Atheist Dignity

[Adelice]

I dont truly know what to say ... i been reading quite some few stories around and well ... wow , some are the usual ones and others well ... they kinda shocked me strongly.

 

I really dont have anything with atheists or non believers , but it kinda confuses me , do atheists truly have morals? I have seen some people here talking of how they smoked pot , or even killed theyre own baby , or did some horrible stuff ... i even see people around here talking of how fun sex is or how they always are drinking some alcohol or beer , and then even some of them say theyre proud of theyre life...?

 

I dont wanna place stereotypes over people but really , i suffer a lot for seeing family or friends getting into that stuff , i dont think if you wanna bring more people into here you should be helping that kind of behaviour , theres even younger people who enter this sites and can read or get influenced that atheist are so " liberal " they can do whatever since theres no god. Of course theres no god , but think of all your familiars or friends who could feel sad or offended , fine is your life , but if they truly love you they care bout you too , i have friends who told me " is my life i can do whatever i want " , they have gotten drunk , stolen , got into drugs , had sex with an guy who told them everything was a joke .... i understand life is hard and all , but shouldnt we try to place morals on ourselfs? have an little dignity?

 

I really feel proud of some atheist but i feel really ashamed of others to the point of not wanting to be labeled at all again an atheist , i know atheism has christianity , there are some jewels , but please , i do wanna step in , i do feel offended when people around talk of those topics like hey dude , were fine. Excuse me for feeling offended , and i dont wanna say this to the mods , because what would that fix? Is not like i wanna get all nun and that you need to be pure and all those things , but it hurts to read how someone got an abort or something , and in another place theyre talking about of how many sex they had on the day.

 

And if you enter with the " is my life deal " , just think about it , you truly can hurt other people , i have reached almost to the point of suicide just for an mistake another friend did , so if we truly wanna start an change , is not about if god is gonna send you to hell or anything , but it gives you an bad image.

 

Just something i wanted to say , i dont truly wanna leave the forums , but some things and convos around here really have turned out my stomach so much that i would prefer to flee away this place in seconds sometimes.

[Loren]

...

Just something i wanted to say , i dont truly wanna leave the forums , but some things and convos around here really have turned out my stomach so much that i would prefer to flee away this place in seconds sometimes.

Then by all means, do so.

 

This board and these fora are definitely not for the weak of spirit and spineless of morality.

[Xerces]

Cry me a river dude. First of all, what you think of as "morals" are not set in stone as how someone should behave. If someone likes sex, that is their business, if someone likes to have an alcoholic drink to relax after a long work day, that is their business(even if they want to get completely hammered.)being an atheist is a LACK of belief. I am so sick of people fucking telling me what atheism is as if its another dogmatic system that we left xtianity(and or other belief system) for. It means I do not see any reason to believe in a higher power, and that I am perfectly and utterly content with it.

 

As for abortion, if people wanna talk about how they got an abortion than let them, the people of this forum don't have to SHUT UP as to not offend you, these are not YOUR forums, this site is for everyone collectively. But go right ahead and post this kind of self righteous drivel, you'll see what people here think, and they do have an opinion on your post trust me.

 

The bottom line is let people be whoever they want to be, as long as they are not hurting anyone, you don't know them or their family, so you don't even have the authority or the two cents to talk about how you think they should behave, no one cares about your standards.

 

Thanks for the laugh.

[par4dcourse]

Values don't change with dis-belief in god, just guilt.

 

No one who knows my religious views can tell when I "took the plunge". Nothing about me changed except my religious belief. I'm still paw-paw to 7 (two not blood kin), I pick guitar with the neighborhood guys.

I had to quit smoking and drinking for medical reasons, but do sometimes smoke glacoma preventitive.

 

If you actually talk to the atheists here you will find that we're very ordinary people who just don't find sufficient evidence for a supreme being. Stereotypes are usually misleading exaggerations..

[agnosticator]

Hi Adelice. Are you sure all of the things you were offended by weren't meant as jokes? Especially the killing their own baby reference? If not, I can see your point. However, online comments can't always be taken as truth. People lie for many reasons. But I'm just speculating, since I have no specifics to go on.

