Is anyone else an atheist with BC besides me?

Spookiesmom

I told jehova Wittnes I was a Witch and shut the doo

KIDI919

wren 44, nature is my go to place to to find peace. If there was a god or is he is f-ed up. Frankly I can't see worshiping something that allows the shit that goes on. Yeah yeah, free will is what the believers will say. I to have been less on this forum ( not that you can notice...lol). It's awful

DivineMrsM

kidi, your comment reminds me of a meme I saw on Facebook and may have posted it here previously. It said, “The difference between your God and me is that I would stop childhood rape if I could." So-called religious people want to give their god the credit when someone survives something horrible like that but why the hell, if there is a god, does he/she not prevent it the first place? If this god is so effing powerful and so capable of bringing about so much good, why is the evil not stopped? So much pain and suffering.

AliceBastable

Why would anyone want or need a god when we have this?

Well, shit. This completely effed-up site won't even let me post a photo anymore. It was the latest from the James Webb telescope.

Miriandra

Agreed, Alice. There is a trick to posting images. You can't simply paste into the text box anymore. You have to upload the image. And only certain formats are allowed - .jpg, .gif, and the more basic ones.

Here is the James Webb Telescope site, with absolutely gorgeous images. https://www.nasa.gov/webbfirstimages

AliceBastable

Nope, it won't even let me upload jpegs, which is how I've always done it.

Miriandra

Geh, this site. I swear.

jo6359

Thanks for the link. The images from the James Webb telescope are stunning. My 90-year-old father passed away yesterday. It was time and it was okay. The tough part is dealing with so many family members and Friends who are demanding prayer circles. I simply walk away. One of my sisters informed me I should just hold hands and pretend. F that. My mother said "you don't believe in God, that's fine with me and it was fine with your daddy." Don't worry about what other people think. For the most part my immediate family is respectful of my atheism but distant relatives think they have the right to patronize me because I don't share their beliefs. Just venting a little bit. Time to go back in.

Miriandra

I'm sorry for your loss, Jo, even if it was expected. I hope you and your family finds comfort and peace.

AliceBastable

jo6359, I'm sorry about your father, and about your crappy relatives. Sometimes I'm really glad that I have very few relatives to deal with. Once my Mom died four years ago, I felt free to disown one cousin (her nephew) because I no longer had to play nice with a human turd "for family's sake." But Mom couldn't stand him, either! She just never could break that good manners wall. I can and did!

DivineMrsM

Jo, my condolences on the loss of your father. Ninety years is an impressive long life.

I don't agree with “faking" the prayer in a circle thing, either. In my opinion, choosing not to pray is a boundary set in place. When someone suggests you “fake it”, they are pushing that boundary. I recently read about the difference between “belonging" to a group as opposed to “fitting in". When you “belong" to a group, you are accepted for what and who you are and they don't try to change you. “Fitting in" requires you to change who you are to become acceptable to the group. I've felt pressured to “fit in” many times in my life. I'm finally learning to stand my ground and live by my own convictions and not caving to the attempted control of others. The more I do it, the better I feel!

This week at the pool, a woman I met last year invited me to movie night at her church. They're showing some “chosen" series for the next x number of weeks. I told her thanks but I would not be going. She smiled and said, “one of these days I'll get you there." I smiled and said, “don't count on it." She knows I'm not religious and that I don't attend church. She has seen me not join prayer circles at our line dance class. Yet she persists.

I severely dislike when church goers see me as some kind of conquest where they can high five themselves if they get me to attend church. I am very much against their pressure tactics and not recognizing that no means no.

I will, at some point, explain to her that I’d like her to respect that I have my own views on religion. I know my own mind, I've had my own experiences in life and I don't need “led" to any truth. I’m not broken. I've uncovered my own truths, and am not blindly following what others tell me to follow.

Miriandra

Maybe invite her over to watch a movie some Sunday morning. Then when she begs off because that's when church services are held, say, "One of these days, I'll get you there."

But then you'd have to tolerate her as a captured audience for a few hours.

AliceBastable

That's right up there with "I'll pray for you," which too many christians say as a threat to induce you to join their cult. But if we say "Please don't" or "No thank you," WE'RE the villains. I take it out on random FB people since I've gotten a ton of church spam ads lately.

