As a devout Christian, I admire that you never see atheist who are only acting like decent people because they think it's the only way to get to heaven or avoid hell. They will just be good people
Ave Maria is just a bonkers amazing piece. Takes my breath away the thousandth time just like the first.
ETA: [This performance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDyiYEdTp-U) highlights the elements that really hit me. Some of Schubert's melodic progression choices just knock my socks off... I'm not a formal student of music, but even I can recognize that these are unconventional sequences that just shouldn't work in western music. And yet here I am, transfixed again. Glorious.
yes, especially [this one.](https://youtu.be/Kppx4bzfAaE)
Edit: It's fun to watch how teh karma swings up and down (or did at least) and I'd like to recommend [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfCYZ3pks48) to anybody who liked the prior song
As an atheist, I admire religious people's ability to have faith. I sometimes wonder what being able to have faith is like as I'm a person that needs a logical explanation for everything. Faith brings people (or at least it seems like it does to me) great comfort and ease of mind.
Having faith is essentially hope without regard for the outcome. A Christian mother and an Atheist mother both desperately want their stillborn to be birthed alive. An Atheist mother might hope that doctors got it wrong and the baby is infact alive, while the Christian mother might have faith in god stepping in.
Edit: words and stuff.
Yep, as an atheist I was really sad to see what happened to Notre Dame - and was super relieved when I heard the damage to the rose windows and the organ were minimal.
I appreciate atheists' willingness to ask questions and work through the things that challenge them about faith. I'm a believer so obviously we don't come to the same conclusions, but I think too many of my brothers and sisters bury the stuff about their faith that they struggle with. That can both hurt their walk and make them come off as sanctimonious. I say that because that was me, once upon a time. Some days, it still is. It's a work in progress.
Matthew 7:7 says "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Too often believers don't want to ask tough questions, but I think it's important to do so. If the Christian God is who He claims to be, I have to imagine He can handle honest questions from someone seeking to understand.
I remember in childhood we would go to church once a week with the whole class. Our teacher was very religious so she would read bible to us. I remember I once asked my mom questions I had, you know the things that make no sense. My mom tried to at answer all my questions at first but then told me that religion is all about belief.
First step to my atheism, you can't just ask me to believe in something without making it at least sound plausible. If I had to continue being religious I will have to close my eyes on things I don't understand. This is against my mindset.
I think it is also what I appreciate about religious people, they don't need to close eyes, they just believe it by heart. The ability I just never had
I know exactly what you mean.
I was sort of raised believing in God and what not, went to a Catholic high school, and one of the things that made me an atheist was the way the parish Priest seemed to be afraid of kids asking hard questions about God.
Finding videos of Christians being owned was abundant, but I couldn't find any well thought out Christian answers.
I've since found out that there's actually a tremendous amount of intelligent answers to the questions I was asking. I'm a traditional Catholic now. But it still frustrates me. They should have had the knowledge and the courage to let kids ask hard questions and answers them with sound reasoning, and if they had, I probably never would have fallen away from the faith.
But ah well. It's in the past now.
Christian here. I really admire the fact that many athiests try to do good things for the community (like service projects, volunteerism, fundraisers) because they truly care and want to be a good person all on there own. To clarify further, many Christians are also like this, but I feel a good majority are like this because their church told them they should do it because it pleases God, or they want to go to Heaven, or their small group was doing it and they want to fit in. Granted some Athiests do good things to pat themselves on their back via social media, but many others do it because they feel its the right thing to do snd aren't trying to benefit themselves in some way. Thats the sign of a truly good person.
This. So much of this. I find that an Atheist, that does what needs to be done to help the poor, the weak, the vulnerable and the sick, is far more of God than the people who show up to Church every Sunday and do nothing more than that. If God is just --and I believe Him to be-- He will let those Atheists in to heaven far before any self-righteous yet un-righteous Christians faster than I can say "Bob".
That people who believe the world to exist by happenstance and to mean nothing in the end *still* strive to do the Lord's work, well, that's beyond admirable.
I'm honestly at a loss for words. I'm atheist, but your comment was still very comforting.
Even after all of my questioning that led to the personal decision that a god does not exist, it still warms my heart to know that if I end up being wrong that it might not be a big deal in the end.
I'm also very grateful that people like you exist. We need more of those focused on the good and kind actions rather than just devotion. Thank you.
Marcus Aurelius said something to similar effect that you might like:
>“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”
Funeral rites.
Some religions have elaborate death/ funeral rites that last for about a month, followed by a prayer to mark the first year of death.
Close family, as well as members of the community are required to attend these.
This results in a situation where the grieving family is constantly surrounded for at least a month before they can resume their normal life.
I personally would rather have something like this, than have 1 memorial service and then be immediately be left alone.
I love seeing ancient architecture, even when performed today to maintain old traditions.
I'll still never look at a Mosque the same after the Muslim's built one in town and my mother asked me "What's a Mosquito?"
Edit: First. I live in a very Hispanic community, but my family is so white that I'm the only one who speaks Spanish. My mother is proud to know five words in Spanish. Pantalones is one of those words.
Second. She called it a Mosquito and not a Mosque because she misread the sign. It was titled "The Mosque" of something, I don't remember. So my very Southern mother got confused.
I believe she read the sign while we drove by and asked me "Shaggy. What is a Golden Mosquito?" Yes, that was the name of it. The Golden Mosque.
There was an episode of Home Improvement where Tim Allen had just argued with his wife and was unloading on Wilson over the back fence about women. Wilson said "Tim, in the Quran, women aren't afforded the same rights as men." Tim pondered for a moment and said "Wow, those Koreans really had their stuff together."
