Do you think being an atheist is a cop out?

Question

I have a confession to make. Immediately following my divorce I was mad at everyone and everything, including God. With that in mind I decided to become an atheists and live my life by my own rules. I could do anything I wanted as long as it was in the parameters of the law. For a moment, things were good. I had a good job, nice condo, a hot car and plenty of chicks. After a while however, my conscience got the better of me because I knew I was capable of bigger and better things. Being a permiscuous, overbearing, selfabsorbed, lady's man wasn't what God had planned for me. I realized my decision of being an atheist was a cop out. Rather than dealing with my problem, praying and putting my faith in God I did what a lot of people do. I blamed God and decided to step away from my faith. The moral to this story is don't be a cop out.

I forget to mention that at the moment I repented and resumed being a mighty man of God. When it comes right down to it I guess I never really stopped believing in God, I just fooled myself into thinking I didn't believe.

Answer 1

Beautiful Testimony!! And I do believe the reason so many claim to be Atheist is due to rebellion.....and they do not want to be committed, especially to God.
I rejoice in You Coming Back to God....."He Never did leave You, You know? "Thank You Jesus" (smile)

Answer 2

Thanks for the story but to answer your question, some as myself are not copping out of anything. I'm not sure what an atheist is nor do I lable myself one but I love all people as they say Jesus did and I trust that there can be great power in numbers as Jesus proved. I find courage and strenght within myself and my friends and family and I manage to do this just fine without any guilt. I have great kids, attend college full-time, have a loving and supportive family, a nice car, a house, an unmarried man who I plan on growing old with but never have I been permiscuous, overbearing, selfabsorbed, or any other word that would have described you when you weren't with what you believe in. Have you ever noticed how unforgiving and judgemental religion makes people? That is why I don't get into it. Thanks for the 2 though and good luck on your bigger and better things, I truly mean that.

Answer 3

MOST atheists are atheists because they literally don't believe in a god -- this is the conclusion they've come too. Most are very good by most moral standard. They just don't see evidence for a god, and may see evidence against one, so they go with what seems like the most rational and likely conclusion. REAL atheists don't blame or hate God, any more than they blame the Tooth-Fairy or Tom Sawyer -- they have nothing against any of them, but just don't believe they actually exist.

I think its the exact opposite of a cop-out -- its an act of integrity that involves a huge sacrifice. Social researchers have found that atheists are the most discriminated against group in America, even more so than gays. It can be very hard to tell Christian friends and relatives you are an atheists, and it cost you a lot in terms of acceptance and popularity -- not to mention all the people who will try to "save" you! I think openly being an atheist is being a martyr for integrity -- they don't call "atheism" the other closet for nothing!

I see this kind of thinking as dangerous, as that it supports a lot of negative stereotypes about atheists, agnostics, and generally secular people.

Answer 4

Being an atheist for YOU might have been a cop out, as you tried to blame God for your broken marriage and inability to maintain a sense of Self during the time that immediately followed.

But being an atheist for others is a choice to believe that there is no God. Period.

The moral of this story is you must take responsibility for your actions. You wanted to be promiscuous, overbearing self-absorbed, etc., etc., ad nauseum. It was a choice that you made. God did not make you like that. You chose to live a different lifestyle. And what makes you so sure that you stepped away from your faith when you lived that lifestyle? Perhaps it was God letting you experience what you needed to experience to become once more whole and complete.

Be grateful for everything you experience in this lifetime. If you perceive it to be bad, then it was probably one of the best things that ever happened to you, because guaranteed it gave you new perspective. Do not cop out -- instead, thank your God for it!

Answer 5

Don't be a cop-out? Excuse me?

Well, the real moral of it is... YOU decided to be an "atheist" because you were mad at your deity and treated being "atheist" was an activity.

There is a big difference here between what you did and us...

WE, real atheists, on the other hand are such because of our view. We have this certain view, and it was believers who came up with the title for us. Atheist is not an activity to us, it is a form of existence and personal opinion.

If you actually became one of us, you'd have resumed the rest of your normal life as usual and just skipped the religion part. So either stop spreading stereotypes or stop lying.

Answer 6

Being mad at god does not make you an atheist. You sound as though you have NEVER been an atheist. Obviously you do not even understand what an atheist is. And if you ask me, expecting an imaginary friend to save you from your personal failures sounds like a cop out to me.

Answer 7

You weren't an atheist. You don't "choose" to become an atheist. You either believe something, or you don't. You don't become atheist because you're MAD at God. You're an atheist because you don't believe that God exists.
What you did might have been a cop-out. A real atheist is someone who simply does not believe a story fed to him by someone else. Your God is YOUR God. It's YOUR beliefs. It has nothing to do with me. I am not "copping out" because *you* feed me an implausible story, and then can't provide any evidence of it's truth.

And presenting the idea that all atheists are atheists because they simply don't want anyone to answer to or can do anything they want is insulting and ignorant. It has nothing to do with why atheists are atheists.

Answer 8

If believing in God helps you choose to be a moral person, then it sounds like you've found the right path for you. Every atheist I know has already chosen to live a moral life without believing in God.

Answer 9

I left Christianity at ten. I feel it was perhaps one of the better decisions of my life, as I am now much more open-minded towards followers of all faiths.

I used to be one of those Atheists who will stop at nothing to drag Christianity through the dust, along with its Bible, God and followers.

However, since I found refuge in Buddhism, I learned to be more respectful towards Christians, and I struggle to understand my own former position, especially considering I did not change from that.

I am still Atheistic, in that I follow no God of any kind, but I have become so much more tolerant than most.

I'm sure you will agree, as a Christian, that my life choice has made my life so much better, even though it was a move away from God.

If you have any doubts as to the genuineness of my tolerance, please see some of my other answers.

May peace, and your God, guide you down the path of love

Answer 10

What does your rebellious phase have to do with atheism.
You can not get even with something that you realize does not exist.
Honestly, that is all you were doing. Then after you got over your pain and hurt and desire to hurt and hate, after you were done feeling sorry for yourself you decided to be a good little follower again.
You show nothing of an atheists attitude in your statement of your actions. Most atheists are highly moral with a strong commitment to social responsibility

Answer 11

No. Atheism is the only logical stance to take on the subject of god(s) given the amount of objective, verifiable evidence (read: zero).

The vast majority of atheists are more than capable of having a moral compass that does not rely on the rules of an imaginary deity. Our common humanity is all the basis we need to establish good morals, thank you very much.

From your own description you were never an atheist. An atheist is a person who does not believe any god or gods exist, not someone who's angry at your or any god (which implies belief). Also, if the only reason you act in anything resembling a moral way is because of religious belief, then I have this to say:

"Do you really mean to tell me the only reason you try to be good is to gain God's approval and reward, or to avoid his disapproval and punishment? That's not morality, that's just sucking up, apple-polishing, looking over your shoulder at the great surveillance camera in the sky, or the still small wiretap inside your head, monitoring your every move, even your every base thought." --Richard Dawkins