2006-09-08 04:49:24 · 19 answers · asked by B"Quotes 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
freedom
2006-09-08 04:50:40 · answer #1 · answered by Southpaw 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Literally, atheism just means no god. To me, it means that I live my life the way I see fit, for better or for worse. It means that I don't have to fear supernatural disapproval; and that is a relief since I get so much right here on earth. To quote Kurt Vonnegut, "I am a humanist, which means in part that I have tried to live my life without expectation of punishment or reward after I'm dead."
Some people think that being an atheist means you think that you can just do whatever the hell you want, regardless of the consequences or what any one else wants. I try to do what is right, what is good, not just for me but for those around me--and I do it without being afraid of punishment from some supernatural father figure if I don't. I take personal responsibilty for my actions--the devil doesn't make me do anything. That also means that when I do something right I don't have to give anyone else credit. But whatever I do, it's my choice.
There is an incredible amount of peace in knowing that my life is my own--that there isn't some evil being that I can't see out to "get" me, that there isn't some supposedly good being that I can't see who might or might not help me depending on whether I and others around me have been good enough. To me, atheism is about being free to make my own choices and live life on my own terms.
2006-09-08 12:08:30 · answer #2 · answered by Jensenfan 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
This.....
"You see, one thing is, I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it's much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong. I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different degrees of uncertainty about different things, but I am not absolutely sure of anything and there are many things I don't know anything about, such as whether it means anything to ask why we're here... I don't have to know an answer. I don't feel frightened not knowing things, by being lost in a mysterious universe without any purpose, which is the way it really is as far as I can tell. It doesn't frighten me."
[Richard P. Feynman, "Genius, the life and science
2006-09-08 11:59:29 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I didn't do a huge research going all the way back about the history of it, but considering what i know, i don't think of it as a great solution to every kind of conflict in our heads.
Rejecting other religions might be reasonable, you know, to remove boundaries. But the term "there is no god" doesn't look too intelligible to me. No one has a proof neither about that,nor the opposite.
Faith is something you believe in without needing any-kind-of proof. I don't know where that feeling comes from, though.
I myself only believe in the nature itself, i think.
2006-09-08 12:14:33 · answer #4 · answered by Ghost of Rasputin 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a blatant cop out and refusal to believe in anything let alone God. It's a lousy excuse for a lack of faith in any thing. It's a false pretense that says there is no God or any gods etc. That faith in anything is just a big waist of time. Well here's what I say. You believe your anti beliefs and I'll continue living my life for God and Christ. In the end if I'm wrong I'll have lost not a whole lot but if I'm right woe. If you're believing there is no God when the end comes you better be right.
2006-09-08 11:59:15 · answer #5 · answered by dave_83501 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
It means that the responsibility to be good is on my shoulders, that when I mess up, the onus is on ME to correct them. If I injure someone, I must make amends to them, not just leave it up to some god or goddess to fix for me.
It means that I have to be good because there is no guarantee of forgiveness from anyone I wrong. There's no all-forgiving force to forgive me.
It means that I will end as I began -- from nothing, to nothing.
It means that I am intensely responsible to continue to learn and to educate myself, to keep an open mind to all the possibilities, but to evaluate the evidence for those possibilities critically and thoroughly before venturing to accept them as true.
It means that regardless of race, creed, social status, religion, etc, we are all human and therefore all equal.
2006-09-08 11:56:14 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
One who believes science is the answer to everything. They do not believe in GOD and don't really care to think about the begginning of thier existance besides evolution. Atheists have strong beliefs that there is no GOD. And just because you are an atheist, does not mean you are a bad person. But they have troubles just like everybody else when it comes to belief.
For example: atheist vs. agnostic
christian vs catholics(and all non christian in fact)
sunni vs shiite
islam vs the world
2006-09-08 11:55:16 · answer #7 · answered by Mitchell B 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Atheism means that I don't believe in any god or goddess.
2006-09-08 11:53:58 · answer #8 · answered by Filipe F 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is the continual search for the truth, rather than the arrogant and lazy claim of already knowing it.
2006-09-08 11:56:43 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Intelligence. Freedom from silly superstitions.
2006-09-08 11:53:28 · answer #10 · answered by Spookshow Baby 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Open-minded.
2006-09-08 11:50:47 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