it's already been discussed here) What perscentage of Atheists have always been non-believers, and what percentage unconverted during thier lives?

Very interesting.  I always answer I have never lost faith, only have no religious superstitions. I have been an atheist since childhood.   About 70 years.
Anne

:)

One way of saying it that we seem to have recently adopted on the forum as being a neat idea is this: if you never had any religious beliefs, you would be a never-theist, whereas if you had religious beliefs but gave them up, you'd be an ex-theist. I like the distinction, because when you tell someone you're an atheist, they still don't quite know how you got to that position. Myself, I'm an ex-theist atheist.

May I ask, just for the sake of curiosity... when you were a teenager or a young adult, did you ever feel any inclination to explore religious beliefs? Or was it never of any interest to you?


"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

Sandra Craft

Quote from: lebrecht52 on April 11, 2012, 03:19:27 AM
Very interesting.  I always answer I have never lost faith, only have no religious superstitions. I have been an atheist since childhood.   About 70 years.
Anne

I say that I never lost faith because I had none to lose -- it just took me awhile to realize that and stop trying.
Sandy

  

"Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."  Sarah Louise Delany

xSilverPhinx

Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on April 11, 2012, 03:33:52 AM
Quote from: lebrecht52 on April 11, 2012, 03:19:27 AM
Very interesting.  I always answer I have never lost faith, only have no religious superstitions. I have been an atheist since childhood.   About 70 years.
Anne

I say that I never lost faith because I had none to lose -- it just took me awhile to realize that and stop trying.


Ex-cultural Christian in your case, then? ;D
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


Sandra Craft

Quote from: xSilverPhinx on April 11, 2012, 03:35:35 AM
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on April 11, 2012, 03:33:52 AM
Quote from: lebrecht52 on April 11, 2012, 03:19:27 AM
Very interesting.  I always answer I have never lost faith, only have no religious superstitions. I have been an atheist since childhood.   About 70 years.
Anne

I say that I never lost faith because I had none to lose -- it just took me awhile to realize that and stop trying.


Ex-cultural Christian in your case, then? ;D

I'm not even sure how ex- the cultural part is, given my enthusiasm for holidays.  I'm probably lucky I woke up enough to dump the Xtian part.
Sandy

  

"Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."  Sarah Louise Delany

Amicale

Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on April 11, 2012, 03:44:15 AM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on April 11, 2012, 03:35:35 AM
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on April 11, 2012, 03:33:52 AM
Quote from: lebrecht52 on April 11, 2012, 03:19:27 AM
Very interesting.  I always answer I have never lost faith, only have no religious superstitions. I have been an atheist since childhood.   About 70 years.
Anne

I say that I never lost faith because I had none to lose -- it just took me awhile to realize that and stop trying.


Ex-cultural Christian in your case, then? ;D

I'm not even sure how ex- the cultural part is, given my enthusiasm for holidays.  I'm probably lucky I woke up enough to dump the Xtian part.


I have a similar fondness for holidays. I don't let it bug me. I figure humans invented religion and religious traditions, including holidays... and while a lot of those holidays have a pretty generic 'secular' aspect to them, even if some of the religion seeps in, I don't worry about it. I don't believe all of it's bad. On the contrary, I think most of it's pretty fun, and I tend to enjoy myself by adopting whichever traditions I like, and scrapping any I don't want to bother with. I'm not ashamed to admit I enjoy listening to Christmas music, for example -- even if some of it has religious lyrics, well, so what? The songs are pretty! :)


"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

Jimmy

*This is in response to the last few post about how can anyone lose faith if they don't have it to begin with*

Unfortunately, there ISN'T a word for making or convincing another human being to believe in a deity. I was born as an unbeliever of any dogma or superstition. I wasn't born an atheist, or an agnostic, or a theist, or Christian, but I definitely was born undeitized. . Now, I don't even know if deitized is even a word, I couldn't find much on it, but it suits my purposes for this post. For here, I mean it to be the process of training or indoctrinating someone to the existence of a deity or deities, and NOT the process of becoming a deity  :P .  In essence, I wasn't a Catholic until my parents, church, and friends persuaded me to foremost, be a theist, and secondly be a Catholic. To think of it now, it is astounding just how much indoctrination actually goes into this process of being deitized.

