Atheist Discussion Thread

[Pathfinder]

I thought it would be a good idea to give atheists a place to discuss (if comfortable) a little of our background, what brought us to atheism, why we are atheists and what atheism means to us.  I also think for fun, anyone could share a scientific discovery or interest that excites them. I would like this thread to give atheists a sense of community and to anyone who is currently deconstructing resources to help and show they are not alone. I understand there are probably not many atheists on here, and this thread may only last as long as my own post, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to try anyway.

So I will go first. I was raised Catholic, went to a Catholic Elementary School and a Franciscan High school. I was baptized, took first communion,  and was confirmed. So what led me to atheism? I have always been insatiably curious and loved to learn new things. For me, the greatest goal for a teacher or parent is to see their child exceed them. Be more, greater, go farther. For me, the unexamined life is not worth living. You cannot learn and understand others without knowledge and you cannot gain knowledge without questions. It never quite sat well with me that religion sought to silence those questions. As I learned more, my issues with religion overall also grew till I have found it to be harmful, and do not see a need for it at all. That is why I am an atheist.

Now what does atheism mean for me. It means there is no convincing evidence for the existence of a deity or the supernatural. The claims made by various religions do not hold up to my criteria for evidence. I base my morals on empathy, and if I had to codify them I would lean toward the structure of Matt Dillahunty. Morals are an evolutionary trait that we can agree on subjectively, and then measure objectively.

I am really excited about the recent developments and discoveries in abiogenesis. To think that RNA can self assemble and potentially lead to the building blocks of life is amazing!

Finally below is a great website with resources for anyone deconstructing from their religion. Thank you!

www.recoveringfromreligion.org

[Rynturning_Light She/Her]

10 minutes ago, Pathfinder said:

I thought it would be a good idea to give atheists a place to discuss (if comfortable) a little of our background, what brought us to atheism, why we are atheists and what atheism means to us.  I also think for fun, anyone could share a scientific discovery or interest that excites them. I would like this thread to give atheists a sense of community and to anyone who is currently deconstructing resources to help and show they are not alone. I understand there are probably not many atheists on here, and this thread may only last as long as my own post, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to try anyway.

So I will go first. I was raised Catholic, went to a Catholic Elementary School and a Franciscan High school. I was baptized, took first communion,  and was confirmed. So what led me to atheism? I have always been insatiably curious and loved to learn new things. For me, the greatest goal for a teacher or parent is to see their child exceed them. Be more, greater, go farther. For me, the unexamined life is not worth living. You cannot learn and understand others without knowledge and you cannot gain knowledge without questions. It never quite sat well with me that religion sought to silence those questions. As I learned more, my issues with religion overall also grew till I have found it to be harmful, and do not see a need for it at all. That is why I am an atheist.

Now what does atheism mean for me. It means there is no convincing evidence for the existence of a deity or the supernatural. The claims made by various religions do not hold up to my criteria for evidence. I base my morals on empathy, and if I had to codify them I would lean toward the structure of Matt Dillahunty. Morals are an evolutionary trait that we can agree on subjectively, and then measure objectively.

I am really excited about the recent developments and discoveries in abiogenesis. To think that RNA can self assemble and potentially lead to the building blocks of life is amazing!

Finally below is a great website with resources for anyone deconstructing from their religion. Thank you!

www.recoveringfromreligion.org

:0

A fellow atheist

I was raised in an atheistic household, so nothing led me to it from an outside religion or belief. However, both my parents were raised in Christian households (i think baptist?) and they both left due to various differences in beliefs and values. So, with these experiences, they raised me and my brother to be freethinking and decide on what feels right to us. For me (all of us really), this was the fact that all the scientific data and evidence discovered by humans doesn't support the existnance of an all powerful god or deity.

Part of my belief is a lack of evidence, and another part is that, looking at the sheer randomness of everything, things like fate or a divine plan just doesn't make sense in context. Every time someone around me (I live in the bible belt) would say "god has a plan" or something along those lines, I would want to respond by pointing out all the random objectively bad things that have happened to everyone, regardless of their decisions (like the pandemic for example or any war ever).

A scientific event that excites me is the James Webb telescope. I love space, and seeing more of what's out there and how it works is just truly fascinating. Also genetic discoveries, like getting closer to curing genetic diseases while they develop in the womb.

[Honors Spectral Image She/her]

43 minutes ago, Pathfinder said:

I thought it would be a good idea to give atheists a place to discuss (if comfortable) a little of our background, what brought us to atheism, why we are atheists and what atheism means to us.  I also think for fun, anyone could share a scientific discovery or interest that excites them. I would like this thread to give atheists a sense of community and to anyone who is currently deconstructing resources to help and show they are not alone. I understand there are probably not many atheists on here, and this thread may only last as long as my own post, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to try anyway.

So I will go first. I was raised Catholic, went to a Catholic Elementary School and a Franciscan High school. I was baptized, took first communion,  and was confirmed. So what led me to atheism? I have always been insatiably curious and loved to learn new things. For me, the greatest goal for a teacher or parent is to see their child exceed them. Be more, greater, go farther. For me, the unexamined life is not worth living. You cannot learn and understand others without knowledge and you cannot gain knowledge without questions. It never quite sat well with me that religion sought to silence those questions. As I learned more, my issues with religion overall also grew till I have found it to be harmful, and do not see a need for it at all. That is why I am an atheist.

Now what does atheism mean for me. It means there is no convincing evidence for the existence of a deity or the supernatural. The claims made by various religions do not hold up to my criteria for evidence. I base my morals on empathy, and if I had to codify them I would lean toward the structure of Matt Dillahunty. Morals are an evolutionary trait that we can agree on subjectively, and then measure objectively.

I am really excited about the recent developments and discoveries in abiogenesis. To think that RNA can self assemble and potentially lead to the building blocks of life is amazing!

