Coming out as an atheist/agnostic...

First of all, I have a few questions to the readers of the forum...
Do others know your beliefs? If so, how was it accepted when they first found out?
Were you raised in a religious family?

Now, here's my main question.... if the question comes up, should I tell my parents what I believe? They're baptist (but not southern baptist) and conservative. They're supportive of me, but I'm not sure how they'd take it if I were to tell them I don't believe in their god. Until now, the possibility of them asking never arose, because we generally don't have that conversation, but today's sermon was about talking with your kids about faith, soo....yeah. If you need to know any more information to answer, feel free to ask.

Also, if anyone here has to go to church with your parents.... What do you do to get over it? Church gives me the worst feeling of being in the wrong place, with the wrong crowd, and, overall, just makes me mad at society--I'm pretty sure my parents wouldn't make me go, but if I told them I didn't want to, it'd probably result in an arguement and raised questions and eyebrows--and I'd rather not go there. It's not that the people are bad (some of the kindest people I know are there). I wouldn't feel this way if I knew I had a real choice....in fact, I'd choose to go, ocassionally, just to keep in touch with society. I'd like to visit other religion's church to see how other people practice their spirituality. I usually get over it by listening to music afterwards (Mind Games- John Lennon).

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

 

your intelligent! if you are sincere in search for spirituality then don't let what others' believe lead you astray. learn to separate the wheat from the chaff and see through the illusions that keep others' transfixed. you and your parents may share more in common than you think and don't let the word "god" get in the way between you

 

My wife is about the only person in my family who knows I’m a true atheist. There are lots of religious church goers in my family, my mother was a Sunday school teacher and I've listened to my grandmother in law talk about heathen bastards. I know they want me to go to church and they know I will not but they don't realize I don't believe in God and I don't see much point in bringing it up because it's not going to do anyone any good. The only possible complication I can foresee is if I die before my parents do because I do not want Jesus or God mentioned at my funeral and for this reason I would prefer not to have one at all.

I know how you feel about going to Church, I've been there and hated it. Not only does the congregation have a sickeningly false sense of moral superiority which I've explained before is a fundamentally flawed illusion but the whole thing is set up as a social class dick measuring competition. I've never seen anyone who needs to outshine their neighbors quite like the church goers here; the nicest clothes, the biggest, shiniest trucks and SUV's, the most perfect homes... I thought of joining the wealthiest flock just to fake it and try to get myself a better job because these are the delusional egomaniac showboating dickwads who own most of the damned town. These people pat each others backs and only each others backs.

 

I've gone to church once or twice (always on my own accord though), i mainly just admire the archetecture (catholicism FTW) and look forward to the bread and wine at the end.
it gets pretty boring quickly, so bring a soduku or crossword puzzle or something to keep yourself entertained.
i never really paid much attention to the words, just the songs.
and sometimes people's native folk traditions can be interesting.

good luck on the family, i wouldn't 'come out' yet if you don't have the means to support yourself yet, especially if you think your family will freak out (remember some people equate athiesm with satanism).

 

I would come out for being an atheist (here in Belgium practically everyone is), but if it harms you as a person or if you lose people because you have another religious belief (wich i think is realy small-minded) then I would just go with the flow. Some people just can't handle it that you won't be 'saved'.

I used to be a christian and had to go to church every week when i was like 11 years old. Even then i realised there can't be such a thing as a god (looking at all the injustice in the world) and since then I only went to church to pay my respects to my late grandfather, nothing more nothing less. I never ever learned anything from going to church.

Instead, I try to practise my spirituality trough contructive dialogue (well not allways but I try) with people and trough reading about either atheism, or religion. I never found a single solid argument for the existence of one god (even though I can follow Descartes).

 

Dood... !!! INJUSTICE? you are the injustice!

Do you not realize that all that happens, ever was, and ever will be is a direct and proportionate result of all what YOU THINK, and FEEL?

Do you not realize that God re-aligns the entire universe just try and make YOU happy, every time you feel a certain way about what goes on around you.

mhmmm i know what your thinking... Natural disasters, war, things we call acts of "God" too???? YES! This is just God re-aligning these big events to correspond with a COLLECTIVE feeling of MANY individuals...

CHRIST died to try and teach you these very concepts. You should have payed attetion in church maybe you would have caught that.

Sorry for being blunt, and brash, that word chapped my ass.

 

you have an extremely selfish understanding of the universe.
do you actually believe that god changes the universe everytime i feel pissy?
do you actually believe that god is incapable of starting wars, ending wars, or anything like that, but instead uses them to his own purposes?
you have an impotent god that is all powerful...
don't make no sense.

 

I God exist then he is infallible and mistake is unworthy correct? Then is Satan as powerful if he is then he is not perfect because nothing can be more or as powerful as God and if that makes Satan weaker then why does God allow Satan to exist and since he allows Satan to exist that is what makes him most evil.

 

I know selfish, selfish... I apoologized in advance... the choice of the word INJUSTICE, made me lose my cool for a sec. Sorry Gene, and Sorry to the person I quoted.

God, can of course start a war or end one, man, but the way i see it in my mind, he needs a "conduit" to do so. And that is through (the way i see it) collective "pissyness" through out the world, and maybe even the universe?


And my God does have authority and power over me by the way... I was born with this authority, I like to consider it a Celstial speed limit.

I came to the world with a Soul. And this soul has a pre-programmed purpose... In order for me to be Truly "HAPPY" I have to have My body, mind, and Soul in aligment and "happy" with my experience. This can only be attained by remaining on "TRACK" in other words remaining "on purpose".

Else, I become Un-Happy, and Unhappy, is a virus... and collective unhappy, well ... I think you may see my thesis now.

My whole spiritual framework and how I have come to believe in a God, is alot more then that... but man. I would probably post the grand daddy of all hip forum posts (lenghtwise) if I did that.

I guess it is after all a question of subjective faith when you break it all down... and I was never one to ram my beliefs down anyone's throat. But In the last few years I have had such an amazing journey, my only wish was to be able to enlighten a few lost souls...

I'm very sorry folks...

Shrugs...

 

Nik:

Godballs one and all, before they can celebrate anything (and a lot of the time afterwards)---are apologists

The godless are mockers, ---we don't need your apologies, but your forgiveness! Save our souls by all means, we're generous enough for it! lol

 

Selflesness is the way to liberation.
Any selfish ideas are not only disasterous
to your health and well being, but also
the polar opposite of God (if, God can
have an opposing side, well you see what
I mean. ((I hope)) )

 

Any? Are you sure? What is freedom for?

 

Liberation of being overwhelmed by
your physical desires, of which are not eternal.
We all get there eventually.

 

You say the self is eternal, but not the physical, without which it is nothing.

Selflessness is not the way to freedom, and not all selfishness is unhealthy.