Regarding faith and the lack there of.

Atheists, at least those I've met (just to clear things up, i'm an atheist as well) seem to all have been part of the popular monotheistic religions or raised monotheist before they stopped believing in any god, yet the only religion that they know deeply about is Christianity/Judaism/Islam. They never look toward other religions as alternatives instead of simply denying all religion. I was a buddhist for a while after being a Christian (until I was 8) and I just came to the conclusion that it wasn't for me. I am now a taoist after 3 years of pure atheism, but I still follow the beliefs that there are no gods or afterlives.

Anyway i think I got a little off the point. Why don't most atheists see if there are any logical religions before denouncing them all?

 

SPIRITUALITY SAYS THAT GOD IS WITHIN US AND THAT WE DON'T NEED ANYONE ELSE TO MAKE THAT DIVINE CONNECTION FOR US.

RELIGION SAYS THAT WE ARE SEPARATED FROM GOD AND THAT WE NEED "THEM" TO MAKE THAT DIVINE CONNECTION.
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SPIRITUALITY SAYS THAT WE ARE FREE TO MAKE CHOICES ON OUR OWN AND THAT WE MUST TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS.

RELIGION SAYS WE MUST MAKE THEIR CHOICES AND ACT THEIR WAY.
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SPIRITUALITY DOES NOT REQUIRE US TO MAKE DONATIONS.

RELIGION HAS BECOME BIG BUSINESS.
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SPIRITUALITY SAYS THERE IS NO HELL, NO JUDGEMENT, NO ANGRY GOD... THAT WE ARE LOVED UNCONDITIONALLY.

RELIGION SAYS THERE IS A HELL, GOD GETS ANGRY AND JUDGES US... THEREFORE, WE ARE NOT LOVED UNCONDITIONALLY.
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SPIRITUALITY SAYS WE SHOULD NOT BE ASHAMED OF OUR SEXUALITY... THAT IT SHOULD BE A SACRED CELEBRATION OF LOVE

RELIGION HAS TAUGHT US TO FEEL ASHAMED, GUILTY AND DIRTY ABOUT OUR SEXUALITY
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SPIRITUALITY SAYS GOD IS WITHIN

RELIGION SAYS HE IS IN HEAVEN AND THAT "THEY" ARE THE ONLY INTERMEDIARIES FOR US
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SPIRITUALITY TEACHES THAT WE ARE ON A LONG SPIRITUAL ADVENTURE AND JOURNEY WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY END BY REUNITING WITH OUR SOURCE

RELIGION SAYS WE'VE GOT ONE LIFE TO GET IT ALL RIGHT AND THERE IS NOTHING BUT HEAVEN OR HELL AFTER THAT
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SPIRITUALITY TEACHES UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR ALL

RELIGION GAVE US THE CRUSADES IN WHICH MANY WERE KILLED AND SLAUGHTERED IN THE NAME OF GOD
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SPIRITUALITY TEACHES THAT WE SHOULD LOVE ONE ANOTHER UNCONDITIONALLY AND ALWAYS HONOUR THE RIGHTS AND CHOICES OF OTHERS

RELIGION TREATED NATIVE AMERICANS, THE MAYANS AND OTHER INDIGENOUS CULTURES AS SAVAGE PRIMITIVES WHO "MUST BE SAVED"
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SPIRITUALITY TEACHES PEACE AND HARMONY

RELIGION HAS CAUSED MORE WARS AND MORE KILLING THAN ANY OTHER REASON
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SPIRITUALITY TEACHES US TO HAVE FAITH IN OURSELVES

RELIGION TEACHES US TO HAVE FAITH IN THEM
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SPIRITUALITY SAYS WE HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS... THAT WE CAN FIND THEM BY "GOING WITHIN"

RELIGION TEACHES US THAT IT HAS ALL THE ANSWERS AND ONLY ITS ANSWERS ARE THE RIGHT ONES
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SPIRITUALITY TEACHES US TO SEARCH FOR THE UNIVERSAL TRUTHS AND OUR HEARTS WILL TELL US WHEN WE HAVE FOUND THEM

RELIGION TEACHES WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO ACCEPT THEIR VERSION OF THE TRUTH

 

I think you may be over generalizing. Although I certainly can't speak for all athiests, I think you may be right, that many athiests do reject religion on the whole. Its possible that because of our upbringing in religion, we've concluded that we don't need what religion has to offer. Personally, I don't see a need for an religion. If I want the feeling of fellowship or community, I can join any number of "groups" that don't have a religious base. If I want to feel altruistic from helping others, there are any number of charities that I can give my time and money too. Then there are those that do feel or see "something" that is "spiritual" yet can find that without the need for a god. Taoists like yourself don't think of any gods and some Buddhist sects also don't have a god, yet they are considered atheistic. Atheism, by itself, it nothing more than a lack of belief in god(s). It doesn't mean they have to lack belief in the supernatural, although I suspect that many athiest do lack belief in the supernatual and anything to do with souls that carry on after our death.

