Question:
Atheists this is a sincere question. From the time I was born my family?
Jon
2013-03-18 11:33:55 UTC
and the community i grew up in talked about God as if it were just a fact. I attended school and received an undergraduate degree in chemistry and a Doctorate degree in Pharmacy. My biology professors mocked the bible and I thought very little about it. Now that I have all this information I am actually questioning my belief system. Any similar stories or useful suggestions?
Fourteen answers:
?
2013-03-18 11:37:34 UTC
Good for you. The first thing I would like to share with you is that it may be useful not to question your belief-system, but to notice that believing is a fancy way of not-knowing. As we grow up, we are casually exposed to belief being elevated to a legitimate branch of knowledge, and as we are trained in critical thinking, we notice that believing has absolutely nothing to do with knowing.



If you are really interested, start looking at some humanist and atheist sites on the internet, and see what they have to say. I think that you will find that what they have to say will resonate in your experience. There are a lot of paths you can take. For instance, you can look up the arguments for the existence of God, and find skeptical reviews of them. Or you can find sites that highlight the discrepancies within the Bible. You can examine how the Bible was compiled in the first place. Etc. Just start somewhere and let the spirit take you where it will based on your interests. You won't become free of pervasive childhood indoctrination in a minute.



Congrats..



edit: At the risk of some thumbs-downs, I think Richard Dawkins' books are great reads, and helped me articulate and refine my atheism in some respects. Also great info on Biology.



edit: thanks @Everard, nice site.
Nous
2013-03-18 12:36:22 UTC
The only way primitive religion exists today is through the child abuse of forcing it into very, very young children but thanks to better education and growing intellects so many teens are able to discover the truth, throw off the indoctrination and step into the real world!



The more education the weaker the hold of religion!



Research has shown atheists have a higher intelligence than people with a strong religious faith. The difference is 5.8 points according to findings in developmental psychology!



More members of the "intellectual elite" considered themselves atheists than the national average.



Only 7 percent of members of the American National Academy of Sciences believed in God. Whilst only 3.3 percent believed in God in the UK’s Royal Society.



Several Gallup poll studies of the general population have shown that those with higher IQ’s tend not to believe in God."



Neuroscientists have conducted the most comprehensive brain mapping to date of the cognitive abilities measured by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), the most widely used intelligence test in the world.



The results show that the various factors that comprise a high or low IQ score

depend on particular regions of the brain.



The WAIS test is composed of four indices of intelligence, each consisting of several subtests, which together produce a full-scale IQ score. The four indices are the verbal comprehension index, which represents the ability to understand and to produce speech and use language; the perceptual organization index, which involves visual and spatial processing, such as the ability to perceive complex figures; the working memory index, which represents the ability to hold information temporarily in mind (similar to short-term memory); and the processing speed index.



With the exception of processing speed, which appears scattered throughout the brain, the lesion mapping showed that the other three cognitive indices really do depend on specific brain regions.



For example, lesions in the left frontal cortex were associated with lower scores on the verbal comprehension index; lesions in the left frontal and parietal cortex (located behind the frontal lobe) were associated with lower scores on the working memory index; and lesions in the right parietal cortex were associated with lower scores on the perceptual organization index.



The study also revealed a large amount of overlap in the brain regions responsible for verbal comprehension and working memory, which suggests that these two now-separate measures of cognitive ability may actually represent the same type of intelligence, at least as assessed using the WAIS.



It matters not if they are atheist because of this new type of intelligence or get it because they are atheist – it is a totally different and far more efficient process!!
Chip
2013-03-18 11:41:38 UTC
Use the same reasoning skills that you used when you learned about chemistry and pharmacy to examine the claims in the bible. Ask if they are reasonable and make sense, and ask if they are compatible with what you know about science.



Ask yourself if the decrees that are handed out in your religion are reasonable. Ask whether the commands from the god of the bible make sense, and if you would do them if he asked you to (frankly, there's some really scary stuff in there).



In other words, use your mind, your logic, your reason (that which gets you through every other aspect of your life) and determine whether or not it makes sense to continue your belief system.



I have no specific suggestions as far as other books to read, but hopefully others here may be able to help some with that.
?
2013-03-18 11:48:58 UTC
Yes, it is quite hard to sustain a religious faith when you have a high level of education. When we learn to think critically and support your arguments with evidence it carries over into the rest of life. Many of us find ourselves intellectually atheist whilst still psychologically attached to the religious belief around which we have formed our worldview since early childhood. This can be very difficult and painful. Many new atheists go through a period of grieving with all the accompanying anger, denial etc etc. I did not experience the grief but found it hard to completely get rid of my superstitious fears and be happy in my atheism. I tried for over a decade to bolster my faith but there is just no evidence and once you've questioned you can no longer go back to self-delusion. I hope this is not too painful an experience for you. If you are losing your faith and want to make the transition to atheism as easily as possible I recommend this website for emotional issues connected to deconversion.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/daylightatheism/2006/03/new-on-ebon-musings-into-the-clear-air/



If you find yourself trapped between being intellectually an atheist but psychologically a Christian, I recommend reading:

The Bible (best of all for helping you recognise how insane it is)

The God Delusion.

Fifty Reasons People Give for Believing in a God.



If you are like me, you may feel you do not need to have rational arguments against religion pointed out to you, because you have already thought them through but in fact, I found it very helpful to take all those beliefs out and look at them rationally and put them to rest - that helped me the rest of the way to freedom - the other two books do just that.
Nickname
2013-03-18 11:39:59 UTC
There are many similar stories...that's why less than 8% of scientists are also theists...and of those even fewer claim to be creationists.



I suggest you read the bible, cover to cover, with your educated (opened) mind, and see if you think it is the "word of god". If you do...fine. If you don't...also fine. Whether or not you believe in something should be your decision, and based on as much information as is available to you.
lacilynn
2013-03-18 11:44:48 UTC
What makes sense to you? Don't base you beliefs off of what you have been told to believe, but rather what agrees with your own reason & common sense. I personally believe in everything, and I definitely believe there is a great possibility that a higher being may exist, but it is not to be found it books. Only YOU should make the choice in what you believe, no other. Believe what makes you happy:)







Good luck!:)
Universe Bear
2013-03-18 11:40:19 UTC
Just ask questions. That's what science is all about. Go look up arguments for and against god (not on here, on an actual philosophy site). Use your own mind to decide what is right for you.
Crim Liar
2013-03-18 11:40:04 UTC
Right now, only you know what you believe. This is something that you cannot change over night. Maybe your next step to to consider the difference between belief, faith, and following or religions.
2013-03-18 12:08:25 UTC
“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” buddah
wild woodpecker®
2013-03-18 11:42:13 UTC
I was 6 when I worked it out ...How can there be a God I tried to believe ? , one moment school is telling us about Adam and Eve the Next we are building model dinosaurs ... One has to be wrong and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out whats real and whats just Bull!
2013-03-18 11:43:36 UTC
ALL gods are imaginary - it's what makes them ALL gods ;)



I am atheist cos there are no ‘gods’…

‘God’ is imaginary… http://godisimaginary.com/



Take the test, Jon... prove it to yourself.

It's easy and doesn't hurt even a little.

~
.,,.
2013-03-18 11:34:57 UTC
Become an atheist.
2013-03-18 11:34:56 UTC
Helps if you post your specific questions one at a time.
Xen
2013-03-18 11:35:42 UTC
Use your head, you're doing fine so far.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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