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How has atheism improved your relationships?

Subtitle might be: has atheism added anything of value to your connections with other people (family, friends, significant others, coworkers)?

RoadGoddess 7 Nov 1
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9 comments

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0

Hi. I reliazed that actually there is no god and also no setan (devil) in this life. i feel peace and more happier. Before, I believed in God, I was religious. Love god really so much. but my life nothing change. I was still suffered, sad, everyday stressed and many bad thing happened to me for long years. Always got money problem and no friends. Thousand times i said to god is better i die. I don't wnt live anymore. So now I'm atheist. My life becoming better. My financial becoming better. No devil in my life. So I feel I can live forever. Never die. Now really I'm alive!!!

2

I can't tell that my atheism has improved any relationships, but it has altered my selection of relationships, which is an improvement.

2

I don't think it has, other than in a rather circular way (i.e., I may have somewhat better relationships with some people because of our shared atheistic views, but the same could be said of religious people who share a belief in Jesus or Vishnu or Allah). But getting beyond the superficial connection, I don't really think being an atheist in and of itself makes me a better friend or helps me connect with other people in a stronger way.

2

I can't see that me being an atheist has helped but then I can't really know what would have been my alternative reality if I'd been religious.

2

Only that I'm allowed to HAVE relationships. As an ex-gay man I was not allowed to have relationships until I could "successfully" change my orientation. Well, that's not an issue anymore. But most of the same problems I had in other relationships I have now. We still fight over which way to put the toilet paper on the roll, where we're going to eat, why Neil DeGrasse Tyson is so awseome, and why I'm not truly "reasonable" if I don't like Christopher Hitchens... Topics changed, but people stayed the same.

3

I don't think it has improved my relationships. Most of my family are Christians and find it hard to deal with someone who is an atheist. Added to that all the religious mumbo-jumbo they talk about or events they attend I clearly think are stupid, so although I don't directly say this to them, my disapproval is quite clear. Also, though I have lots of virtual friendships online, I don't find atheists particularly sociable. I meet with a group once a month for breakfast and another group does hiking, etc, both of which are great, but overall atheists tend to be very individual and self-directed (which is not surprising!) so getting them to agree on a schedule or things to do can sometimes be very difficult. Overall, I LOVE BEING AN ATHEIST. Personally it has made a tremendous difference to my own life and sense of well-being, but when it comes to relationships it has been hard on them.

4

I honestly haven’t given it a thought because I simply DO NOT CARE or need to know about someone’s beliefs to be a happy, well adjusted adult. I don’t talk about my own beliefs, and I would be willing to bet most of the people I’ve worked with or worked for either assume I’m a Christian or care as little as I do about where ones values are rooted because it doesn’t interfere with my ability to get the job done whilst respecting everyone I come in contact with whether that person is a Mormon, a monk or a Hasidic Jew. Those differences have exactly zero to do with one’s moral code or core. The only thing I would find disturbing would be large visible swastica tattoos or anyone wearing/adorning or displaying confederate flags.

I agree with everything, especially taking a stand on what you would find disturbing.

2

For me it hasn't changed things much, most of the time I am getting on with life. I guess I am fortunate as most people I know are apatheists. With my theist friends there is generally mutual respect as far as beliefs are concerned. With family members I may hold my tongue a bit. Funerals are a challenge though.

1

To me, that question is irrelevant. U am an atheist solely because , to me, it is embracing reality. I simply accept the consequences of my decision, no matter what.

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