r/askanatheist

I couldn’t post this onto r/Atheism so I decided to post it here. I was scrolling social media recently (specifically TikTok) and saw a comment spreading the gospel. I didn’t mind it but this question did come to mind and I figured it would be entertaining at least to ask my fellow atheists.

Unsure if this comes off as arbitrarily critical of the Christian background or those who submit to its doctrine.

Not to sound like a broken record, but A-theism seems to be such a simple and logical route in assessing the evidence provided, yet so many fully grown adults (not just 80 year olds in nursing homes babbling) simply don't care to discuss their theology or deflect when asked about it.

I can recognize that there will always be a fat question mark behind creationism, our realities relationship with quantum mechanics, and the macro-scale in which infinity provides for possibility. We could be micro biotic fish swimming in an aliens fish bowl for all I know.

There are obviously a plethora of benefits when submitting to manmade theologies, accepting simplicity, the ability to cite an external moral structure (which almost instantaneously provides men with community, potential romantic partners, and a literal gold star list that anyone can follow on a daily basis) none of which actually contribute to the betterment of post-modern society, its kind of a circus really.

I'm not in any way trying to stand on a high horse, I'm a pretty stupid individual and am happy to admit that in my day to day life. However, this concept and line of logic in rejecting the possibility of a human being telling us he's a descendant of god 2000 years ago then giving us a bunch of books in our own manmade language to interpret.

How does anyone accept that? How am I able to work with people who accept that as truth? Is the presence of modern day churches on every corner an intentional construct of the 1st world to drive hope into those who may question the validity of the system?

Or is it simply a result of continued arrogance and aversion from the reality of the situation at hand?

Apologies if this is a butchered question, I just find difficulty conversating with people surrounding basically any philosophy at this point. I'm simply attempting to expose myself to valuable insights in regards to how other people view the world, yet all I'm receiving is literal fairy tales written by flat earthers millennia's ago.

I am aware that there is a post on this subreddit on pretty much the same topic about 15 years ago. It was certainly interesting to read all the responses to it (All the replies to that post eventually led to OP reverting from Christianity). However I don't think there was a proper answer to OP's question.

For context, I'm a christian who is from the Assemblies of God though I don't specifically hold to the views of the denomination. I was pretty much always an atheist and never believed in the "fables" of Christianity. However when I recently went to Church (My parents forced me), Out of nowhere, I just start speaking in tongues. I even tried to stop myself but it kept happening. After that I eventually repented and I am now a Christian.

I know everyone is gonna have some questions about my experience and just dissect everything so I am gonna try to respond to as much as possible in the post itself and even some of the replies.

• I spoke in Glossolalia if anyone was wondering (I know this is an atheist's favorite type of tongues speech to debunk and I'd be happy to see the responses)
• I've heard some people say that the reason speaking of tongues occurs is because people are pressurized to speak it in their culture. I promise you no one has ever really pressurized me into speaking in tongues. However even if they did, I wouldn't really care since I was an atheist at that time.
• I've also heard people say that it might have occurred because of panic from the extreme banging and playing of instruments in such a packed room and that is interesting way to put things to say the least. However I received the gift when the room was pretty much quiet and the pastor was just praying for the congregation as a whole.
• People have also said it's due others speaking in tongues around me which resulted in me "mimicking" them. But I was the first one to speak in tongues before the others in the church started speaking.
• Some people have mentioned that many pastors and people studying to be pastors are taught that its alright if they fake the speaking of tongues, and they also teach them how to invoke the speaking of tongues. If I'm being honest I can't say much on the second point I brought up since I'm not knowledgeable on that topic but what I can say is that if any biblical college does teach that, then it is inherently wrong since it is the holy spirit which chooses that gift. If the holy spirit wills then the gift of tongues can be brought on a person, it isn't something which can be taught.
• Many people have also told me that Glossolalia is not in the bible, but rather only the speaking of different languages. For that there are many answers. Firstly Paul himself said in 1 Corinthians 13:1 about people speaking in the tongues of angels. Traditionally this has been understood as Glossolalia in the bible and it is also the view I hold. Other answers also say that Glossolalia could be an ancient language which no longer exists. And also Glossolalia is not the only kind of tongues, I've also heard my mother tell me about how her grandmother spoke in perfect English from the gift of tongues during a prayer meeting even though she didn't know anything about English at all. When I was an atheist I just assumed that my Mom was lying but later when my Mom brought up the story when my mom's siblings and cousins were around (they were also present during the incident), they all recalled the same thing. When I was an atheist I didn't think much of it and just shrugged it off but now that I think about it, it is more plausible to think it was the holy spirit rather than everyone collectively lying to make sure an eavesdropping atheist teenager to believe in it.
• I've also heard that Glossolalia is different in different regions and is based on the language you speak and the region you are from. But I'm not too sure about that, since from my experience, pretty much most people in my church who I believe legitimately are capable of speaking in tongues speak in a unique way. I'm not much of an expert on this so I'd love to hear your thoughts.

