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Religion for Atheists ? ? ? ?

Weekends on CSPAN2 is about books, mostly non-fiction, and author interviews.

The title Religion for Atheists did NOT persuade me to get the book, but did persuade me to watch the hour-long author interview.

The author said he's an atheist. I concluded that he is not yet able to accept atheism's seeming chaos, and he ought to have titled his book Religion for Me.

I say "seeming chaos" because for me, leaving Catholicism was like leaping into a void. The torment Catholicism had inflicted on me made retreat impossible and I leaped.

I soon began telling people that someday, though not soon, the tactics used in church schools (telling kids of a fall from grace, original sin, a lake of fire, etc) will be seen as child abuse.

For me, xianity was pessimistic and atheism is optimistic. I'm glad I leaped.

Did leaving a religion require you to leap into what seemed like a void?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sarah Walton on April 9, 2012 at 9:56pm

I had to quit my religion like a bad habit.

Permalink Reply by Clarence Dember on April 11, 2012 at 2:10am

Hi Tom. Considering the vast bulwark of shame, blame and groveling that religion represents to it's devotees, it was like leaping into a void of serenity when I left it. The void of volition!!!

Permalink Reply by Tom Sarbeck on April 12, 2012 at 9:14pm

Clarence, poets put a lot of effort into creating word pictures and methinks the terms "a void of serenity" and "a void of volition" belong in a poem.

Since voids are empty, I'm wondering what the poem would say.

Religions certainly are about shame, blame and groveling. I'm wondering why some people like to grovel.

Permalink Reply by Nerdlass on April 12, 2012 at 10:27pm

I took a long road coming to this place in my life. I still enjoy the woowoo religious awe, minus the religious trappings. I am in awe of nature and the universe and the study of it all. For me, this learning is as spiritual as any ritual could ever hope to be.

Is that what the author is attempting to convey in his book? Recapturing that ecstatic feeling, in a more realistic setting??

Permalink Reply by Tom Sarbeck on April 16, 2012 at 12:25pm

Nerdlass, whatever the author intended to convey, he conveyed to me a lack of comfort with where he is. As he spoke I pictured him reaching back into his past for some comforting beliefs he could pull into his present. I don't recall his identifying any specific beliefs.

Permalink Reply by Mark Floden on April 16, 2012 at 12:13am

Leaving religion for me was a process. One that started years before it was completed. It started for me the moment I started questioning the fantastic claims in my religion. But as you know religion has deep hooks of family and society so it took some time to get out.

One thing that I am very happy about is that my children have made the same journey perhaps with a faster process.

I agree Tom that atheism is very optimistic or at least mine is. Not expecting any help from supernatural beings means that I have become much more confident and determined in the use of my own abilities.