If you watch this blog for new posts you may want to start watching my other atheism related blog: Atheists and Christians Community Blog
I may post here again from time to time, but most of my efforts will go into the other blog.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
I never wanted to be an Atheist.
Since de-converting from Christianity many who claim to follow Christ have accused me of wanting to lead a life of sin or wanting to hide from God, or just plain turning my back on God. I had one Christian named Dan, after I said the sentence that is the title of this post, tell me "Then you shouldn't be, shame on you. It's called faith for a reason. Sure God could reveal himself to us quite easily but he wants us to have faith in Him and Trust Him not just believe and not to be tempted."
It's odd to me that I do not attack their character and yet they attack mine, that somehow does not seem very Christian to me. I have some wonderful Christian friends and family. I have also made new Christian friends who I have met through various web sites.
I began this post yesterday and am continuing it today. Today I asked Dan a simple question. "Do you think I'm telling the truth when I say I don't believe God exists" his response: "In a word...No." I've given Dan no reason to call me a liar so I told him so and then unsubscribed from his blogs and comments from his blog.
I don't call Christians liars for believing in God, yet some of them are so sure of their belief that they would call unbelievers liars for saying they don't believe in the Christian God. I guess I understand this because I felt the same way when I was a Christian, though I never accused anyone of lying. I felt they had fooled themselves, not that they were flat out lying.
I understand this anger against atheists, I was pissed off when atheists attacked Jesus too, when I was a Christian, but I was pissed off at individuals not all atheists. Even then I knew that not all atheists made their business attacking Christ.
I loved being a Christian, I didn't have any negative experiences, I just began to look at other things in the world, and wondering how if so many others believed so sincerely then how could I think their sincerity was somehow less than mine? I began to really look for evidence of God in my life, I began to really listen to see if I was truly hearing God's voice or if it was just my own. To this day I still pray from time to time: "God, if you are real, please let me know."
I never wanted to be an atheist. I just had to be honest about no longer believing.
It's odd to me that I do not attack their character and yet they attack mine, that somehow does not seem very Christian to me. I have some wonderful Christian friends and family. I have also made new Christian friends who I have met through various web sites.
I began this post yesterday and am continuing it today. Today I asked Dan a simple question. "Do you think I'm telling the truth when I say I don't believe God exists" his response: "In a word...No." I've given Dan no reason to call me a liar so I told him so and then unsubscribed from his blogs and comments from his blog.
I don't call Christians liars for believing in God, yet some of them are so sure of their belief that they would call unbelievers liars for saying they don't believe in the Christian God. I guess I understand this because I felt the same way when I was a Christian, though I never accused anyone of lying. I felt they had fooled themselves, not that they were flat out lying.
I understand this anger against atheists, I was pissed off when atheists attacked Jesus too, when I was a Christian, but I was pissed off at individuals not all atheists. Even then I knew that not all atheists made their business attacking Christ.
I loved being a Christian, I didn't have any negative experiences, I just began to look at other things in the world, and wondering how if so many others believed so sincerely then how could I think their sincerity was somehow less than mine? I began to really look for evidence of God in my life, I began to really listen to see if I was truly hearing God's voice or if it was just my own. To this day I still pray from time to time: "God, if you are real, please let me know."
I never wanted to be an atheist. I just had to be honest about no longer believing.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Atheism - Participating in the debate
It's been an interesting few months as I have done much reading on the internet and seen a lot of different viewpoints. It seems everywhere I go someone is either trying to prove God or the Bible true, or trying to prove that atheism is invalid or bankrupt in some way. My morality has been called into question many times, and I haven't even eaten that many babies yet. For the uninitiated, we atheists love to eat babies.
Do you know what you believe and why? Is it important to you that others think the way you do? Do you feel that you are right? Do you feel that you have absolute truth on your side?
I know what I believe and why, but as to those other questions I would answer no. I am not absolutely certain of anything except that I certainly don't know what I will believe 10 years from now, five years from now, or maybe even as small an increment as weeks from now.
I enjoy the spiritual discussions that go on, but I do not enjoy the anger and hatred I see on both sides. It gets really tiring. I do find it refreshing when I can have a discussion with a Christian and he or she isn't trying to re-convert me. Those discussions are rare. Eventually I may take a break from all this spiritual discussion, after all I don't spend hours discussing invisible pink unicorns, so why would I spend as much time or more discussing the existence of a deity? I guess the reason is that so much of my life was spent worshiping said deity and now that I do not believe, all these actions are giving me a sort of closure. If that's the case then it's totally subconscious because I don't have anything from my Christian past tugging at me, nothing making me think that I'd like to go back. I just simply do not believe it anymore, any of it.
Oh well, that's enough posting of my thoughts for now.
Till next time,
Peace
Do you know what you believe and why? Is it important to you that others think the way you do? Do you feel that you are right? Do you feel that you have absolute truth on your side?
I know what I believe and why, but as to those other questions I would answer no. I am not absolutely certain of anything except that I certainly don't know what I will believe 10 years from now, five years from now, or maybe even as small an increment as weeks from now.
I enjoy the spiritual discussions that go on, but I do not enjoy the anger and hatred I see on both sides. It gets really tiring. I do find it refreshing when I can have a discussion with a Christian and he or she isn't trying to re-convert me. Those discussions are rare. Eventually I may take a break from all this spiritual discussion, after all I don't spend hours discussing invisible pink unicorns, so why would I spend as much time or more discussing the existence of a deity? I guess the reason is that so much of my life was spent worshiping said deity and now that I do not believe, all these actions are giving me a sort of closure. If that's the case then it's totally subconscious because I don't have anything from my Christian past tugging at me, nothing making me think that I'd like to go back. I just simply do not believe it anymore, any of it.
Oh well, that's enough posting of my thoughts for now.
Till next time,
Peace
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