it's so peaceful being an atheist

[donsu]

I don't have to dislike/hate other religions or always have to defend a religion.

watching Washington Journal this morning caused me to have this thought. a thought I never had before.

[allisonthegreat]

1. It is a definite freedom

It does give you room on the big playing field called life.

[true_notes]

2. Yep, It is.

However, the Xians and the Muslims really get my ire up with their nonsense, but I'll stay a fly on the wall and enjoy my limitless, hedonistic life.

[Lerkfish]

3. I'm a christian AND a pacifist, so peace is part of MY nature as well.

atheists do not have a copyright on peace.

:shrug:

[Ezlivin]

4. Shhhh! Don't alert the rabidly religious

It'll disturb their worldview.

You are supposed to be a miserable shell of a person.

And you are right: I don't awake in the morning and await instructions from some invisible superbeing. I don't fret over what "he" thinks. I don't consider what "he" thinks of other religions that don't involve "him". I don't worry about how many angels can fit on the head of a pin or if a woman is teaching men somewhere or when the son of the invisible superbeing is returning.

A mind is a wonderful thing to exercise.

[marzipanni]

31. Speaking of "he", what does "he" see when he looks down?

1. a beard?
2. a penis?
both identifying sexual characteristics of a male human being.
If God is a holy spirit, why does it have, or need those things? Should we refer to the spirit as "It", or would that seem too disrespectful?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

40. Nor do I, and I'm an Episcopalian

:-)

If I knew someone who was waking up and awaiting instructions from God every day, I'd recommend that he go in for psychiatric evaluation.

[alpizzy]

5. I had a similiar thought...

while listening to Diane Rehm this morning. She had
Catholic and Muslim guests discussing the Pope's speech.
I just sang Lennon's "Imagine".

[TlalocW]

6. As a liberal Xtian who doesn't go to church

let me just say that I never hate a person based on their religion.

I can normally find enough about them on an individual, personal basis to make me hate them. :)

TlalocW

[donsu]

7. lol - so true

nt

[Fredda Weinberg]

8. You have to accept existentialist angst

It's the great barrier to enlightenment: is this all there is?

Until we offer a utopian vision, we ain't got bubkus on organized religion. The key, of course, is organization.

As my brother noted, the Internet could be our salvation. Until then, I'm not peaceful, but if you mean the comfort of living without internal contradictions, then yeah, it's a blessing.

[donsu]

12. this is all there is. who is the "we" that should offer a utopian vision

you speak of?

I'm not into utopian visions unless it's in a science fiction/fantasy fiction bk. written by a woman.

I'm quite at ease knowing that this is all that there is.

would rather not be organized - hate going to meetings. but that's just me.

[Orrex]

13. Out of curiosity...

Why do you prefer utopian visions in your sci-fi/fantasy to be written by women?

I'm not criticizing or disagreeing, but I was struck by your specific mention of it.

[donsu]

18. up to the age of 40ish I read male fiction so knew where they where

coming from. since then I only read female writers of fiction. women have a better understanding of life and therefore write better fiction in my opinion.

I have digressed and read '100 years of solitude' and other bks. by that author, who does have an understanding of life.

now and again I try reading a male writer but shortly put the bk. down, thinking how boring/misogynist/or just plain dribble.

since the 2000 coup d'etat I've not been able to read fiction since my mind has been occupied with getting my country out of the hands of the neo con bushmilhousegang. (before then I read 4 or 5 bks a wk. I couldn't wait to start kindergarten so I could learn to read and was deeply upset when I learned I'd have to wait for 1st grade.)

[Orrex]

21. Well...

I'd venture to say that female authors are just as capable as crappy writing as are males, and it's really a matter of opinion whether or not women have a "better" understanding of life. Unless we're talking about pregnancy and birth, of course; otherwise, that's a gross generalization.

Beyond that, I can't comment without a more thorough understanding of which male authors--and which books in particular--led to your assessment. Whenever I hear that someone reads four or five books per week, my immediate response isn't "that person's an amazing reader" but rather "that person likely selects some really crappy books." No offense, but if you're blazing through them at that speed, with little time for rumination, I wonder how deeply you can delve into any one of them.

But if you enjoy Marquez, you might also consider Cortazar or Borges. Umberto Eco is also great fun (except for his latest novel, which left me rather cold). There are others, but until I know what kind of stuff you're after, I'd be firing blindly.