Finally below is a great website with resources for anyone deconstructing from their religion. Thank you!

www.recoveringfromreligion.org

Wowzers a fellow atheist, I was not raised in religion but both my parents were

Uhhh I’m rly bad at science buttt I like like music theory and that’s kinda science and like the science around music, I also think space is rly cool, I don’t believe in any gods bc as you said no evidence and I feel like god would like make the world a better place if he did exist

[Usseewa ✾ She♡Her ✾]

2 hours ago, Pathfinder said:

I thought it would be a good idea to give atheists a place to discuss (if comfortable) a little of our background, what brought us to atheism, why we are atheists and what atheism means to us.  I also think for fun, anyone could share a scientific discovery or interest that excites them. I would like this thread to give atheists a sense of community and to anyone who is currently deconstructing resources to help and show they are not alone. I understand there are probably not many atheists on here, and this thread may only last as long as my own post, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to try anyway.

So I will go first. I was raised Catholic, went to a Catholic Elementary School and a Franciscan High school. I was baptized, took first communion,  and was confirmed. So what led me to atheism? I have always been insatiably curious and loved to learn new things. For me, the greatest goal for a teacher or parent is to see their child exceed them. Be more, greater, go farther. For me, the unexamined life is not worth living. You cannot learn and understand others without knowledge and you cannot gain knowledge without questions. It never quite sat well with me that religion sought to silence those questions. As I learned more, my issues with religion overall also grew till I have found it to be harmful, and do not see a need for it at all. That is why I am an atheist.

Now what does atheism mean for me. It means there is no convincing evidence for the existence of a deity or the supernatural. The claims made by various religions do not hold up to my criteria for evidence. I base my morals on empathy, and if I had to codify them I would lean toward the structure of Matt Dillahunty. Morals are an evolutionary trait that we can agree on subjectively, and then measure objectively.

I am really excited about the recent developments and discoveries in abiogenesis. To think that RNA can self assemble and potentially lead to the building blocks of life is amazing!

Finally below is a great website with resources for anyone deconstructing from their religion. Thank you!

www.recoveringfromreligion.org

I'm an Atheist who was raised in a religious family.

Not much to say lol, or not much I wanna say, but I think this thread is cool.

Hmm, a scientific discovery... 

srry i got nothin'. I guess I like space stuff, sometimes. Computers, if that counts. Vaccines and medicine and stuff.

[CoderDrag0n8 He/Him]

3 hours ago, Pathfinder said:

I thought it would be a good idea to give atheists a place to discuss (if comfortable) a little of our background, what brought us to atheism, why we are atheists and what atheism means to us.  I also think for fun, anyone could share a scientific discovery or interest that excites them. I would like this thread to give atheists a sense of community and to anyone who is currently deconstructing resources to help and show they are not alone. I understand there are probably not many atheists on here, and this thread may only last as long as my own post, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to try anyway.

So I will go first. I was raised Catholic, went to a Catholic Elementary School and a Franciscan High school. I was baptized, took first communion,  and was confirmed. So what led me to atheism? I have always been insatiably curious and loved to learn new things. For me, the greatest goal for a teacher or parent is to see their child exceed them. Be more, greater, go farther. For me, the unexamined life is not worth living. You cannot learn and understand others without knowledge and you cannot gain knowledge without questions. It never quite sat well with me that religion sought to silence those questions. As I learned more, my issues with religion overall also grew till I have found it to be harmful, and do not see a need for it at all. That is why I am an atheist.

Now what does atheism mean for me. It means there is no convincing evidence for the existence of a deity or the supernatural. The claims made by various religions do not hold up to my criteria for evidence. I base my morals on empathy, and if I had to codify them I would lean toward the structure of Matt Dillahunty. Morals are an evolutionary trait that we can agree on subjectively, and then measure objectively.

I am really excited about the recent developments and discoveries in abiogenesis. To think that RNA can self assemble and potentially lead to the building blocks of life is amazing!

Finally below is a great website with resources for anyone deconstructing from their religion. Thank you!

www.recoveringfromreligion.org

Fellow athiest!
I am a bit more agnostic, I will get to that in Paragraph 2

2 hours ago, Rynturning_Light said:

:0

A fellow atheist

I was raised in an atheistic household, so nothing led me to it from an outside religion or belief. However, both my parents were raised in Christian households (i think baptist?) and they both left due to various differences in beliefs and values. So, with these experiences, they raised me and my brother to be freethinking and decide on what feels right to us. For me (all of us really), this was the fact that all the scientific data and evidence discovered by humans doesn't support the existnance of an all powerful god or deity.

Part of my belief is a lack of evidence, and another part is that, looking at the sheer randomness of everything, things like fate or a divine plan just doesn't make sense in context. Every time someone around me (I live in the bible belt) would say "god has a plan" or something along those lines, I would want to respond by pointing out all the random objectively bad things that have happened to everyone, regardless of their decisions (like the pandemic for example or any war ever).

A scientific event that excites me is the James Webb telescope. I love space, and seeing more of what's out there and how it works is just truly fascinating. Also genetic discoveries, like getting closer to curing genetic diseases while they develop in the womb.

2 hours ago, Honors Ghost said:

Wowzers a fellow atheist, I was not raised in religion but both my parents were

Uhhh I’m rly bad at science buttt I like like music theory and that’s kinda science and like the science around music, I also think space is rly cool, I don’t believe in any gods bc as you said no evidence and I feel like god would like make the world a better place if he did exist

1 hour ago, Usseewa said:

I'm an Atheist who was raised in a religious family.

Not much to say lol, or not much I wanna say, but I think this thread is cool.

Hmm, a scientific discovery... 

srry i got nothin'. I guess I like space stuff, sometimes. Computers, if that counts. Vaccines and medicine and stuff.

