FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[What's Burning?]

So picking up comments here and there from various members, I realize that there's quite a few non religious,/secular/atheist here and I found it peculiar. Perhaps the sport itself lends to the attraction of scientific or logic bases personalities and therefore what I perceive on this board.

I live my life on a live and let live basis when it comes to religious beliefs. I dislike the term atheist, so prefer to say I have humanistic ideals. I would never dictate my choices or beliefs on anyone because I wouldn't want anyone's religious preference forced onto me. I'm familiar with most of the major religions and I understand the benefits they've had on society as well as the detriments they've introduced onto our society as well so I created this poll simply out of curiosity.

Feel free to discuss your personal experiences, beliefs and choices if you wish but I will not tolerate the slightest disrespect to anyone's religious beliefs as long as they're put forth in a respectful manner. This could be a treacherous place to post, so please keep an open mind or simply stay out of the discussion if you feel you're unable to comply with this request.

[geetface9]

I was born and raised mormon and I quit going to church the day I turned 18. I didn't have a choice so I played the game to keep my parents pleased. Then, on my 18th bday, I sat my parents down and told them I'm never going back to church again. I've never enjoyed it and I do not wish to live my life by the oppressive rules of religion. Day in and day out I was expected to live up to an impossible ideal, one that the people preaching to me couldn't even live up to themselves. It disgusts me.

[darwin dali]

I was born and raised mormon

Correction: you were born as an atheist like EVERY other human being - think about it. If you didn't have your family/church/school, whatever environment to indoctrinate you with mormonism (or any other religious belief), you'd have remained an atheist all your life.

[darwin dali]

I dislike the term atheist, so prefer to say I have humanistic ideals.

That's a very American thing to say. I noticed how in the States the term atheist/atheism is widely misunderstood, often associated with communism or whatever and/or juxtaposed with a lack of morals, hence disliked/rejected or worse.

[darwin dali]

Which religious group do you identify yourself as?

And then you list atheist - the very opposite of religion? How very faux-pas of you! I know it's semi-commonly done in surveys, but that's no reason to repeat such a mistake. I feel I can't vote here as to not perpetuate this misconception of viewing atheism as a religion.

Also, to lump atheists with agnostics is just lame and incorrect as well. It's like lumping Mini Cooper drivers with BMW drivers (or choose your own simile here). An agnostic is one who is doubtful or noncommittal whereas atheists have no faith in a god or a god's existence.

Then there's the fact that some Buddhists, for example, are atheists, and there is a strong tradition of agnostic thought in Hinduism. So this muddies the water even more.

[What's Burning?]

You do know there are only ten slots! The rest we can discuss. My dislike of the term atheist is strictly personal, I feel that there is no need to identify myself as something opposed to something else that I don't even believe in. I prefer the term humanist simply because it is an optimistic viewpoint of humanity's potential.

I also disagree with your assessment that being born free of religion means that a society simply wouldn't develop a new supernatural belief system. Every society studied that has left written records of their history has developed some soft of religion, even those that greatly preceded Christianity. The prevailing thought is that human need to explain the unexplainable is a natural conduit that gives rise to a god figure.

That obviously changes with advancement and knowledge but I believe that just like raping and pillaging being something that societies have evolved past, the desire to explain the unexplainable via a magical or supernatural means is potentially hard wired into a good portion of the species.

[darwin dali]

You do know there are only ten slots! The rest we can discuss. My dislike of the term atheist is strictly personal, I feel that there is no need to identify myself as something opposed to something else that I don't even believe in. I prefer the term humanist simply because it is an optimistic viewpoint of humanity's potential.

I also disagree with your assessment that being born free of religion means that a society simply wouldn't develop a new supernatural belief system. Every society studied that has left written records of their history has developed some soft of religion, even those that greatly preceded Christianity. The prevailing thought is that human need to explain the unexplainable is a natural conduit that gives rise to a god figure.