 

Not all are atheists here. Many are agnostics and from other religions. Their morals may differ from yours, which seems to be conservative. But that doesn't mean they lack morals. Also, some may talk about doing drugs and violence (assuming from what you said), but did they really do what they said they did or would do? Talk is only talk. But if something offends you, I think you should speak up directly to that person. This site is for you too. Don't be afraid to speak your mind.

[buffettphan]

 

Just something i wanted to say , i dont truly wanna leave the forums , but some things and convos around here really have turned out my stomach so much that i would prefer to flee away this place in seconds sometimes.

 

 

 

It's just like TV. If YOU don't want to watch or read something, click on to something else.

 

We're here to rant, vent, socialize, think, joke, and shoot the BS sometimes. So don't even think about trying to censor us.

 

 

[par4dcourse]

Gotta go! Roasted babies and Jack Daniels for lunch, then an orgy 'til dinner, and a few murders with Crown Royal and cigars for after dinner entertainment. Average day for us atheists.

[Thackerie]

It's just like TV. If YOU don't want to watch or read something, click on to something else.

 

We're here to rant, vent, socialize, think, joke, and shoot the BS sometimes. So don't even think about trying to censor us.

 

QFT

 

Good thing the OP is an ex-christian (or so she claims). Otherwise, she'd have to pluck her eyes out. (Matthew 18:9, Mark 9:47).

[agnosticator]

Gotta go! Roasted babies and Jack Daniels for lunch, then an orgy 'til dinner, and a few murders with Crown Royal and cigars for after dinner entertainment. Average day for us atheists.

 

So you're the one boosting the crime rate in Charlotte.

[Vendredie]

Gotta go! Roasted babies and Jack Daniels for lunch, then an orgy 'til dinner, and a few murders with Crown Royal and cigars for after dinner entertainment. Average day for us atheists.

 

So you're the one boosting the crime rate in Charlotte.

Well shit. Now that you've said that, he's got to be on the run.

 

Hey par! Come up here to the Outer Banks, we could use a little spice in our lives up here!

[Ancey]

I'm an atheist: I don't smoke, drink, have sex (mostly because I just haven't had a boyfriend I loved enough to do it with), love babies and puppies, and I hate killing even insects.

 

But for the most part, I am sure most atheists here (even though there are more than atheists here) are as moral as Christians elsewhere. There's really nothing wrong with drinking or smoking (aside from it can really screw up your health, but it's not immoral), or enjoying sex (it's a natural thing, but it should be done safely). And a lot of people here have children and are probably great parents.

 

I'm rather sure that most of the people here don't condone or commit murder, rape, torture, pedophilia, or any other action that can really harm others.

 

But really, atheists are just as normal as any moderate Christian, and a lot of atheists you wouldn't even know are atheists because they are just regular people.

 

So, sorry if you think some people here are "immoral", but to me, there just normal people, really. We make mistakes, we're not looking to be saints all the time, and if you don't like other people's personal actions: alright, well, that's just you.

 

And as for abortion: Christians have abortions, too. All the time. It's a very personal choice based upon a person's own feelings about their pregnancy. But even Pro-Choicers don't think that every unwanted pregnancy should be terminated, or that you can abort a pregnancy whenever in any trimester. Even as a Pro-Choice person, I don't think I could go through with an abortion, but I'd prefer people to have access to all the safe options they can.

[sangheili_asylum]

This post interested me because these were reasons I left the church as well...I wasn't allowed to watch what I wanted, listen to what wanted, read what I wanted... I hated that I'd drink and my friend would tell me I was hurting God. Or when I'd have sex, it was just the "worst thing I could do." Despite how much I drink and have sex, I think I have good morals. I care about people (you have to, in my job). I'd do a lot for my friends and family. I don't beat people up or verbally abuse people. I still think harming others is wrong. What I do privately is my own business. I think a lot of people just like to make jokes on here so I don't see what the big deal is. And I doubt anyone would SERIOUSLY talk about killing babies and mean it lol. I don't think abortion is wrong (I do think it's a health hazard for the mother, though). But I don't think it's cool to "kill babies" and I don't think anyone else on here does either.

[Deva]

Just something i wanted to say , i dont truly wanna leave the forums , but some things and convos around here really have turned out my stomach so much that i would prefer to flee away this place in seconds sometimes.

 

You might want to switch to a more heavily moderated forum.

 

I am just saying that people are given a free rein to say whatever they like here. Not all of us non-theists and pagans are really into the sex forum or threads that discuss that issue, or drinking or drugs or whatever.

