I don't debate or argue about higher powers or things like that anymore. I don't believe in any of it personally, I just avoid people who do as much as I can. Occasionally some dummy I'm stuck with at work will start talking about god and I just have to roll my eyes and start treating them like a child. It's not entirely avoidable unfortunately..
Anyone else here who's "apatheistic" at this point and just doesn't care?
Also hi.
Even this site has some idiots who are spiritualists, buddhists and hindus. These quacks think that their bullsit is not bullshit. But to answer your question, I personally am not apathetic when it comes to defending my lack of belief with anybody who questions it. Not many do because my advantage is I have read, and many times, all the "sacred" books from most religions and use the really idiotic content in all of them to show them how wrong they are, most of these zealots are usually dumb or have never read their own books with critical eyes, so it's easy to own them.
Hi. I would loosely classify myself as a "buddhist", not a "Buddhist" and I differentiate between the two. As the former I consider the basic teachings of the Buddha as fundamentally sound - the absence of an afterlife, that suffering starts with attachment, that nothing is fixed or permanent, that speculation on the origin of the universe is irrelevant to living well, that all living things are worthy of respect etc. What the latter do is dump a load of ritual and largely Hindu beliefs on top of this and make it into a religion with orthodoxy and dogma.
Spiritually aware people are a delight to talk with.
Those who are bound up with belief in dogmas, be they religious dogma, atheist dogma, or whatever, and are campaigning to make everyone else believe their dogmas—those people are best avoided.
I try, in person, as it leads nowhere & stupidity makes me Very cranky. But, for example, I am sitting in the waiting area of DMV (such a fun activity!!!) and the gal next to me, out of a clear blue, wants me to agree that abortion is a sin.....1st sentence outta her mouth. Shortly, she moved to a different seat far away.
@ToolGuy I just kept repeating it was none of my business, or hers, what women did with parasites infesting their bodies.
I care, because I was brainwashed as a child, and was a victim of the religion scam. I pity people who are still victims of it. Therefore, I try to reason with them and show them why the Bible is not trustworthy, and why they should free themselves from the mythology and the scam of religion.
@VeronikaAnnJ It wasn't easy to do. When I set aside blind faith and took up reality, the church excommunicated me. At that point, my wife took the children and disappeared, and I was later served with divorce papers. It was so devastating that at one point I stood in the kitchen with a knife to my heart, trying to gather the courage to kill myself. I chickened out, and I'm glad I did. Eventually, I became very happy to be free from religion, with the ability to think for myself. Life is good. I am now married to a fellow athiest, a much better person than my former wife.
I never initiate a conversation about religion and only when asked a direct question or if someone assumes I’m a believer and makes some religious reference, do I tell people I don’t believe in god. It’s nobody’s business but mine what I believe or not, and unlike some believers, and sadly some atheists too, I don’t think it’s my purpose in life to convert others to my viewpoint.
I no longer debate but I will take the piss out of the more fanatical fuckwits when they stick their religion in my face without my permission.
If I learned anything from working with mentally retarded adults, it is never to argue, or try to reason with them . It will only make you start to question your own sanity!
Or they'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
I work with a bunch of smart people and so the topic never arises.
Not me. I'll step right into that steaming heap every chance I get. Can't control myself...
It’s a test. If you respond ‘appropriately,’ they feel safe.. If you don’t, or attempt to correct them, they feel threatened. Most figure out soon that I’m not part of the scam, but they also notice, I’m a good guy. That really throws them, so when they eventually pin me down, and find I’ve nothing to do with religion or gods, it seems they’ve learned something … while I’ve just been me.
On the other hand, when a public school elementary teacher is promoting religion in your child's classroom, and encouraging ‘church friends’ to put on ‘bible plays’ during recess ... I’m the one meeting with her and the principal, prior to the school board. When picking my battles, I’ll choose one that counts..
Good to hear
You clearly do or you would have found something more interesting to post about!
I don't debate religion. Everyone has their own beliefs and I try to be respectful. I walk away from those who want a debate because I don't have time or patience to argue over it. But I'm always up for some intellectually stimulating conversation and will answer questions when asked directly while giving my opinion.
I enjoy smiling and doing things like referring to such things as "superstition" in casual passing conversation. I find it staves much of it off.
I try to avoid any discussions having to do with religion or god or spirituality, but a few people just can't help but bring up the subject to provoke me because they know I'm an atheist. Sadly, the last real conversation I had with my father before he passed away last fall was a three-hour argument about god (and some other things). I just called him to see how he liked the fruit basket I had ordered for delivery on Father's Day, and somehow we were debating god. It became heated because I was frustrated with his repetitive nonsense statements that bulldozed over my logical arguments (and repeated pleas to stop talking about this subject). Sometimes, it's just futile to debate religion with brainwashed people.
I also come here to avoid discussions of religion. I haven't been around here much lately because I got a bit tired of the numerous postings having to do with religion.
I am rapidly getting to that point but can't seem to cross over completely. There is just something about mangling a "Bible Thumper" who is a "know it all" that is warming to the soul. I trashed a Methodist Minister one time who had a PHD in Religious Studies from some "Christian Based University" and he couldn't win a single argument. Logic wins the day every time. Every once in a while I need a snack.
I've avoided it around people I know personally in the real world who are apolitical who don't want to talk about any controversial topics and just want to hang out as friends. Sometimes I also extend this policy to people I've already discussed the subject with in great detail where we usually don't reach an agreement. But overall when it comes to these issues I can talk about them all day.
The only person I debate this subject with is my wife of 30 plus years ,who is a believer but not at all religious. She realizes I make sense and has relinquished her belief in the catholic religion over the years and excepts that I am agnostic..For what it’s worth I think believers are prone to be more receptive to the ideology of agnostics over that of atheists .
As an atheist since 13, I never discuss religion. It's like opening a Pandora's box.
I chose rational thought, not magical beliefs.