atheist : why bother to answer religious topics

1. Just because we are atheists does not mean we like to be uninformed. Religious discussion appeals to me because it is a learning experience. So many religious people are, inadvertently, misinformed about "counter-culture" beliefs/philosophies/"religions" (such as atheism, Satanism, Wicca, etc.). I personally just don't like being a fool and irrationally believing in something without discussing it. I, unlike so many religious people, am willing to admit that I MAY be wrong. 2. I do not only discuss the negative aspects of religion, however I do bring them up because they are so frequently avoided by believers. The age of childhood where I could believe some thing I was told is now past. I look in a book like the Bible and see a God and his sadistic ways. If people desire to believe in it, fine by me. However, no one should be claiming he is a loving God; if he at any point has condoned violence, suffering, rape, and child abuse. If you want verses, I'll give you verses. Or, follow my other discussions/comments on this site. 3. I personally am not content like so many "believers" tend to become. Take a Christian for example. If they give their life to Jesus, a majority of the battle is behind them; at least as far as the Bible says. It is not a difficult life when you live in the awareness that you will have "no more suffering." 4. As an atheist, I would like to know if any thing happens to me when I die. Religious people avoid religious conversation frequently because they already assume they KNOW what is going to happen. I would like to think that I go straight to the grave, yet it is my nature to want to live forever. Studying theology and philosophy gives insight into different world views and perspectives. 5. Many atheists, like myself, were raised around religious families and friends. Those of us who "move on" from those beliefs, inadvertently like to re-examine them from a different perspective. Those would be my major reasons.

I am not a religious person, I am however a spiritual person. I respond in religious topics for many reasons. 1. I have an opinion. 2. I am interested in the discussion. 3. My opinion may differ from the author of the discussion. 4. When I make a negative point, it is not to fault someone. It may be to point out my opinion regarding the discussion, or something said in the discussion. Many times I read rather than respond. I have this inherent need for information and the opinion of others. That is actually why I am here in mylot, it always has been. I am not here for the money or friends or selling anything. I just like to learn from others and share my humble opinion. I disagree with all religion but I also know that for many it is something they need to follow. Brightest blessings, Mari

hi sanjana. i don't to break our friendship through this type of topics. but i have to say something. so don't mind. i have already said and participated in a discussion from u where i said that i am an atheist. yes, i am here being an atheist bcoz i want to reform or refine others who are too much blind for religion means orthodox. we have power to enter in any discussion of mylot. so i am. don't take it otherway.

i personally like it when people like atheists and non believers answer my religious posts because i like to have all perspectives and it is great when they a represented. why do you ask, well that is because i am always playing devil's advocate, i will answer a discussion that talks about something that i either do or do not believe in just to challenge other people and to get them thinking. it is always nice to see if those out there do have the courage of their convictions and it is always gratifying to see the lemmings crumble and fall.

Hello Sanjana! We all have one God. We give religion names. Example: Christian, Catholic..etc..I've been a baptised Christian all my life. To answer your question. I guess everybody has to give their own opinion on whatever the topic might be. If you see a topic on Atheism, would you dare to respond? or do you shy away? I think the same way us Christians want to show others how good our God is the same way the non-believer wants to get people on their side. This is just my opinion and nothing more. PS: Can we all just get along? :) Peace and Love to ALL! God is good all the time and all the time God is good! :) Take care my friend and happy mylotting! :)

This may lead to a lot of disaggreement but I suspect that atheists question religion and God so often and so vehemothly is because they are searching for something beyond themselves to answer the questions that they can't answer within themselves.

Oh but I always thought atheism was a part of religion…I mean just as you cannot appreciate light without darkness, similarly atheism and theism go hand in hand. One just believes and the other does not believe…but religion as a topic is common to both of them.

I am living with an Atheist. In January it will be 3 years. He sometimes talks about religion with me. We see things different but respect and listen to one another. He actually acts like a Christian more than me. In our doing and living, you would think I was the Atheist and he was the Christian. He try s to help everyone, even if it cost him difficulties. He is there to help. Always sees good in everybody. Is very easy in forgiving others. I have learned a lot from him. As for why Atheist are here in mylot? Maybe they are like my BF. Honest in opinion, loving and just wanting to communicate. Nothing wrong with that. We can learn from each other. Is not that what religion is suppose to be: "Loving one an other?" Maybe we should take away the words, religion and God. Replace that with Love. Love is what it is all about.

Hello sanjana!!! The atheist itself has been some sort of religion. The religion that stands without the belief in the existence of the supreme power god, and only on the basis of reality we can see in the world. Most atheist are the ones who is tired of listening to the superstitions for which no proof is there and are yet assumed to be the truth and bind people to believe on it. The discussion of religion is concerned with spirituality and the atheist are also deeply concerned with the spirituality. More the discussions, more the provoking thoughts and the intelligence to be developed. That's why the atheists are there to discuss on religion and which is mostly related to spirituality concern.... Happy mylotting...

Religion is something that everyone has a view on.. be it in favour or against. Most of the people here are for making money and they want to extract as many responses form members as they can. Hence, they feel starting off such sensitive topics is the way to go.I do answer to a few of those but don't start anything related to that on my own.

because they have an opinion and they are just as free to express their opinion as anyone else is! just because I dont believe in God doesnt mean that i dont have an opinion about religion I respect all religions (or lack there of) and try to discuss religions in a NON judgemental way however not everyone is able to make their point in a non insulting way and that is when tempers flare

Hi sanjana, I have already declared myself as an atheist. I am atheist for I do not believe in visiting the 'God's place which is a fallacy. I do not carry on the religious rites and do not follow the religious function. But I believe that there is a supreme power and not like your Gods and deities some where in the universe and that might not have the tag of God. And that is the reason I participate sometime in this discussion.

