For all atheists and agnosts?

Question

I know that you have not come to your conclusions lightly and undoubtedly you have researched and questioned many different religions.

Did any of the religions appeal to you in any shape or form? If so, which (not for their deity but for their fundamental beliefs and values)

Answer 1

A very good question posed in an intelligent and articulate manner! First I am agnostic. For me Buhdism came the closest for me. It is a very calm and centered religion. I found it very spiritual and it fit me better than anything else I've had a notion to try. I found that when practicing Buhdism I was very calm and resolute.

Another niche for me was Unitarian Universalists but I tired of the the references to God and Jesus. Ss you said, I did not arrive to my current status without many, many attempts to "fit in" with mainstream religions. .

Answer 2

Not a single one. That's like asking a fundamentalist christian or catholic to try sex magic, or sacraficial voodoo, or transcendental meditation and expecting them to aquiese to havein had a positive experience.

I especially dislike those religions that say that nonbelief is an act of faith. Faith is accepting that something is true despite a lack of proof or against evidence that a thing is not true.

Atheism is the absence in the belief of deity. I did not come to any conclusions. A conclusion in the context of you question implies that an atheist chooses to deny deity. This is not the case. I was born an atheist, just like you were. Attempts have been made to convert me which have utterly failed. I have always been an atheist. I have never doubted that religion must prove itself in the arena of consensus reality. This cannot be accomplished.

I believe that Santa and Jesus and other kinds of deity are not only unreal, but unnecessary. Also, not one religion I've heard of has anything positive to say about not believing in their brand of fairy tale.

Declared atheists are accused of being immoral, inferior, angry, rebellious, oppositional, unethical, crazy, maniacal, etc. We are hated. Not for what we believe, but for a lack of faith in what others have been taught to believe without proof.

Atheists are growing in number, but it won't be long until the world religions rebel - again - against reason, rationality, respect, and a dedication to honesty and peacefulness. There will be another holy war, a battle of giants, and all the progress that atheists have delivered to the modern world will be abolished and routed until another dark age comes over the land.

The only conclusions I have come to are that religion is an abomination to the human mind. It is a parasite that delivers a pap to its host as it languishes in the heady feeling of godhood.

To answer your question, none of them appeal to me in any shape or form. Certainly not for their fundamental belief and values, which are contradicted by hypocritial justification to use violence and lies to convert a helpless child.

Answer 3

I swing between being a pantheist and a panetheist (they are different the second one sees something larger behind it all).
I did look at faiths by looking at their followers - The 3 Abramic faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) come out VERY badly if you do this...Though before I started to read the Bible I thought Christianity was pretty cool....Of the major World religions the followers of Buddhism are by far the best! Wiccans and Neo Pagans are cool also....
I'm still very much searching...

Answer 4

While I think dieties are basically socially sanctioned delusions, I do find that most every religion has good values and ideals. Most of them claim to endorse non-violence, discipline, empathy, kindness, unity and a whole lot of other positive things. But the problem is that what is preeched is rarely practiced, and instead of basing these values on the good they do for society, most people rather base them on some magic sky fairy. I will never understand that.

Answer 5

Buddhism, Taoist, Shintoism.

I think all religions have the potential for good--if following a particular faith makes you a more compassionate, honest, tolerant person, then that is good. Unfortunately most organized religions encourage exactly the opposite--but that's more because of how they are practised, rather than the religion themselves.

Answer 6

there were many that appealed to me but quite frankly they are all too riddled with notions of "just believe because we said so" or half truths and hearsay

for me I am too much of a realist I would rather skip the whole story stuff and just say why waste time praying I am here to live life not waste it listening to sermons every weekend

q are you getting maried in a church???? grin


I am happy to start my own religion- the back bone is - we believe in something but I am buggered if i know what, we know nothing about who or what "it" is but lets just sit at home and ponder on what to expect after we expire....

Answer 7

There are some good aspects of most all religions. Most offer a social framework to help others and are charitable.

I like Unitarian Universalists because they're very non-judgemental and involved in making the world a better place. I also liked a great deal about buddhism for the same reasons. I think their approach to self acceptance and acceptance of others is very healthy.

Answer 8

Yes, I like the teaching of the Church of the Holy Dollar. You can an official certificate salvation and a place in heaven for $12.99 plus shipping and handling. You get a plastic "Buddy Jesus" dashboard figure to protect you from the boogie man.

Answer 9

Any sense of belonging will attract people, incidently that feeling makes a great many people want to join a religion. However, It's obvious that a good set of values is appreciated with or without religion. Many of the main religions have very similar values and matching codes of ethics. Whats important is that you find what gives you peace.

Answer 10

Yes, I have studied all the major religions. I'm now a Buddhist, the Buddha's teachings on reflection and insight helped me pull out of clinical depression. Meditation is now a regular part of my life.