I am very good at writing, I just wish I could communicate my thoughts and beliefs verbally at the same level as my writing. I think my problem is that I think about what I want to say too long before speaking, which in this society makes you look stupid instead of pensive. The only time I can really debate and make my points clear seems to be when I’ve had a few drinks and find myself in a deep conversation about politics or religion. Self-censorship seems to be something I need to work on instead of trying to always be so PC.
Like calling NASCAR and WWF actual sports, the idea of religion is so blatantly laughable and ridiculous, yet I am still reluctant to disparage any of them for fear of stepping on any toes. I am just so sick of religion being such a prominent issue and always having the self-congratulating hypocritical followers shoving their beliefs down your throat when religion is so irrelevant. 4 years ago
I`m pretty good at this in my head, but I when in an actual discussion I find it difficult to articulate what I want to say. 5 years ago
I can have all my points clear on a random day, but they are always jumbled and sloppy when I’m trying to explain my view to a ‘take the bible literally’ person. I know my reasons and that has always been good enough for me, but it’s been a lot harder living in the bible belt. The people here have just brought out the athiest fighter in me or something. I don’t go around trying to convert people or anything, but it would make my millenium for someone to tell me that my view makes so much sense…one day…maybe. :) 5 years ago
My hand-picked atheist resources:
http://del.icio.us/dandvd/atheism
These articles helped me improve my argumentation, and win the appreciation of amazingly articulate writers.
Merci, Madame Reya.
5 years ago
“Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) is first Congress member in history to acknowledge his nontheism”
http://www.secular.org/news/pete_stark_070312.html
The article annoyingly uses the word “nontheism” instead of atheism, but in any case this is a step forward for political acceptance of atheists. 6 years ago
Give it a try! 6 years ago
I think the only person I can I have an intelligent conversation over atheism with is my boyfriend. It’s nice being able to speak my mind without being ridculed. My beliefs are pretty clear; I don’t believe in the modern Christian idea of god, and no one can be certain of god’s existance until their dead (if there’s even an afterlife).
Why prepare for death when you know you can live now?
I’d say I’ve got a good idea of what my beliefs are so that I can potentially speak to anyone who wants to hear. If they don’t understand, they don’t understand. I find peace in my beliefs. I sometimes think the people who want to ‘save’ me are very restless in their beliefs. I find it very irritating the way religion is advertised. Religion (or lack thereof) should be a choice based on your beliefs, not proof of membership in a club. 7 years ago
Some missionaries came to my door today. I wanted to simply say I was atheist but I was in a bad mood and didn’t feel like rattling on about my beliefs to strangers. So I was nice and said we don’t go to church but thanks anyway. I think religion or lack thereof is a personal choice and ‘campaigning’ your religion is annoying. They probably think they may save someone, and who knows…they might. By saving I mean the person needed religion as guidence to get over a drug addiction, divorce, or whatever. I don’t like the persistance of some missionaries that know you aren’t interested yet keep sticking their foot in the door (figuratively speaking). Anyway, if I was in a better mood I probably would have invited them in for a healthy debate but maybe next time. 7 years ago
I want to be able to, and yet sometimes I feel that even if i did it still wouldn’t change anything.Sometimes theists can be so irrational. (Example: Christian friend: “There are so many diffrent christian beliefs I can’t imagine them all being wrong”
Me: “Well someone could say ‘There are so many diffrent muslim beliefs I can’t imagine them all being wrong’”
Other CF: “Why would we believe those lies!?”) 7 years ago
I think in my conversations with my friends I make good points but somehow I still feel unheard. Several people have made rude comments about my beliefs, and these are my good friends. I don’t believe there’s an atheist group where I live. I think if I put effort into it I could start a group of my own. I still can’t believe that people can be tolerant of other religions but can’t be towards the absence of religion. It just bothers me that I can’t seem to express my beliefs without immedietly defending them. 7 years ago
I’ve very recently sat down and really thought about my beliefs. I think before I was afraid that if I became atheist I’d be going to hell. I’ve been told many times I’m going to hell. For simple things like not going to church.
I wrote a blog about my beliefs just yesterday. I think I’ve been atheist all along but was afraid to stand up for what I believed in, especially as a little kid. Many of my Christian friends are already giving me crap about this. I thought they promoted tolerance…
Anyway here’s my blog if you want to read it:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=51512935&blogID=103956036&MyToken=18204040-e8d5-4c7e-b28f-e33506375118 7 years ago
I became very articulate at the end but then I realized that my beliefs were crap and stopped defending them. 7 years ago
The more you learn, the better you get. My problem has been that I don’t have any really religious people to “practice” with. They’re either too irrational to understand what I’m saying, or they won’t even talk to me for fear the devil lurks inside of me.
Check this site out: www.garrison-martineau.com
I’m organizing some of these sessions in Seattle, and they’re awesome. Good luck! 8 years ago
