Random Questions for the Unbelievers
I am a curious man. always have been. I want to know everything, even the disgusting, revolting details of what lurks in the dirtiest place of all-the mind.That being said, I just scribbled these musings down and wonder if you'd be so kind as to answer them..Many thanks in advance and also if you do, a unicorn will dance on your salary causing it to triple and women will find you irresistible.
1. What do you miss most about being saved?If you've never been, what do you have envy for in the idea?
2. Does it matter to you to be seen as happier, or more stable now that you've de-converted or is it not all that important?
3.Do you think that there are people who are still saved simply because they would feel such blow back from their friends and family?Is that what kept you from coming out of the closet so to speak?
4. Do you feel alone-is that old adage about atheists/unbelievers being a herd of cats true?
5. What do you still retain from your christian faith, or upbringing to this day?
6. Is there anything in particular, that makes you doubt your unbelief?Like stories of miracles, or a feeling of awe?In essence are there scenarios where you ever find yourself wondering whether you're just making a big mistake?
7. Do you feel like you have to conduct yourself as a spokesperson for the secular atheist in your social circles or do you find it a non issue?
8. Describe briefly what you find to be the most compelling reason to be an atheist. Write a summary paragraph.
9. How do you ground your values and morality after having it grounded so long in the Word of an omnipotent being?
10. The most annoying thing about fellow unbelievers is....
1. What do you miss most about being saved?If you've never been, what do you have envy for in the idea?
2. Does it matter to you to be seen as happier, or more stable now that you've de-converted or is it not all that important?
3.Do you think that there are people who are still saved simply because they would feel such blow back from their friends and family?Is that what kept you from coming out of the closet so to speak?
4. Do you feel alone-is that old adage about atheists/unbelievers being a herd of cats true?
5. What do you still retain from your christian faith, or upbringing to this day?
6. Is there anything in particular, that makes you doubt your unbelief?Like stories of miracles, or a feeling of awe?In essence are there scenarios where you ever find yourself wondering whether you're just making a big mistake?
7. Do you feel like you have to conduct yourself as a spokesperson for the secular atheist in your social circles or do you find it a non issue?
8. Describe briefly what you find to be the most compelling reason to be an atheist. Write a summary paragraph.
9. How do you ground your values and morality after having it grounded so long in the Word of an omnipotent being?
10. The most annoying thing about fellow unbelievers is....
Comments
I miss the humility and fact that there were people looked up to me…lol
2) Does it matter to you to be seen as happier, or more stable now that you've de-converted or is it not all that important?
I think it matters. Denouncing God is never an easy decision to make and the transition process can really fuck with you. More so when everyone has this perception about you that you're now trying to shake off. The process could even take years so coming out of it successfully means something.
By the way, some people even find themselves stuck in that muddy lagoon of militarism against God for too long. That phase where one's life is as if suddenly dedicated towards nothing else but fighting against the God they used to preach. This normally results from over done attempts of creating a new identity but one ends up getting trapped in the loop.
3) Do you think that there are people who are still saved simply because they would feel such blow back from their friends and family?Is that what kept you from coming out of the closet so to speak?
I believe there are many people in this state; you have to be brave to raise a middle finger to all that pressure.
5) What do you still retain from your christian faith, or upbringing to this day?
I try to be a good person generally, and to be quite honest, I'm not any different from your average Christian. I just don't ask God to bless my food anymore.
6) Is there anything in particular that makes you doubt your unbelief? Like stories of miracles, or a feeling of awe? In essence are there scenarios where you ever find yourself wondering whether you're just making a big mistake?
I'm losing most of those every other day. I'm not shaken by miracles anymore. But there is this friend of mine called Ochan Noah (you can google his name), I'm meeting him next week and I plan to write a story about the experience. This guy can make you believe anything; the God that other people seek has visited this former classmate of mine....twice. He has even written two deep books you can find on Amazon. Me I still fear this brother...literally.
7) Do you feel like you have to conduct yourself as a spokesperson for the secular atheist in your social circles or do you find it a non issue?
I normally catch myself exclaiming Oh My G..osh!...lol
8) Describe briefly what you find to be the most compelling reason to be an atheist. Write a summary paragraph.
Eh, oba where do I start?
9) How do you ground your values and morality after having it grounded so long in the Word of an omnipotent being?
