Atheist: this is pretty interesting to me...?

Question

As an Atheist [Ex-Theist] myself I'm very interested about this thing that some people might've missed:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071223104953AAQVG8z&r=w

The thing about DECIDING or REALIZING.

And please be sure that I'm not being rude to anyone really, since it's VERY difficult to be sincere to both Theists and Atheists all at the same time if you know what I mean...
I'm just a human like you.

The question is:
Could the source of problem that people are rude to each other in R&S is because they think they REALIZED instead of they DECIDED for themselves?

Just a rambling you can skip:
Surely, I believe that Gods in the bibles are imaginary because of the contradictions and the idea of almighty and benevolent being is impossible but there are just so many unexplainable things in life and there could be other powers which is more complicated than 'God'...We have to keep our minds open, no? =]

Answer 1

The wording of the question really did not reflect an understanding of what atheism is, which is why your word choices were corrected. I know it wasn't intentional or intended to be rude - it's just that I can be very picky when it comes to wording because I value precision in language. It is important. Two different wordings create two different statements, with two different meanings.

Your question was:

What was the hardest thing to accept when you decided to believe that God is imaginary?
What was the biggest problem that you had when deciding to become an Atheist?

What jumps out at me is the "decided to believe..." part, because atheism is not a belief, it is the lack of belief that gods exist.

And, like others who answered you, I also did not "decide" to become an atheist. I realized that the claim that gods exist had not been supported by evidence, and exercised my right to rejected that claim out of hand. When someone has been indoctrinated to believe that which has not been proven, it can take a while for that person to hear or see something that makes him/her go "Hey, wait a minute. I'm not sure that's true." That's the "realization" part.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

No, I think rudeness is related to empathy for others, sometimes this comes with age/maturity and sometimes it doesn't. Also, written communication, especially when not re-read and edited several times, ( and even after that) can be taken in the opposite light than that was intended. A good illustration of that is to say your name in an angry, calm and loving tones and then type your name in the same tones. In the first case the emotion and meaning are clear and in the second the reader will have no clue.

Edit:
I agree with "godless", it was not a decision, it is was a realization for me, and definitely I do not believe there are not gods, I simply don't believe in gods as there is no evidence to support that any of them exist.

Answer 3

I looked at lot of the options and opinions, arguments for and against the existance of god, and realised that god didn't exist.

When I first started to really question god's existance I was 7 and had never heard the word 'atheist' so I didn't really 'decide' to 'become an atheist'.

Since the initial realisation I have read more into it, and everything I have read or studied, the bible included, just points so strongly against the existance of deities.

Answer 4

You may be right, but I'm sure there are Ex-theist that may have a problem with Alcohol and be an Alcoholic, though they fail to acknowledge as such.

Consider Kev : Proof of God, and similar approaches, he uses all your Ex-theist logic and scientific--evidence in a very powerful-argument for God.

Now if Kev has proven the existence of God, does that mean the God he proved is the God of the bible, maybe, but maybe God chooses to even transcend the bible and become even greater then that.

Back to my point, wether kev is right or not, is beside the point, if someone somewhere down-the-line was to prove an entity called 'God' exists, you Ex-theist would still have the free-will to say bull-****, and that's no lie, but realize for the sake of Argument, that if kev is right, then it is you the Ex-theist that choose to deny reason, instead of Kev, that may or may not be a Theist.

Just like the Alcoholic that Denies he has a problem with his Boo's.

____________________________________________

The God of the Bible may contradict himself, but that doesn't imply that God does so, no?

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Maureen B: Your right, and I apologize to the both of you if I took the offensive on this one, to the asker of this question's real intent, I would reply:

Yes! , Thank you both, for showing me tactfully, my error, I do wish to retain, my above argument, for those open-minded enough to consider what I propose here, and Kev proposes elsewhere.

_________________________________________

Maureen: Can you offer a specific link, I can't find it anywhere, if not that's just as well too....it's probably one of those things like "If it was a snake...."

Thanks!

Answer 5

If you came upon your spouse in bed with another person, could you then decide to believe that he/she was still being faithful to you? Probably not, because you've seen evidence to the contrary.

The idea that beliefs are choices is hard to swallow. One usually realizes that the balance of evidence has tipped, and then deal with the consequences.

Listen to Julia Sweeney's "Letting Go of God." It shows a process that takes a while and the moment where she realizes that she's not hearing (and has never heard) God's voice is truly poignant.

^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^

Answer 6

The "decision took years to make. It wasn't like a revelation or anything like that.
There simply was no other alternative. Numerology, astrology, pyramid power, energy in crystals, psychic ability, ufology, alien abductions, past life religions and other forms of flim-flam just do not impress me with confidence.
I simply do not believe in a god because the other choices are mentally unpalatable.

Answer 7

Well, I'm not and "ex" anything. I never believed any of it.

I enjoyed the stories I heard and the rituals and ceremonies built around religion....but the fairytales were just that - fairytales.

The whole concept of a god thingie and miracle thingies and creation thingies is simply too preposterous to be believed.

Answer 8

Actually i can not see any contradiction in God the almighty and the benevolent ...it is very good that you realize that there are so many unexplainable things in life and the other powers you are looking for is just simply God .. why making things complicated.?!!

Answer 9

i myself have been trying to figure that out for a while now (why pple are rude to and towards each other especially when it comes to religion and beliefs) it seems to me that some pple are just intolerant of OTHER people's beliefs and religions i really don't see why. i believe that once a person has DECIDED not REALIZED is when they are rude and egotistical. I'm a christian and never rude to people you don't believe or poke fun at my religion and this is part of being a Christan and what my religion teaches, BUT this is just me and I'm trying to speak on behalf of other Christians out there, b/c as u know we're all different.

Answer 10

Either way you worded it, I understood what you were asking. Yes, grammar does count and most will take it for exactly what it says. But I understand not everyone words things properly. You didn't appear to be insulting anyone. You weren't rude in the slightest. I clicked on your link and put my answer there.