Atheists, tell me about your life?

Question

Christians so easily dehumanize Atheists, I thought if that they could see that you are good, loving people with hopes and dreams, family and friends that maybe they would realize the error of their judgemental thinking. I know it's a stretch to hope for that but... what is your life like?

Answer 1

Aloha Twinsma. I’m a 41 year old California transplant now living in Hawaii for going on 7 years. A soon-to-be divorced father of two adorable well-adjusted little girls, both under 6. Probably the only good thing to come out of the divorce is I gave the wife our TV, so I’ve been TV free now for 3 months. I recommend it to everyone. Now if I could just break my R&S addiction.

I’m also an identical twin. My twin brother had twins. My mom’s an identical twin, and her twin had twins. I once answered a doctor’s office questionnaire asking “Do you have any birth defects” with, “yes a twin brother”. My brother has since forgiven me. Especially after I donated bone marrow to save his life when he had cancer in his 20’s. He has since completely recovered – thanks to my marrow pulsing through his veins. Of course, he never seems to tire of my reminding him of this. He ended up marrying his nurse and they now have 4 kids. (me thinks all the sponge baths played a part).

My undergrad degree was in Philosophy – surpisingly not very marketable - so I went & got my MBA. I ran a bagel shop in San Diego for a while.

I once flipped a nickel three feet in the air and had it land and stop on its edge. That's the closest I've come to seeing a miracle. Of course I ran to share my feat with everyone I could find, but nobody believed me.

I’m also an amateur juggler (juggling sticks). And I can balance 50 quarters on my elbow, flip them in the air and catch them all - while only dropping .. . . oh 20 or so.

In my younger days, I backpacked to over 30 countries throughout the Middle East, Europe, and Central America.

Being an atheist, I like thinking for myself, rather than being told what to think. I've always felt it’s healthy to question authority, and I try to instill that curiousity in my kids. I'm a skeptic, non-conformist, inventor.

I try to live by the golden rule, and it appears a simpler morality roadmap than all the contradictory silliness found in ancient texts. (A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death— Albert Einstein)

Into gardening / yardwork, home projects. Next up: building a giant Checker’s board in my yard for the kids; planting a jumbo sunflower garden.

Favorite movies: The Matrix, Memento, Contact.
Favorite book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
Favorite website: www.snopes.com (debunks most of the Internet rumors that get passed of as truth)

Well, as you can see from all the other entries, us non-deists are really not that different from believers. We have our good days and bad. We try to treat others as we would like to be treated. Thank you for asking.

There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.
— George Sand

Answer 2

Another excellent question :)

I often think that.. if only these people could see me, they would not make such blanket statements. Experience tells me this is true. I have several friends that, when learning I was an atheist, were shocked and dismayed at first. Many of the dehumanizing things being said here have been said to me by these friends. After their initial shock though, they all had no choice but to see me as a person and not as a label. Their preconceived notions of what an atheist must be could not stand up to the truth of what an atheist can be.

My life: I've been married for 16 years. I was once in the military, but chose to get out to raise my son. I now have two kids, 15 and 8, whom I've been homeschooling for 7 years. My husband is still in the military (also an atheist) and homeschooling was a good choice for us (we've moved 7 times in the last 15 years).

After we school, the boys go to a youth center for some good old socialization and fun. I come back home and have a couple hours of quiet time. After I pick them up, we often go to the beach to just soak in the beauty there. The power and energy of the ocean really gets my youngest fired up lol.. I love watching that.

We enjoy spending time together as a family. We are the most important things to each other. My hope is that my boys will never look back on their childhood with regret; that they will take the good with the bad and make the most out of their own lives and be content. And they are such good kids :) I could not be more pleased with the way they are growing up and learning who they are.

I take great pleasure in nature, family, and friendship. And laughter. I LOVE to laugh. I'm happy. Not all of the time, but that's life. Without sadness, there would be nothing with which to compare happiness.

Oh, and I have no criminal record. Not even a parking or speeding ticket. :p

Answer 3

I grew up in a fairly normal, middle-class, Catholic household. I was a complete tomboy when I was little. So much so that I'd play football or four square with the boys everyday for recess in 6th grade, and all my best friends were boys in elementary school. I love cooking, drawing, writing, and any other way to express my creativity. Um.. Right now I'm not sure what I'll major in when I go to college, but I thinking somewhere between computers/design/art/culinary arts/linguistics. I aim to become a polymath one day, just because I want to.

I have a BFFE named Zandria who, I swear, is my other half. We always finish each others sentences, have odd habits, and we understand each other better than most people. I love her like a sister. I love, love, love my family, though. They're the greatest people I've met in the entire world, aside from my friends. They're always there when I need them, and even though we may not get along sometimes, we always work it out.

..I guess that's basically it.

Answer 4

I like your posts. I've enjoyed reading you today but don't always answer them because with a new puppy, things are a little hectic.

I am a parent of 3. My blog is posted under my profile so you can see a bit about me. I'm pretty much an open book. I volunteer for 3 organizations. I have two dogs, a cat, a rat and a gecko. I am fantastically proud of my kids. My husband and I were married out of college and still love each other very much. I take weekly philosophy walks with my best friend every week. I love hosting kids from other countries. It was Japan one year, last year was China and this summer is Italy.