I see no problem in carrying on my life with some of the values i picked up from Christianity, for example "Do unto others like you would like to be done unto you." Otherwise even our state laws could do well to guide one's morality.
10) The most annoying thing about fellow unbelievers is.
Man, some of us need to get lives. People get tired of our relentless posts of God hatery.
1. I still get to play my favorite songs with my friends in church so i don't really miss much. Nobody trusted my doctrines much while I was saved so nothing new in that department But I do miss the emotional experiences. Being religious in like being in love with God and I miss that intimacy. Kinda like being in love with the pink power ranger only later to realize she doesn't really exist. It's quite a downer.
2. It is only important to me that people see that I am still me. If they liked me before then they should like me now. To seem better or worse is incongruous because I don't believe my time as a Christian improved me or made me worse. It was simply one part of my journey that makes me who I am. However I do feel liberated, like a weight is off my shoulders and I am truly free.
3. I believe there are many such people. I have spoken to a few since my deconversion. They are afraid of the stigma that comes with the label "atheist", and also hold to some version of Pascal's Wager. I had no such encumbrances when I decided to deconvert. I'm no stranger to controversy. However I also believe that even though atheism is the default position, it isn't meant for everyone. Most people just cannot handle life on their own without some kind of external guidance. Most people are wired to follow, and without that overpowering sense of leadership they would be lost.
4. I regard my upbringing as coming from my parents and not from the Bible, even though most of what they taught me comes from there. I regard the Bible as a book of useful oral traditions, guidelines from the elders. Some of it is relevant, some of it is crucial, most of it is to be taken with a pinch of salt. Otherwise I am as much a Christian atheist as is possible since the church represents an integral part of my upbringing and social life.
5. Unbelief is a state of default. We are always in that state for as long as we are rational. It is the journey to belief that requires constant auditing. I lack Amy belief in the existence of any deities. Are there times when things happen that suggest a deity may exist? Absolutely not. Imagine just how big such an event must be in order to declare the existence of an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient being! It would be easier for events to tempt me to believe that magicians exist, but a deity? That's a real stretch.
6. I don't believe that being a good atheist would make people want to become atheist. Rather it would cause them to think that God is still at work in your life and you'll be coming back "home" soon! But if I'm to behave myself it would be so that I don't disgrace those I care about, not necessarily to boost the reputation of the atheist community.
7. The must compelling reason to be an atheist, for any atheist, is the lack of objective evidence for the existence of a deity. It really can't get any simpler than that.
8. Life is all about relationships; how an individual relates with other individuals, with his society, and with his environment. Morality describes how we relate to one another. If my actions bring you harm, they are evil. If they bring you comfort, they are good. Doing good is more beneficial to the society and the individual than doing evil is. Therefore do good. Religions teach this and that is commendable. The issue comes in when they teach about how it is morally acceptable to harm one another as long as the deity requires it. It can therefore be said that the introduction of deities destroys morality at its simplest.
9. I only have issues with atheists who come across as antitheists. It makes no sense to be raving mad at something that doesn't exist
I think there are loads of people (friends of mine) who are very doubtful of the authenticity of their religions but they’re weary of coming out for the reasons you’ve mentioned.
As for No. 6, NO! The more I learn about the world around me, the less likely I am to lean towards any of the revealed religions or their explanations of the natural world. For me, the god debate is a degenerative research project that can no longer yield any new insights. Instead, the believers have resorted to all manner of equivocation and debating tricks that are aimed at insulating their core beliefs from scrutiny.
Simon Muliisa's response
The most compelling reason to be an atheist is the astoundingly paltry amount of evidence for gods despite eons of “research” and revelations into these matters by some of the most intelligent people on earth. Of course it’s possible that there really is a god but so far, things are bleak for the believer. For me, the philosophical arguments for gods don’t stack up; only evidence will.
The golden rule works well for issues of morality. I’m accountable to my fellow human beings and not some celestial dictator.
I was never saved, and have never had any envy for the idea.
2. Does it matter to you to be seen as happier, or more stable now that you've de-converted or is it not all that important?
It’s not important at all.
3.Do you think that there are people who are still saved simply because they would feel such blow back from their friends and family?Is that what kept you from coming out of the closet so to speak?
People are saved because they don’t know any better. And religion is ingrained so deep that it takes a lot of courage to denounce it. But once you choose to, I’ve found that most people are not concerned about a blow back from friends and family.
