Because I wanted to create a system that implements my values and general philosophy along with daily practices that are kind of evergreenly good to do/have/know (along with a couple more loosely ceremonial but mostly symbolic and silly stuff). I also just like certain esthetics and world building so…kinda just happened I guess.
Though tbf, calling it a “religion” might be using language too strong. More of a belief system with some interesting but baseless ideas scattered throughout for the flavor. It’s also not something I’m interested in sharing except for with those who are both curious and trustworthy. While others are welcome to practice (should those two qualifiers be met ofc), making any kind of consistent congregation or assembly around it would be sacrilege, actually.
Tldr; because it’s useful and fun.
Religion is a scam. Anyone with critical thinking can see that BUT if you understand that and choose to follow because it makes you feel better it’s ok!
Is it though? By following it you legitimize it and others, who have not yet realised it, will fall for it. Why not just come to terms with the fact that, most likely, our existence is a cosmic coincidence and once we’re dead that’s it?
A scam requires someone to make money (or some other benefit) off someone else. That’s the case with modern Christianity, sure, but generalizing that to all religion comes with a hefty [citation needed].
every religion has slaves they just have different names
Um… [Citation needed]?
I’ve read through the Bible cover to cover three times. Amplified, NIV, and New King James with a copy of Strongs.
I’m an atheist now.
What made you an atheist?
The Bible is pretty fallible when looking at it objectively IMO. But the nail in the coffin was contrasting what the Bible asks of us vs what Christianity does. The tyrannical cheeto is as close to the antichrist as we’ve seen and they’re all gaga for him as an example. But I’ve been disillusioned since Obama’s first election. The terrible and false things “the church” and soon to be former church friends said about him was next level bullshit. Yet when I highlighted that the Bible clearly says the worst relationship we have with man is our relationship with Christ landed in def ears.
“The impenitent sometimes excuse themselves by saying of professed Christians, “I am as good as they are. They are no more self-denying, sober, or circumspect and their conduct then I am. They love pleasure and self-indulgence as well as I do.” Thus they make the faults of others an excuse for their own neglect of duty. But the sins and defects of others do not excuse anyone; for the Lord has not given us an erring human pattern. The spotless Son of God has been given as our example, and those who complain of the wrong course of professed Christians are the ones who should show better lives and nobler examples. If they have so high a conception of what a Christian should be, is not their own sin so much the greater? They know what is right, and yet refuse to do it.”
- Steps to Christ p. 32
Translation: Judge not shall you be judged
it’s better to say things in 6 words instead of 100+ (I didn’t count)
Just saying
And I disagree with that argument. It’s like saying a critique can’t be a critique unless he or she can do better, which is bullshit. And the premise that being disillusioned with a group means I must think higher of myself is a step too far.
No, it’s saying that our example is Christ Himself, not hypocritical human beings.
… Reading comprehension is hard…
Thank you!
And that I agree with.
Not op, but for me it was the fact that the supposedly ineffable word of God turned out to be pretty effible
It wasn’t the first step towards losing faith, or even the last, but it was pretty troubling to a young me
It bothered you that a document written over thousands of years by dozens of authors didn’t agree in every imaginable way?
I was taught and fully believed that it was the literal and inerrant word of God, guided by his hand and infallible… so yes, finding errors in it was a disturbing. The authors or it’s age shouldn’t matter if they’re being guided by an all knowing and all powerful being. It wasn’t until much later that I found out how much of it is suspected forgery. Probably could have saved a couple years of agony there
Most denominations don’t believe that it was written directly by God, but by inspired authors.
Not the one I was brought up in, and “most” is a stretch. I will grant you “some” but the majority believe it is the literal word of God
The bible reads like any other religious text. It is impossible for all religions to be true, but it is possible for them all to be false. With no strong evidence proving the bible to be true, there is no reason to accept it over any other religion.
I think they are saying reading those books are the reason.
Any part in particular?
Any parts really. Biblical god was a monster, absolute piece of shit character. Then Jesus came and said he’s going to follow his dad’s orders with a sword. Jesus is just as bad, there is no old/vs new testament trash, all hateful.
3 of the 10 commandments were selfish, and there was room in the rules to put don’t eat shelfish or wear mixed fabrics, but no mention of don’t own fucking people.