My dreams are that the planet wakes up to global warming and that we get a humanitarian in the White House. I want my children to be happy and know how much they're loved. When I die, I want to know the world was a better place because I was here.

Answer 5

Quote: "Christians so easily dehumanize Atheists,......"

I guess what you really mean is that *some* Christians so easily dehumanize Atheists, not *all* Christians do so, and certainly Christianity the faith does not dehumanize anyone. On the contrary, the Christian faith places humankind on a ver high level - Christianity says that humankind is created in the image of God - so the faith of Christianity certainly does not dehumanize any human being.

I am afraid some Christians do that because they are not quite well versed with their faith, or there are just that variety of people in any grouping. For example, there are tennis players who are real snobs, and there are tennis players who are not.

I am sorry for the experiences of dehumanization by Atheists from Christians.

Most people live 'ordinary' lives, whether they are Christians, Buddhists, or of whatever faith or none - they laugh at the same things everyone do, they suffer the same pain of separation, disease, they struggle everyday to make a living and something better for themselves and others. For the most part, the majority of people whether Christians, Buddhists or of whatever faith or none - they are all *good* people.

Quote: '...that maybe they would realize the error of their judgemental thinking.'

Yes, the first error is to be judgemental. Christians are not called to be judgemental. In fact, their Bible says they should not judge others, since if and as they judge others, they too will be similarly judged, which is pretty pretty heavy stuff to find oneself to be carrying. The second error is to think Atheists are somehow less human than themselves. It perhaps reflect more of their own insecurity or issues they have more than anything else. Anyway, everyone has some degree of insecurity some time, and everyone has issues - who is perfect all the time?

...see, this only reflects that particular portion of Christians, which I would venture is no more nor less than you would find in any other faith or group. Such attitudes of such people certainly *do not* reflect what Christianity is or teaches. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water, seeing only the bath water.

Btw, Catholicism acknowledges that there are rays of God's holiness in every major faith. Also, the Ten Commandments are written on the souls of all humankind at conception, whether that soul becomes a believer and follower of Christ or not, so that might explain why people still do good without being a Christian.

Humankind is created and meant to be spiritual, and to get to know God in each of our lifetime. As God loves all of God's creations, each of us is loved. As each of us is made in the image of God, it is natural that each of us wants to get to know God, get to know what love is, and to love God and our neighbour.

Afterall, the Greatest commandment of God according to Jesus is to love God with all our might, with all our heart, and with all our mind. The secong greatest commandment of God according to Jesus is to love our neighbour as we love ourselves.

First, though, we need to know that God loves each of us, before we can love God and our neighbour.

So what is love, what is being loving means?

...that is our journey in life, to learn about love. For where love is, God is, divinity is.

Answer 6

I am 27 and have a wonderful job. It is something I really love doing, so that is a real bonus. I also get a nice salary. It isn't hundreds of thousands, but it has given a comfortable life. I dabble in the property investment game. Travel regularly. I spend most of my annual leave entitlement doing volunteer work in foreign countries. This year I am building houses in Honduras. It was on one of these trips that I met my current boyfriend (who is Catholic) who was a doctor for medicins sans frontiers. I am generally a pleasent and courteous person (so people keep telling me). I am not close to my family, but that is just the way I am. I have a number of friends both religious and not, and sometimes we have lively discussions, but in the end, we accept each other for who we are. None of us are evil, nasty, baby killers.

Answer 7

Hmm... currently working two still new-to-me jobs...a full time all week at a place that does embroidery, garment printing, and other stuff (fun place), and working J.C. Penny's in the evening on weekends.

Don't have time to party, and don't like to party anyhow. Drink very very little and only on a rare occasion do I have a little. Never touched drugs, wouldn't dream of it, never even touched a cigarette in my life. My believer friends who do like to party don't tend to consider my much fun in this area...imagine, the atheist is the low key one...

Don't pillage small towns, don't even eat babies, don't believe in devils. Am generally a good person by nature. Mostly right now I just work and trying to make a life and a living for myself so I can eventually move out on my own. Part of my money goes to donations over the past few years, and have cut and donated my hair to Locks of Love a couple times, and will do it again once it's long enough.

Answer 8

Single, computer programmer, work from home. Visit my siblings, nieces, nephews, and my parents at least once a week. Just went out to get some cakes for one of my sister's b-day tomorrow. It's also a nephew's b-day, so it was really two cakes. One chocolate (for the 1-year nephew), 1 carrot cake (sisters and mother like it). Plan on eating a salad in a few minutes, brushing my teeth, floss, watch the simpsons, take a shower, go back to work for an hour or two. The nephew was named after me and my brother-in-law (we have the same first name).

Answer 9

Married almost 45 years, 6 children, 6 grandchildren. Never had legal problems, never used drugs, don't drink, don't smoke, love rock and roll, (and jazz, blues, classical). Share what I can with my kids and grandchildren. I investigate charities before I give. I try to live by the golden rule and I am more tolerant and fair minded than most religious people I know. However, there are some evil people that I believe should be dealt with here and now rather that wait for an imaginary afterlife.

Answer 10

Pretty much like most people...I have friends and family who I love, even though we might not believe in the same things. I work everyday and struggle to get by, even though I live fairly comfortably by most standards. I went to college and earned a bachelor's degree, and am hoping to get accepted to law school next year. I've travelled around much of America and Europe and have met all sorts of people from all over the world. That's about it...