Feelings on Atheism

I'm curious to know what some of the people on here think about atheism, such as how they feel towards it as well as people who are themselves atheist. My experience as an atheist has been harsh, with most people being "offended" by my admittance of my beliefs, to the point that anymore I'm actually afraid to tell people the truth. It seems like many religious people don't even care if you don't believe in their religion, as long as you believe in SOMETHING. In addition, a lot of people seem to have misconceptions about atheism, like that all adherents are gloomy and miserable and only want to rebel against God, and that they don't actually believe in it. Others say, "So you don't believe in anything?", and that gets me every time. I don't really understand why people react so negatively towards it, but they do.

How do you all feel about it?

I am full Atheist. I really hate my life and the things that have happened to me. It is so hard to think there is a God when my life and others lives are in pain. Everyone looks to God for relief and all that junk, but they are crazy in my eyes (no offence to anyone, I don't want to offend. I just have very strong feelings.)
People have yelled at me and tried to make me go to church and believe, but I just can't. I don't feel right entering a place I hate!
I just believe the church and the bible is just another way someone has tried to control others. Just a way to make other everyone believe the same way. Am I making any sense? haha
~Classy

As a Catholic who attends church weekly and helps out with Sunday school on an irregular basis, I feel obliged to point out that any feelings of "hate" or the like can also be directed from atheists toward theists. In fact, it's not very hard to find topics with titles like "Anyone who believes in God is an idiot," on the internet

So may I suggest that it doesn't have much to do with belief or non-belief, but rather just that some people, no matter what they believe, are jerks? Best not to let such people color your views with regards to an entire class. Of course, according to captain-classy, I'm also crazy and under the control of the church! So perhaps best not to listen to me?

In any case, I have no particular feelings toward atheists as atheists; just as I don't with theists. I just don't particularly care if you believe in God or not, which is good considering many of my friends call themselves atheist. The only thing that does bother me are hypocrites. For example, can't stand people who claim you're going to hell because you don't believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead after three days. And as another example, I also can't stand people who bad-mouth others simply for believing in a higher power.

Fortunately in my experience, very, very few people exist in either of those camps. Unfortunately, the media goes out of its way to find such people.

I think there is negativity on both sides, as Nate pointed out. As someone that is comfortably Pagan, I get some strange reactions from time to time. But really, for the most part people react with interest. Sometimes, I think non religious people see curiosity as a negative response. I have had some very religious people question me about my beliefs, not trying to make me feel strange or "wrong" but just generally wanting to know. I think that it is the same when people react with "So you don't believe in anything?" It may or may not be meant with malice, however, generally speaking people just sort of want to know. Specifically people that have been raised in religious households their whole lives, and practice their faith regularly.

However, there are people that are rude on both sides of the argument. I know many Atheists that are equally pushy, forward, and rude with their preaching as any religious person I know. So perhaps, before looking at what *they're* doing wrong, you may want to ask yourself how you are coming off to them when you approach their beliefs. Cause in the long run, it's all about respect.

I just believe the church and the bible is just another way someone has tried to control others.

before i would point my argument...would i ask you that if tehre is a line in the bible that says that you must believe? And why control...most of the gospels that are written there tell of loving each other...(is that control?) As for the church, pal...the Church has a long history and there had been good leaders and bad leaders who simply want to gain power. Just as Dante says, the church was not made to get power...its searching for blessedness or wisdom.

As a catholic, i don't mind atheist because i respect their decisions-we don't have to be the same right...?-. I have friends who are atheists and they are good people but it is the ones that are bad mouthing religion and saying bad things that annoy me the most especially if they know little or base their hatred on their personal problems.

I have nothing against anyone's beliefs. I really don't care what everyone else believes in. My views on the church and religion have been influenced by everything in my life. My family is different from all of yours, they say and do different things. My grandpa has very strong views on religion, and to me, what he says makes sense. I don't think people who are "under the church are crazy." Hey, my grandpa is probably crazier than anyone who goes to church or doesn't.
I don't hate religion, I just hate what it has done to my family.

