Start thinking atheist just through "self-learning"?
Hi all,
i found this site some months ago and I was really happy about that, because I was hardly argueing about religion at school during my A-Levels and will now continue with it in the vacational school (Berufsschule in german ;-) ). But than i was a bit disillusioned, because all I found was "It´s okay to think atheist". For me it´s not just okay, it´s self-evident and I´m not looking for how I can explain my self to me or the others.
I´m looking for a way to convince the others (I tried it so often...), to make atheism to become popular and a recognizable movement.
But all I really got to know here, was that occasionally Germany is far more open to think atheist, than america, what´s possibly the home of the most members of thinkatheist.com and that it´s harder for the most people to come out with their true belief, because church seems to has much more power than it has in my home-country.
So, back to the question on top, can we help people finding there way out of religous bounds, shortning the long way, that as I suppose everyone has gone through, who thinks atheist? Is there an effectiv way to "spread" atheism / thinking atheist?
I hope I`m not to fanatic, having those ideas, that shouldn´t be solved through violence or Treatment, like church did it in the past. But I´m tired of talking...
(Also in Germany I´m part of a small minority and it is not likely seen by, especially older people, to come out as an atheist)
i found this site some months ago and I was really happy about that, because I was hardly argueing about religion at school during my A-Levels and will now continue with it in the vacational school (Berufsschule in german ;-) ). But than i was a bit disillusioned, because all I found was "It´s okay to think atheist". For me it´s not just okay, it´s self-evident and I´m not looking for how I can explain my self to me or the others.
I´m looking for a way to convince the others (I tried it so often...), to make atheism to become popular and a recognizable movement.
But all I really got to know here, was that occasionally Germany is far more open to think atheist, than america, what´s possibly the home of the most members of thinkatheist.com and that it´s harder for the most people to come out with their true belief, because church seems to has much more power than it has in my home-country.
So, back to the question on top, can we help people finding there way out of religous bounds, shortning the long way, that as I suppose everyone has gone through, who thinks atheist? Is there an effectiv way to "spread" atheism / thinking atheist?
I hope I`m not to fanatic, having those ideas, that shouldn´t be solved through violence or Treatment, like church did it in the past. But I´m tired of talking...
(Also in Germany I´m part of a small minority and it is not likely seen by, especially older people, to come out as an atheist)
Tags: a, atheist, finding, popular, recognizable, self-learning, thinking, way
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Nelson on -
i'm a little confused, Ben, because it seems to me that the reassurance and encouragement that community members give each other, giving each other the confidence to say it's ok to be an atheist, is an important integral part of having a recognizable movement and of helping people out of religious bonds.
if you're on the fence about faith and you see so many people saying that it's ok to think atheist then you'll be reassured and that will give you the confidence to leave faith behind. if you've already left faith behind but aren't vocal about it or "out" about it then seeing so many people be vocal and/or out will give you the confidence to be so as well. and the more people who leave faith behind because of that reassurance and confidence, the more people who are vocal and out about their lack of faith, the better.
also, i can't understand at all the notion that TA is only about people reassuring each other that it's ok to be an atheist. there are many many posts about the worth of and problems surrounding specific arguments for god, about the reliability of the gospels, and about the historicity of events described in the Hebrew Bible. these do far more than just reassure people that it's ok to be an atheist. they arm people with the tools to respond with a clear informed withering critique of religion when they're asked to defend their atheism. and when they're able to do this their listeners/readers will in turn be forced to question their faith, with some of them eventually leaving it behind.
but maybe i've misunderstood what you were saying...
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Permalink Reply by Dave G on -
The 'It's okay to Think Atheist' message is particularly important to people living in areas of the world where being an atheist is likely to subject you to social ostracism, employment loss, or even physical violence.
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Permalink Reply by Ben on -
Perhaps, I was a bit unright. Of course I read many discussions in the forum, where I will also take "ammo" for later discussions and I´m still glad to have found this page. It´s just the thing "If you want to stop the use of atomic energy, you join greenpeace or what ever" (and really take part in meetings and so on), but when you´re atheist, you are mostly alone in real life...
I couldn´t get eveything you told me, because english is not my first language, but I hope that this will be helpfully too.
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Permalink Reply by Nelson on
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i appreciate that english isn't your first language. no problem. TA has members from all over the world (as i'm sure you've noticed already). if something i write is unclear to you just let me know and i'll see if i can explain it another way. :)
also do i appreciate that many atheists feel as if they are alone in real life but isn't that because so many of us are uncomfortable being out and open about their atheism? and isn't a place like this a remedy for that?