 

Personally I wouldn't mind wearing a burqua but, hey, that's just me. We only have one area of agreement - we are ex-Christians (mostly) and that is as far as it goes. There is no monolithic standard.

 

Please do some self-selection of what sections of this site you like to explore. If you cannot do that or be accepting of others, then it might be best if you did leave, for your own peace of mind.

[RabbleRabble]

This post rubbed me the wrong way. Why not start a conversation about how people face moral questions in the absence of religion or consider why their ideas or so different from your own instead of whining about how some atheists don't conform to your own moral ideals. Suck it up. Someone else enjoying sex or a drink should not affect you in any way. And if you're talking about abortion when you say "killing babies" then I can only feel pity for your lack of ability to consider a complicated moral issue and respect the decisions of others.

 

One of the best things that ever happened to me was realizing that I was the one who determined my own moral principles. To anyone who is upset by that the only thing I can say is "Fuck off."

[godlessgrrl]

Congratulations, Adelice! You've just realized that not everybody acts the way you think they should. You may even have come to understand that people don't share the same morals and ethics as you. In fact, the world doesn't revolve around you at all. Shocking!

 

The next step is realizing that other people are adults capable of figuring out such issues for themselves without guilt-tripping, judgment, and manipulation from controlling individuals such as yourself.

 

The only person for whom you are responsible is yourself. Don't want to drink, do drugs, smoke, or have sex? Great! More power to ya. Not all of us are as virtuous and upright as you are - and I'm sure even you have some skeletons in your closet. Get over it, and get over yourself.

 

Just something i wanted to say , i dont truly wanna leave the forums , but some things and convos around here really have turned out my stomach so much that i would prefer to flee away this place in seconds sometimes.

 

If you can't handle what you see here, moving on is probably the best option. Perhaps you can start your own forum.

[par4dcourse]

 

Personally I wouldn't mind wearing a burqua but, hey, that's just me.

 

Covering your sweet face would truly be a sin, Miss Deva.

[Jenn]

Ohhhh, okay. Yeah, I get where you're coming from.

 

Except the local Christian High School here is a cesspool of drugs, sex and alcohol, and with that probably plenty of abortions. The church I came from was a meat market, and most others are, too.

 

Who are you trying to convince, us or yourself? Believers are no better. Sex is not BAD. Drinking is not BAD. The things we do in life are our distinct choices, and as long as we don't hurt our fellow men, they are not evil or wrong.

 

A lot of people here are going to get pretty pissed off about what you said. I'm going to hold off because it appears English might be your second language, and I don't want to chastise you for word choice if that's the case.

 

~J

[Deva]

Personally I wouldn't mind wearing a burqua but, hey, that's just me.

 

Covering your sweet face would truly be a sin, Miss Deva.

 

LOL Par. Thank you.

[RankStranger]

Adelice- I really don't know what to tell you. Looks to me like you're viewing what you read on this site through the standard Christian stereotype of Godless Atheists. And correct me if I'm wrong- but based on your location and vocabulary, I'm guessing that English may be a second language to you. Or at a minimum, mainstream American culture may not be your own culture. Either way, I suspect that you're missinterpreting some humor and/or innuendo... 'cause I don't recall anybody around here bragging about killing their baby (unless they were killing their baby in a FUN way). So it might be helpful to link to the specific examples that are bothering you. If you're looking for explanations or perspective, that is.

 

But if on the other hand, this is just idle bitching and you're not trying to understand what you're reading here- then goodbye and good luck.

[Ouroboros]

I really dont have anything with atheists or non believers , but it kinda confuses me , do atheists truly have morals?

Yes.

 

I have seen some people here talking of how they smoked pot ,

I never have.

 

or even killed theyre own baby ,

Seriously? Can you point to the post of the person who killed their own baby. That's the first time I hear about that. Please. Let me know where you read it. It's very important.

 

or did some horrible stuff ... i even see people around here talking of how fun sex is or how they always are drinking some alcohol or beer ,

Soo.... sex is immoral? And drinking alcohol and beer is immoral too? Well... I'm not sure how you define morality, but those things are not necessarily evil or immoral.

 

What kind of method are you using to establish what is immoral or not? The Bible? Christianity? Or reason?