Miriandra

This needed to be shared!

The Saga of Bjorn

AliceBastable

Poor Bjorn!

illimae

That was great 😆

DivineMrsM

I always tire of the carte blanche way most people approach religion. Not to mention that the Bible says nothing about abortion.

trippositive

I have to say when someone says “they’ll pray for me” I don’t take offense to that. That’s what they believe will help me, and even though I don’t believe that I take it with gratitude. If someone says they’re going to light a candle for me or chant around a statue, go for it. Who really knows and if it will make them feel like they are helping me then why should it bother me?

AliceBastable

trippositive, I don't care if they do it, but why the need to tell the person about it? They're bragging about interceding on your behalf with their invisible BFF. In other words, doing nothing. But they want you to THINK they're doing something, AND be grateful for it!. How would you feel if someone said "I'll talk to the Easter Bunny about you?" Or "I'll put in a good word with my garden gnome?" Most people would roll their eyes and say "Whatever" and mumble about nutters under their breath. Or ask what they're smoking and if they'd share. Now THAT might be helpful!

wrenn

Dear Alice, thank you for making my day.

Again.

AlwaysMeC

One side of my family is very devoutly Catholic. Growing up, my mom tried all kinds of forms of Christianity, so I had a different view of what it meant to be devoted to a religion. Catholicism by far is the most ritualistic, a little creepy if removing oneself to observe during a service. Although I truly respect that side of my family for being devoted to something and using that to be devoted to each other, I can't shake the creepiness. So I mostly described myself as agnostic. Now I think I am an atheist. I don't believe in anything anymore, other than what is going on at the moment, especially since no amount of prayer results in quantifiable amounts for everyone equally. It makes no sense that some people have it harder while others don't and they have the same God.

DivineMrsM

You made my day, too, Alice!!!

Hahahahaha! Garden gnome…..

DivineMrsM

It makes no sense that some people have it harder while others don't and they have the same God

So well stated, alwaysmec.

AliceBastable

alwaysmec, it's like when there's a disaster and people say "The Looord saved me!" while dead bodies float by in the background, poor unsaved suckers.

AlwaysMeC

Alicebastable, yeah... suckers like the rest of us I guess. But yeah sounds about right!

MinusTwo

Alice - I actually, really do have a picture of me sitting on the Easter Bunny's lap when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I guess I was telling him what I wanted for Easter. Hmmm - if you don't get it from Santa, try the bunny. Or try the gnome!!!

DivineMrsM

I really dislike when religious people act like some terrible fate befell a person because they didn't believe or turned their back on God, yet when something similar happens to a believer they will say, “God was with *name of person* and never left their side." What?

Earlier this year, a woman I know tripped and fell down steps on her way out of church. She was badly injured, torn ligaments in one arm, shattered elbow on the other and has since had three surgeries on it, a banged up face with a chipped tooth. Had to spend a month at a skilled care facility. Still in pain from the elbow and going to physical therapy. She 's giving the glory to God, of all things. The day of the fall, as parishioners rushed to her aid, she said one told her later they saw an angel beside her. Geez, couldn't the angel have shown up a minute or two earlier and spared her the fall? (I shoulda been cute and said, “Was the parishioner sure it was an angel and not a garden gnome?)

Her friend, who is also an acquaintance of mine, recently had her wallet stolen while at the cinema with the above woman. Upsetting and a huge inconvenience. She's spent many days having to cancel her driver's license, credit cards, replace her medical cards, concealed carry permit and so on. Plus the yucky feeling of knowing someone stole something from you. I felt awful for her. But then she turns around and tries to get me to attend their church. Like I'm broke and I need fixing. I like them both and am sorry for their difficulties, but with their track record, I think I'm better off doing my own thing. Their God doesn't seem to be sparing them from troubles.

wrenn

From 'Aunt Crabby Calls Bullshit' on Twitter.

AliceBastable

Wrenn, Oh, did that make my day!

divinemrsm, It's so tempting to tell people that any god who's that incompetent and has such a shitty attitude should be fired. It's pretty much what we all did, except for the lucky ones who were raised right.

ThreeTree

Very funny, Wrenn!