4. Do you feel alone-is that old adage about atheists/unbelievers being a herd of cats true?
In general, it is true. Your very Christian friends will denounce you or spend less time with you. You have to look for a new group of people to spend time with-agnostics, atheists, or theists who do not discriminate. I’d just like to point out that believers are a herd too!
5. What do you still retain from your christian faith, or upbringing to this day?
I’m still the same person. There’s nothing about me that was as a result of religion.
6. Is there anything in particular, that makes you doubt your unbelief? Like stories of miracles, or a feeling of awe? In essence are there scenarios where you ever find yourself wondering whether you're just making a big mistake?
Never. In fact, I see more and more how ludicrous to believe in a deity, who is very clearly not there.
7. Do you feel like you have to conduct yourself as a spokesperson for the secular atheist in your social circles or do you find it a non issue?
It’s a non-issue-until someone starts moralizing (y’all know what I mean) and uses religion to do it. That drives me mad!
8. Describe briefly what you find to be the most compelling reason to be an atheist. Write a summary paragraph.
There’s no reason to be an atheist. It’s not a fad. It’s a just a state of awareness. But If I were to venture an opinion, I’d say it’s wonderful how you open your mind up to so many aspects of society you’d closed it off to. You live a richer life because you realize humanity is not cut and dried.
9. How do you ground your values and morality after having it grounded so long in the Word of an omnipotent being?
That’s such a lie. Unbelievers are the most tolerant, decent people I know. Value and Morality are not cut and dried as I mentioned earlier. ‘God is good’ but he’s a murderer, he discriminates, he hates, and he wants me to burn in hell for eternity. When you don’t ‘believe’, you allow yourself to develop your own values, which are healthier than those believers have because they’re not a matter of course. They have more value in themselves.
10. The most annoying thing about fellow unbelievers is....
Some of them really hate religion and just go on and on abusing religious people-like they were never religious!
2. It is less important now than it was some time earlier. I suppose because a large portion of my family and friends have a misunderstanding of what it is to be an unbeliever and I wanted to show that it's normal. Also for a while there any set back or disappointing were viewed as God punishing me for turning my back and like an ex-girlfriend wanting to show that she is fine I wanted to be seen as doing well. Now I'm just living my life. I do however think it's important to show the positive effects of letting go of faith for others struggling with it.
3. I am convinced that there are loads of these. just taking into account the number of personal interactions with people over this, I think it's something a lot of people do think about but then just give in to the societal pressure to be 'godly'. I know it took me leaving the country to finally be able to tackle the questions I had honestly.
4. From time to time, I do feel alone. But then other times I am aware that everyone feels this way especially when the views you hold are those held by the minority. It does feel like I am swimming upstream at times. Atheists being a herd of cats is an understatement.
5. I still enjoy some of the music, the theology, the history and many of what you could call Christian values which I find just to be a recognition of human values .My interest in studying actually came from my time in doing bible study and teaching in church. It left me with a skill so I guess I owe it that much.
6. I have no major doubts because my stand is I am not convinced that the theist claims are accurate. I don't have such a high opinion of my intuition to not know that even when I wonder what is out there and if a God that created the universe really does have an aversion to foreskins really exists, it never goes beyond a flight of imagination. If this is a mistake, it's being made with clear conscience and a sharp mind.
7. Yes I do. I find that it's important in order to get more people to think critically about their beliefs that those of us who are making that journey from faith to continue to be 'Evangelists' for it ;-)
8. We were all born atheists. We didn't possess any knowledge of Gods or spirits or devils. We knew what we saw, what we experienced and later we were told dogmas. In dealing with this world, you can either take wild flights of fancy or you can be realistic and say how much you really do not know and hence cannot pretend to know and call it faith. Far better to ask questions, seek evidence-the only way we obtain any real knowledge and live life not by the results of other people's thinking alone but taking the chance to think for yourself. As Hitch said, Much more happiness, truth, joy will come to you in this way.
9. Morality is a sticky issue but i maintain that morals are grounded in a combination of what we've evolved to find beneficial for both the individual and society. Even believers do not dare commit to all prescriptions in their holy books because they have gruesome commands. Man is growing and maturing and beginning to learn how best to treat each other is a developing process. I therefore ground my morality in empathy, in justice, in knowledge of what brings about the most amount of flourishing and reduces unnecessary suffering. I don't need a supernatural force to give that meaning.
10. ..They don't like answering questionnaires ;-)