Do christians have any idea how good it feels to be an atheist?

Question

As a kid I was right into the catholic church.

I was an altarboy and thought christianity was just so cool.

By 10, I decided the Catholic church was a currupt bastardisation of what christianity stood for, but I still thought Jesus was cool.

By 15, I realised the whole christianity thing lacked credibility. But I still thought he'd set a fine example and that there was some kind of "supreme being".

At 18, the penny dropped. In a blinding instant I realised that there is no need for a god in our universe and when you die, you're dead.

I hate the thought of dieing, but shedding that yoke of religious belief was the greatest sense of freedom I have ever felt. The feeling of that moment remains with me today.

There is absolutely no way I could ever accept again the ridiculous notion that there is some sort of supreme being.

Being an atheist had led to me having a greater respect and admiration for life than I had previously thought possible.

Can you theists get it?

alan s............not believing in something does NOT constitute a belief.

RantingR.........My message was aimed at those feeling cracks in their faith who do post on here quite often.

Answer 1

Thank goodness that the religious bigots on here are not capable of truly rational thought, because if they were by letting them know how fantastic it feels to be free, they may join us and ruin the whole experience, kind of like having a night out with a killjoy

Answer 2

I've never seen a relieved and happy athiest at a gut-wrenching funeral. I've never heard about the freedom an athiest feels when they're sitting in a looming foxhole.

What level of life can really be attained that has no hope... that doesn't go beyond one's self?

Agreed, religion is corrupt, wrong, and life-sucking.

A relationship, however, with Jesus is an entirely different concept. Even Jesus felt the way you do about religion. He was most vehement and angry towards the "religious" folk because of their life-robbing, legalistic, freedom-zapping system of spirituality.

Even you, as an athiest, believe in something. You believe there is no God. That's a gamble I cannot afford now or later. Religion clouds, hides, or eventually extinguishes the concept of hope. A relationship with Jesus is just the crutch I need to live. And yes, I do need a crutch. I am very human and often very weak. I need something to give me hope, a future, life, and purpose beyond my selfish self. If you were real and honest, you would see your need for a crutch as well.

And you can get it...

Answer 3

I feel your pain. I also used to be a catholic. And like you I felt empty and betrayed.
Then one day a lady with a little girl knocked on my door. The child was crying. The mom started talking to me but the child kept crying. Her mom asked honey, what's wrong? The child was thirsty. I invited them in, and gave them some iced water. Her daughter started playing with my small daughter and we talked. She was talking about a kingdom. And she rambled until she found something that interested me. The end fascinated me. She started talking about the last days. I wanted to hear more. She was very patient and answered every question I had. She said she had people waiting and had to go. I asked her to come back.
I had learned more in that 45 minutes than my whole life in the catholic religion. She came back every week for 2 years before I was baptized. My husband found out the things I was learning and wanted a study for himself. That was in 1971 and I have never been more satisfied and happy. Once I found out God's name and the real purpose we are here I was well on my way. Being a catholic was boring. The masses were in Latin and no one at church visited. All changed now. The meetings at the Kingdom Hall are full of scriptures and explanations and questions and answers. I participate and then I go out and find others like myself who wanted something better. Something that made sense.
I hope you find the truth. One reason is it is fun to have no restraints at first but then the gravity of what you are doing catches up with you.
Please reconsider. Please talk to Jehovah's Witnesses.

Answer 4

I can understand to a certain degree how you feel but if you could talk to someone who knows it all that would help you but you wont get it here without the nastiness & you dont need that i dont think
some say the catholic church has a lot wrong in their teachings anyway so talk to other churches! night

Answer 5

Did you honestly expect to get an answer from a Christian that accepts you for what you are without the need to impose God upon you?

Answer 6

Dear friend:

Been there, done that, and won't go back!

You see, I've walked the path you walked. But then at age 33 1/2 I decided to go one-to-one. "If you are there, God, then reveal yourself to me"--that was an empty prayer to the stars, but He revealed Himself to me.

You see, my friends, you don't find God, He calls you when you are ready. I made a pact with God that I'd never trust a preacher--still feel that way. Yes, I listen to them, Christian fellowship is part of the oneness of Heaven, but I still trust in God.

Another pact I made with Him is that I'll never tell a lie to speak a church doctrine. As I read through ten different translations, I discovered that is exactly they type of people He wants: "In vain you do worship me," said Jesus, teaching for doctrine, the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9).

God loves you too much to abandon you, and as you walk this troubled life, He'll be calling you. He'll show you a beautiful flower whose esters of fragrance tantalize your nerves--"An accident? you' wonder." then a peacock will fan it's masterful tail for you to see--you'll shudder like Darwin did, knowing that a masterful Designer did that. And as you listen to gene splicing and stem-cell harvesting, you will honestly admit that life is so minusculely complex that man has never created not even one living cell--and if they did, oxygen, cosmic radiation and uv rays would destroy it before you could create a mate for it.

God doesn't expect anyone to live on blind faith, and He gives everyone enough evidence to base their faith on. Suppose that is why He sealed one part of the Bible until the "end of the days." You can break the "code" and understand His important last-day message at: www.revelado.org/revealed.htm

Yes, I've been there, done that, and won't go back.

Blessings, One-Way

Answer 7

BUT J00 DON HAV GAWD!!!
lol

Yeah, I can definitely see where you're coming from... I went through a similar progressing course of epiphanies, if I may use that word.

Answer 8

I can understand the siren call of having no one to answer to. However, I still choose to believe and feel a since of comfort in my belief system. It gives me pleasure and sustains me through my hard times. If I am harming no one by holding onto my beliefs then what difference should it make to anoyne else, atheist or not?

Answer 9

I got it.

Though I envy the speed at which you managed it. ;-)

Answer 10

I am glad for you, but at the same time, I feel sorry for you, because you have decided not to have God in your life...This is a decision YOU will have to live with.....