Did you have to become an atheist?

Post by **Tero** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 1:30 am

seems like there is some activity here, 2018 and 2019 etc. And the never ending thread.

Anyway, I was watching my series on the brain, and the host covers the Bosnian war and tries to understand group thining.

That got me to thinking, I don't know much about the group here , as we don't really do atheism anymore.

I'm not talking about customs, going to church as a kid and all that.

Just a simple question. Did you have to do some work to get to it?

My dad was never in the Finnish church in my time, he was too cheap to pay the 1% tax. My mom was slightly religious. We never went to church. My mom's relatives had me go to confirmation school in Finland, even though we lived here. I thought I would give it a fair chance. It did not work. I had fun chatting with the Finnish speaking pastor in a Swedish speaking congregation.

Post by **Tero** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 1:38 am

I didn't give agnostic as a choice as it is just confusing.

Post by **Hermit** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 2:20 am

Both my parents were practising Catholics. Reality began undermining my belief in a personal God when I was about 12 or 13 years old. There was nothing left of it before I turned 16. In my early 20s I worked out that deism is totally irrelevant. I am an agnostic atheist.

Post by **Tero** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 2:36 am

Thanks for that, it's been a while so I forgot "agnostic atheist."

Post by **pErvinalia** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 2:40 am

I was never religious, but didn't really consider atheism until a mate at high school said in conversation with someone that him and I were atheists. Had a think about and thought, yeah, I'm an atheist.

Post by **Tero** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 2:43 am

Did you get tattoos together?

Post by **pErvinalia** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 2:48 am

Umm no.

Post by **Tero** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 3:44 am

Going from religion to none would seem to be the logical movement. But there is other change going on as well. Some 50% of Americans never change.
https://www.pewforum.org/2009/04/27/faith-in-flux/

Post by **Hermit** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 4:09 am

The trend in Australia:

The census data don't distinguish between people who have simply disengaged from religious institutions, people who have ceased believing in a personal god and people who have ceased believing in the existence of supernatural entities altogether.

The next census will be taken in September this year. Results will be published 10 or 12 months later.

Post by **L'Emmerdeur** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 5:08 am

Catholic school, primary and secondary, altar boy from 10 years old on. The nuns and my fellow students had convinced me of atheism by 11. I continued to get top marks in religion class, and was asked to write and deliver a little speech at the confirmation ceremony. Which I did; a complete hypocrite.

Post by **pErvinalia** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 5:21 am

Post by **Brian Peacock** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 7:59 am

I travelled from a religious upbringing and education, through new agey 'spiritual not religious' bollicks, to 'fuck the lot of them' by about 30. I always kinda knew it was nonsense but I'd also absorbed the idea that religious identification was not just signifier of personal moral rectitude but a necessary component thereof. I guess if an angry man in a dress tells you that every day for 18 years you just think that's how things are.

Post by **Tero** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 12:02 pm

I gave that Jesus the one more chance at the confirmation class, and at least I got a suit out of it. I still had that suit by the time of my first job interview for an industrial job 13 years later.

As far as the pastor and Jesus, that did not go so well. My grandmother gave the priest some cash for doing all that at short notice and even getting my ceremony done. My aunt's cabin, where grandma spent summers, was nearby. She kept in touch with the local pastor and read the news. I still have the news clipping somewhere, I filed it under "this is when God died." It was just a word description, with only the pastor's photo. He was driving a little Fiat and his two small children were in the back seat. A bigger vehicle rear ended him and the kids died. He survived. I sent him a nice letter, and he even replied. I was surprised it did not say "it was the will of god." But his faith survived this trial. Mine did not. If God can't take care of his servant, and a nice guy on top of that..

Post by **Brian Peacock** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 12:49 pm

God tested your faith by killing those kids. He does that kind of thing, and you failed the test of course.

Post by **Sean Hayden** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 1:03 pm

There are better hobbies.

rationalia.com