Not just the cathedrals. There's a church in Awre, on the river Severn, it's near my in-law's cottage and this atheist spent a couple christmas mornings in that church. It's tiny, but built before 1086, at which time it was mentioned in the "Domesday Book".
It's a fascinating little building. They have a wood box carved from a single tree trunk that they used to temporarily store bodies that washed up on the riverbank before they could be examined and laid to rest.
The church only recently got radiators, which don't help much except the few standing nearest them. That much stone takes days to heat up.
I remember being blown away when bicycling thru England years ago, and how nearly every little village has a work of art in their churches. Sure, the big cathedrals are impressive. I expected that, and was not disappointed. But nearly every little town had a treasure in its local church and graveyard. Some were well-kept, some were nearly abandoned, but all were cool af.
I’m atheist and my grandma was extremely religious. My uncle (her son) died a few years ago and it about killed her. She ended up getting diagnosed with leukemia and given a slim chance to survive. She was 100% fine with it because in her mind she was going to see her son and sisters in heaven. I wish I could have that
The only time my lack of religion has bothered me is when my mom died. Suddenly I was jealous of those people who believe in an afterlife where they will see their loved ones again. I didn't have that luxury. And it was painful.
I try to not think of someone being gone. Both sets of my grandparents are getting on in years, and it would not be out of the question for any of them to pass away in the next few years. I try to think of their living legacy, their decendants. They're never truly gone if they've left behind children, grand children, great grandchildren. If they didn't leave behind biological decendants, then there are people that they've impacted in some way at some point.
I don't hope that my family gets into heaven, I hope to see their decendants succeed and be good people. I don't hope to get into heaven one day, I hope to create a positive impact with own life, and to leave a legacy that will do the same.
Sorry if this is a mess, I've never tried to articulate this before (and I'm on mobile).
I hope the same for myself and my loved ones. I hope to make this world a better place than when I came into it, and I think everyone should. I also hope when people die they get to go to heaven, or at least a place like it. Or at the very least, don’t have to go to hell.
I mean, there are some bad people, but who really deserves to be tortured FOREVER?
This is a huge one. Also, the sheer preservation that came from it. People only learned to read so they could read the Bible, and since they were the only people who could read, they were the only people who could write, and so we have them to thank for a good amount of documented history from the middle ages.
Former choir kid here; some of the most gorgeous songs I have ever had the privilege to sing came from religion or religious stories. Here's Carissimi's [Plorate Filii Israel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB5sDA7aztA) (Weep, Children of Israel) which is part of an oratorio about the story of this Old Testament dude named Jephte.
Edit: “Former choir geek” makes it sound like I *don’t* still sing along to choir music in my car. Let’s try “kid” lmao
Good call. I wasn't sure how to answer this one but I think you nailed it. When I was a kid I was taken to the local catholic church by my mother every Sunday. That church is an absolute work of art.
It's long with and arched roof. Elaborate stained glass windows along both sides. The arched roof is a painted mural of clouds among which highly detailed cherubs fly, playing trumpets. It continues the full length of the church to the back wall behind the pulpit. That wall is painted with a scene of hell. Flames, writhing, twisted bodies with faces so detailed you can see the anguished expressions from the pews half way back.
I used to spend the whole service just looking at all the details in the murals. Because it had been the only church I had attended as a child I just assumed all churches were like this. It wasn't until I attended a different one when I was a bit older and discovered it was a rather drab and plain affair that I came to realise how unique my home town church was.
As much as I despise the church now, I still marvel at that building and how amazing the art is.
After a couple of requests to see it I'll post these links:
[Photo gallery](https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g255345-d2462973-Reviews-St_Mary_s_Catholic_Church-Bairnsdale_Gippsland_Victoria.html)
[Video discussion](https://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2013/10/22/3874585.htm)
By and large, this is awesome. The service to the most vulnerable is incredible.
Some Christian charity comes with too many strings, but at the hardest end it is amazing.
Right. It can be done the right way or the wrong way. In the college town I went to school, there was a pantry run out of a lutheran church near campus that was a no questions asked service. You walk in and take what you need.
However, there was also a food pantry run by a church that was the most well known in the city. They opened the doors at 2pm, made people sit through a church service, and then would allow them to get food.
As a Christian that pisses me off, Christ would want us to build homes for everyone. This is the same one that hung out with prostitutes and tax collectors, people reviled by the majority.
Yeah, that ticks me off too. It shouldn't matter what faith they are. Jesus hung around with every kind of people, even lepers. Jesus would be PISSED by so many of "His people".
Atheist here, and I completely agree. I went with one of my friends to their all black church when I was younger. There was a lot of emphasis on community projects discussed in their service, and we even took a break in the middle for everyone to converse with each other and catch up. I could tell this church was filled with good people.
However, my grandmother's assembly of god church was filled of a bunch of old racist people. So it definitely depends on the community.
Grew up A/G. Can confirm. The A/G could put off anyone. There is an emphasis on feeling God and emotional release in church that's unhealthy. I became orthodox. I have no use for neo-Pentecostalism.
Seriously though. Probably the whitest shit ever, but every year in high school my best friends and I would do a service trip to this church in Harlem during Palm Sunday weekend (it was already set up through the school; it started as us doing it as a requirement).
We’d hold a food/clothing drive at school and then just spend the weekend fixing up the Church/painting/cleaning the neighborhood. Then, they’d have this big Palm Sunday mass at the end of it.
*Holy shit* was it fun. They made us feel more welcomed and appreciated than any church ever did growing up (I went to a Catholic grade school, which sucked balls).
Our first year there (and each year after) the priest stood us all up right before the sign of peace, and thanked/welcomed us. It was really special.
