how about: God damn it!

Maybe in crosswords or Scrabble.

Although I'm an atheist, I do know that some of my family/friends find much comfort in these words. I find their reasons for this infuriating (especially during this pandemic) but, if it eases their minds, I am comforted by that. i love them all very much and would hate to think their fear was immobilizing or causing harm to them.

Those sorts of words can be very useful when speaking to religious people. It's much easier to be sociable and on good terms with them if you speak their language.

Why not? Just because they don’t have the same emotional connotations that they do for the self-deluded, doesn’t mean that they can’t be treated academically.

I guess you could associate a "God" with the natural order of the universe. The only difference is the universe is indifferent to you and your journey.

Sure, you can end a very educated point with "Of course, the religious will disagree as it conflicts with their church's views on god..."

You can end just about any educated point with that sentence...

I find it a mixed bag. Some Christian words like "sacred" and "soul" I find easy to attach meaning to, just not the same meaning they have. But I find no use for "sin", "creator" and "god"; there is nothing in my experience which they can attach to.

I don't believe the Church or religion have any place in the life of an atheist. God, on the other hand, has been given so many definitions and is seen in so many ways that it's difficult to give a concrete answer. If by God you mean the all powerful ancient entity that watches you every second of your life, then absolutely not. But if you define God, as many people I know, as this abstract idea of positive energy in the universe that embodies good and gives comfort to people, maybe. It's a very interesting question.

Perhaps, but only when moving beyond their traditional context, in the same frame of mind as that of my avatar:

“I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church.
All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.”
Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason

imo the concepts might, once they are returned to their original definitions anyway, for example "God" might be Spirit--same thing you can create by walking into a room--Religion maybe Something ritual done over and over, "by rote" iow--that thing pagans do while calling it "worship"--Church is People, etc. I can dig up the relevant vv if you like. Fwiw the Bible literally says that Yah "had hated" believers, or what we now call "Christians." In more than one place even

Meh. Words are largely bullshit. But I do enjoy the stained glass, incense, Gregorian chants and all the trappings of religion. The ideas cause murder, injustice, war, missionaries.

Religion... pure and faultless is this: to help widows and orphans in need and avoiding worldly corruption. James 1:27

Why refer to anything else as a religion?

Yes I think whatever your take on reality, being aware of ideas and beliefs around you is a positive thing. Belief and faith are concepts that expand beyond the parameters of religiosity and prejudice. I think it's okay to have an invisible friend if it makes you less lonely. Just in the back of your mind, be aware when push comes to shove you're still betting on yourself.

I don’t know any people like you who make a fuss about semantics so I couldn’t say.

I do know that if you want it to it can be a traumatic experience to use the words gods religion or church if you buy into your own rhetoric.

Alternatively, you could address the current challenges in life and consider the elements that cause people real problems and maybe help to address those

At this time there may be people who use those words that you could help, unless their use of those words bars your compassion and empathy.

Sure it can, those words can have a positive place - making me happy, even laugh! It all depends on the context. For example, "Church". Hearing "the Church burned down" warms my heart! Or "Religion" - it would make me happy to hear "Religion has been banned from schools". Or the word "God", it would make me laugh to hear "Oh God I have dedicated my whole life to you -- why did you let this happen?!! Aaaaarrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhh! The Pain!!!!!!"

If you set your internal frame of reference as atheist or agnostic, your whole lifestyle and focus, would be thus.

On the other, if you shunt between and dab into the two, being indecisive, your physical, emotional and psychological being will certainly be controlled and affected, in that manner.

For example, who would you rather believe would control/cure COVID19, god/God or science, or a combination of the two.

Try it, you will see.

I imagine if a church local to you does a lot of community service and you are into community service, then maybe there may be parts of the church activities that you cn like...Just like there are parts of a person that you may like even though you pretty much don't like that person.

I wouldn't say that it have a positive place in my life but it certainly have in someone else's so I will always try to use it in a positive way. Like, it's impossible argue religion, philosophy, history or even science without this words, so make it in a way that work for you.

‘god,’ an unreal concept. ‘Religion,’ those who follow an unreal concept. ‘Church,’ a building that shelters those promoting an unreal concept. An Atheist, too, none of that has room in my life ~

Imagine there's no heaven, ... and no religion too. While I am not a fan of that song most days (too slow for me), it uses those words in a positive fashion, IMNSHO. I'm sure you can come up with other contexts as those who wrote before me have done.

Words are used for communication. Certainly there can be times when words with a religious source or meaning are the proper choice to convey your thoughts. Using words that are empty & meaningless to you does not mean you suddenly believe their context. Simple example: if someone sneezes and you say "bless you" you're not suddenly a believer; you're just following social protocol. It's just words.

†he problem with Religions are †hese Dol†s, Minions & ʞƆ∩F†ards, make LAWS †ha† suppress others. It always amazes me when a politician will get up & tell how †heir Christian upbringing has helped form a wonderful law of suppression.
My fav is when Christians claim to be suppressed.
Goddess ßless.

God could be your best self...

RELIGION is most accurately defined as “way of life” and should be able to be just that!

SPIRIT meant MIND in the Buddhism I lived.

They also called the pantheon of gods in Buddhism realities and descriptions of reality, life, nature, the universe and human potential/nature...

Everything was reality and should never contradict known science!

You are free to define whatever word you like having whatever meaning you wish to endow. Some people define God as nature; Church as any beautiful building or community of people that like each other.

I define God as probably fictional (in most cases malevolent leader of masses of delusional theist unwilling or unable to accept or process the complexities of reality in favor of blind obedience to an unsubstantiated or supernatural (not real) leader fictional or (in some cases) real figure adored by delusional masses who place such tyrants such as tRump in positions of indefensible power.)

I define Church as a structure or organization designed to brainwash sheeple into accepting faith (belief without evidence) over facts - - to dumb down the masses and devalue truth, science, integrity, and honsty so Charlestons can harvest the resources of the ignorant masses religions produce.

I define religion as the product of faith (belief without evidence defended against evidence); an organization or practice of those who have surrendered the riggers of ration thought for their own intellectually lazy self comfort.