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Permalink Reply by Loop Johnny on -
I am open about my atheism. It caused me some problems but I have dealt with them.
A pro when english is not your best language and you speak it on a forum: You learn english.
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Permalink Reply by Loop Johnny on
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I am the only atheist I know in real life, yet if I continue to lie to myself I will suffer a depression.
Pro tip: If you want "ammo". Search vids on youtube for:
Richard Dawkins - arogant but straight to the point
Christopher Hitchens
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Dan Dennet
And the list goes on and on. I give credit to these people because if they wouldn't have had the time to fight for their ideas, I wouldn't have gone out of the closet. And, by the way, you cannot view them at once or in one go. It takes time to digest. I usually watch an interesting video before I go to bed or I eat alone.
After all "ammo" is in place, get a cup of tea with a couple a friends and release the Kraken! ;)
Best entertainment I know.
Remember, just ask questions.
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Permalink Reply by Loop Johnny on
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But all I really got to know here, was that occasionally Germany is far more open to think atheist, than america, what´s possibly the home of the most members of thinkatheist.com and that it´s harder for the most people to come out with their true belief, because church seems to has much more power than it has in my home-country.
"open to think atheist" = "open to think"
Usually theists don't think free, in the sense of thinking. They just follow some rules they have already heard and use faith and ignorance to support them. In essence, they are not thinking, they are borrowing and quoting what has already been said. Religion is so simple, everybody can understand it ( theists use this argument as "You have no excuse not to believe it. Everybody can believe in it." )
So, back to the question on top, can we help people finding there way out of religous bounds, shortning the long way, that as I suppose everyone has gone through, who thinks atheist? Is there an effectiv way to "spread" atheism / thinking atheist?
"As long as gravity exist, all you need is a push, and as long as curiosity exist, all you need is a question." - me
Never answer questions. Just ask questions. The rest is up to them to figure out, and depending on each individuals ignorance, the seed of reason might sprout. We all became atheists by ourselves. We just answered questions and they pointed to this conclusion: God is a concept of our minds.
I hope I`m not to fanatic, having those ideas, that shouldn´t be solved through violence or Treatment, like church did it in the past. But I´m tired of talking...
You are not. Those are self-evident.
(Also in Germany I´m part of a small minority and it is not likely seen by, especially older people, to come out as an atheist)
When faced to old people, who have dedicated their whole life to their faith, it is just cruel to break the spell for them. It depends on the case. If they are not doing anything out of place, it is better to let them play "the game".
Overall, I have thought about this question several times. The best answer to this is to think and probe any piece of information you find to see if it's valid or not. I have formed a filter that checks any information for it's validity. Apart from that, just answer those questions that usually most people stop asking and your mind will homogenize and you will find the most plausible response ( i.e. not a imaginary guy who controls, watches and knows everything Hurr Durrr Hurr - that makes perfect sense, the most plausible theory to everything )
Also, to make life allot easier, respect logic.
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Permalink Reply by Jason Paisley on -
Agreed those are excellent sources. I also recommend YouTube videos by EdwardCurrent (Atheist Performing Christian Parody) ExtantDodo, AronRa and Thunderf00t (Science VS Creationism) and ZOMGitscriss a very attractive woman criticizing religion openly.
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Permalink Reply by Loop Johnny on
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ZOMGitscriss a very attractive woman criticizing religion openly
Oh. The Romanian-girls. They always are attractive.
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Permalink Reply by StaticMotion on -
Ben, you might want to check out http://blasphemieblog2.wordpress.com/ for a German blog which aggregates news about religion and discusses them.
If you're looking for freethinker groups in Germany, the http://www.ibka.org/ might be a good place to start if you're interested in meeting people.
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Permalink Reply by Matt Peters on -
To answer your question: "Is there an effectiv way to "spread" atheism / thinking atheist?"
Last night I was listening to the podcast "Point of Inquiry" that is put out by the Center for Inquiry, which is an American-based organization that seeks to promote reason, science, and humanism in public policy (they also have a branch in Germany: http://www.gwup.org). Their guest was a man named Warren Bonett, an Australian freethinker and skeptic. He said he gets this question a lot, and went on to say that if there was one effective way to convince people of an idea, everyone would already be using it, especially people in fields such as marketing. It really depends on the person, and the context. You have to analyze the situation and use your best judgment in which was to proceed.
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