Hiii

I was raised in what had never been a super religous family, but still a religous one nonetheless. A fairly jewish mom, and I think a Jewish Dad? I'm pretty sure he wasn't christian, and at the time I didn't really understand just 'not believing' in anything. I went to hebrew school (or whatever it was called) and learned about the Torah (for those chirstians or with christian backgrounds, the Old Testament). My Sister's bat mitzvah was her 'athiest awakening'. For those who don't know, on your Bar or Bat Mitzvah you read from a section of the Torah (written in hebrew) and write a speech about it. She got a... rough part of the torah. Something something, force bad people to eat their children, something something. She knows exactly what it said, she wrote a speech about it. When she asked her Rabbi who was helping her about it, her rabbi explained that only super orthodox jews believe in that part. My sister thought that was strange, because if you thought your holy text was holy, why wouldn't you believe the whole thing. Me, however, I never really cared all that much. I knew I was athiest during my bar mitzvah. I still consider myself jewish, just by culture and not by religon.

I take a... slightly more spiritual view on athiesm, as ironic as that sounds. Like I said, I am agnostic, so I aknowledge that, yeah, god might exist, but that lore has not yet been confirmed. And all of the lore drops since the God Theory was first proposed in the fandom point towards it being false, so I think that's probably where the devs are going with it (a little bit of a Video Game metaphor, lol). I think that everything religon poses, the spirituality, can be summed up the same way I sum up what I believe to be the meaning of life. 'The Meaning of life is to find meaning'. I think meaning only exists if there is something their to give it meaning, and the meaning of the world and everything is truth, until we decide to believe something else. Subjectivity can rule over objectivity if we let it. Don't get me wrong, I love science, but I have always taken a bit more of a spiritual approach to athiesm, which is one of the bigger reasons I call myself agnostic.

And as for science... Hmm... I like quantum physics. Space is Cool (by markiplier) and I like black holes. Trees are fascinating, crows are complex, and escelators are really cool. Antimatter is great, cells are really cool, and I have run out of things to talk about.

[Treamayne]

For anybody who may be curious - Atheism definitions:
(I, personally, find the nuance in the definitions interesting, becuase so many lump us all into one bucket, as if Faith is allowed to have many paths and beliefs, but the absence of faith is just one lump group - and I reject that hypothesis)

Quote

Implicit atheism is "the absence of theistic belief without a conscious rejection of it" and explicit atheism is the conscious rejection of belief.

Positive atheism is the explicit affirmation that gods do not exist. Negative atheism includes all other forms of non-theism. According to this categorization, anyone who is not a theist is either a negative or a positive atheist. Michael Martin, for example, asserts that agnosticism entails negative atheism. Agnostic atheism encompasses both atheism and agnosticism.

Quote

Agnostic atheism – or atheistic agnosticism – is a philosophical position that encompasses both atheism and agnosticism. Agnostic atheists are atheistic because they do not hold a belief in the existence of any deity, and they are agnostic because they claim that such existence of a divine entity or entities is either unknowable in principle or currently unknown in fact.

 

Because it is tangentially related - Agnosticism: 

Quote

Scottish Enlightenment philosopher David Hume contended that meaningful statements about the universe are always qualified by some degree of doubt. He asserted that the fallibility of human beings means that they cannot obtain absolute certainty except in trivial cases where a statement is true by definition (e.g. , tautologies such as "all bachelors are unmarried" or "all triangles have three corners").

• Strong agnosticism - Also called "hard", "closed", "strict", or "permanent agnosticism", strong agnosticism is the view that the question of the existence or nonexistence of a deity or deities, and the nature of ultimate reality is unknowable by reason of our natural inability to verify any subjective experience with anything but another subjective experience. A strong agnostic would say, "I cannot know whether a deity exists or not, and neither can you." 

• Weak agnosticism - Also called "soft", "open", "empirical", "hopeful", or "temporal agnosticism", weak agnosticism is the view that the existence or nonexistence of any deities is currently unknown but is not necessarily unknowable; therefore, one will withhold judgement until evidence, if any, becomes available. A weak agnostic would say, "I don't know whether any deities exist or not, but maybe one day, if there is evidence, we can find something out." 

• Apathetic agnosticism - The view that no amount of debate can prove or disprove the existence of one or more deities, and if one or more deities exist, they do not appear to be concerned about the fate of humans. Therefore, some may feel their existence has little to no impact on personal human affairs and should be of little interest. An apathetic agnostic would say, "I don't know whether any deity exists or not, and I don't care if any deity exists or not."

 

I once had to describe in an exam, in Korean, to a teacher what the difference was between Atheism and Agnosticism because Korean does not differentiate between the two (the only word they have literally translates as "not-god belief person"). 

Hope that helps

[CoderDrag0n8 He/Him]

5 minutes ago, Treamayne said:

For anybody who may be curious - Atheism definitions:
(I, personally, find the nuance in the definitions interesting, becuase so many lump us all into one bucket, as if Faith is allowed to have many paths and beliefs, but the absence of faith is just one lump group - and I reject that hypothesis)

Quote

Implicit atheism is "the absence of theistic belief without a conscious rejection of it" and explicit atheism is the conscious rejection of belief.

Positive atheism is the explicit affirmation that gods do not exist. Negative atheism includes all other forms of non-theism. According to this categorization, anyone who is not a theist is either a negative or a positive atheist. Michael Martin, for example, asserts that agnosticism entails negative atheism. Agnostic atheism encompasses both atheism and agnosticism.

Quote

Agnostic atheism – or atheistic agnosticism – is a philosophical position that encompasses both atheism and agnosticism. Agnostic atheists are atheistic because they do not hold a belief in the existence of any deity, and they are agnostic because they claim that such existence of a divine entity or entities is either unknowable in principle or currently unknown in fact.

 

Because it is tangentially related - Agnosticism: 

Quote

Scottish Enlightenment philosopher David Hume contended that meaningful statements about the universe are always qualified by some degree of doubt. He asserted that the fallibility of human beings means that they cannot obtain absolute certainty except in trivial cases where a statement is true by definition (e.g. , tautologies such as "all bachelors are unmarried" or "all triangles have three corners").