So anyway, I'm not looking to debate or anything. I'm just curious as to how you would reconcile this.

I consider myself a theist, but others wouldn't see it as so. I'm no classical theist, because I don't believe in a personal, purpose-driven, with volition god, but isn't theism literally translated as "the belief in god"? Are deists theists then? I think they should, but I wanted to ask you.

I recently had a chat with a Christian, who brought to me an apologetics argument which I find to be used quite often against atheists:

>You cannot justify morality, because your absence of believing in a deity / the spiritual means you can only say we are a set of chemical reactions.

I suppose this statement holds false presuppositions, and I'd like your take on the following presuppositions along with my thoughts behind it. Please let me know wether I should rephrase, replace or add/remove certain things. That would certainly help me with future conversations!

• Being an atheist equates being an eliminative materialist: Just because I don't adhere to the believe in a deity does not mean I am reduced to nothing otherwise then to deny the existence of e.g. consciousness and reason.
• There are no more then two categories (science & spirituality) regarding justification of morality: Because I hold that I am not an eliminative materialist and I am an atheist, I am forced to step out of this duality. As an atheist I would not ground morality in raw chemistry, nor in the so called "words" of a celestial being, but rather in an emergent rational agency, that is constructed by rational agents to protect (conscious) creatures. Why emergent? Because biology shows us that complex systems give rise to emergent properties.

An objection which I have found is David Hume's Is-Ought problem. To quote the man himself:

>"and of a sudden I am surpriz'd to find, that instead of the usual copulations of propositions, is, and is not, I meet with no proposition that is not connected with an ought, or an ought not."

further on:

>"This change is imperceptible; but is, however, of the last consequence. For as this ought, or ought not, expresses some new relation or affirmation, 'tis necessary that it should be observ'd and explained; and at the same time that a reason should be given, for what seems altogether inconceivable, how this new relation can be a deduction from others, which are entirely different from it."

In my defense, I would argue the following:

• "Objective" morality is not to be written in the stars: It can aswell be derived rationally from a shared goal. If that goal is conscious flourishment and avoidance of unnecessary suffering, hence moral "oughts" are to be objectively measured against that goal.

To conclude: Reason provides that e.g. murder objectively harms flourishing, thereby justifying a framework built without invoking a deity or relying on pure chemical reactions.

If everything is created and has a creator why the universe cannot have a creator like mobile phone is created ,cloth are created ,houses are created,books are createc,table are created,planes are created every electronic devices is created,every automobile is created and many more.when these things need a creator to exist then why the heck universe,nature and human cannot have creator who are so complex compared to these other things which are created by human?

I apologise, I didn't know how else to word the title or if this is the right subreddit since I'm an atheist myself but here's what I mean.

My mom doesn't really follow any religions as she has been disappointed by catholicism before, after several priests advised her to stay with my abusive dad because "she should just avoid making him mad". Even though she doesn't follow a religion, she still very much believes in god, angels, astrology, witchcraft and whatnot. I don't have any issues with this because I understand this can be a coping mechanism for so many people and it's not like she's harming anyone. However, I get extremely sad and somewhat concerned when she affirms to hear the voice of God, to be "receiving signals" and just straight up asks god for impossible things because none of it ever happens. She has struggled all her life with so many things and it breaks my heart to see her be like "god will give us a new car" (we've never been able to afford one) "god will give us a new house" (ours is barely holding itself straight) "god will provide" (we can't make ends meet) and she's always so sure about everything she says. I don't even believe in god and I resent it for giving my mom false hopes, tf.

I don't think I'd ever have the heart to burst her bubble and it's not like I would want to anyway, she is happy like this even if she's unconsciously ignoring our reality, it feels like hope for her and I'd never take it away from her. The only time we discussed my atheism and she encouraged me to ask her a question I needed an answer to, I asked "how does he pick and choose who to help?" She closed her eyes and told me "God just told me you should ask him yourself" I was like alright wrap it up.