 

The Bible is not against drinking alcohol. The whole teetotaler movement is just over hundred years old or so. It's not from the Bible.

 

Sex is immoral to many Christians, but it's not really specified as such by Jesus or Moses. It was something Paul and the Catholic church came up with.

 

and then even some of them say theyre proud of theyre life...?

So abstinence from sex and alcohol is necessary to be proud of your life? Does this mean that your parents are ashamed of you? You do know they had sex to conceive you, right? That's how biology works. Sorry.

 

Seriously, are you ashamed because your parents had sex to produce you and bring you to life?

 

I dont wanna place stereotypes over people but really , i suffer a lot for seeing family or friends getting into that stuff , i dont think if you wanna bring more people into here you should be helping that kind of behaviour , theres even younger people who enter this sites and can read or get influenced that atheist are so " liberal " they can do whatever since theres no god.

That's true. This website is not for everyone. If you feel that you can't stomach what goes on here, you can't blame us or change us. But you can make the decision if you can stay here or not. It's up to you to make that decision, not us.

 

Of course theres no god , but think of all your familiars or friends who could feel sad or offended , fine is your life , but if they truly love you they care bout you too , i have friends who told me " is my life i can do whatever i want " , they have gotten drunk , stolen , got into drugs , had sex with an guy who told them everything was a joke .... i understand life is hard and all , but shouldnt we try to place morals on ourselfs? have an little dignity?

Absolutely. I have dignity, and I don't get drunk, steal, do drugs, or have sex with guys as a joke. But we are all different. I don't judge people for being different than me. I keep high standards on my own life, and I can see that I have higher standards than some of my Christian friends (offline) and family. I know Christians who cheat on their spouses. I know Christians who steal, get drunk, and do drugs. But do I? Do my kids? No. We have a higher standard. But do I judge people on this site because of it? No.

 

May I ask, are you up to scrutiny yourself? Are there things in your life that are immoral? Didn't Jesus say that the person without sin should throw the first rock. Can you judge people if you are guilty in yourself?

 

I really feel proud of some atheist but i feel really ashamed of others to the point of not wanting to be labeled at all again an atheist , i know atheism has christianity , there are some jewels , but please , i do wanna step in , i do feel offended when people around talk of those topics like hey dude , were fine. Excuse me for feeling offended , and i dont wanna say this to the mods , because what would that fix? Is not like i wanna get all nun and that you need to be pure and all those things , but it hurts to read how someone got an abort or something , and in another place theyre talking about of how many sex they had on the day.

??? I get the feeling you're exaggerating.

 

And if you enter with the " is my life deal " , just think about it , you truly can hurt other people , i have reached almost to the point of suicide just for an mistake another friend did , so if we truly wanna start an change , is not about if god is gonna send you to hell or anything , but it gives you an bad image.

Right. But we're not really worried about our image on this website. We're here for people to come and rant and be able to say pretty much whatever they want. To limit what people can say here would be to remove what this website is about. It would become dead and silent.

 

Again, if this website isn't for you, it's not up to us to change to fit you, but you to find a place where you can fit.

 

Just something i wanted to say , i dont truly wanna leave the forums , but some things and convos around here really have turned out my stomach so much that i would prefer to flee away this place in seconds sometimes.

Then perhaps it is time for you to step out and find a better place. We're not going to change the format of this website to suite you. Sorry.

 

Why is it that we about every two weeks have someone telling us how to "fix" ourselves and become something that fits their idea of how things should be?

 

[Ouroboros]

Hi Adelice. Are you sure all of the things you were offended by weren't meant as jokes? Especially the killing their own baby reference?

OOOOOH!!! I see.

 

Adelice,

 

The "eating baby" references are JOKES!!!

 

Are you seriously suggesting that atheists should only be boring? Wow...

[Overcame Faith]

Adelice, you should try to understand that this is a site full of exchristians. Many come from repressive families and churches and some are still in those situations. When leaving Christianity with its guilt-trip morality, people often have to re-think their positions on various issues. Many of us were taught from our childhoods, for example, that premarital sex was a sin before god and carried this long into adulthood. Once the chains of Christianity have been broken, then one has to re-think that and other "moral" matters. Is premarital sex really wrong? Are there bounds to it? Should I have sex with any and every partner who is willing, or should I be more selective and why? Remember, Christianity doesn't really deal with these issues. It is just one blanket NO with no real explanation other than god said so. One of the purposes of this forum is to be open about such matters to see how others in a similar situation are dealing with it so people can gain a post-christian perspective when they may very well have no one with whom they can speak about such matters.

