Why i do not believe

[happyukatheist]

All my life i have been taught to think for myself, to use logical thinking and sound reasoning, to base my thinking on a given topic on the available evidence, and draw conclusions from that evidence.

Religion is not based on evidence, it is based on faith.  

There are many religions and many gods in this world, over 25,000 in india alone, and if you were able to speak to a believer of these gods, they would say that he?she?it? is the one true god, and all the others are false gods.

If a believer can show me evidence that their god is real, then i am quite willing to examine that evidence and deside for myself whether to become a believer.

If there are believer`s out there that think they can change my mind, I would be pleased to here from you.




Also i love to find interesting quotes, here are 3.

"Religion has caused more misery to all of mankind in every stage of human history than any other single idea."
Madalyn Murray O'Hair


"An Atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church. An atheist believes that deed must be done instead of prayer said. An atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty vanished, war eliminated."
Madalyn Murray O'Hair


"If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed."
Albert Einstein

[Tank]

Thanks for the insight into your world view. I have never been a believer but like you I was born and brought up in the UK. Now I think about it I don't now of any older innate atheists on this forum, they tend to be the younger members some as young as 15 and quite capable of holding their own with strong theists.

I'm in Leeds I note your location is South Yorkshire do you get up this way often?

[happyukatheist]

hello tank

no, i`ve not been up to leeds for ages, I live near doncaster.  I`m new to forums this is only the second one i`ve joined.

I`ve noticed that it`s mostly youngsters on some sites like these, makes me feel my years. But it`s good to see the younger generation accually thinking for themselfs.  

If more people think an idea though before jumping in to it head first maybe the world will become a much better place to live for a change.

[Tank]

There are a few sociable atheists in Leeds and we even meet each other  

The next pint is on the 18th September http://www.leedsskeptics.org/

One way to find out a little about the members here is on this thread viewtopic.php?p=65630#p65630

[Parsifal]

I enjoy reading the "testimonies" of other atheists.  I was brought up in a very religious household in South Africa which, when I look at it now, 10 years after sitting on my balcony in my apartment in Sao Paulo, Brazil (where I was living at the time) with a coffee and a smoke and finally accepting that religion is bunch of nonsense, I realise how pernicious religion can be.  I personally think it stumped my social development as a child and adolescent (not being allowed to go to parties or meet girls), in addition to depriving us of many things as children, since our parents were missionaries living on a meagre allowance and paltry donations from christians who were supposed to be grateful for my parents' preaching.  We were always consoled with: Yes, we are driving an old broken down car, and your friends' parents brand new cars, but they don't have the Lord Jesus.  It just never really worked.

But the main thing was that religion and what were taught as being the "truth' (you know, that rubbish about 6 days, virgin birth etc etc) just didn't gel with what I was reading.

When I got a two year job in Brazil, and didn't go to church anymore (it was all in Portuguese which I didn't speak when I arrived there), the appeal faded rapidly.  I realised that religion only works because of the constant reinforcement.  They have to remind themselves all the time that they are right, refrain from questioning, otherwise, well, you run the risk of ending up an atheist like me.  It has been the greatest freedom of my life.

However, the first thing I had to cope with was the absence of forgiveness.  As a Christian it just so easy to be mean.  Yes yes, you endeavour to be like Jesus, to be kind and loving and caring etc etc, but we're only human and we fail, but not to worry, after ruining someone's career with slander, Jesus, who died on the cross for your sins, is always on standby to forgive you.  Well, the other person is still unemployed, but fortunately it is off your conscience.  As an atheist I had to learn that I am solely responsible for my actions, and have to live with the consequences.  It definitely made a more responsible person of me, if far from perfect.  But at least I don't hide behind Jesus or blame the devil for my indiscretions.

[happyukatheist]

Thank you tank

I didnt know leeds had a skeptics in the pub, i listen to the Skeptics with a K podcast among others, and thought about going sometime to their skeptics in the pub.

leeds is alot closer, many thanks.

[happyukatheist]

hi parsifal

Yes we all have faults and living with the consequences of your actions can be a daunting thing to comprehend. But to ask for forgiveness from a being that there is no evidence for, and then just carry on, is to my mind the much more evil idea, because that way you can keep repeating the same mistake, instead of learning from it and moving on.


"Every human has four endowments- self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom... The power to choose, to respond, to change."  -  Stephen Covey

[hackenslash]

Welcome. Another one here from 'oop North', but t'other side o't t'hills, in the case, in the People's Republic of Mancunia.