 

I sure as hell tried to find a 'logical' religion. they don't exist, buddhism and taoism (even though it's more of a purposefully illogical way of life) are the closest you will find.

 

At least 75% of what that said about religion is talking solely about Christianity, which is one of the most ludicrous and blinded religions in the world. You are simply providing proof for my point.

 

squawkers---nice.

 

Squawkers, you don't even have to move very far fromchristianity to disprove most of that crap you wrote.

Let's compare what you said to Judaism.

SPIRITUALITY SAYS THAT WE ARE FREE TO MAKE CHOICES ON OUR OWN AND THAT WE MUST TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS.

RELIGION SAYS WE MUST MAKE THEIR CHOICES AND ACT THEIR WAY.

-Judaism lets a person act as they wish. If they decide it is the good way, then they are pleased.

SPIRITUALITY SAYS THERE IS NO HELL, NO JUDGEMENT, NO ANGRY GOD... THAT WE ARE LOVED UNCONDITIONALLY.

RELIGION SAYS THERE IS A HELL, GOD GETS ANGRY AND JUDGES US... THEREFORE, WE ARE NOT LOVED UNCONDITIONALLY.

-Judaism there is no hell, God loves one for being one.\

SPIRITUALITY SAYS WE SHOULD NOT BE ASHAMED OF OUR SEXUALITY... THAT IT SHOULD BE A SACRED CELEBRATION OF LOVE

RELIGION HAS TAUGHT US TO FEEL ASHAMED, GUILTY AND DIRTY ABOUT OUR SEXUALITY

-The Rabbi I live NEXT TO is an open homosexual since he was 14.

SPIRITUALITY TEACHES THAT WE ARE ON A LONG SPIRITUAL ADVENTURE AND JOURNEY WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY END BY REUNITING WITH OUR SOURCE

RELIGION SAYS WE'VE GOT ONE LIFE TO GET IT ALL RIGHT AND THERE IS NOTHING BUT HEAVEN OR HELL AFTER THAT

-I see hardly a difference in these two statements.

SPIRITUALITY TEACHES UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR ALL

RELIGION GAVE US THE CRUSADES IN WHICH MANY WERE KILLED AND SLAUGHTERED IN THE NAME OF GOD

-I've never heard of the crusade of the Hindus, Jews or Rastas.

SPIRITUALITY TEACHES THAT WE SHOULD LOVE ONE ANOTHER UNCONDITIONALLY AND ALWAYS HONOUR THE RIGHTS AND CHOICES OF OTHERS

RELIGION TREATED NATIVE AMERICANS, THE MAYANS AND OTHER INDIGENOUS CULTURES AS SAVAGE PRIMITIVES WHO "MUST BE SAVED"

-No, that was the ignorant Europeans that had been under a religious fascism.

Look, I am antireligious but you have to know real reasons, you can't just compare something to your belief and sugarcoat your side and make the other side sound bad. That's called propaganda.

 

Most things are far more than what anyone thinks they are.

Religion is one of these things. You can believe whatever you like, and find others who believe the same as you. But unless you know experience the thing itself, it on its own terms, how are you any different from any other conspiracy theorist out there?

I think it is significant how those who are unwilling to be inspired will always come to the same conclusions (delusion, control, oppression, violence), while those who actually connect with the experience will recognize those same things as antithetical to their inspiration.

Even more significant is unfounded belief (held by people on both sides of the Atheist/Pious divide) that others must embrace the worst things humanity does (delusion, control, oppression, violence), while you reject them.

You are free to believe what you can, but reality doesn't necessarily have to conform to your thoughts, especially if you are only going to think the same thoughts every time.

Please consider the idea that your thoughts about the thing are what offend you, not the thing itself.

Peace and Love