Atheism is just one of many religions one could follow. There are greatly-devoted people in every religion that we have to watch out for. It may seem like people are singling Atheism out, but honestly, every religion is bad-mouthed somehow in some way at sometime by someone somewhere.

So duck and cover or brush it off.

JabberHut wrote:Atheism is just one of many religions one could follow. There are greatly-devoted people in every religion that we have to watch out for. It may seem like people are singling Atheism out, but honestly, every religion is bad-mouthed somehow in some way at sometime by someone somewhere.

So duck and cover or brush it off.

I'd have to disagree that atheism is a religion. How can a lack of religious belief be a religion? The definition of religion is:

a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

There's no doctrine in atheism, no specific set of beliefs, no rituals, no all encompassing moral code. The only uniting factor of atheists is that they don't believe a God exists. You may say that an atheist accepts this on "faith", just as a religious person would, but to this I would also disagree. It requires no faith from me whatsoever to say that I have no clue how the universe got here, how we got here, or whether or not there is some all-powerful being presiding over us. I know for a fact that I don't know. You could say that's agnostic, but from my personal experience, atheism is just a stronger word for agnosticism. Few, if any, atheists will claim that they KNOW FOR A FACT that there is no God, only that they "suspect there is not one, and if there is then we have no way of knowing", which is pretty much identical to being agnostic.

I think what Jabber was trying to say is, no matter what you believe, there are people out there that are going to have something to say about it.

Atheism is anyone's choice to believe, though it is not what I believe. I am a Baptist Christian, and I feel that God does exist, as well as Jesus Christ, but just like with people who are Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, ect., I don't feel that it is wrong for them to believe what they believe as long as they don't force their faith or lack of faith down others' throats.

I'm a Christian who just ducked out of being confirmed and might just become atheist. Or whatever- I don't care about the terms or what they mean or imply. I'm just not sure I believe in god, being the logical sucker that I am. I find religion very self-contradicting and muddled, like they don't even know what they believe. But that's another matter. Just wanted to inform you that there are perfectly happy atheists out there, and that we're not all bitter. Very few people know that I might become atheist, of course (thank you headless internet audience), but I haven't really received much reaction. So, I might have to get back to you in the future about that, if I do become atheist. I guess I do have something against very conservative, evangelical Christians (and yes, I don't like Catholicism in general, but not Catholics themselves), because you always feel they are forcing their beliefs on you. But nothing against religious people in general- people are free to believe what they want to believe. I don't really like atheists any more, on the other hand (except that crazy girl, but that's a different matter). In fact, I'm not a fan of bitter, 'emo' atheists. You have to believe in something... for some its god, for me it's art. But they're all in the same. No hard feelings.

I was raised in a Christian household and had those beliefs forced upon me. For a while I considered myself Christian. However, recently I've come to accept the fact that I really don't believe what I've been taught. I now identify as atheist. When I was being brought up in the church, I was taught that atheists are scary, dangerous people who just deny what is "obviously" true. I agree with people above who said that it really depends on the person. I know Christians who are very kind and loving, and I know Christians who are very harsh and strict, bordering on hypocrisy. I know atheists who actively try to prove there is no god, and I know atheists (and consider myself one) who are just as happy to let others believe what they want. Just because I don't believe there's a god doesn't mean you can't believe that. Heck, I'll even listen to you if you want to share your side of it, even if it's an attempt to convert me. All I ask for is respect. You respect me, I'll respect you.

All you need is love.

I'm a Catholic, I believe in God, and thinking that there is something bigger than myself keeps me happy. ^_^ But if someone else doesn't think so, and they're happy without a God in their lives, then hey. That's their choice, and I'll definitely respect that.

I'm an atheist that was raised in a semi-religious house with a Mormon grandma. Nothing is more irritating than when a religious person preaches at me and tells me that they will be praying for my soul. I accept that they have their own system of beliefs that they prefer over others and my own, and I accept that they may feel it necessary to attempt converting me. I try not to bash on other people's religions, but it's hard when they're preaching at me, and I have a short temper...

I'm like Oromis from Inheritance on this subject. There is no god. But if there is, he's doing a really bad job and should be replaced.