Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by dragotron on February 20, 2012 at 10:21pm

Hey Chelsea... welcome! Tell them this.. that being good is natural! And ask someone to answer this question honestly. "Do you really think Jesus invented the idea of being good?"

Then show them this picture.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rob Klaers on February 21, 2012 at 2:19am

Chelsea..
Welcome to TA.

You will find plenty of help here when to comes to whatever conversations you may have with theists in the future.You will also come to find out their most common fall back answers and how to counter most of them.. If you'll pardon the Harry Potter reference, think of it like a class in the Defense of the Black Arts.. LOL

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by George Jordan on February 21, 2012 at 10:43am

As a newly found agnostic myself, I have also had trouble dealing with family. At first they were shocked and disappointed with me, but I don't see why they felt this way. I was raised half-assed catholic, never being baptized, and I have never had the desire to either. I have chosen to label myself as an agnostic rather than atheist. In my eyes, atheism outright denies the existence of god, where agnostics neither believe nor disbelieve in a god. Logically, since we cannot prove the existence of a god, we cannot outright deny the possible existence of one. This all stems from one's definition of "atheist" and "agnostic".

Now, my family is comfortable with our differing views. One thing I suggest is be sensitive to their faith. Discussion is fine as long as it doesn't become aggressive or attacking in nature. As a skeptic, I can respect their views while at the same time, I can engage them in some challenging questions, of which usually end with their saying, "god works in mysterious ways."

Please.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by No Nick for me on February 21, 2012 at 2:20pm

I hope you don't feel drowned in all this information and stories, this has to be expected with a story like yours, everyone here can relate to it and wants to help, just like I do. I think everything important has been said already, so I'll be short and just say: I wish you the best of luck and as you can see, you are not alone.

Oh and also, feel free to stop by in the chat, there is nearly everytime someone there with whom you can have an interesting discussion. It's the one in the bottom right corner of this window. I'm looking forward to the day when you Americans gain more freedom in this perspective, you shouldn't be in this situation.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by xi on February 21, 2012 at 3:16pm

welcome chelsea. there is a ton of information available to you if you do some quick searches just on this site. there are also many people here more than willing to help you form a better understanding of your conclusion. which brings me to one thing that may help you orient yourself a bit -

quote "have some trouble backing up what I believe when people ask me. It's like, I know what I believe and why I believe it, but it makes more sense in my head than it does out loud and I can't change my thoughts into sentences."

you have not necessarily come to some unexplained belief that you dont believe in god...sounds strange right? you essentially came to the conclusion that you dont believe, its a small change in phrasing, but helps you understand that you are not basing your actions and understandings on "beliefs", simply rational conclusions. while it doesnt sound as romantic as believing, it is a better way to explain yourself. you will have no trouble defending your conclusion, when people who believe in/practice a religion have very little to "prove" to you. they can just roll around on the ground in protest that you dont agree. take your time, read up listen to the radio show, and continue to form a refined conclusion based on acquired knowledge. best of luck

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ed on February 21, 2012 at 8:49pm

Chelsea,

For fifteen you are very level-headed and I don't think you should worry a whole lot about defending your position right now. Relax and if someone questions your lack of belief ask them to respect you as an individual with a different outlook on life. Theists don't like it when someone doesn't agree with them about the existence of supernatural beings. They feel everyone should think as they do. They'll get over it though.

Hopefully you will find some same age friends in your area who have similar thoughts to yourself. Online forums are very helpful but nothing beats having a friend nearby who is on your same wavelength.

Peace. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by James Wilcott on February 21, 2012 at 9:07pm

The only justification that any atheist needs for why they do not believe in a deity is the very noticeable lack of evidence. You know, for a deity. Theists have posed some evidence (i.e. argument from design, argument from scripture, so on and so forth) but it is not evidence that lives up to any reasonable empirical standard. As a general guide, Dawkins' The God Delusion is immensely helpful for the new atheist, and was particularly helpful for me. I have problems putting my thoughts into words, too. 