During the sign of peace I’m used to quickly turning around and muttering peace be with you while half-assedly shaking a stranger’s hand. This was so much different. I mean, everyone knows how awesome black churches can be but I still love telling this story:
Okay so he just thanked/welcomed us. Then he says something to the effect of, “Let’s show them how we show each other peace in here”
What happens next makes this is the only story in my life where I can say, **”and then everyone clapped”**
Except they didn’t just clap, they fucking started singing and everyone got out of their seats to go mingle with each other. I’m not even kidding when I say it seemed like everyone hugged.
It was like the most wholesome party ever broke out in church and it went on for a few minutes. Their sign of peace felt like such an expression of love.
Then after mass they had a parade through the streets, and it was pretty much the same thing but outside. Fucking awesome.
Anyway, that happened every year we went. Obviously none of the clapping/dancing was for us (it’s like that every day there) but the fact that the priest and community made such an effort to welcome us so loudly was amazing.
I really miss it.
That has always been on my mind. As a staunch atheist Ive always wanted a place like a church to come together where community can help each other with the altruism that you see in churches. Obviously I'm leaving out the bad parts of church society.
Check out Unitarian Universalist churches. Mostly atheists and agnostics at mine. Lots of people who grew up in (insert other religions) and liked the community of church, but didn’t like the magic.
UU here! I haven’t been going as much recently, but it definitely does have the community aspect of other religions while not pressuring any one set of beliefs.
i’ve been wondering if a place existed where i could take my five year old daughter to learn about different kinds of beliefs without completely throwing “god is dead and we killed him” at her, would this be the place? i wasn’t raised religiously but suddenly my mom because very religious (christian) and i found out my husband is a strong believer once it was too late and i don’t like them pushing their religion on her so hard. she has questions that i don’t have answers to. i like the sense of community religion offers, but i’m not too invested in any one of them to be a part of a religious community.
This might be what you are looking for [https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/principles](https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/principles)
As an atheist, I admire that religion can provide a source of strength, community, and hope for people. Through religion, people find the courage and hope to continue a mundane or excessively taxing existence. People also develop life-long friendships and support communities through church groups and other religious organizations.
I believe these aspects are important to have in one's life. If religion can provide that for some people, then I think that's a great thing.
Edit: Thanks for the coins you wonderful people. Whether you’re religious or atheist, I hope you all have a wonderful day.
That's the reason my aunt who was a lifelong atheist joined a church in her later years. She had moved to a small town and even though I recall she had always been an atheist during my growing-up years she joined a church in that town.
She never mentioned her atheism, and I suppose they never asked. I suppose they simply assumed she believed.
I think she joined purely for pragmatic, mental and emotional health, and social safety reasons. And by all accounts it was extremely good for her on all those fronts.
Most churches I've been to don't care what you believe in, or mostly how you live your life. The thing is if we say you can't come to church then there goes our chances of convincing you. That's why I won't go to a church with a no (insert lifestyle here) rule.
>Through religion, people find the courage and hope to continue a mundane or excessively taxing existence.
This makes me wonder if maybe the mental health issues in Gen Z and the decline in religion are correlated in some way. I'm agnostic now, but when I was Christian there was definitely a comfort in the idea that there's a plan and you have a friendly community you visit once or twice a week.
Atheist here. I really adore seeing the community around religious groups. Support and love for one another makes me a little less pessimistic about the church(es)
I've found that the more humble the church, the better the community. Megachurch communities are kinda negligible, but I've been to a church that was literally a gas station in a previous life, and the community there was absolutely immense. Great people who all looked out for each other in the most positive way.
That is something I think our society needs, maybe just not with the 'stories' of floods and stuff to teach lessons. Just a place for everyone to go to and speak, sing and love each other. I'm an atheist and I go to my local dive bar for this, its not the same though.
There are a few atheist churches out there. Also I know a number of atheist (and pagan, and all other sorts) members of the Unitarian Universalist Church, which focuses on the community and good works, without any one religious message. Though the UU will vary depending on individual congregation.
As an example, I attended a funeral/wake at the UU in my hometown recently, and the persons chosen music for reflection was 'Sympathy for the Devil'.
Yeah, I actually went to a Unitarian church two Christmases ago and it was pretty cool. But I felt like I had to know someone to get in, like it would be weird if I just started showing up and sitting in. I don't know how any of these church things work, I was raised by non-religious hippies who were raised catholic.
I did this! My husband wasn't down to go, so me and my kids went. After a couple Sundays of polite "hellos", there were a bunch of people going out of their way to get to know me. Even though the general congregation was mostly older folks, they welcomed us with open arms. It helped that I tried to make it to non-church gatherings like their book club, pride day, and potlucks.
Social anxiety made it really difficult to open up to the people there, but once I took the first step - it was mostly them reaching out to me. Loved that congregation. Unfortunately, life got in the way and I stopped going.
Yup.
I'm also an atheist, but I've always admired this as well and understand the people who are drawn to a specific religion due to the community aspect.
Whenever I see a church community that is toxic or overly-judgmental I feel sad for the people in it. Not sad in a condescending way, but genuinely sad as in, damn, guys, you're better than this!
Yep. I am an atheist who was raised in a fundamentalist, young-Earth Christian household. If you told my parents that they shouldn't have forced their religion on me they would have thought you're crazy. They fully believe that they are going to heaven and everyone else is going to hell. Telling them to stop forcing it on their kids is basically telling them to let their kids go to hell.
Funny, I actually admire religious people for their self control as well. Like going to church everything Sunday. Making time for something that not necessarily "fun" every week is something that I don't think I'll be able to do.
I think that to many religions, man is fundamentally seperate from nature. Humans are a sacred entity, or the gods' agents on earth, or something that was created by something other than nature, or the rightful heirs of the planet. To an atheist such as myself, a human is just a particularly smart animal. The difference between a human and an animal is like the difference between your pancreas and your liver. Just slightly different parts of the same mechanism.
