Religion
This has been a post that I’ve been mentally planning in my head for quite a while, and I would like to say from the outset, This is not a rash unfounded attack on religion, this is not a criticism or rebuke, I will try to remain as unvitriolic as possible, but considering the subject, that may be a little difficult.
I first began to doubt the very existence of a supereme creator at quite a young age, I cannot recall exactly what age but I am sure it was before I started my secondary education, So I must have been around the age of 10-11. I remember discussing my views casually with my parents, and more often than not being told that doubting was natural and as I “matured” I would begin to have more faith in the idea of a god. My parents were never religious, they never went to church, but both held the belief that there was a god, and he deserved respect. Looking back at what they told me, I’m sort of amused. At the time I’m pretty sure I believed them that I would “discover my faith” but as the years progressed I become more and more stubborn on the subject (That or I just became stubborn in general). I look back on their words now and regard them being more immature than I could ever have been. Studies in America have shown a negative correlation between level of education and belief in a god (For example, the more educated you are, the less likely you are to believe in god). Now I am not attempting to label all Christians, Jews, Muslims etc. as mentally challenged. Although sometimes I wonder.
I fail to see, how so many people around me, who are obviously intelligent, much more so than I, can believe in something so blindly. My problem with religion starts right at the beginning. It is asking you to believe in something without evidence, to just accept without question. I don’t like the sound of that. I would like to think in that sense I’m a rather rational person, I will not just believe something without evidence, especially something as bewildering as the idea of a divine creator. I think, the main reason so many obviously bright and gifted people believe in god, is because of their upbringing. I would imagine if I was brought up in a house with two devoutly religious parents, attending church every Sunday, praying every night. Maybe then I would be a believer.
I think a common misconception about Atheists, especially by Theists, is that we are all against you. While I cannot speak for all Atheists and It would be rather fallacious of me to think I could do so, Atheists are free thinkers, it is impossible to categorize them by anything other than the fact they will openly question and disbelieve in the idea of a god. But I personally have no problem with people having faith, I have no problem with people worshiping a god, I will not criticize them or think any less of them for doing so, but I am interested as to why some theists get so offended by the very idea people do not have the same beliefs as them. One of my favorite all time quotes states:
“Shake off all the fears and servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.”
And does that not just end the matter? If there really is a god, He will not mind us questioning him? Surely he must merit question and thought higher than “blindfolded fear”.
“I would imagine if I was brought up in a house with two devoutly religious parents, attending church every Sunday, praying every night. Maybe then I would be a believer.”
I disagree. I think that those who are brought up religiously will either be religious or atheist. I was brought up Catholic, forced to attend a catholic school and go to church nearly every Sunday. At school we sung hymns and were made to pray almost every day.
Of those I still talk to who did go to my school, I think that if you are brought up religious, you’ll either be religious or atheist.
Gingerbread is awesome.
I used to attend church every Sunday with my parents, but once they hit a certain age they stopped believing in god as well.
I myself am an athiest purely because… Evidence, where?
Yeah, it’s particularly the Muslims and Christians that are trying to push us into believing in ‘their’ god. I read an article in the newspaper about a Catholic boy that refused to join the scouts because he had to swear by the queen. If it wasn’t for religion, we’d be saying he was ‘Taking the Piss’.