[donsu]

32. sorry my being a fast reader upsets you - my grade school principal

thought I might not be absorbing the bks. I read out of the school library and tested me. I passed. she didn't bother me anymore.

I read anything but bks. listed in horror and romance genres.

I delve deeply.

yes females can write crappy bks.

you read what you want, I'll read what I want.

[Orrex]

33. Take it easy, fireball

Sadly, most of the people I know haven't read a single book since college (excluding books about boy wizards).

And the dozen or so people I've met in my life who've professed rapid reading as you have claimed--every single one of them--confined their reading to shitty throwaway books that I wouldn't want to read at all.

And unless you're still in grade school, then I'm not impressed that your school principal stopped bothering you. Big deal--a grade school library is hardly a citadel of enlightenment.

Bully for you if you can read super-duper-fast--I'm sorry that a simple question about it upsets you.

[Fredda Weinberg]

20. Life isn't about what we'd rather - but it's what brung us

I prefer non-fiction and have known plenty of drama. I was also raised devout and retain the sense of awe and wonder the flower children craved.

Exploring the secular world, I find it offers little solace, no comfort and a depressingly familiar "dog eat dog" theme. I'm glad it works for you, but I see nothing to commend to my former classmates.

Utopia is a philosophical construct and certainly real. We celebrate in communion, so going to meetings is innately healthy and obviously necessary for a communal existence. The Internet helps ... a theme that will recur.

Organization is a reasonable acceptance for rational objectives. If you're going to ask others to forget the afterlife, an explanation for improving this one would build credibility. This is a competition of ideas, however unreasonable, because the audience has hearts as well as minds.

My sigline is a call for behavior and an approach to reconciliation. It makes our participation at DU part of the solution. Already, the Internet helps ...

[tridim]

9. The thought crosses my mind almost daily now

This holy war should be none of my business, except that the GOP and the fake Christian right have made it our business with the "America is a Christian nation" bullshit. I keep thinking that the world should come together and outlaw all public displays of religion for safety reasons. Keep your god to yourself!

[kwassa]

10. Being a Christian can be quite peaceful, too. The peace that passeth ...

all understanding.

[durrrty libby]

11. I remember when I use to believe religion was a good

thing for people to follow and be inspired by.

Those innocent days are long gone

[neebob]

14. Sure it's peaceful

until you say so, and some religious person takes it as some kind of negative statement about them.

Personally, I felt more peaceful before I gave it much thought, when I still believed some kooky things myself and wasn't always noticing the kooky things other people believe.

[trotsky]

15. *sigh*

until you say so, and some religious person takes it as some kind of negative statement about them

Ain't that the truth...

[Danger Mouse]

16. I'm a Christian...

And I certainly don't feel the need to dislike or hate other religions. Quite the opposite, really. Defending...well, not so much to others as to myself. My doubts center on specific Christian teachings that I find...well...unsavory? For lack of a better word...

[Random_Australian]

24. Aye, there is peace enough to go around.

This is one of this forums' problems - you are used to atheist vs. theist, you see. As we are all one group, it is completely fine for us BOTH to share anything we have, besides a few little things about God.

Want an icecream? (Well, I can't actually share THAT over the internet connection, but I wanted to make the gesture)

:)

[neebob]

26. Doubts are great

if you trust them. I learned to trust mine after I got scammed. That little voice in your head isn't coming from anywhere else, and it knows what it's talking about and is worth listening to. Things that are right and good and healthy and safe don't have big downsides or inspire doubt. If it doesn't feel right, it isn't. This principle is especially useful for protecting oneself from bad people, but I just can't think of anything it doesn't apply to.

I'm not saying you should stop believing, but if the internal dialogue gets on your nerves, there's a way to stop it. It's called trusting your own judgment.

[beam me up scottie]

17. moggie said it best:

I don't throw open the curtains in the morning and say "what a beautiful day, praise the impersonal and naturalistic meteorological processes, and definitely not the Lord, who by the way doesn't exist!". I don't spend Sunday celebrating Darwin, or smugly congratulating myself for not needing to go to church.

:D

[varkam]

19. Damn. And here I thought

that everyone did those things. I know I do :D

[bloom]

22. as it happens

It's mostly the atheists who do the most arguing around here. And there are some who defend their definitions - just like they were defending a religion.

