Atheism and Theism?

Question

How many atheists practice their belief in a ‘non-existent spiritual world’ just like theists practice theirs in a 'mono' existent spiritual world? I mean like trying to promote it everywhere telling people with different beliefs that they are mislead and delusional etc. and that their beliefs are NONSENSE and everyone should believe in their theory and if not they are stupid, this is similar to condemning people to hell or claiming you know the ONE and ONLY TRUE ‘god’.

Could it be that when people get brought up in religious families, we tend to form a behavioural pattern that's religious and then even if you completely reject religion you become just like religious people in your non-religious beliefs? I have found myself doing this too, but would you really like becoming like your worst enemy?

I just find that there are some atheists that do this. If would ask a question about some spiritual phenomena other than the norm then i will get a couple of theists telling me i should 'come to jesus' and a couple of Atheist telling me I should 'come to science'. It's funny really...

Answer 1

"I have found myself doing this too, but would you really like becoming like your worst enemy?"

I think you have made a good observation. I have also found myself being judgmental and in some cases cruel to Theists. I have started to observe my behavior and make modifications where I see fit. There is no need to belittle people in order for us to get our point across.

Answer 2

I doubt that many atheists practice evangelism of any sort.

Since there is no god, though, I don't see how pointing that fact out could be deemed to be anything like "condemning people to hell or claiming you know the ONE and ONLY TRUE 'god'". There's a world of difference between saying "I see cars and trees and birds and people" on the one hand and "I have a personal relationship with an invisible creator of the universe who was executed 2000 years ago" on the other. Pretending that the two are the same thing ignores the rather obvious reality.

Answer 3

You are right. Some atheists do this.
I wanted to do it originally when I first discovered I was an
atheist - age 10! I wanted the challenge so I might consider thoughts I hadn't, mostly to solidify my own understanding. Plus other peoples opinions were intriguing. But once I had it all sorted out, I quit wanting that type of interaction. There was nothing left to prove or decide, I knew what I thought and didnt want to hear people trying to convince me otherwise. Likewise, I didnt want to bother trying to change peoples minds because I was happy with myself and after all they have the right to think whatever they like. Even if I disagree and believe that these people are misled and silly, I am not going to change them by telling them so. The people who are unable to let go... they have issues... I dont understand it fully- I know that maybe they think a whole world of people with the exact same beliefs as themselves would be the answer to conflict and result in "peace", but it is not only unrealistic to expect such uniformity, it is really oppressive to want to FORCE uniformity. People like to be unique and different and as one can see even within a religion with an identical origin, there are differences that cause strife.

My opinion is that all people should be open to all beliefs that do not cause a direct and physical harm to themselves or aloved one *physical meaning bodilly*. Any belief ending in torture, death, etc. really is a dangerous one.

Answer 4

We don't - in some cases it seems like a reaction against theism but theism is the harmful delusion of mankind.

There should be no such thing as an atheist - there are no such things as afairyists are there? When humanity moves away from superstition we won't really stand out. We'll have to find new foolishness to expose.

Sorry I re-read your question and now I realise you're talking gibberish. Atheists don't practice belief. As if it takes faith to accept a physical material existence. I'll tell you whats annoying about debating with theists, its like debating with children. They never come up with any new or interesting arguments and they can't understand the current state of the situation either. Arguing from ignorance may be, by definition, all they're capable of.

Answer 5

Hello,

(ANS) I'm an Atheist, let me clarify something here if I may. Atheists DONT have a religous practise like people who have faith or religon. YES! Atheism is my view, its the way I see life, its the way I live my life but I dont go around preaching atheism (even if that was possible) or pushing it, I dont prostelytise my views.

**The problem is that little children have faith or odd religous ideas & ideals imposed upon them often by parents, teachers or religous people but they dont often get the opportunity to make an informed choice about religon. You get brought up in the faith or religon of your family & its your family & the society that influence your eventual choices.

**Personally I feel religon & religous fundamentalism causes more problems in the world than religon solves in the first place. If you want a current example you only have to look at Iraq, look at how shia & sunni's (both supposed to believe in Islam) are killing & murdering each other every day now. No! if thats religon, if thats what islam leads too you can keep religon. Millions of people have been murdered & Killed in the name of religon/s.

No! there's no question of self doubte in my mind Atheism is far more a positive force for good than any organised religous belief system.

**What is religon or faith? its only the politics of controlling peoples spirituality, its only another different kind of political party in my opinion.

**Atheists choose the freedom to believe that which makes sense to them personally but dont go around trying to impose or control others through their views.

IR

Answer 6

Read some of the sociologists; Emile Durkheim, Marc Weber and even Karl Marx to get a bit of an idea of how family upbringing (religious and otherwise) affect a persons behaviour, attitudes etc.

Worth the time.

Answer 7

Well I completely understand where youre coming from. I am an atheist from a christian family. But you see we are not condeming people or fighting for a god. We are fighting for the better understanding of science reason logic. And for everyone to look in the mirror and think why am I who I am. There is nothing wrong with that my friend.

Answer 8

A true atheist has nothing to fear from religion. They can treat those who believe in God in the same way as those who believe in pixies or a flat earth. The people who claim to be atheists and spend their time ridiculing religion, are nothing of the sort. They are God haters, and you cannot hate something you believe does not exist.

Answer 9

Hmm. Even if I did that -- and I don't -- there would still be a difference in that I would never be willing to _force_ my opinions on anyone, while theists are perfectly willing to campaign for the imposition of their beliefs on the general public, in the form of (for example) constitutional amendments that specify who can marry/have sex with whom, religious laws posted in courthouses, and mandatory prayer in schools.

Answer 10

It is natural to teach each other. I would not ask Christians to stop trying to teach what they believe is true to others who they believe are ignorant.

If I think I can help someone by talking about these issues with them, then I will talk until I am out of ideas.