• Strong agnosticism - Also called "hard", "closed", "strict", or "permanent agnosticism", strong agnosticism is the view that the question of the existence or nonexistence of a deity or deities, and the nature of ultimate reality is unknowable by reason of our natural inability to verify any subjective experience with anything but another subjective experience. A strong agnostic would say, "I cannot know whether a deity exists or not, and neither can you." 

• Weak agnosticism - Also called "soft", "open", "empirical", "hopeful", or "temporal agnosticism", weak agnosticism is the view that the existence or nonexistence of any deities is currently unknown but is not necessarily unknowable; therefore, one will withhold judgement until evidence, if any, becomes available. A weak agnostic would say, "I don't know whether any deities exist or not, but maybe one day, if there is evidence, we can find something out." 

• Apathetic agnosticism - The view that no amount of debate can prove or disprove the existence of one or more deities, and if one or more deities exist, they do not appear to be concerned about the fate of humans. Therefore, some may feel their existence has little to no impact on personal human affairs and should be of little interest. An apathetic agnostic would say, "I don't know whether any deity exists or not, and I don't care if any deity exists or not."

 

I once had to describe in an exam, in Korean, to a teacher what the difference was between Atheism and Agnosticism because Korean does not differentiate between the two (the only word they have literally translates as "not-god belief person"). 

Hope that helps

I think I would be the apathetic agnostic athiest one.

[Akimikoisthecutest]

3 hours ago, Pathfinder said:

I thought it would be a good idea to give atheists a place to discuss (if comfortable) a little of our background, what brought us to atheism, why we are atheists and what atheism means to us.  I also think for fun, anyone could share a scientific discovery or interest that excites them. I would like this thread to give atheists a sense of community and to anyone who is currently deconstructing resources to help and show they are not alone. I understand there are probably not many atheists on here, and this thread may only last as long as my own post, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to try anyway.

So I will go first. I was raised Catholic, went to a Catholic Elementary School and a Franciscan High school. I was baptized, took first communion,  and was confirmed. So what led me to atheism? I have always been insatiably curious and loved to learn new things. For me, the greatest goal for a teacher or parent is to see their child exceed them. Be more, greater, go farther. For me, the unexamined life is not worth living. You cannot learn and understand others without knowledge and you cannot gain knowledge without questions. It never quite sat well with me that religion sought to silence those questions. As I learned more, my issues with religion overall also grew till I have found it to be harmful, and do not see a need for it at all. That is why I am an atheist.

Now what does atheism mean for me. It means there is no convincing evidence for the existence of a deity or the supernatural. The claims made by various religions do not hold up to my criteria for evidence. I base my morals on empathy, and if I had to codify them I would lean toward the structure of Matt Dillahunty. Morals are an evolutionary trait that we can agree on subjectively, and then measure objectively.

I am really excited about the recent developments and discoveries in abiogenesis. To think that RNA can self assemble and potentially lead to the building blocks of life is amazing!

Finally below is a great website with resources for anyone deconstructing from their religion. Thank you!

www.recoveringfromreligion.org

yes I belong here. I grew up in a religious household. I am LGBTQ+ and don't believe in the stuff the church says about queer people, and me and my family left the church for other reasons but I'm so happy about it. I also love science and am a huge nerd

[Rynturning_Light She/Her]

22 minutes ago, Treamayne said:

For anybody who may be curious - Atheism definitions:
(I, personally, find the nuance in the definitions interesting, becuase so many lump us all into one bucket, as if Faith is allowed to have many paths and beliefs, but the absence of faith is just one lump group - and I reject that hypothesis)

Because it is tangentially related - Agnosticism: 

 

I once had to describe in an exam, in Korean, to a teacher what the difference was between Atheism and Agnosticism because Korean does not differentiate between the two (the only word they have literally translates as "not-god belief person"). 

Hope that helps

Huh, interesting

I guess to get into the technical terms I’m a positive implicit atheist

Didnt think my belief/identity went that deep, cool!

(also hi trea. I basically never see you, so hi)

Edited February 17 by Rynturning_Light

[Usseewa ✾ She♡Her ✾]

46 minutes ago, Treamayne said:

For anybody who may be curious - Atheism definitions:
(I, personally, find the nuance in the definitions interesting, becuase so many lump us all into one bucket, as if Faith is allowed to have many paths and beliefs, but the absence of faith is just one lump group - and I reject that hypothesis)

Because it is tangentially related - Agnosticism: 

 

I once had to describe in an exam, in Korean, to a teacher what the difference was between Atheism and Agnosticism because Korean does not differentiate between the two (the only word they have literally translates as "not-god belief person"). 

Hope that helps

ok to avoid confusing the labels: I don't believe in any deities, I reject the belief in them, I don't believe any exist, etc. etc. I don't believe in faith or religion or anything and believe they are false.

Nor the supernatural or "anything like that"

Edited February 17 by Usseewa

[Nalthian Customs Official]

4 hours ago, Pathfinder said:

I thought it would be a good idea to give atheists a place to discuss (if comfortable) a little of our background, what brought us to atheism, why we are atheists and what atheism means to us.  I also think for fun, anyone could share a scientific discovery or interest that excites them. I would like this thread to give atheists a sense of community and to anyone who is currently deconstructing resources to help and show they are not alone. I understand there are probably not many atheists on here, and this thread may only last as long as my own post, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to try anyway.

So I will go first. I was raised Catholic, went to a Catholic Elementary School and a Franciscan High school. I was baptized, took first communion,  and was confirmed. So what led me to atheism? I have always been insatiably curious and loved to learn new things. For me, the greatest goal for a teacher or parent is to see their child exceed them. Be more, greater, go farther. For me, the unexamined life is not worth living. You cannot learn and understand others without knowledge and you cannot gain knowledge without questions. It never quite sat well with me that religion sought to silence those questions. As I learned more, my issues with religion overall also grew till I have found it to be harmful, and do not see a need for it at all. That is why I am an atheist.