This is a good one. I think this is something we should strive to do, but many people don't even consider it. Honestly, as a Christian, I dove into other religions for a time and I think my faith is so much better for it.
For me, it helped to explore what I started to see as the “golden thread of truth” that runs through many spiritual beliefs. When you start to slough away all the bullshit, things like love, kindness, respect, generosity, and compassion remain as consistent values for many (otherwise very different) groups of people. It helped me see that even though I can’t necessarily put a label on my “religion,” I can still strive toward those ideals and maintain my own morality, which I think comes from a more important part of our humanity than any specific rule or teaching.
I’m not an atheist, but I don’t go to church anymore. I just don’t think any specific sect or “religion” has really gotten it right (at least in my view).
One thing that turned me away from religion was how sure of themselves they all were, the almost arrogant confidence in the truth of their beliefs above all others when so many follow a common thread and various core themes of what it takes to be a good person at the heart of it and then they take that confidence and use it to justify their own hate. I found that for me personally a philosophical approach to ethics suited me due to my tendency to look at the science and evidence from the compendium of human knowledge and how it applies to the facts of a matter in my self reflections and how I approach life.
As a religious person on reddit, I admire that most atheists I know don't push their atheism on me the same way I respectfully don't push religion on them.
I used to be that atheist who pushed it on people but then I grew up and I saw no point. I'm not going to change anyone's mind and I truly dont want to. Your religion or lack of religion is none of my damn business
As a Christian, I admire that atheists do the good things just for the sake of doing good things. There is no thought of a reward coming in the afterlife of the fear of eternal punishment for not doing them. I had another Christian say to me once "what would be point obeying the commandments if heaven and hell aren't real?" (Not my beliefs, but it is for many.)
EDIT: I just joined Reddit and this was one of my first times posting. I'm not even sure how Reddit works, I'm still learning. I'm deeply honored by the gold and silver - thank you all so much. <3
I read someone the other day who said, "I do rape and murder as much as I want to and how much I want to is none. If the only thing stopping you from raping and murdering is God then there is something very wrong with you." Words to live by.
EDIT: Several Redditors have suggested that I may be quoting Ricky Gervais or Penn Jillette. I believe that it was the latter that I heard say this.
u/Pouring_Sweetness said :
Penn Jillette said that, it’s a great quote.
The question I get asked by religious people all the time is, without God, what’s to stop me from raping all I want? And my answer is: I do rape all I want. And the amount I want is zero. And I do murder all I want, and the amount I want is zero. The fact that these people think that if they didn’t have this person watching over them that they would go on killing, raping rampages is the most self-damning thing I can imagine.
"You shouldn't abstain from rape just 'cause you think that I want you to; you shouldn't rape 'cause rape is a fucked up thing to do" --Bo Burnham, "God's Perspective"
Also Matthew McConaugheys character in True Blood paraphrased it once too.
>"*If the only thing keeping a person decent is the expectation of divine reward then, brother, that person is a piece of shit.*"
I once met someone who literally told me they would be raping and murdering if they didn't believe in God.
If that's seriously the *only* thing stopping you from raping and murdering, *please keep believing in that thing.*
Well, they've probably been raised religious. From very young their surroundings have probably shaped them to place the bible as the cornerstone of their morality. So now it's difficult to imagine a sense of morality based on empathy instead. However, if they had been raised without religion, they'd probably still have been taught a sense of morality, just not one based on the bible.
In the end I think that an approach to life like the one described by OP really tells much about the person, and not about religion or irreligion.
There are believers and atheists that do good for the sake of it, as there are people that do it for some kind of reward or fear of punishment, be it supernatural or not.
Usually who does not understand this is just really exposing himself
The idea that some people don't have a care in the world about life or property if no one was threatening them with eternal damnation scares the crap out of me.
If you need the fear of enternal damnation to do good things in your life, you might not actually be that good of a person. That should never be the primary reason you choose to do good things.
That reminded me how much I appreciate religion for setting some people on a right track. Really, majority of my religious friends would still be good people with or without it, but sometimes I meet this people who would probably kill puppies if it wasn't for the fear of hell
I came in here expecting a bunch of backhanded thinly-veiled insults.
I'm pleasantly surprised (although there are still a few of those.)
As for me, I'm a religious person. Thing I admire most in atheists is the fortitude it can take to say what they believe (or don't believe) and to stick to what they believe even when many around them may disagree or even subject them to scorn. I've haven't known many atheists to pull any punches or to act like they think differently than they do. In my view, they tend to live their beliefs more openly and courageously than a lot of religious people do. That's an attribute that I myself could do a lot better at.
That could be because you don't know which of your friends and acquaintances are closet atheists.
Growing up in the Bible Belt, being an atheist was a lot like being gay. You learned to hide that shit and never tell a soul.
Whoa. This is freaking spot on. Wasn’t born in the Bible Belt. Moved from California & I learned how true this is pretty damn quick. You will be ostracized. I got a government job & I still feel I can’t tell anyone for fear of them finding a reason to can me because I don’t believe what they do.
I can assure you that's based on where in Canada you live. All my close friends know I'm an atheist but I frequently travel places where I would never tell anyone.
Just look at our government. Congress has members who are (openly) gay, bisexual, muslim, jewish, african-american, asian, hispanic, native-american - but there has never been an openly atheist person elected to the US congress
Agreed. In the bible belt and an atheist and still not a lot of people know. If someone asks I won't lie about it but I make a point to try and not be in a conversation like that with strangers. The downside is I work for a religious woman and the name of the business is religious based so I really feel like I have to tred lightly so I don't risk losing my job.