Hi Sanajana, In the Bible when the Satan and his followers were ousted of heaven they turned arch enemy of God and would look for any excuse to belittle God and his creation and in such act Satan beguiled Eve and both Eve and Adam had to say adieu to heaven. In the similar manner atheists ( that I am too one ) ever try to see the nerve of the theist and with the slightest of chance would like to insert their views that God and his existence is a fallacy whereas atheist themselves, unknowingly though are religious too. For sure I do not believe that God is there in the Church and temple but I believe that some power must be there for energy can neither be created nor destroyed. And other social creeds and norm are there to discuss more on it.

It does not make sense on basic level does it. They don't believe in (g)od at all, yet they are constantly active in religious discussions. I have an odd theory behind it myself. Here goes: The Bible says in Romans 1:19 and 20, that everyone has an inherent understanding that there is a god. Even William J. Murray, son of founder of the national atheist movements Madalyn Murray O’Hair, said that growing up in an atheist home, he was constantly taught to fight the belief in a god. Why would he have to be taught to fight a belief system, unless he was born with it? So my view is this. The reason Atheists debate and argue over religion and god, is because they are having an internally struggling against beliefs that are built into them. They do so, to feel better about the conscious choice to disbelieve what inside they know must be true.

I don't agree with commenting in a rude or impolite way, but I see no reason why an atheist should not read and comment on a discussion in religious topics. Just because a person is an atheist it doesn't mean that they can't be curious and want to know more about every single religion out there. I am certainly one of those people. I grew up roman catholic, but decided it really wasn't for me,there were many things I disagreed with. That doesn't make me unfit to read and give my opinion in any religious discussion. I can safely say that presently I am more informed about most religions than some of the people that follow them. That is because I am curious and wanted to find a religion that I could maybe follow. so I read, and studied, and got information about each religion. I am still an atheist, and still looking and learning. Why am I there at all? Because I am either looking to learn something new or I would like to leave my opinion on the subject. Although I have, on occasion, found some comments that were in the most part impolite, I also found out that a lot of people posting in religious topics are sometimes a bit less flexible towards others comments when they contradict their thoughts/ideas and often take things in a very different perspsective than the one offered by the person commenting.And that's when people start taking parts, which I am sure was not the idea from the beginning

I often find really interesting discusions in religion section, good healthy arguments about evolution for example. Plus i'm an atheist in terms of not beliving in god, but i do belive in soul and the soul is a very strong tool that we people don't know how to use. soul is the one that can do miracles. I also studied many religeons and i find them very interesting and i find they all can teach us something. I prefer reading some of the oldest scripts, they actualy bring much more light to who the god or gods really are.

Well, I am not atheist, I am agnostic, and that pretty much means I believe in the existence of a higher power (ie God) but I have nothing to do with organized religion. Spirituality is the existence of things greater than us, and I do believe in that (we didn't create ourselves, this planet, or the universe, did we?) yet I do not believe in the rules and worshipping of any deity as MAN has tried to outline and enforce in various religions. When people such as me respond to discussions about religion, we do so in order to question the blind faith that people seem to have in following these. I have found one of two things in common - either people were born in/grew up in that religion so they are potentially brainwashed and know NOTHING else, or they believe it out of fear because somebody scared them. Once in awhile, there is a person who actually researched and found something that suits them, and they don't necessarily adhere to nor believe EVERYTHING about it, but they take the best and leave the rest and it enriches their lives. I think THAT is great, that's what it's meant to be and do. I just don't agree with the folks that are like 'God blah blah blah, judge this and that, do this not that, if you don't believe as I do you're a sinner blah blah'. That truly does more harm than good and it turns EVERYBODY off to religion in the first place. It only takes a couple of crazies to ruin something good. There is nothing negative about having an open mind and realizing there is more out there than JUST your own belief. Also, a belief is a belief. That does not make it RIGHT, that does not make it WRONG. That doesn't make it THE TRUTH, nor does that make it A LIE. A belief simply is, just like an opinion. Everybody has one. I am just tired of all these people storming in here and acting as if they are THE TRUTH on a matter when we all know they aren't. Religious people like to do that so probably all of us who don't subscribe to that want to weigh in our side just so people are not scared into believing the person is being truthful lol.

Atheists have beliefs and views just like anybody else, and just because a person doesn't believe in any god, it doesn't mean that they're not interested in the subject of religion. I'm not a believer in the conventional sense of the word, but different religions interest me a lot, and I love to hear and read about different points of view and learn about people who are different to myself. The world would be a boring place if we were all the same, and also if we only talked to or discussed with people who had exactly the same views as ourselves. And in the same way that the people of one religion here might berate somebody of another religion for being "wrong", atheists have just as much right to put in their views on the subject. Interesting question! Happy mylotting!

I have got a similar question to ask . Why do many believers tend to convince the non-believer that God exists? When an atheist opens a discussion that there is no God, why do the believers respond saying that there is a God? For your question : Most atheists deny God as portrayed by religion and not deny the true God.

I never really decided. I just sort of realized when I was a teenager that the beliefs that seem so normal and natural to many peope just weren't a part of me. There are so many religions and belief systems out there and I think they all get things a little bit right and a whole lot wrong. I don't think science can explain everything, though, at least not in a way most people would ever understand. At the highest (or most basic) levels there are things happening that the human mind may never grasp. I believe there are some forces at work in the world, but I don't think those forces are conscious, or either good or bad, or worthy of worship. It just is what it is. Just my thoughts...I'm open to friendly discussions.