Now what does atheism mean for me. It means there is no convincing evidence for the existence of a deity or the supernatural. The claims made by various religions do not hold up to my criteria for evidence. I base my morals on empathy, and if I had to codify them I would lean toward the structure of Matt Dillahunty. Morals are an evolutionary trait that we can agree on subjectively, and then measure objectively.

I am really excited about the recent developments and discoveries in abiogenesis. To think that RNA can self assemble and potentially lead to the building blocks of life is amazing!

Finally below is a great website with resources for anyone deconstructing from their religion. Thank you!

www.recoveringfromreligion.org

Hello!

I was raised Roman Catholic, but both of my parents are very scientifically minded and tended to have religion be present, but not omnipresent.  I was very devout for years, being baptized, having first communion, and being confirmed.  However, I really didn't have justification for my beliefs, I just believed them because that's what I was taught to do.  Transferring from a catholic school to a more secular school, where I was exposed to people who practiced different religions and no religion at all, showed me that not everyone thought the way I did.  A couple of years later, I watched some flat earth debunkers on youtube, which segued into full atheistic content that challenged the ideas I was raised with, and I didn't have an answer. 

Atheism doesn't mean too much to me by itself, especially now.  I had a phase where I wanted to test my new arguments against believers, but that's pretty much done now.  It does mean that I feel a lot less guilt for my actions, especially for things that are only wrong in the eyes of the church.  If I do something wrong, I feel bad, I work to improve myself, and then I'm a better person who doesn't have to feel bad about it anymore.  I don't tear myself up for committing a sin and feel even worse for no reason.  I've felt so much lighter and freer ever since giving up my religion.  There are times when I Pascal's Wager myself into praying,  but it's more out of a psychological need for comfort in a stressful situation than it is a genuine attempt to communicate with a higher power.  I subscribe to the belief that there is not a good reason to believe in a higher power, especially not a good reason to organize your life around that belief, and we should only believe when there is a good enough reason to do so.  

I'm not super up to date on recent scientific discoveries, but I am excited about how far the fields of renewable and nuclear energy have come in the past few decades.  An interest of mine would be linguistics.  I'm not proficient by any means, and I have no desire to be.  It's purely a hobby.  I just love learning about how words and phrases develop across time.  

[Pathfinder]

17 hours ago, Treamayne said:

For anybody who may be curious - Atheism definitions:
(I, personally, find the nuance in the definitions interesting, becuase so many lump us all into one bucket, as if Faith is allowed to have many paths and beliefs, but the absence of faith is just one lump group - and I reject that hypothesis)

Because it is tangentially related - Agnosticism: 

 

I once had to describe in an exam, in Korean, to a teacher what the difference was between Atheism and Agnosticism because Korean does not differentiate between the two (the only word they have literally translates as "not-god belief person"). 

Hope that helps

Thank you for that information and your experience @Treamayne. I was hoping by including “what atheism means to you”, individuals could share their views on atheism and how they define their atheism as we are not a monolith. 

If you are comfortable sharing, what is a little of your background, how did it or didn’t lead you to being atheist, and what is atheism for you? Also if you like, share a fun scientific fact or discovery that excites you. Thank you for sharing! 

[Treamayne]

On 2/17/2026 at 3:13 PM, Pathfinder said:

I was hoping by including “what atheism means to you”, individuals could share their views on atheism and how they define their atheism as we are not a monolith. 

My apologies. By sharing what I did, I was only hoping to help those that might not have terminology to discuss their thoughts find some objective measure by which they could compare. 

On 2/17/2026 at 3:13 PM, Pathfinder said:

Also if you like, share a fun scientific fact or discovery that excites you.

I do not think science and atheism go hand-in-hand - but I did find the origins of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (Pastafarianism) intriguing:

Spoiler

The "Flying Spaghetti Monster" was first described in a satirical open letter written by Bobby Henderson in 2005 to protest the Kansas State Board of Education decision to permit teaching intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in state school science classes.
<snip>
In his letter, he noted,

    I think we can all look forward to the time when these three theories are given equal time in our science classrooms across the country, and eventually the world; one third time for Intelligent Design, one third time for Flying Spaghetti Monsterism, and one third time for logical conjecture based on overwhelming observable evidence.

— Bobby Henderson[11]

According to Henderson, since the intelligent design movement uses ambiguous references to a designer, any conceivable entity may fulfill that role, including a Flying Spaghetti Monster.

 

On 2/17/2026 at 3:13 PM, Pathfinder said:

what is a little of your background, how did it or didn’t lead you to being atheist

I, personally, identify as Agnostic; which was why I skipped that part of the post (as I was only trying to add helpful references). 

Hope that helps

Edited February 19 by Treamayne
SPAG/Clarity

[Pathfinder]

Perhaps making a general post might be the best way to clear the air.

First and foremost, thank you to everyone that has contributed to this thread. I appreciate all your lived in experiences and your willingness to share. I love to hear about your understanding of your atheism and what it means to you. Treamayne's definition is but one of many possible definitions. If it does not ring true to you, that is completely valid and okay! Please do not feel the need to type yourselves as a specific box of atheist when you post. If you would like to and it is resonant to you, please feel free to! I always appreciate additional information and knowledge but I hope no one is feeling limited by it. My aim in this thread is to be inclusive to all sorts of atheism and personal definitions of atheism that are all true and valid. My goal is to build community and provide resources to those who are deconstructing, regardless how that manifests for the individual. The questions were meant to be a springing off point that are all totally and completely optional! Please only post what you feel comfortable posting! Also feel free to spoiler tag it if that works better for you. Anyone can answer one, some, all or none as it pleases them!