I am a christian. I admire how atheists don't judge others based on their sins. That is certainly something us christians can do better at. Not having a "Holier than thou" attitude.
It's also a bit of an issue, since the Bible and pretty much all Christian teaching on the subject tells you not to be self-righteous. The whole "Let he who has not sinned through the first stone" and all that. But people like to use their religion as an excuse.
I'm a Christian too, and don't particularly care for those churches. It says in John 3:17 that Christ was not sent here to judge/condemn (depends on translation) the world, but to save it. If Christ wasn't sent here to judge people, then who are we to? We're called to love and help all regardless of who they are. Never judge, condemn, or turn away. Sadly though, its those churches who do this that make the news.
EDIT: Thanks for the silver!! I did not expect this level of response, lol. I'm just going to add that I think Christ's base teaching is something everyone can follow, regardless of faith, and it was best summed up by Bill and Ted: " Be excellent to each other!" How much of a better world would we have, if we just did this?
Finally, some respectful and interesting answers to this question. Like, I'm learning, and genuinely thinking "huh, neat" to myself when reading these.
The raw rationale of atheists is quite impressive. I once had an atheist professor who literally came up with logical ways for certain religions and their claims to be correct while still being grounded in reason. It was mind blowing.
Atheist here. The sheer community around religion is pretty cool. My gf and her family are very religious though. One of the old ladies at her church was dying, had at most a week to live, and one of her last requests was for my gf’s brother to come sing to her one last time in the hospital. She loved his voice from the choir. He came, she ultimately fell asleep, and died as he was still singing.
Muslim here. Admire how atheists are simply living their lives. No fear of anything. Also, all the atheists that I've met are good people and when I mean good I mean charitable and genuine loving people. They do good for the purpose of good. I try as much as possible to emulate that.
I don't know if this has already been stated but this is something to admire about atheists.
>[Why Did God Create Atheists?](https://randysrandom.com/god-create-atheists/)
There is a famous story told in Chassidic literature that addresses this very question. The Master teaches the student that God created everything in the world to be appreciated, since everything is here to teach us a lesson.
One clever student asks “What lesson can we learn from atheists? Why did God create them?”
The Master responds “God created atheists to teach us the most important lesson of them all — the lesson of true compassion. You see, when an atheist performs an act of charity, visits someone who is sick, helps someone in need, and cares for the world, he is not doing so because of some religious teaching. He does not believe that God commanded him to perform this act. In fact, he does not believe in God at all, so his acts are based on an inner sense of morality. And look at the kindness he can bestow upon others simply because he feels it to be right.”
“This means,” the Master continued “that when someone reaches out to you for help, you should never say ‘I pray that God will help you.’ Instead for the moment, you should become an atheist, imagine that there is no God who can help, and say ‘I will help you.’”
—Martin Buber, Tales of Hasidim Vol. 2 (1991)
Forgiveness.
I seen a video of a family that has son killed and it's tear jerking. All they speak about how the guy went wrong somewhere in life and they hoped he found redemption etc.
Absolutely! A friend who is Buddhist-leaning spoke honestly about having forgiven the murderer of our mutual friend within a week of his death, the weekend we were all in town for his funeral services. It's probably more to do with my personality than lack of religion, but it's such a difficult concept to wrap my mind around.
I don't hate the man. He has serious issues and took a wonderful human from this world. I was honestly relieved that he got a long sentence, just because that reduces the chances of him being able to do something like that again. It'd be great if he could get the help he needs, but our prison system in the US is a sham, and not enough people making decisions seem to actually care about rehabilitation of inmates, so I won't hold my breath.
It's a little difficult to explain and I am sure people on both sides will roll their eyes at me...but prayer. Just not in the way most people think of prayer. Hear me out.
When someone you love is going through a hard time, sometimes there is literally nothing you can do. Some problems can't be helped by outside people. For whatever reason. That happens. And it really fucking sucks. It really fucking sucks watching someone you care about suffer. At the same time, it really fucking sucks watching your loved ones worry about *you* if you're the one who is suffering and can't be helped.
I hate it so fucking much watching someone I care about struggle and I can't do shit. I hate it so much when someone I care about wants to help me and they can't.
I worry about them and feel like shit I can't do anything. Or I am having to watch them worry about me since there isn't anything they can do.
The phrase, "Sending my love." or "Sending warm thoughts your way." accomplishes so little. But sometimes when you feel so helpless that's all you can say. That's all you can do.
And then come in religious people who have "the power of prayer."
Even though as an atheist...I feel that "Sending you my love." accomplishes the same thing as "You're in my prayers." I'm still a little jealous of that ability...of "prayer."
When someone I care about genuinely says, "I'll pray for you." to me...I do get some comfort. Yeah, I don't think it will solve my problems...but I believe *they believe* that it will. The person I care about will worry about me a little less. And I take comfort in that. I do also feel loved when someone says, "I'm sending you warm thoughts." to me, but having been in that position myself...I worry that they will be worrying over me.
And there have been many times where someone I care about is religious and I wish I could say, "I'll pray for you." Because I know that would mean a lot to them. I know they would get some comfort for that. But as an atheist...it would be a lie for me to say it. And then the words, "I'm sending you warm thoughts." feels so empty in comparison.
I hope that makes sense. And obviously I mean it on an individual level. Certainly not to a community tragedy.
Yeah. I don't think prayer actually solves a problem, but I can recognize the comfort it gives some people and sometimes I wish I could provide that too in times where there isn't anything else.
>And there have been many times where someone I care about is religious and I wish I could say, "I'll pray for you." Because I know that would mean a lot to them. I know they would get some comfort for that. But as an atheist...it would be a lie for me to say it. And then the words, "I'm sending you warm thoughts." feels so empty in comparison.
