Whole life built on religion; turning into an atheist; how to tell others? | Hacker News Reader

Whole life built on religion; turning into an atheist; how to tell others?

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13 pointsMikeCapone17 comments

I think the title above is a bit misleading. Nowhere does the original commenter say they are "turning into an atheist"

It seems this is a case of doubting the faith your were raised in. After all, if your faith is only what your parents have passed on to you, then it's not really your faith.

I personally think part of growing up is finding your own faith (which could include becoming an atheist). Part of that process includes exploration, doubt, and questioning what your parents believe.

That seems to be what this commenter is doing.

I've been through the situation. There is no magic sauce, it literally takes years to work through the process. Find people that can support you through the process.

"I've been trying to work out how I can 'clear the decks' and then rebuild with whatever is worth keeping..."

These are the people I respect the most, whatever belief they finally decide on. This personal journey seems to set apart all of the most courageous and intelligent people I know.

Everyone is born an atheist. Even the pope was an atheist at some point. It's not that hard.

The way I understand it, atheism is an explicit rejection of the existence of gods. You can't be born taking this position because you have not been introduced to the concept yet.

But I do understand that you are saying everyone is born not believing in a god or gods because they have not been introduced to the concept.

Most atheist would probably use the same phrase that Dawkins uses when questioned:

I'm an atheist about god in the same way that I'm an atheist about the tooth fairy (paraphrasing).

Technically, you can't prove a negative. But in practice...

Oh wait, I think I remember it better now.. It's when people tell Dawkins that he shouldn't call himself an atheist, but he should be an 'agnostic' instead because you can't prove that there's no god.

And he replies: I'm agnostic about god in the same way I'm an agnostic about the tooth fairy.

I think most "internet atheists" (for lack of a better term) would define atheism simply as a lack of a belief in god(s).

Beyond that there is usually the distinction between those who claim that there is no god or gods (strong atheism) and those who simply lack a belief (weak atheism).

Edit: Wikipedia has a pretty extensive discussion:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism#Definitions_and_distinc...

"It's not that hard."

You have no clue what you are talking about.

How is rejecting the mythology of religion any harder than rejecting, say, the mythology of America (big A) or the mythology of the school system or the mythology of the military? Everyone does it, at least everyone who has grown into a thinking human being. Yeah, it can be depressing to read Plato when you're trapped in a cave, but cut your losses, fix your schemas, and grow the fuck up.

I hope you eventually come to realize that people who disagree with you are not necessarily stupid.

So do I.

I don't think this is true.

Too lazy to look up references right now, but pretty sure I read some studies suggesting that kids are primed to accept supernatural explanations for things.

reddit.com/r/atheism

i generally don't come out and tell people about my beliefs or lack thereof. if asked i usually say i'm "seeking".

overall it's gotten me better responses and attitude than if i tell people i don't believe in gods at all.

people who believe in gods RARELY think as deeply about atheism as people who don't believe in gods think about religion. there's a large imbalance in the amount of time one has taken to understand "the other side".

i suggest baby steps when dealing with religious people, if you want to maintain relationships with them.

> people who believe in gods RARELY think as deeply about atheism as people who don't believe in gods think about religion.

Where do you draw this downright ignorant conclusion? Have you heard of William Lane Craig, Alvin Plantinga, or Richard Swinburne? If you really are seeking truth, don't settle in your beliefs merely because of the mediocrity around you.

He said "rarely", not "never". I think that's pretty accurate.

As for William Lane Craig and the others, I would argue the difference between reflecting deeply on a topic with an open mind, and simply acting the apologetic for a collection of preconceived dogmas. Besides, isn't Craig with the Discovery Institute?

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