That seems to negate your statement.

[Random_Australian]

23. You know, I can't point out what is very wrong with your post without

engaging in the same behaviour as you.

But I will try - look at it this way: to a thread of gentleness the bringer of hard words was not the OP, it was one of the responders.

[bloom]

27. "a thread of gentleness"

I saw it more as a thread of blind arrogance. People who think that atheists are necessarily more peaceful than other people. People who don't see their own motes, as it were.

As an atheist who argues with other atheists - I was also talking about myself.

[Random_Australian]

35. You see arrogance that is not there.

Here is where you get it all wrong, my friend:

"atheists are necessarily more peaceful than other people"

Not true! It is peaceful bieng an atheist, but all humans are capable of peace. Rejoice that some have found a path to peace!

[Evoman]

36. Oh boy...did you EVER misunderstand that post

"People who think that atheists are necessarily more peaceful than other people. People who don't see their own motes, as it were."

The OP didn't say that atheists are MORE PEACEFUL than other people. He said that HE AS AN ATHEIST is more IN PEACE as an atheist.

D'ya get the distinction?


On edit: Maybe next time someone makes a post about how peaceful they feel because they have found Jesus, you can just go ahead and call them arrogant and deride them for thinking they are better than other people. I mean, really...otherwise Bloom people might get the crazy idea your not balanced and have a bone to pick with the other atheists here. And thats just crazy!!!

[Zhade]

38. What, the fake 'atheist' got something wrong about atheism?

Gee, what a shock.

:sarcasm:

[neebob]

28. If everyone thought arguing was a bad thing

and just accepted the conventional wisdom or let statements go unchallenged, nothing would ever change.

[bloom]

29. There are different ways to argue

and there is much arguing that is disrespectful - intentionally so - on the part of some atheists.

Case in point - this mornings thread:

"It seems to me ...

that believing religion can give one spiritual faith is rather like believing a prostitute can give one true love.

The difference being that a prostitute won't promise true love or demand that you sell your soul for their services."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=214x89088


With a peace sign, no less.

___________________________

I expect that that represents that posters POV - it also represents an attitude that some like to foster that it is fun and games to disrespect others. Or that that is the best way to get one's point across.

[neebob]

30. Uh-huh

and the very first argument - the very first post - is by an atheist.

[Random_Australian]

25. Not for me.

The thought of the amount of suffering in this world tears my heart.

:cry:

So many people!

There has got to be some kind of solution to all this. It won't be abandoning this or that trinket of the thought, either. We can start with a bit of food, water, and then move on to the real deal: education so people get to know about the world and can fix it their damn well selves!

I'm clever, sure, but no matter what I do, it won't compare to what we get if we add 10,000 able minds to the world.

The end.

[Evoman]

34. I don't think its peaceful

Don't get me wrong...I love that I don't have any internal inconsistencies, and that I have no irrational belief to defend, but I its easier to defend a religion than defending oneseld FROM religion.

Being able to sleep in on Sundays is cool though. (Although I hate that I have to stand in long lines if I want to go out for Brunch or lunch.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

37. Actully, as a Christian

I don't hate or dislike other religions.

But I am distrustful of radicals of any stripe or creed.

[Zhade]

39. It's definitely nice not to have the cognitive dissonance anymore.

It was more painful as a trying-and-failing believer (because I just couldn't believe in unproven things) than an atheist, because of that dissonance.

Imagine being a believer AND a b*s* Republican - twice the cognitive dissonance!

[TallahasseeGrannie]

41. So let's all get together

believer and atheist, and have a nice peaceful time on my front porch.

I think we all have the potential to feel peace and quiet within our belief system.

I'll make cookies. Lemon sugar, and mint iced tea. If we sit real quiet we might see that gators cross over from the pond to the lake. I chased one out of my garden yesterday.

[beam me up scottie]

42. HA!

And the dummies around here complain about bunny rabbits! :D

Sounds wonderful, I'll be right over!

[TallahasseeGrannie]

43. We don't have a lot of rabbits...

I WONDER WHY????

heheheh

Truly, we are overrun with gators now. They are everywhere.

[and-justice-for-all]

44. Its is to a point.....

...But we still have to listen to the fundies and extremist bullshit as well as their bantering and bashing everyone who disagrees with their theocractic agenda of world domination.

You may think of yourself as free of the fight, but your a target.