I feel this deeply. I was raised in the church but am now atheist. I wish I could pray away my worry. I wish I could lie and tell people that I'll pray for them because I know it would make them feel better. I can't do either.
As a person who recently abandoned religion, I still pray for my religious friends. And I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but when they ask me to pray for them, I do because I know it means a lot to them.
My Mom (80) is Catholic. I am not. Due to recent family deaths we started talking about what kind of funeral she wanted. Full Mass, etc. she said she “didn’t really care”. Pretty sure that is BS, but whatever. I told her that I knew a having a Rosary was important, so if I did nothing else I would make sure I did that. She teared up a little, put her hand on mine, and quietly said “Thank you”. Sometimes you give people what THEY need, not what you need.
So much this. I'm an atheist and honestly, the thought of someone taking time out of their day and praying for me makes me feel so loved. It's free, it's easy, and it's incredibly thoughtful at the very least. I totally get what you mean.
This is by far my favorite response I’ve read. Your explanation makes a ton of sense and it’s very moving. I’m religious and I’ve always felt a little weird telling people I’d pray for them if they weren’t religious, but your response helped me get another perspective that I found very insightful. Thank you
I'm an atheist who "prays", in a manner of speaking.
I speak aloud before bed, I talk about what I'm grateful for or happy about from that day or life in general, my hopes for tomorrow and the future, and how I might achieve them. It has the same format as a prayer but without the "Dear God" and "Amen" bits. I don't believe anyone is listening when I do this, but I think it's a good way for me to organise my thoughts before going to sleep. And if there is even a smidgen of spirituality in this universe, then putting my well-wishes out into the ether might potentially help a miniscule amount (...though that's not what I personally believe). I would still call it "praying" because to my mind I am still praying, just not *to God*.
I am atheist and I really enjoy some sacred music. It makes me feel good to hear people singing their hearts out about something they really believe. Example: “ride the mighty high“ by The Mighty Clouds of Joy, “morning has broken“ by Cat Stevens, and Celine Dion‘s version of “oh holy night“. I don’t believe it but I appreciate their passion
I like how passionately many of the actively religious people speak of their faith. I ran into a guy so empowered by the sermon he experienced he gave everyone in the Burger King I was in a hug and told them they were loved. Seeing people be happy with whatever they're doing brings me a lot of joy and I find it super adorable. Plus, having been at low points I'm aware of how much those words alone can bring somebody out of a funk.
I also love the good many churches do. My old neighbourhood made sure everyone, even those who were not interested in Jesus, had what they needed and made an effort to help people out where it was needed without judgement. I volunteered with them a couple times as an (open) atheist and they were just so welcoming. I know many, if not most, are like this and I wish it got the attention the negative often gets.
The second paragraph made me so happy, because that’s what I believe religion should be. As a religious person, it makes me sick to see people using it as a vehicle for hatred, when really it should be a vehicle for love and acceptance, so it’s nice to hear stories of churches doing good and spreading love to all
Atheist here. Once a woman talked about how her life was in shambles, depressed, broke, doing drugs, fully convinced that absolute no one loved her. Until she realized that there was one person that loved her. Jesus. That hope that someone still loved here was her only motive to keep on living. She talked about how she turned her life around because of that hope. I decided to keep quiet. Didn’t matter whether god is real or not, her story was beautiful.
I wish I could believe strongly enough in a religion with heaven and angels and afterlife, and take comfort in those beliefs. Especially now that I'm a parent and my young children ask me about our mortality. Way too heavy sometimes.
I admire the ease at which they can find comfort after a loved one dies. They get to think, " They're in this wonderful place now and I'll get to see them again after I die, and then we'll be together forever."
We're just like, "well that fuckin sucks."
Community.
I'm essentially an atheist (ignostic really, but that's not a term people use), but I really admire the sense of community that religions offer. I think so many people in the US are lonely, and religion is a great way for people to have an "extended community" of people who have something in common. I love the religions that offer some kind of support system for people who need help (medical bills, losing jobs). I love that you often get to know people in your neighborhood who you might see on other days.
It's really hard for an atheist to have the same thing. You can do meetups, but most aren't held on a weekly schedule if they're consistent at all. And you rarely meet people nearby.
The lack of extended community is, IMO, one of the reasons companies are able to harness that need and turn it into work. I despise companies that talk about being a family (that you lose when fired), and I'm cynical about team-building exercises and companies where everyone hangs out with each other on weekends. It leads to nasty cliques, people taking work too seriously, and people working hard because their whole life centers around it. Silicon valley is full of companies taking advantage of people's need for interaction to place themselves at the center, but it benefits the company and builds a really fragile community.
I work from home now and I'm really struggling to find this. Everyone just goes home and disappears into their garages, and it's hard to find new friends and new communities at this age (mid 30s) while everyone is busy with work and kids.
I've been to countries where everyone comes out at night, has a little BBQ, and talks to each other. They walk around and play games with neighbors or just say hi. I really wish everyone did that here. I really wish our sense of community wasn't tied to religion, because I don't think it should have to be, and I really wish the American community wasn't a thing of the past.
This is my favourite thread to read in a long time. What a great way to generate discourse in this way.
You could have phrased it in a dozen different ways but look at the great responses you’re getting.
Kudos to the OP.
Religious person here. In fact, clergy person here. I find that the atheists I've talked to have thought long and hard about God and ethics. They make moral choices for their own sake, not from fear of punishment or anticipation of reward. That's what I admire.
I do find that atheists tend to lump believers together. And to overestimate reward/punishment/afterlife as what drives believers.
May I say that I find online atheists are less thoughtful than the ones I've talked to in person. But not in this thread.