I thought as a fun exercise people could share a scientific discovery or field that excites them. Did you all know that in every solar system we have discovered there is a super earth? We are the only solar system lacking one! That could mean there is an actual 9th planet way out there we have not discovered yet! Or there are a host of other possibilities! Fusion is not only possible, but it has been done and produces more energy than what it took to start the reaction! It's a long way from scalability but that is amazing! We have produced a robot the size of a grain of rice that can destroy gall stones! I could go on and on lol. But this too like this entire post is completely optional!

Just remember your journey as an atheist regardless how or why you came to be one is valued and valid!

Hopefully that clarified things. Thanks again to all that have posted and those that will hopefully post. Even if this thread ends at this, I appreciate everyone and their thoughts. Thank you!

[Rynturning_Light She/Her]

I'd like to spew one of the funnier interactions I've had living as an atheist in the bible belt

Cause I find it funny upon reflection and maybe yall can relate in someway:

(Spoiler for length, kinda)

Spoiler

When I was younger (maybe like 9-10) and living in rural Arkansas, I was one of the very few atheists at my school (realistically, one of the only ones). One day when we were all at lunch, some of the other kids were talking about their beliefs in Christianity and bible stories and the like.

Well, one of them decided that they needed another opinion and turn to me to provide that. With no prior warning, I was asked the question "what do you think about [bible story that I do not remember which was being discussed]?"

Obviously, I don't think about any of it, because I don't believe in any of it, so I gave the reply "oh, I don't really believe in that stuff."

One of the boys sitting across from me was shocked by this information, and upon being graced by my neutral response leaned forward on the table, looked me dead in the eyes, and exasperatedly asked me the question

"Do you worship Satan?!?"

 

Yup, younger me was shocked and confused and kind of concerned. Upon reflection and moving out of that rural area, I find this extremely hilarious and wish I had the confidence to tell him "yes."

 

[Akimikoisthecutest]

2 minutes ago, Rynturning_Light said:

I'd like to spew one of the funnier interactions I've had living as an atheist in the bible belt

Cause I find it funny upon reflection and maybe yall can relate in someway:

(Spoiler for length, kinda)

  Hide contents

When I was younger (maybe like 9-10) and living in rural Arkansas, I was one of the very few atheists at my school (realistically, one of the only ones). One day when we were all at lunch, some of the other kids were talking about their beliefs in Christianity and bible stories and the like.

Well, one of them decided that they needed another opinion and turn to me to provide that. With no prior warning, I was asked the question "what do you think about [bible story that I do not remember which was being discussed]?"

Obviously, I don't think about any of it, because I don't believe in any of it, so I gave the reply "oh, I don't really believe in that stuff."

One of the boys sitting across from me was shocked by this information, and upon being graced by my neutral response leaned forward on the table, looked me dead in the eyes, and exasperatedly asked me the question

"Do you worship Satan?!?"

 

Yup, younger me was shocked and confused and kind of concerned. Upon reflection and moving out of that rural area, I find this extremely hilarious and wish I had the confidence to tell him "yes."

 

HA! That is exactly what me and my friends do. Saying we were satanists almost got us kidnapped tho

[Rynturning_Light She/Her]

Just now, Akimikoisthecutest said:

HA! That is exactly what me and my friends do. Saying we were satanists almost got us kidnapped tho

...Wat lol

(Also, slightly related, the actual satire organization the Church of Satan is a really good company and people should give them more love)

[Pathfinder]

7 hours ago, Rynturning_Light said:

I'd like to spew one of the funnier interactions I've had living as an atheist in the bible belt

Cause I find it funny upon reflection and maybe yall can relate in someway:

(Spoiler for length, kinda)

  Reveal hidden contents

When I was younger (maybe like 9-10) and living in rural Arkansas, I was one of the very few atheists at my school (realistically, one of the only ones). One day when we were all at lunch, some of the other kids were talking about their beliefs in Christianity and bible stories and the like.

Well, one of them decided that they needed another opinion and turn to me to provide that. With no prior warning, I was asked the question "what do you think about [bible story that I do not remember which was being discussed]?"

Obviously, I don't think about any of it, because I don't believe in any of it, so I gave the reply "oh, I don't really believe in that stuff."

One of the boys sitting across from me was shocked by this information, and upon being graced by my neutral response leaned forward on the table, looked me dead in the eyes, and exasperatedly asked me the question

"Do you worship Satan?!?"

 

Yup, younger me was shocked and confused and kind of concerned. Upon reflection and moving out of that rural area, I find this extremely hilarious and wish I had the confidence to tell him "yes."

 

Oh I can definitely relate. I do not live anywhere near the bible belt, but I have had two similar experiences.

Spoiler

One night when I was in college, I was coming back from a party on the train. It was late so it was pretty much the drunk train. I had my headphones in and was reading a book when a guy came up to me and asked if the seat was available. I said no problem, and then he proceeded to tell me how I needed to accept jesus as my lord and savior in order to enter the kingdom of god. I explained clearly that it did not make sense to me that I could be a good person but because I did not place special precedence on an individual, it would result in me going to hell. We went back and forth for a good chunk of the ride while people stared at us. I don’t know if they were more surprised about someone on the drunk train responding intelligently to religious commentary, or the fact that someone was trying to convert a person at 3 am on the drunk train lol.

Another instance was at work. A coworker was talking about watching a movie where the character swerves off the road because of a deer and crashes. He then stated that if that happened to him, he would pow right through the deer. A woman listening reacted horrified that he would not try to avoid it. He said and I quote “Hey I am fine, I know I am right with god”. I kept my mouth shut, but I thought to myself “what does god and your status with it have to do hitting a deer?”. 

 

7 hours ago, Akimikoisthecutest said:

HA! That is exactly what me and my friends do. Saying we were satanists almost got us kidnapped tho

 

7 hours ago, Rynturning_Light said:

...Wat lol

(Also, slightly related, the actual satire organization the Church of Satan is a really good company and people should give them more love)

They are an incredible organization! They also show atheists can be from all walks of life. I have included a whole list of people from various background that are all atheists below! (I will add links to their content later. It’s a lot to page through lol)

 

Aron Ra was a member of the church of latter day saints and is now an atheist and a member of the Satanic Temple. 

