Book Burning

[denuseri]

I'm sure there are some atheists out there who have not seriously considered their position.

More than you are most likely willing to believe I bet.

I had friends in high school that were basically raised that way.

My Father was actually raised that way believe it or not and converted to Lutheran later.

My Mother was raised jewish and converted to Lutheran after several years of being a rather adament atheist when she married my father.

I was raised lutheran but studdied a lot of different theologies, not only allowed by those in authority over me, but encouraged by both my parents and the Lutheran clergy to engadge in study of all faiths and decide for myself prior to confirmation.

I took up Buddism all on my lonesome and like many of my fellow students who practiced it's philosophies along with another religion (Shinto in the case of my BFF) I never had a conflict with following its tennents along with the ones I was raised in.

For a brief period I considered atheism while I was a Nursing Student but discarded it as illogically narrow minded and intolerant.

Especially after getting really deep into the biological sciences.

For a while I had a more agnostic approach; it was more inclussive and was a much more logical path to follow...for no one is capable of really knowing 100% for sure one way or the other anything as to whats really going on there.

I converted to Bahai when I was a travel nurse working abroad after having a rather satori like experience. It apealed the most too me anyways becuase of its full tolerance for all the sciences and religions and faiths of all kinds...in other words...I believe in ALL paths to God, what ever God is or is not is something I can only fathom and have faith in anyways, his or her or it's language for telling me how the universe is made and how it works is observation (ie science) and my cognative sences tell me God is everywhere and in everything, at all times.

At no time is this more apparent to me than when I study the history and chemistry and physics of our planet and people, from its beginings during what we so far believe to be in the big bang to the present.

Primarily those who were raised without any religious training, children of atheists or agnostics or lapsed religious parents. But it's been my experience that most atheists were formerly religious believers, from many, many different faiths, who at some point began examining what they were being spoon-fed and realized that it was all mush. I have read many accounts (and seen videos) by these people, and they are quite remarkable in both their similarities and differences. In almost all cases they have rebelled from their parents' religions. Some went directly to atheism, but many went through other religions first, before coming to the conclusion that it was all a bunch of hokum.

Just as precluding the existence of a god is by all standards of logic also just as likely to be "a bunch of hokum".

And yes, there are accounts of people going the other way, going from atheism to (or back to) religion. Some of those accounts seemed sincere and credible to me, but most seemed disingenuous, as though written by someone trying to make it seem as though he was once an atheist. Regardless, I take all such accounts, as well as those accounts of deconversion, with a grain of salt. All I know is my own path, and I know that it was the right path for me.

I wonder if part of your path of intolereance is a pathological need to enforce your ideas as being the only "right" ones above all others becuse they are obviously too stupid to really have decided for themselves if they believe in anything you disagree with...much like the you accuse so many religions of doing?

Nope. Not one little bit. I was raised Catholic, so I had a good, close look at their foolishness. Also, the Catholic Church is historically responsible for far more misery and pain than any other religious organization.

You may be surprised at the numbers if you include all religions world wide, (The are a LOT of wars in human history other than the ones the catholics were involved in and we cant discount all the pruges against all regions carried on in the name of atheism eaither, ecpesially since the state sponsered atheists of communist nations acted exzactly like their religious counterparts in every way especially when it can to making war on other people for their beliefs.

Even in modern times, these so-called arbiters of morality are far more interested in protecting the image of the Church than in protecting those people who depend upon them. But I have also examined other religious organizations and I found all of them lacking in any evidence to support their beliefs and dogma. And without evidence all they have is hearsay and wishful thinking.

Just like the atheists. Could it be that saving face and worrying about image are natural human responces?

So am I correct in assuming that you found the Lutheran Church to be lacking in something,

Nope I still follow Luthran values, I just was encouraged to study other faiths and spent more time on some than others as they apealed to me at different times...including as mentioned earlier a brief foray into the illogical depths of atheism (the faith of not having a belief in god).

and so you switched to something more to your liking? Doesn't this give you at least SOME understanding of those of us who have concluded that ALL religions are lacking, and that NONE of them are right? Even the pagan faiths are still professing a belief in some sort of supernatural beings, with absolutely no evidence for the existence of such beings. Personally, I find such beliefs no different from the belief in lucky numbers, astrology, four leaf clovers, lucky charms and any other superstition.



Knock wood.

The atheists simpley have no more ground to stand on with their cool aide than any other faith or belief system.

Calling everyone who doesnt believe in your way of thinking stupid without any more proof than the people your accusing of being dumbies imho makes one in large part a pot calling a kettle black.