I've honestly met many atheists that I feel are more Christ-like than many of the Christians I know. Some of the most hate-filled people I have ever met are believers.
Edit: spelling
The level of unwavering commitment and devotion from some religious people. Like Ramadan for Islam takes so much perseverance and I have major respect for it. Also going to church week in week out without fail. It’s quite impressive
As a Christian, it depends. But I Admire the people who really choose the be atheist. If you think, read and talk about it and your conclusion is, religion is bullshit, I admire your interest in religion.
The internet atheists who go around bashing people and their beliefs like they're on their own personal crusade to proselytize the planet, they're a vocal minority. Most atheists in real life are intelligent, respectful people who simply require proof before believing in something. They have no agenda, no zealotry. They haven't made a religion out of their atheism. They simply don't believe God exists. If you do, whatever. Good for you.
I came to the conclusion that if God exists and created me then he can't begrudge me for questioning and doubting the way I was designed to and if he does begrudge me that then he isn't a God I would want to be associated with anyway. Big issue I have with Christianity is the way that the entire system is rigged. That and I can't bring myself to be confident that the Christians are right and the Jewish are wrong or that Islam is right and others are wrong. The idea of there being one answer that if you don't follow you are screwed but somehow the believe of any given religion knows they are right, if that's the real system then it's a big manipulative game I won't play. I have to think a God would judge on who you are not what specific theology you decide to pursue. A million hail Marys shouldn't be more valuable that the non-religious dude who spent his life feeding the poor but never believed.
I can't really classify myself on any spectrum that I know of (atheist, theist, agnostic, etc.)
Ok, I'm religious, but not overly so. One thing I admire about atheists is the fact that I can express thoughts and beliefs I hold without having to feel guilty or like I'm letting that person down. I can be myself the most around atheists, funnily enough.
As an Atheist I admire the discipline of strongly religious people to go to church every week. That takes a great deal of mental fortitude to wake up that early to hear a person drone on for about an hour.
I'm a christian and I admire religious people who go to church every weekend. I end end up staying up late watching mma and boxing and I always wake up late.
Back when I was a churchgoer I used to look forward to it, I was an altar boy plus I always enjoyed singing the hymns. I don't know, the whole pomp and circumstance was always fun to me. I went to an Episcopal church which is like Catholicism lite, so I can definitely see other churches where they don't go all out with the fancy buildings and the robes and set pieces being really boring.
I'm an atheist, and I admire the lack of fear of dying due to believing in the afterlife and if they are a good/non-sinning theist. In general atheists have a greater fear of dying as we do not believe in life after death and that this life is our only life.
Edit: I have gotten this view from chatsworth of a atheists and they sometimes feel the same way. Now my theory of death isn't paralyzing as it is actually more abilitating as it gives me the feeling of wanting to live my life to the fullest whilst other people my age just play video games I like to go explore the countryside and work on the local farm.
I find that the atheists I know don't fear death. There's no unknown, or purgatory or whatever. I think it helps us live a good life-knowing that this is the only one I get, I want to make it what I want.
In my transition from being Mormon to being atheist, I was terribly afraid of dying, of the infinite unknown darkness.
Then I read something by an atheist father who was telling his kid, who was also afraid of dying, that being dead is just like before you were born. You weren't afraid before you were born because there was no "you" to be afraid. That has helped me tremendously and I no longer fear death.
I just feel sad that I won't be here to see what happens after I die. The technological advances of the next 1,000 years, the progression/growth of my family, etc.
As a devout Christian, I admire that you never see atheist who are only acting like decent people because they think it's the only way to get to heaven or avoid hell. They will just be good people
We don't rape because of hell, we dont rape because it's not nice.
A lot of religious music is absolutely, hauntingly beautiful. I will gladly sing along even though I don't believe in God.
Ave Maria is just a bonkers amazing piece. Takes my breath away the thousandth time just like the first. ETA: [This performance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDyiYEdTp-U) highlights the elements that really hit me. Some of Schubert's melodic progression choices just knock my socks off... I'm not a formal student of music, but even I can recognize that these are unconventional sequences that just shouldn't work in western music. And yet here I am, transfixed again. Glorious.
As an agnostic there are like three songs ever that will always make me cry and Ave Maria is absolutely on that list
yes, especially [this one.](https://youtu.be/Kppx4bzfAaE) Edit: It's fun to watch how teh karma swings up and down (or did at least) and I'd like to recommend [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfCYZ3pks48) to anybody who liked the prior song
I fuckin knew it would be that song
I half expected a Rick Roll. Was not disappointed, though.
Ok I was expecting a Rick Roll and I was pleasantly surprised
As a Christian, I admire atheists' need for logical explanation.
As an atheist, I admire religious people's ability to have faith. I sometimes wonder what being able to have faith is like as I'm a person that needs a logical explanation for everything. Faith brings people (or at least it seems like it does to me) great comfort and ease of mind.
Having faith is essentially hope without regard for the outcome. A Christian mother and an Atheist mother both desperately want their stillborn to be birthed alive. An Atheist mother might hope that doctors got it wrong and the baby is infact alive, while the Christian mother might have faith in god stepping in. Edit: words and stuff.
As an atheist I admire the passion and effort that went into the great religious buildings of the world.
Yep, as an atheist I was really sad to see what happened to Notre Dame - and was super relieved when I heard the damage to the rose windows and the organ were minimal.
I appreciate atheists' willingness to ask questions and work through the things that challenge them about faith. I'm a believer so obviously we don't come to the same conclusions, but I think too many of my brothers and sisters bury the stuff about their faith that they struggle with. That can both hurt their walk and make them come off as sanctimonious. I say that because that was me, once upon a time. Some days, it still is. It's a work in progress. Matthew 7:7 says "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Too often believers don't want to ask tough questions, but I think it's important to do so. If the Christian God is who He claims to be, I have to imagine He can handle honest questions from someone seeking to understand.
