atheist myths atheist parent atheist parent atheist parent atheist parent atheist parent atheist parent atheist parent atheist parent atheist parent atheist parent atheist parent
The Sin Factor.
I was reading some stuff tonight about what atheists believe, writings from various Christian websites.
.
(I was just doing it for fun...WHAT?! Don't judge me!)
.
On Creation.com I learned that many Christians are given extremely disingenuous and misleading information about atheist, so it's no wonder that many believers are actually frightened of freethinkers. It's a sad fact that people who visit these websites are given false information to keep them plugged into the religion.
If you are now an atheist, were you a Christian or other believer at some point in your life? I was a Catholic. I ask this question because I remember it very clearly: times when atheists were explained or characterized in an alarming way. I was frightened as hell of atheists when I was a believer so I think I get it, their fear and derision. They are fed these incredible lies.
Creation.com claims that all people, first of all, experience a time in their life when they know that they need God. Second, these scoundrels, the atheists, then, needing God, consciously choose to turn their backs on God in order to choose a sinful lifestyle...probably a sexual lifestyle, as is the insinuation of the website. Other websites even feel sorry for atheists for their sad lack of belief in an afterlife. It is also quite sad that atheists hate God so much. You see, much of the dripping sarcasm of some of these Christian writers is quite comical, though I grant some of the writers some leniency for their honest efforts to try to understand.
Some writer of these Christian sites are fearfully arrogant about their belief in the sin-soaked world in which we live. Evolution seems to be a comical idea for many of the writers on these websites. Some argue that most atheists probably never really give important issues honest thought. Some say that there is no such a thing as a good atheist. And, although I admit to having done very little research in this matter at this point, one webpage I was on claimed that science is making strides in finding evidence for God's existence. Imagine!
So let's get on to the sin...although the current pope has allowed that atheists would be perfectly fine as long as they follow their conscience, not all Christians are as generous as the leader of the Catholic church in Vatican City. Although I don't have affection for church leaders as a whole, I appreciated Pope Francis's efforts, however late to the game, however little.
Did you know that Hamartiology is the branch of theology that deals with the study of sin? I noticed that some Christian colleges actually offer Hamartiology as a major. Imagine studying sin...
From my reading I think that some believers would doubt the claim that Atheists Just Want to Sin, so I shall give that caveat. But many Christians and Muslims truly believe that atheists live in fear of and with disdain for the moral certainties of the religions and with a preference for living a life of gluttony, sexual vices, full of deceit and pride, free of the consequences of their actions, disdainful of life, valuing no one and nothing.
I know from my reading that many believers will be disdainful of my next point...yet it is one of my deepest-held truths, it is fundamental to my complete disbelief in any and all religion and all things supernatural: I do not believe in any such a thing as sin...even beyond the moral relativity thing.
Most fundamental definitions of sin refer to rejecting deities and teachings of religions. The concept of sin in religions holds behavior and human goodness secondary to belief in the deity. Yes, the concept of sin in religions is a construct designed to enslave the mind. If I am too fearful of questioning the god of my culture because I don't want to sin, then I will never have the courage to think outside of that box. Fear. The concept of sin is the prison.
And finally, few freethinkers that I have spoken to even mention the concept of sin in their deconversion except for how their fear of sin kept them living in mental torture and discomfort for so long on their journey away from religion. Moving away from the concept of sin, freedom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You Might Also Enjoy These Posts:
It Takes More Faith to be an Atheist
Atheists Cannot Experience True Joy
You Were Never a Real Believer
Your Life Has No Meaning
Everything Happens for a Reason
I was reading some stuff tonight about what atheists believe, writings from various Christian websites.
.
(I was just doing it for fun...WHAT?! Don't judge me!)
.
On Creation.com I learned that many Christians are given extremely disingenuous and misleading information about atheist, so it's no wonder that many believers are actually frightened of freethinkers. It's a sad fact that people who visit these websites are given false information to keep them plugged into the religion.
If you are now an atheist, were you a Christian or other believer at some point in your life? I was a Catholic. I ask this question because I remember it very clearly: times when atheists were explained or characterized in an alarming way. I was frightened as hell of atheists when I was a believer so I think I get it, their fear and derision. They are fed these incredible lies.
So let's get on to the sin...although the current pope has allowed that atheists would be perfectly fine as long as they follow their conscience, not all Christians are as generous as the leader of the Catholic church in Vatican City. Although I don't have affection for church leaders as a whole, I appreciated Pope Francis's efforts, however late to the game, however little.
From my reading I think that some believers would doubt the claim that Atheists Just Want to Sin, so I shall give that caveat. But many Christians and Muslims truly believe that atheists live in fear of and with disdain for the moral certainties of the religions and with a preference for living a life of gluttony, sexual vices, full of deceit and pride, free of the consequences of their actions, disdainful of life, valuing no one and nothing.
Most fundamental definitions of sin refer to rejecting deities and teachings of religions. The concept of sin in religions holds behavior and human goodness secondary to belief in the deity. Yes, the concept of sin in religions is a construct designed to enslave the mind. If I am too fearful of questioning the god of my culture because I don't want to sin, then I will never have the courage to think outside of that box. Fear. The concept of sin is the prison.
What do you think?
You Might Also Enjoy These Posts:
It Takes More Faith to be an Atheist
Atheists Cannot Experience True Joy
You Were Never a Real Believer
Your Life Has No Meaning
Everything Happens for a Reason
http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2012/04/wisdom-and-sin.html
ReplyDeleteYes! Richard Beck got me thinking about this years ago when he posted the above to his blog.
I also no longer believe in sin. I think there are consequences for our choices and we have to be willing to live with the consequences of our choices. But that doesn't necessarily mean that one choice is "right" and another is "wrong".
Ya, Sin is a fear based thing. It's a control tactic. It's someone else from long ago saying what what we shouldn't do instead of letting us make our own choices that are best for our lives, our loved ones and society as a whole.
Sin is very much linked to avoiding hell. I like to think about "wellness" these days as a guide for what choices are best for me, instead of "right" and "wrong". But, as you know, this is still a HUGE struggle for me. The concepts of sin and right and wrong are deeply entrenched in my brain and difficult to remove!
WELLNESS, I love the reframe.
DeleteUniversal and useful.
Larissa, SO NICE to see you again.
Also, thanks for the link; it's very hopeful seeing religion-based leaders displaying an appreciation for relativism and humanism.
DeleteWhen one's view of morality starts with the idea that one has to believe in a certain deity, that view of morality is already warped. Not that they see it but it is no wonder we as humans struggle to bring worldwide peace. It's dependent on people believing in the same fantasy and that's just not gonna happen.
ReplyDelete