Current Events > It's 2024 and some people still think atheism means being against religion

(+) Yeah! (+)

Atheism simply means you don't believe in God or Gods or deities. That's it LOL. It doesn't exclusively mean you're against religion, hell it doesn't even mean you're anti-Christian. Now I'm not normally one to be pedantic and hyper technical but I feel this is a very important distinction because I don't want to be identified or aligned with such radical people or way of thinking. I don't believe in an almighty supreme being that lives in our sky controlling everything but I do believe in spirits, ghosts, the otherly world, karma and reincarnation. The religion that probably holds most of my beliefs is probably Shamanism. That would mean I'm an atheist and religious at the same time.

I guess people just need to better label themselves. There are at least 4 labels I found that would better identify these type of atheists that are against any and all kind of religions and also are very pro-science.

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Though it's completely fair to not respect beliefs that dehumanize people, like by saying nonbelievers and LGBTQ will burn in hell for eternity

The new atheist movement changed that

I bought my favorite mug from the Satanic Temple in Salem, MA. They do a lot of good to keep church and state separated.

The Church of Satan is the anti-Christian sect

Ive never had an agnostic person bother me. Ive had atheists bother me a lot over the years and they swear theyve never done anything wrong.

Giant_Aspirin posted...

The Church of Satan is the anti-Christian sect

The Church of Satan is very different than The Satanic Temple

Political polarization has probably increased atheists' and religious people's hostility towards one another.

LonelyStoner posted...

The Church of Satan is very different than The Satanic Temple

oops, i guess i didn't realize there was a difference. i meant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Satan

Faithless fool.
When your time on Earth is done, enjoy nothing.

Turbam posted...

Faithless fool.
When your time on Earth is done, enjoy nothing.

Lmao, interesting

But you can have faith and still enjoy suffering if you happen to pick the incorrect religion

God_of_6strings posted...

Political polarization by white Christian nationalists* has probably increased atheists' and religious people's hostility towards one another.

Fix'd for you

You have the right to believe in irrational superstitions, and I as an atheist will show tolerance for that right.

I don't have to pretend to actually respect those beliefs without a shred of evidence.

When religious people leave me alone I typically leave them alone. When they start trying to talk to my 8 year old about Jesus? I'm going to raise hell. Also it's not the atheists that are trying to take over the government to force their beliefs on everybody else.

Yep, anti-theists are the ones that actively hate religion and believe it should be eradicated. I think naturally overtime, religion will be less and less important simply because with science and logical reasoning, we now have more practical answers to many of the unknowns in life. With that said, I also recognize that religion still has a place in our society as a way to give hope to some people and create communities. I'm an atheist who actively helps my local church out with community service events because I recognize the good they do in our local community. Our director head for a lot of these community service events used to be a homeless person that benefitted from our community service events and now has a place in the church as the groundskeeper to make sure the church is up and running. I realize not everyone is mentally there to live a life where it's meaningless, where when people die they're gone forever...for some a promise of an afterlife is what helps them move forward in life or even break their vices/bad habits like addiction (my Grandpa did the moment he converted to Catholicism and gave up smoking Cigarettes by going full on cold turkey). I see religion as a placebo that good can come from it, but it's also a double edge sword because it's very easily manipulated for nefarious intention...something we see a lot with conversative/republicans in general.

Christianity means following the way of Christ, but we saw they actually don't.
So did Atheism, many atheist took it further that it becomes Anti-Theism.

Ricemills posted...

Christianity means following the way of Christ, but we saw they actually don't.
So did Atheism, many atheist took it further that it becomes Anti-Theism.

Christ is too woke for the religious right now, what with all that helping the less fortunate

Ricemills posted...

Christianity means following the way of Christ, but we saw they actually don't.
So did Atheism, many atheist took it further that it becomes Anti-Theism.

Very much this.

Years ago as I was on a religious spirituality board someone asked me to about my beliefs. I explained them and then the same person attacked saying they make no sense. I said I understand if other people don't agree with or follow my beliefs, but they are still mine. He continued to attack them trying to get me to give up my belief system.

I eventually asked him why it was so important to him that I give up my beliefs. To which he replied, it's was his responsibility to teach people believing in religion and spirituality is wrong.

Hmm... so as a follower of Atheism it was his calling to convert the non-believers into his way of thinking, even if they disagree or don't want to hear his message.

Much like I am disgusted and embarrassed when I see religious people trying to force their views on people, I feel the exact same way when I see atheist try to force their views on people.

Turbam posted...

Faithless fool.
When your time on Earth is done, enjoy nothing.

My experience with religion:

• parents hounded by pastor for living together in sin unmarried and they didnt want to baptise me at first
• being chastised in school by teachers for not knowing your prayers
• atheist and different (read: non-white) kids talked about behind their backs by teachers and pastors
• living in a catholic area in a protestant country was still somewhat bad
• became very obvious to me why baptism, communion and confirmation are done when youre under 13
• quickly began to understand christianity was just the latest conqueror, there where many civilizations and religions before here (still many Germanic and Roman buildings, customs and practices here) and Islam is already replacing it, and after that something else will take its place
• chaplain was touchy with kids, church promoted him away before parents could get their hands on him, youll never guess what happened next (you already knew he raped kids after he was made a teacher at another school)

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I get pissed when religious people try to control other people's lives. If they don't do that, then I don't care what they believe in. But when it effects people who don't share their beliefs, that is when we have a problem