 

Forrest Valkai was a pagan and is now an atheist. He also has what he calls smilihism or positive nihilism. He has never had a bad day lol

https://youtube.com/@valkailabs?si=6ZsPQqllL-YslY9F

 

Erika Gutsick Gibbon finds beauty in being a gentle and modern ape

https://youtube.com/@gutsickgibbon?si=NMLuL8V8O2v95eDx

 

John Gleason aka Godless Engineer was a member of the church of latter day saints and is now an atheist. 

https://youtube.com/@godlessengineer?si=53nFeWpZupXfpPvc

 

Matt Dilahunty was a baptist and is now an atheist.

https://youtube.com/@sansdeity?si=J67OvAdzyYl5zShx

 

Promise Backlund was an evangelical and is now an atheist. 

https://youtube.com/@eve_wasframed?si=LUUchgxOF_Hr2x7C

 

Arden Hart is trans and a secular humanist

https://youtube.com/@theardenhart?si=kYJV5wTLSAcXN7ug

 

Owen Morgan was a jehova’s witness and is now an atheist.

https://youtube.com/@owenmorgantelltale?si=Kp46NiGIYVRy54gO

 

Taylor Skeptical Heretic was a christian and is now an atheist.

https://youtube.com/@skeptical_heretic?si=Z6uvgyjsOqc1cSeu

 

Justin DZ was a evangelical pastor and is now an atheist

https://youtube.com/@dzdebates?si=_6XFObd4KWs-3wpM

 

Luxander Moss is trans (the bio did not identify their pronouns) and an atheist.

https://youtube.com/@luxandermoss?si=hDLP748g-ObOzYP4

 

Aaron is a physicist and is an atheist (the way he explains physics is incredibly interesting!) 

https://youtube.com/@aaronadair?si=rWigvB1rvmiKWWkl

 

(I have more but don't want this post to go on forever. I will add some trans atheists as well shortly and then call it.)

 

Edited February 18 by Pathfinder

[Through The Living Ash he/him]

Hey there! 

I think I've been atheist for pretty much my whole life. My mom is agnostic and my dad is vaguely a nondenominational Christian, so I was never really introduced to religion. Never went to church, never did any religious practices. As I got older, I found the concept of believing in something I had never believed in before to be strange without any concrete proof. The area I live in is very culturally diverse for the US (not even a Christian majority), so holidays are weird for me - I usually end up celebrating Christmas, Diwali, and Lunar New Year, because those are what a lot of people I know celebrate. I'm lucky in that there are a decent enough amount of atheists here that it's never really been an issue for me. 

[pureintonation she/her]

My parents are clergy members so I quite literally grew up in a church, wandering between pews and sneaking into bell towers. I’ve never felt anything in particular towards religion, though. Not a pull, but also no anger or resentment. When I found out about other religions as a kid, I was super fascinated. And it just seemed logical to me that Christianity wasn’t “correct.” How can half the world be condemned for not believing or sometimes even knowing about Jesus? And I know there’s a ton of theological answers to that particular train of thought… but it’s just so inconsistent. 
Also, by growing up in a church, I saw people reframing their lives through religious lenses in really confusing ways. Like, if someone is sick, we pray for them. If they get better, we thank god. If they die, it was meant to happen. You got a promotion? Thank the Lord, you deserved it! You got hit by a bus? God is testing you? For what? A single mom of 4 is being tested for what exactly? It just wasn’t consistent enough, so I never paid much attention to it in a personal way. 

In college, I took a bunch of anthropology/religion courses because ritual and belief fascinate me. 
It sounds a little crass but religion and theology occupy the very same part of my brain as fantasy does. If I were to, like, group concepts in my head the two would just completely overlap. 

I really like devout people. I’m happy for them! I don’t wish I was like them or anything, but I like it. I love when my parents have the ash on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday. I love lighting candles with my aunt on Shabbat. Boy oh boy do I love seeing a nun or imam on the street. That life is just not for me. Like seafood. Ya know? 

Yeah, I’ll light a candle when I visit the Catholic church with one side of my family, and of course I’ll say Hamotzi over the challah. I love ritual, action, movement, belief, humanity. But I could never commit. All the religions are right, and they’re all completely wrong. 

I’m not as scientific as many of you. I don’t need an equation to believe in (or not believe in) God. No one does because ultimately religions center around faith and the unseen. Hope, devotion. It’s so deliciously human! An animal could never build a place of worship, would never prostrate themselves to an unseen force that they’ve gaslit themselves into believing in, or deny their own instincts for an abstract concept like repentance or purity. 

I don’t believe, but I think belief is beautiful. In the same way I think Dune is cool. And Stormlight. And Harry Potter…

Wait and I guess what I mean to is that I don’t need proof that god exists I recognize that that isn’t the point lf religion. But why would I rearrange my whole life… my lifestyle, the way my brain works, for a single system of belief that is as inconsistent as the others? If praying to a tree or shooting a dart at a dartboard and telling myself “If I get a bullseye, x will happen!” is just as consistent as prayer… I just don’t get the point. 

[pureintonation she/her]

I’d rather just shoot the dart than confess my sins to a guy in a closet or actually keep Shabbat properly or do first communion or kneel on a prayer mat. Or read the same thousand year old text year after year to find a new interpretation of it. Or whatever else there is. The outcome will be the same probably. Unless the thing in question depends on my actions haha

which also confused me as a kid… sometimes my family would pray that I get a good grade on a test. Like I think that’s on me, guys..

[CoderDrag0n8 He/Him]

I will say, that I have always kinda had this...

Personal resentment towards religion, ya know? I don't believe in it, and I think people should be allowed to believe in it, but like...