As far as your parents go, it may just take time. I wouldn't worry about telling them any time soon. There are years yet to deal with that problem.

That being said, being a closeted atheist does not feel good. I spent a lot of time pretending to agree with particularly bad points growing up. If there is a way that you can express your doubts to your parents without actually letting them know that you are an atheist, you should. For instance, pose questions that sound genuinely curious - I used to phrase questions in the form of doubts that worried me, with the false intention of "strengthening my faith" by overcoming those particular issues. Really I just wanted my friends and family to see that there was good reason to doubt. That way, when I finally came out as an atheist, nobody thought that it was just a phase, or that I had some ulterior motive. You might be surprised - or might not be - at how many people think that disbelief is a kind of spiteful thing that we do in the spirit of rebellion. 

Anyway, you seem pretty intelligent - definitely smarter than I was at fifteen, and I was pretty damn smart - and intelligent people tend to worry too much. Don't do that. You'll go grey-headed. If your parents love you, and I'm sure they do, they'll force themselves around. From a religious perspective, that might seem like an impossible concession, but despite all the scripture recommending that people put god first and foremost, and despite what most devoutly religious people say, only the morally insane put god before their children. Give it some time. 

And there is the advice that you didn't ask for. If you play your cards right, one day you might get to be an over-caffeinated, under-stimulated and unhealthily sedentary college student, just like me. This is the life.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Godless Conservative on February 21, 2012 at 9:58pm

I spend a lot of time on Yahoo Answers in the religion section.  There is a boatload of back and forth there and a lot of traffic from all sides.  If you want to learn to debate it's about as good as you'll find.

http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/index;_ylt=AiNcTKhhDCNP9VHtEvOPF6_d7BR...

The great thing here is if you don't know how to answer, you can just watch.  Most of us have email that's open too, so you can directly ask questions off the board.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Teresa Turner on February 21, 2012 at 11:27pm

yesterday in class I did some "atheistic musings" (as I call it) in my notebook. I'm thinking of making a neater copy of it in another book and maybe typing it up and sharing it. It contains a whole list of reasons why I became atheist, containing lots of physical proof.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Grady Jean on February 21, 2012 at 11:49pm

Welcome to the site Chelsea,

I'm sure many of us can relate to your problem, it's hard to be an Atheist Teenager in a Religious Family. My younger brother and I faced similar problems with the idea of telling our parents that we were Atheists, and while I'm not sure about him, I still haven't told them straight up. It's an ugly thing to have your family turn against your decision, but I can't stress this enough: In all likelihood, they still love and care for you very much. With time, they may come to understand that Atheism does not automatically make you an evil heathen, and constantly reminding them of the good you do OUTSIDE of being a member of "the flock" will only reinforce the idea that there is nothing wrong with you being an Atheist.

Stay strong Chelsea, we're all in this together for the long run.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Fadi Qassis on February 22, 2012 at 1:16am

Hey Chelsea

you are welcome. i tell you that this site is great and i have a personal experience where i got no help but here from atheist friends who do not really know me.

furthemore, it's open and you can ask whatever gets in your mind.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Michael on February 22, 2012 at 3:13am

He Chelsea! Welcome to the site. Arming yourself with knowledge is always a great idea and it will surely make it easier when you do decide to sit down and explain to your parents that you are an atheist. I understand completely what it is like to hide what you believe for fear of what your parents may think but eventually you will want to tell them the truth. My advice to you is to read, read, read, and then read some more. Read books on science, critical thinking, philosophy, etc. Read up on some of the major arguments for the existence of god, e.g. cosmological, teleological, ontological, etc. That last one is so silly it's interesting. Youtube has an amazing assortment of atheists and atheist themed videos thunderf00t,theamazingatheist,quailasoup to name just a few. Watch some of the debates between prominent theist and prominent atheists. Before you do that learn what the major logical fallacies are and how to spot them. This will help you spot fallacious arguments from people whom you discuss religion with. And there will be many, fallacies that is. Welcome to the world of free thought. You will love it.

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next ›
• Page