Now I think I've stated in an earlier post that I don't really like the word atheism because for one, it often used pejoratively, as in "losing one's faith," and secondly, it doesn't really explain my "beliefs" or lack thereof beliefs in a manner that gives ample weight or contrast to those of believers. Now if deitized is used to mean acquiring faith in the existence of a god, or gods, be it monotheistic, polytheistic, or deistic, then undeitized would mean the unacquiring of these beliefs and a return to the position I had when I was born, which was none. I would much prefer the contrast to be deitized versus undeitized because it obviates the amelioration of the word "faith" and forces us to see it for what it really is: Indoctrination.

My name is Jimmy, and I have been undeitized :P
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~

Sweetdeath

Quote from: Jimmy on April 11, 2012, 05:03:12 AM
*This is in response to the last few post about how can anyone lose faith if they don't have it to begin with*

Unfortunately, there ISN'T a word for making or convincing another human being to believe in a deity. I was born as an unbeliever of any dogma or superstition. I wasn't born an atheist, or an agnostic, or a theist, or Christian, but I definitely was born undeitized. . Now, I don't even know if deitized is even a word, I couldn't find much on it, but it suits my purposes for this post. For here, I mean it to be the process of training or indoctrinating someone to the existence of a deity or deities, and NOT the process of becoming a deity  :P .  In essence, I wasn't a Catholic until my parents, church, and friends persuaded me to foremost, be a theist, and secondly be a Catholic. To think of it now, it is astounding just how much indoctrination actually goes into this process of being deitized.

Now I think I've stated in an earlier post that I don't really like the word atheism because for one, it often used pejoratively, as in "losing one's faith," and secondly, it doesn't really explain my "beliefs" or lack thereof beliefs in a manner that gives ample weight or contrast to those of believers. Now if deitized is used to mean acquiring faith in the existence of a god, or gods, be it monotheistic, polytheistic, or deistic, then undeitized would mean the unacquiring of these beliefs and a return to the position I had when I was born, which was none. I would much prefer the contrast to be deitized versus undeitized because it obviates the amelioration of the word "faith" and forces us to see it for what it really is: Indoctrination.

My name is Jimmy, and I have been undeitized :P

Well, I have to agree with you. When I tell people I am atheist, I almost feel like some take it as "used to be religious, but not anymore."

I know that is the case for some atheists, but most were just born HUMAN. Without religion or faith or any superstition, until it was cast upon them by parents and/or guardians.
I want to be human. I hate having to attached labels for society. I feel the same way about religion as I do about my sexuality. I am just ME. My non belief and sexual prefrence don't define me .
They don't validate or make choices for me.
My experience as an adult human being 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.

Amicale

Quote from: Sweetdeath on April 11, 2012, 06:50:06 AM
Quote from: Jimmy on April 11, 2012, 05:03:12 AM
*This is in response to the last few post about how can anyone lose faith if they don't have it to begin with*

Unfortunately, there ISN'T a word for making or convincing another human being to believe in a deity. I was born as an unbeliever of any dogma or superstition. I wasn't born an atheist, or an agnostic, or a theist, or Christian, but I definitely was born undeitized. . Now, I don't even know if deitized is even a word, I couldn't find much on it, but it suits my purposes for this post. For here, I mean it to be the process of training or indoctrinating someone to the existence of a deity or deities, and NOT the process of becoming a deity  :P .  In essence, I wasn't a Catholic until my parents, church, and friends persuaded me to foremost, be a theist, and secondly be a Catholic. To think of it now, it is astounding just how much indoctrination actually goes into this process of being deitized.

Now I think I've stated in an earlier post that I don't really like the word atheism because for one, it often used pejoratively, as in "losing one's faith," and secondly, it doesn't really explain my "beliefs" or lack thereof beliefs in a manner that gives ample weight or contrast to those of believers. Now if deitized is used to mean acquiring faith in the existence of a god, or gods, be it monotheistic, polytheistic, or deistic, then undeitized would mean the unacquiring of these beliefs and a return to the position I had when I was born, which was none. I would much prefer the contrast to be deitized versus undeitized because it obviates the amelioration of the word "faith" and forces us to see it for what it really is: Indoctrination.

My name is Jimmy, and I have been undeitized :P

Well, I have to agree with you. When I tell people I am atheist, I almost feel like some take it as "used to be religious, but not anymore."

I know that is the case for some atheists, but most were just born HUMAN. Without religion or faith or any superstition, until it was cast upon them by parents and/or guardians.
I want to be human. I hate having to attached labels for society. I feel the same way about religion as I do about my sexuality. I am just ME. My non belief and sexual prefrence don't define me .
They don't validate or make choices for me.
My experience as an adult human being do.

Right on, SD! I just added this to the member quotes thread.  ;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