 

If we did as you ask and imposed limits based on some code of morality which looks suspiciously like christianity, that would deprive a lot of people of a way to discuss such important issues with others in similar situations.

[sangheili_asylum]

The killing babies thing is as ignorant as people who think pagans cook and eat babies. The only people who do these things (if any) are psychopaths.

[Shyone]

It would be good to define morality before calling someone immoral.

 

I base morality on what we do to one another. If you deal honestly, avoid harming others intentionally, take care that your actions don't cause needless harm even unintentionally, remain faithful and fulfill obligations to others, then I believe you are moral.

 

What you do with yourself alone that does not affect others is your own business and is not the appropriate subject for a discussion on morality - at all. Likewise, consenting adults that engage in behavior that is acceptable to both and does not result in death or permanent harm is also outside of the realm of morality.

 

And, while illmannered is not the same as immoral, manners and morals have similar roots. I try to behave in socially appropriate ways in order to avoid offending as much as possible, but then I am not entirely responsible for what others find offensive. I'm sure a woman in any western clothing would offend some Muslim sensibilities, and dancing might offend some people of Christian sensibilities, but I don't consider a dress offensive and I don't think dancing is immoral.

 

Religion in particular has confused immorality with anything that is enjoyable or fun including masturbation, consensual sex, drinking, smoking or dancing. These actions, under normal circumstances, have nothing to do with "morality."

 

Abortion is another subject, but I find that a woman's body is her own and decisions on how to manage the pregancy up to and including termination before the fetus is viable belong to her and her physician. Not all atheists agree with this, and not all Christians agree with this, but there is hardly a consensus either way. In the future, I suspect that this will be determined to be legal or illegal, moral or immoral, but for the time being it is legal and outside of the scope of anyone that has not participated in the pregnancy directly (woman, perhaps husband, perhaps doctor, perhaps other children...).

 

There are times when personal actions adversely affect others in significant ways, and these are sometimes dangerous and/or illegal. Drinking at home? No problem. Drinking and driving? Immoral and illegal. This is but one example.

 

Finally, while smoking pot is currently illegal, it is also clear to those who have smoked that it is no more harmful or dangerous to themselves or anyone else than drinking or meditating. The laws are in fact changing. Enforcement is less aggressive, punishments are less severe, and in some circumstances smoking pot is in fact legal.

 

It is not immoral to not behave like a prude. Just because you might think it is the height of immorality to paint one's toenails does not mean that you can impose your rigid, impossible and unrealistic standards on the rest of society.

[Rayne Bloodfell]

Here is my issue with this whole "Atheists have no religion and are there fore immoral."

 

Lets say I am a Christian, what morals does the bible lay in front of me? We'll just use the commandments for this: Don't kill (soldiers are immoral?), don't steal (starving children stealing food are going to hell?), don't covet your neighbors wife (your natural thoughts can send you to hell? Not to mention a woman isn't an item to be "coveted" along with your neighbors donkey), honor your father and mother (a child whose parents beat or molested them should honor them or go to hell?), and then the others are all about god saying how great he is and how we should always remember that (does praising god make you moral?). These are not morals, they are way too vague for anyone to live by.

 

 

Now here's an important question; if tomorrow it was proven, without a doubt, that there is NO god and everything religious was and is completely false...would you still obey these commandments (or whatever system of morality you have)? If not, you're "immoral" (morality is subjective) and were only being "moral" for the promise of a reward, or because society deemed it necessary and you took the bait. An atheist will continues following their system of morality, because it's true to them, not because someone told that's how it was or that they'd be rewarded later.

 

 

But here's the biggest flaw I see in your argument of morality; what you claim is "immoral" follows western society's ideals. You don't have morals, you're just following whatever society deems as moral. Right now it's considered immoral to be homosexual, but at one point is was considered immoral to simply date (or even be seen with) a black person if you were white. We look at that and think "how could anybody do that? How unfair!"...well, in 30(+) years people will feel the same towards gay relationships; it's called progression, and morals should not be able to progress.

 

You need to sit down and think a while about what morals actually are, and what you believe...not just what the media/government feeds you.