NationStates Jolt Archive

Don't knock it till you've tried it. When you're an atheist...

You can examine religion and moralism critically without feeling bad or blasphemous

You're under no obligation to get worked up over harmless things like homosexuals, liberals or pretentious 15 year old Wiccans.

You won't crap yourself when using a ouija board.

You can do good things without expecting to be rewarded in the afterlife.

You are your own boss.

You don't have to feel guilty everytime you whack off.

You can poke fun at the Pope

You can rest assured that none of the Jewish victims of the holocaust, atheist victims of the Armenian genocide, the Soviet purges and Chinese Cultural Revolution or the muslim victims of the tsunami going to Hell because none of them had been "saved" on time.

You learn that our capicity to forgive is a precious thing and should not be regarded as deeply inferior to that of some bloke in the heavens.

You begin to understand that disapproval of abortion, divorce at once's convenience and hedonistic fornication is not something exclusive to those with faith.

You are sooo tempting me to create an "Agnosticism is fab!" or "Wicca is fab!" thread or something like that...

I just came up with a piece of wit.

"Agnosticism: god is trivial"

doh jeah~

Don't knock it till you've tried it. When you're an atheist...

You can examine religion and moralism critically without feeling bad or blasphemous

You're under no obligation to get worked up over harmless things like homosexuals, liberals or pretentious 15 year old Wiccans.

You won't crap yourself when using a ouija board.

You can do good things without expecting to be rewarded in the afterlife.

You are your own boss.

You don't have to feel guilty everytime you whack off.

You can poke fun at the Pope

You can rest assured that none of the Jewish victims of the holocaust, atheist victims of the Armenian genocide, the Soviet purges and Chinese Cultural Revolution or the muslim victims of the tsunami going to Hell because none of them had been "saved" on time.

You learn that our capicity to forgive is a precious thing and should not be regarded as deeply inferior to that of some bloke in the heavens.

You begin to understand that disapproval of abortion, divorce at once's convenience and hedonistic fornication is not something exclusive to those with faith.

Can't argue with a word you've said :)

I cannot argue, either, for I agree with him 100%.

this will be an interesting thread...

Me > all... thats all u need to know...

I'm a theist (not "atheist", "a theist") and I can do most of those things.

I'm a theist (not "atheist", "a theist") and I can do most of those things.
If you say them out loud fast, they sound the same, so they must be the same thing.
:D

Actually...I'm a Catholic, and we make fun of the pope all of the time...my one teacher (a dioesocian priest no less) almost encourages it...but it is all in good fun.

If you say them out loud fast, they sound the same, so they must be the same thing.
:D
In one fell swoop, you've just destroyed all belief in God/Gods/whatever. Amazing.

In one fell swoop, you've just destroyed all belief in God/Gods/whatever. Amazing.
I know! Logic trumps all, dunnit?

You can examine religion and moralism critically without feeling bad or blasphemous Check.

You're under no obligation to get worked up over harmless things like homosexuals, liberals or pretentious 15 year old Wiccans. Check.

You won't crap yourself when using a ouija board. Check.

You can do good things without expecting to be rewarded in the afterlife.Check.

You are your own boss.My wife is my boss. Close enough. Check.

You don't have to feel guilty everytime you whack off.Check.

You can poke fun at the PopeCheck.

You can rest assured that none of the Jewish victims of the holocaust, atheist victims of the Armenian genocide, the Soviet purges and Chinese Cultural Revolution or the muslim victims of the tsunami going to Hell because none of them had been "saved" on time. Check.

You learn that our capicity to forgive is a precious thing and should not be regarded as deeply inferior to that of some bloke in the heavens.Check.

You begin to understand that disapproval of abortion, divorce at once's convenience and hedonistic fornication is not something exclusive to those with faith.check.

Yet I'm christian. :D SO I get it all, AND I go to heaven. Well, maybe. Depends on how God feels about sexual deviancy. ;)

Atheism is fab
For a minute there i misread it was "atheism is a fad" - and to an extent I kinda agree with what I misread it as....