Some religions are just toxic, ya know? There is this great quote, it goes something along the lines of, American Indian: "So if I never knew about Jesus or sin, and had no way of knowing, I wouldn't go to hell?" Pastor: "Yes." American Indian: "Then why, oh why, did you tell me?" (Paraphrased).

I think most religions are fine, but I also think if it tries to convert you, it is kinda toxic.

edit: found the image, it was an intuit hunter, not a Native American, sorry.

Spoiler

 

Edited February 20 by CoderDrag0n8

[pureintonation she/her]

17 hours ago, CoderDrag0n8 said:

I will say, that I have always kinda had this...

Personal resentment towards religion, ya know? I don't believe in it, and I think people should be allowed to believe in it, but like...

Some religions are just toxic, ya know? There is this great quote, it goes something along the lines of, American Indian: "So if I never knew about Jesus or sin, and had no way of knowing, I wouldn't go to hell?" Pastor: "Yes." American Indian: "Then why, oh why, did you tell me?" (Paraphrased).

I think most religions are fine, but I also think if it tries to convert you, it is kinda toxic.

edit: found the image, it was an intuit hunter, not a Native American, sorry.

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Totally. As soon as it becomes about imposing your beliefs on others, it is absolutely toxic. Which like admittedly and unfortunately, is often the case…

at least with Abrahamic religions.

I mean Jews don’t really proselytize but if you’re culturally Jewish and not religious, getting lectured aggressively by religious ppl and made to feel inferior to them just bc u don’t keep Shabbat is absolutely not fun either. 

also to be clear my parents are both christians but my grandma was jewish so i have jewish family members and im ethnically jewish, so my experience is all over the place 

also that’s such a good quote. I remember thinking the same as a kid. Like actually the best way to save people would be to completely bury all knowledge of Christianity. Then everyone’d be safe lol

[Pathfinder]

On 2/19/2026 at 12:40 PM, pureintonation said:

I’d rather just shoot the dart than confess my sins to a guy in a closet or actually keep Shabbat properly or do first communion or kneel on a prayer mat. Or read the same thousand year old text year after year to find a new interpretation of it. Or whatever else there is. The outcome will be the same probably. Unless the thing in question depends on my actions haha

which also confused me as a kid… sometimes my family would pray that I get a good grade on a test. Like I think that’s on me, guys..

Although multiple studies seem to say prayer overall has no statistical effect on the success of a thing, interestingly two studies have found that prayer can actually have a deleterious effect. One study involved individuals receiving the same heart surgery, and the other study involved recovering alcoholics. Both broke the participants into three groups. Those that were prayed for and knew they were being prayed for, those that were prayed for and did not know they were being prayed for, and those who were not prayed for and knew they were not being prayed for. Those that were prayed for, and knew they were being prayed for did statistically worse. It was theorized that by knowing they were being prayed for, the participants either worried that their condition was worse off than it was, or felt anxiety that they had to get better or else it meant god wanted them to fail/die. They then thereby faired worse. So actually if your parents wanted to help you psychologically, it potentially would have been better for them to not tell you they prayed for you at all. 

19 hours ago, CoderDrag0n8 said:

I will say, that I have always kinda had this...

Personal resentment towards religion, ya know? I don't believe in it, and I think people should be allowed to believe in it, but like...

Some religions are just toxic, ya know? There is this great quote, it goes something along the lines of, American Indian: "So if I never knew about Jesus or sin, and had no way of knowing, I wouldn't go to hell?" Pastor: "Yes." American Indian: "Then why, oh why, did you tell me?" (Paraphrased).

I think most religions are fine, but I also think if it tries to convert you, it is kinda toxic.

edit: found the image, it was an intuit hunter, not a Native American, sorry.

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Apologetics always leave me with a skevy and unsettled sensation. To me at its base, if an issue arises, shouldn’t the level of hoop jumping to validate it raise some red flags for all those involved? I get not throwing out the baby with the bathwater, but there are some apologetics that I find full on horrifying, with C.S. Lewis being amongst the worse offender. 

[CoderDrag0n8 He/Him]

6 hours ago, pureintonation said:

Totally. As soon as it becomes about imposing your beliefs on others, it is absolutely toxic. Which like admittedly and unfortunately, is often the case…

at least with Abrahamic religions.

I mean Jews don’t really proselytize but if you’re culturally Jewish and not religious, getting lectured aggressively by religious ppl and made to feel inferior to them just bc u don’t keep Shabbat is absolutely not fun either. 

also to be clear my parents are both christians but my grandma was jewish so i have jewish family members and im ethnically jewish, so my experience is all over the place 

also that’s such a good quote. I remember thinking the same as a kid. Like actually the best way to save people would be to completely bury all knowledge of Christianity. Then everyone’d be safe lol

I have a saying:

There are 2 types of religions. Cults, and those that don't try and convert you.

I always grew in up in a very non-religous family, in a very reform jewish area.

3 hours ago, Pathfinder said:

Although multiple studies seem to say prayer overall has no statistical effect on the success of a thing, interestingly two studies have found that prayer can actually have a deleterious effect. One study involved individuals receiving the same heart surgery, and the other study involved recovering alcoholics. Both broke the participants into three groups. Those that were prayed for and knew they were being prayed for, those that were prayed for and did not know they were being prayed for, and those who were not prayed for and knew they were not being prayed for. Those that were prayed for, and knew they were being prayed for did statistically worse. It was theorized that by knowing they were being prayed for, the participants either worried that their condition was worse off than it was, or felt anxiety that they had to get better or else it meant god wanted them to fail/die. They then thereby faired worse. So actually if your parents wanted to help you psychologically, it potentially would have been better for them to not tell you they prayed for you at all. 

Apologetics always leave me with a skevy and unsettled sensation. To me at its base, if an issue arises, shouldn’t the level of hoop jumping to validate it raise some red flags for all those involved? I get not throwing out the baby with the bathwater, but there are some apologetics that I find full on horrifying, with C.S. Lewis being amongst the worse offender. 

To that second paragraph, I know none of the words, lol.