That obviously changes with advancement and knowledge but I believe that just like raping and pillaging being something that societies have evolved past, the desire to explain the unexplainable via a magical or supernatural means is potentially hard wired into a good portion of the species.

Atheism is simply the absence of belief that any deities exist. Atheism is contrasted with theism, which in its most general form is the belief that at least one deity exists. A-theism hence in its most basic sense simply means without god - there is no reason to dislike it just because in this culture of religious fanatics, atheism has a slightly different meaning.

Did I say ANYTHING about society not developing superstitious beliefs? No I did not! I did say that society (family, church, etc.) exert an influence on one's belief system and if that influence is absent, then no superstition gets implanted in a child and no religion is 'learned', no god idea is developed. That's the default. In reality you obviously can't look at human beings in isolation, but communicating with each other and trying to explain things. And as you stated correctly, there used to be a strong preference for inventing supernatural powers to explain the inexplicable. But since the Age of Enlightenment or Reason, I would posit that humankind has gotten (or should have gotten) past such a 'need' for superstition - the ever increasing percentage of non-religious people seems to be a good indicator.

[What's Burning?]

Ten slots and ten slots only... you did notice that I also lumped Christian and Christian Based together at the great risk of insulting Catholics and Protestants. You better not have ruined it so that Christians also refuse to vote!

Now, going back the a-theist atheist theist, you say potato... whatever you want to call it. You know how some languages have a word that doesn't have a direct translation in another language? Or more to the point, certain indigenous languages that don't have a word for something, be it a weather event or an animal etc. I feel that there should be no word as atheist because the word theist is unnecessary in my opinion, therefore the personal dislike of the word atheist, simple as that and no misunderstanding or misconception on my part.

I hope that clears things up for you.

[acosmichippo]

How quickly these discussions devolve into semantic debates...

Anyway, I'm firmly atheist, and quite honestly don't respect any supernatural belief system. They're all ridiculous.

[LRW]

I don't believe in God. I don't label myself anything.

[bud]

Odinist

[geetface9]

I was born and raised mormon

Correction: you were born as an atheist like EVERY other human being - think about it. If you didn't have your family/church/school, whatever environment to indoctrinate you with mormonism (or any other religious belief), you'd have remained an atheist all your life.

You're just splitting hairs now I think. If you ask certain groups, nobody is born atheist. Many would believe we are born as God's children, so that would imply that we have in a inherent relationship with Him already, without being indoctrinated. I think you know what I meant when I said "born and raised mormon" so let's not get silly. I'll say I was "indoctrinated" since week 1 of my life into mormonism if you prefer. I was given a mormon blessing days after birth. Either way, it's all I've "known" since I was capable of conscious thought and capable of memory. My parents would have a fit if somebody told them we are all born atheists

[LewEngBridewell]

I'm a firm atheist.

When I was a child, my mother took me to church every fortnight, carrying on a tradition laid down by her parents, but her aim was more to get me into a good school. Now my younger brother has also got into school, church visits have become more sporadic.

There are many things I like about religion, including the music and the architecture, as I discussed with DD in another thread. As such, I still show up whenever I am back at home in Lancashire. Also, there are still lots of friendly faces there from when I was a boy.

However, I label myself as an atheist. I think more problems are created by organised religion than solved. There has been too much bloodshed, too many wars, too many killing all through history in the name of religion. The doctrine laid down by holy books can lead to suppression, hate and quelling of diversity.

[racechick]

Atheist.......I think but I don't like walking under ladders or putting new shoes on the table so maybe I'd betters hedge my bets and say agnostic

[Jabberwocky]

Atheism is a non prophet organisation

I am a Jedi


Nah to be honest, I have no belief in a deity, or in anything really apart from man kind to try and do what is right... sometimes I even feel let down by that. I do sort of like the concept of Karma that Buddism encompasses.

One think that does worry me about religion is extremists, of any religion.