Dying for us is shit behavior?
Lmao. If you honestly believe that, I’ve got a bridge to sell you. Santa has a timeshare nearby.
The Bible literally gives instructions on how to own slaves. And how to beat your women. And how to marry off your raped daughters to the rapist.
Just the idea of it is enough
I understand the reaction. The Bible is sold by a lot of churches as “the word of God”, and if it’s the case, God is a lying asshole. But nowhere in the Bible it is written that the Bible is the word of God; according to the Bible the word of God is Jesus-Christ so… it may not be the right approach according to the Bible itself.
I love the Bible, I read it (almost) every day, I use it as a guide in my material and spiritual lives, I studied the story of its interpretation in the university, I even thought about making that my speciality. Yet I don’t understand how someone could believe in biblical inerrancy. It’s very clearly a human work, written by error-prone normal humans. I believe that God spoke to its redactors, but it’s still a human work. And ours is (according to me) to listen to the voice of God through the human form; and that’s why we have the Church, as it’s not something one can do alone.
I like your view.
Though I don’t do church anymore, either they worship the current incarnation of the antichrist or they’re lead by weak leaders who aren’t willing or capable to do what it takes to be a great leader in my experience.
We tried a few liberal / LGBTQ lead churches and I just couldn’t continue to participate. My wife kept going longer than I did but she hasn’t gone in a few years.
I don’t. Not Buddhist anymore
Buddhism looked appealing to me until I actually looked into it (I come from a Western culture)
What didn’t you like?
Cosmology, mainly. To someone who’s barely familiar with Buddhism, it may seem like it’s all Buddha’s wisdom with some Samsara magic sprinkled on top of it. Really though, it’s every bit as bonkers and reflective of the ancient perceptions of the world as any other way of mystical thought.
As for teachings, I honestly didn’t go to deep into that, but I visited a local temple and the way a monk told about them made me feel I visited some sort of lnternet life coach with some mystical stuff on top.
made me feel I visited some sort of lnternet life coach with some mystical stuff on top.
There’s another kind that probably prefers a local language, and would feel very much like a Christian priest. It fills the same basic social roles in some places.
Kind of like how there’s actual shamans, and then the kind that tells white people what they want to hear before feeding them mushrooms. The West never stopped loving a wise noble savage.
True
Santa’s elves don’t make toys, Chinese children do.
ITT: Atheists
So predictable…
I spiritually disbelieve in everyone’s religion
I don’t
I’m an atheist due Roman Catholic grade school. The teachings about religion were crazy.
I also went to Roman Catholic high school and college but religion was very miner. College required four religion type courses but including courses such as ethics and logic.
I’m an atheist bcs I don’t have a wild imagination.
Because I know exactly what death will be like. So do you. Think back to before you were born, there was nothing. There, that is death. Not much to be afraid of.
Because I can at least see spaghetti without DMT.
Since we all have DMT in our brain already you are wrong heretic
because the book said itself was real
I want to have an afterlife. I study science, and sometimes I feel like there are things humans won’t get in my lifetime. So I like to think that I can continue on learning even after I die.
I rejected christianity sometime as an early teen.
I don’t remember my full reasoning but I did not like the idea of getting up early Sunday morning to do the church stuff.
It never got replaced by anything.
I find it funny that there was a time where atheists on the internet were just called edge lords (or still, idk) for not believing in god and voicing that opinion. I remember being like 8 years old and thinking: wow that is stupid, why would anyone believe that. That was pre internet, i didn’t have to be influenced by other edge lords and i didn’t read any books about it. But somehow it’s in certain parts of the world weirder to come to that conclusion than believing in the all mighty super being.
Same. My mother actually sent me to Sunday school and I even did 1st grade at a Catholic School. I too remembering how silly it all seemed even at that age. Luckily the school closed down after that first year or she would have kept sending me there. I always wonder if the indoctrination would have taken if I’d have to keep going year after year.
During that time period it wasn’t so much being an atheist that made someone an edge lord, but in how they went about communicating that to others.
Yeah sorry, there’s nothing.
But we should behave towards each other as we’d like to be treated. Otherwise it doesn’t work.
Now, there’s this unsolved issue of people harming all of us…