I love being an athiest, don't have to stress out about what I see as a glorified Santa Claus has to think about me (In the sense that God knows who's naughty or nice, and instead of gifts there's salvation or damnation).

Although since I don't believe in an afterlife, and believe that we all just end at our deaths, I do try to make an effort to help people when I can since I see this as the only chance of happiness that we all have.

The way I see it- I won't care if I don't exist anymore once I'm not existing!

If I'm wrong and there is a God, hopefully God will see that I've been good without expecting something out of it- and hopefully the God that it is is that kind of God!

Watch as the Vikings were right, and the ones who end up in the best place is everyone who died fighting! LOL

Don't knock it till you've tried it. When you're an atheist...

You can examine religion and moralism critically without feeling bad or blasphemous

You're under no obligation to get worked up over harmless things like homosexuals, liberals or pretentious 15 year old Wiccans.

You won't crap yourself when using a ouija board.

You can do good things without expecting to be rewarded in the afterlife.

You are your own boss.

You don't have to feel guilty everytime you whack off.

You can poke fun at the Pope

You can rest assured that none of the Jewish victims of the holocaust, atheist victims of the Armenian genocide, the Soviet purges and Chinese Cultural Revolution or the muslim victims of the tsunami going to Hell because none of them had been "saved" on time.

You learn that our capicity to forgive is a precious thing and should not be regarded as deeply inferior to that of some bloke in the heavens.

You begin to understand that disapproval of abortion, divorce at once's convenience and hedonistic fornication is not something exclusive to those with faith.


I'm a fundamentalist Atheist, but I'm still going to refute your points.
1. Talk to my brother. His Atheism makes him more religiously intolerant than anyone else I've met.
2. Actually, I know quite a few Atheists who get disgusted by pretentious little Wiccans. Also, getting worked up about religious people is practically a commandment for people like my brother, so it balances out.
3. You can be an Atheist and believe in Ouija boards since there's not exactly an Ouija god, most just don't because Ouija is stupid.
4. Wait, so not getting rewarded for good things is better? Why?
5. In the real world God seems to give about as many orders as Atheism does.
6. You do anyways. It's a biological thing, probably having to do with being depressed there isn't a real woman there.
7. Amen to that.
8. On the other hand, your can feel guilty about a few of those, in particular the "Cultural Revolution", which was basically the athiest equivalent of the inquisition.
9. I haven't. Most people don't forgive. A mythical forgiver is at least a role model.
10. The Christians don't act like it, but deep down they know it too.

4. Wait, so not getting rewarded for good things is better? Why?
Its better becuase its an actual good deed, rather than just doing it to appease the 'man upstairs'.

I particularly agree with the "you can do good things without expecting reward." A lot of people seem to be motivated to earn mystical points on some random scale. Like, people who believe in Karma too - the idea that doing bad is not just bad, but it will affect you negatively, is really just psychological reinforcement. Stimulus, response! Promised reward, expected behavior!

I won't name names but a lot of people are doing little more than twitching in response to electrochemical stimulation when it comes to morality.

I'd like to think atheists are exceptional, but I don't. I think it just means the promised reward is no longer mythological but shifted to material and political. In that sense I'm happier off because I'm relying on pragmatism and conscious awareness of my animalistic nature instead of trying to behave properly according to some bullshit mythos.

Maybe happier is not the right word though, as the sense of having the answers provides happiness even if you have no actual answers (my opinion on the theism angle). In otherwords ignorance is bliss. Too many people don't even have to reflect on any of this and just try to get into God(tm)'s good graces. Hopefully they won't suspect that their particular God's rules may not be the 'real' ones... otherwise it'd be like being given a criminal trial and expecting to work with laws from some entirely different nation, and instead of telling you about it the judge just overrules you constantly while you fumble for your inappropriate prayer/lawbook.

Whoa, didn't mean to rant.