I guess I'm mainly trying to ask, how do you deal with the heartbreak of unanswered prayers from someone you love so much?

i know it might be a stupid question but it just came up to my mind and ive seem some atheist saying life is about family,experience and etc.

but it got me thinking how can you find it interesting if there is no god?(because as much as i know: god=meaning for life).

what is the meaning of having experiences while thinking there is no god and it makes me think isnt everything meaningless?.

after like 70 years you might be dead and you dont even know whats going to happen to you but as much as i know if you are an atheist you think probably nothing is going to happen if you dont belive in god, so how can you find stuff in life exciting and meaningful to you?

(im asking that because im in beetwen beliving in god to not belive in god)

Yeah, look, things have happened in my life and it's thanks to that that I know God exists BUT...Certain things, certain "rules" in the Bible make me feel sad, sometimes it bothers me or makes me uncomfortable, and I will question them until I am a wrinkled old woman buried 5 meters underground.

I like to read the Bible, I like to pray the rosary because it gives me a sense of peace I've never felt before... but there are simply things that the Bible and the Church say that don't resonate with me.

My big problem with homosexuality and the story of Sodom and Gomorrah If you look at it closely, that's a rape; that doesn't represent the LGBT community. And what's this nonsense about us going to hell just for choosing to be happy with our partner? So it doesn't matter if we were good people or even believers; if we dare to have a partner, we're already doomed?

What about that saying "the wife should be submissive to her husband and he should love his wife as Christ loved the church"? I mean, IN A WAY it's...okay(???) but people can take it out of context to promote sexism (In Spanish it's a different term, but the translator used this one) and that garbage, marriage is supposed to be a relationship of respect and mutual love, not a power imbalance...or I don't know, that's what my mom taught me

And what about the idea that people who don't believe in the Christian God will also go to hell? What fault is it of people of other religions to feel comfortable in their beliefs (as long as they are not harmful)? What fault is it of those people not to know the Christian God? So it doesn't matter if they acted well in life, they'll still go to hell?

And yet, if a rapist, murderer, or whatever, repents "with all his heart" at the last minute, he can go to heaven...I want to believe that God truly knows if someone sincerely repents enough to let them go there, because it would be disastrous.

I don't know, man, I like my religion, but like I said, there are certain things I have a bit of a problem with and I don't like them at all. Any advice on this? :/

I'm an atheist but live in a family of baptists and catholics. I recently went to church with my family because there was a banquet going on (I only ever really go if there's free food lol) and was approached by the new preacher. Ended up accidentally revealing that I am more on the fence about these things than anyone else there, and he started trying to push his faith.

I'll likely go with my family again because I care about them, but I really don't want to go in unprepared for possible unskippable cutscene with a preacher who believes I'm being corrupted by the devil lmao.

Any ideas on what I could ask or arguments I could pose in this scenario that won't completely make me out to be an enemy to my family or others?

Do some atheist believe in supernatural things like a soul, fairies, genies, etc while negating the existence of god/s? If it is so, then what argument, or reasons, do they/you have? Or what is the difference to make that exception.

Decades ago I was in a massive hostage type scenario. It was super bad. I purposely used religious and psychological techniques to cope. For some reason the news keeps bringing up this event. And I got tired of it so I asked the internet to shut up and doxxed myself. Now i get jesus mail all the time. It's reminding me of all the brainwashing I did to survive. I have PTSD and yes i had tons of mental health help. Unfortunately it is hard to undo what I did to myself. I don't mean PTSD. I mean ritualism, all the stuff religion uses. I'm starting to think maybe God is real and I just invented a dumb god! How do a deprogram myself. It's causing me to have an existential crisis.

Please don't ever dox yourself, the internet sucks.

Thanks

Do you think this back and forth will always exist or will it eventually end?

I just want to read people's thoughts on the matter.

Hello ladies and gentlemen of the atheism community. I am a Catholic who is struggling, I became religious in college and my atheist parents seem to hate me for it. I don’t understand why, I never ever force my religion on them. I never bring up what I believe but they seem to hate just the fact that I believe something different. I know alot of atheist from religious families have the same problem just inversed. How do you deal with your parents hating your moral code and your identity? I am not dealing well with it lol. I never force them into my religion, but when I try to leave for mass, they yell and throw a fit when the only reason church was mentioned is to tell them where I’m going which I’m required to do since I live with them. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also I am not here to spread my belief, I come desperate for advise, so please be respectful in the comments 🙏

Yesterday one of my religious friends asked me

Why is it so hard to believe in god?

I didn't know how to answer to that, then i simply said I need proof to believe.

But I dont think it was a proper response because he was really frustrated when he asked the question, and I answered in a scientific soulless way