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Permalink Reply by matt.clerke on February 18, 2013 at 5:52pm

I have been an Atheist a very short time. I don’t want to bore you all with how or even why. I’d like to deal with a question that perhaps other people are struggling with as well. The question of, “How do I stop quoting the Lord of the Rings to myself?” For every thought or revelation, or beautiful experience as an Atheist I find myself thinking on the Lord of the Rings verse that reveals the Truth to me just as I did when I was a Theist. I find myself then questioning whether I am truly an Atheist. I KNOW there isn’t evidence for Gandalf based on what I’ve LEARNED. But the educational piece has not taken away the deep love that I have for Gandalf, or the peace I have received from remembering what I used to think of as, “Gandalf’s promises.” I don’t want a lecture about why there is no evidence for a Gandalf. Please spare me these details. I rather want to know how to move forward as an Atheist. A True Atheist.

There, I fixed it. My point here is this: You don't love God, you cant as he doesn't exist. You love a character in a book which you now know to be fiction. How is this any different than LotR and Gandalf?

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Permalink Reply by Belle Rose on February 18, 2013 at 6:21pm

Hey Matt, that is really cute. I like it. Interesting perspective, and point taken.

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Permalink Reply by Kairan Nierde on February 18, 2013 at 10:21pm

Hey, Belle, don't worry too much about this. There is no one right way to be an atheist and it takes time to grow away from your former religion. You'll probably find yourself doing this less and less as time passes. Perhaps you could cultivate some replacement 'go-to' phrases or quotes. I know the Bible cannot be the only source of quotable wisdom.

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Permalink Reply by James Andrade on February 18, 2013 at 10:43pm

My thoughts on this: The people who wrote the bible and helped write the bible were having the same feelings as you, but they didn't know how to express or cope with some emotions. You have deep love for yourself, you are the one making the decisions and in return having peace. God doesn't promise, you promise. It's going to take sometime. Just know this is for you and your life. It's a beautiful one, keep on moving in the free, rational, direction. Hope I helped in some way, and I'm pretty sure others commenting will too :) *but also, read the bible and the immoral lessons in there, you will then realize the dark side of GOD. :/ What do you expect, some of these actions were written from people who thought slavery was okay and were against homosexuals.

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Permalink Reply by Belle Rose on February 19, 2013 at 2:28am

I suppose it really does come down to education, re-conditioning, and mourning. This makes sense to me. I still find myself at times thinking, "I've fallen into the hands of Satan," or "I really don't feel like an Atheist." (As if I really knew what an Atheist "feels like" lol) But I know that I am an Atheist. (I'm pretty sure most of the time)...I better start reading these library books, lol.

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Permalink Reply by Gallup's Mirror on February 19, 2013 at 3:12am

I think many of us go through a similar experience when leaving religion behind. Unconscious habits of thought take time to change, especially when those thoughts are not truly your own. For instance, when somebody sneezes I say "gesundheit", which is German for "Good health". But occasionally I forget myself and say "God bless you".

I sometimes see my post-religious thinking as a lifelong effort to discover what is true. Not what is comforting, or what I want to hear, or what "leaders" claim is true. But what is true of empirical reality as discovered through scientific scepticism.

It's harder thinking for yourself. But how magnificent to know your mind is free, even if you sometimes forget it yourself, and even if you're not quite sure where to take it just yet.   

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Permalink Reply by Tom Pep on February 19, 2013 at 10:57am

"I still find myself at times thinking, "I've fallen into the hands of Satan,""

You are not alone with such thoughts, I have to remind myself on occasions that hell and the devil were actually the creation's of the church, hell for example is a translation from sheol if I remember correctly, I'm sure someone will correct me if I have it wrong, but it means underworld which in turn means the "grave"; it was the church that made the addition of an entity known as the devil and used these things to keep the flock in line, "You will burn in hell heathen!"

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Permalink Reply by Val Wuthrich on February 19, 2013 at 12:11pm

To have your mind free is such great feeling. To be able to look at religious dogma from the outside and realize how stupid it is. I think of the whole enterprise of Christianity as a house of cards, and it is not hard for me to make the whole house come tumbling down.

It does take time to shed the religion baggage that you're carrying because of the many years of cultish indoctrination. You will find with time you will develop a more rational world view and realize those bible quotes ring hollow.

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Permalink Reply by BryanPaul on February 19, 2013 at 12:50pm

Just because it's the bible does not mean it's devoid of wisdom. The problem is it's your main source of wisdom it seems. If you look you can find philosophers with the same wisdom. Try finding othttp://www.thinkatheist.com/forum/topics/it-s-so-ingrained-into-my-beingher sources. 

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Permalink Reply by Belle Rose on February 19, 2013 at 2:29pm

Just because it's the bible does not mean it's devoid of wisdom. The problem is it's your main source of wisdom it seems

Interesting idea, perhaps you are right. The world is becoming much clearer now that I'm looking at things realistically and not trying to cram a bible verse into every situation. When I hear my Christian friends talk about God now I always think to myself, "You are looking through a fog." It really does hinder the decision making process on SO many levels...True Wisdom is now what I'm reaching for like a kid in a candy store :)

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Permalink Reply by Mat Waldie on February 19, 2013 at 12:53pm

I am an atheist because I don't believe in god or gods. but the bible can be just as important as any philosphy/history book when taken in context that nothing is mandated by a sentient higher force. These are just people who wrote this book. It does not make you, in my opinion, less of an atheist. I think it makes you more of a humanist. When you pick and choose what is viable as teachings to your life for your life and quote it to help others, you are actively using a scientific method to understand and help others understand the realities of life. When believers piously take everything as the word of some god they are handcuffed and cannot filter even when its against known scientific realities (which will make a believer roll their eyes). Being able to pick, choose, and debate, allows us to keep ancient philosphies that are still valid todayupdated and nurturing for our existance today. You don't need to live with "god tells us so" any longer, but can choose to quote whatever your discerning mind can use for your life, or to help other's life. The bible has a lot of old wisdom. A lot of which is stolen from even older wisdom. But we should not shun any valid humanistic philosphy no matter where it comes.

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Permalink Reply by Belle Rose on February 19, 2013 at 2:31pm

Being able to pick, choose, and debate, allows us to keep ancient philosphies that are still valid todayupdated and nurturing for our existance today. You don't need to live with "god tells us so" any longer, but can choose to quote whatever your discerning mind can use for your life, or to help other's life. The bible has a lot of old wisdom. A lot of which is stolen from even older wisdom. But we should not shun any valid humanistic philosphy no matter where it comes.

AMEN Brother!!! (Oops, there I go again, LOL)

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