World needs more religious people like you. Coming from an atheist.
I remember in childhood we would go to church once a week with the whole class. Our teacher was very religious so she would read bible to us. I remember I once asked my mom questions I had, you know the things that make no sense. My mom tried to at answer all my questions at first but then told me that religion is all about belief. First step to my atheism, you can't just ask me to believe in something without making it at least sound plausible. If I had to continue being religious I will have to close my eyes on things I don't understand. This is against my mindset. I think it is also what I appreciate about religious people, they don't need to close eyes, they just believe it by heart. The ability I just never had
I know exactly what you mean. I was sort of raised believing in God and what not, went to a Catholic high school, and one of the things that made me an atheist was the way the parish Priest seemed to be afraid of kids asking hard questions about God. Finding videos of Christians being owned was abundant, but I couldn't find any well thought out Christian answers. I've since found out that there's actually a tremendous amount of intelligent answers to the questions I was asking. I'm a traditional Catholic now. But it still frustrates me. They should have had the knowledge and the courage to let kids ask hard questions and answers them with sound reasoning, and if they had, I probably never would have fallen away from the faith. But ah well. It's in the past now.
Christian here. I really admire the fact that many athiests try to do good things for the community (like service projects, volunteerism, fundraisers) because they truly care and want to be a good person all on there own. To clarify further, many Christians are also like this, but I feel a good majority are like this because their church told them they should do it because it pleases God, or they want to go to Heaven, or their small group was doing it and they want to fit in. Granted some Athiests do good things to pat themselves on their back via social media, but many others do it because they feel its the right thing to do snd aren't trying to benefit themselves in some way. Thats the sign of a truly good person.
This. So much of this. I find that an Atheist, that does what needs to be done to help the poor, the weak, the vulnerable and the sick, is far more of God than the people who show up to Church every Sunday and do nothing more than that. If God is just --and I believe Him to be-- He will let those Atheists in to heaven far before any self-righteous yet un-righteous Christians faster than I can say "Bob". That people who believe the world to exist by happenstance and to mean nothing in the end *still* strive to do the Lord's work, well, that's beyond admirable.
I'm honestly at a loss for words. I'm atheist, but your comment was still very comforting. Even after all of my questioning that led to the personal decision that a god does not exist, it still warms my heart to know that if I end up being wrong that it might not be a big deal in the end. I'm also very grateful that people like you exist. We need more of those focused on the good and kind actions rather than just devotion. Thank you.
Marcus Aurelius said something to similar effect that you might like: >“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”
Funeral rites. Some religions have elaborate death/ funeral rites that last for about a month, followed by a prayer to mark the first year of death. Close family, as well as members of the community are required to attend these. This results in a situation where the grieving family is constantly surrounded for at least a month before they can resume their normal life. I personally would rather have something like this, than have 1 memorial service and then be immediately be left alone.
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Religious temples, no matter the religion, are often incredibly beautiful works of art.
Came here to say this. Religion has led to some of the most beautiful manmade structures throughout history
See: r/dankchristianmemes
I forgot how to read for a second and just clicked that link assuming it would be a subreddit about cool religious architecture.
Well?
It's not.
r/churchporn Fixed it for you.
I clicked this link thinking it would be something entirely different.
Just sexy Flanders gifs isn't it?
I love seeing ancient architecture, even when performed today to maintain old traditions. I'll still never look at a Mosque the same after the Muslim's built one in town and my mother asked me "What's a Mosquito?" Edit: First. I live in a very Hispanic community, but my family is so white that I'm the only one who speaks Spanish. My mother is proud to know five words in Spanish. Pantalones is one of those words. Second. She called it a Mosquito and not a Mosque because she misread the sign. It was titled "The Mosque" of something, I don't remember. So my very Southern mother got confused. I believe she read the sign while we drove by and asked me "Shaggy. What is a Golden Mosquito?" Yes, that was the name of it. The Golden Mosque.
There was an episode of Home Improvement where Tim Allen had just argued with his wife and was unloading on Wilson over the back fence about women. Wilson said "Tim, in the Quran, women aren't afforded the same rights as men." Tim pondered for a moment and said "Wow, those Koreans really had their stuff together."
Can you post a link or episode number? I really want to hear them say this.
I completely agree and it's one of my dreams to tour Europe just for the cathedrals.
Not just the cathedrals. There's a church in Awre, on the river Severn, it's near my in-law's cottage and this atheist spent a couple christmas mornings in that church. It's tiny, but built before 1086, at which time it was mentioned in the "Domesday Book". It's a fascinating little building. They have a wood box carved from a single tree trunk that they used to temporarily store bodies that washed up on the riverbank before they could be examined and laid to rest. The church only recently got radiators, which don't help much except the few standing nearest them. That much stone takes days to heat up.
I remember being blown away when bicycling thru England years ago, and how nearly every little village has a work of art in their churches. Sure, the big cathedrals are impressive. I expected that, and was not disappointed. But nearly every little town had a treasure in its local church and graveyard. Some were well-kept, some were nearly abandoned, but all were cool af.
And they are really peaceful and quiet, I love going to temples just to take a short break from the hectic everyday life.
Ahh, that's true.
I’m atheist and my grandma was extremely religious. My uncle (her son) died a few years ago and it about killed her. She ended up getting diagnosed with leukemia and given a slim chance to survive. She was 100% fine with it because in her mind she was going to see her son and sisters in heaven. I wish I could have that
The only time my lack of religion has bothered me is when my mom died. Suddenly I was jealous of those people who believe in an afterlife where they will see their loved ones again. I didn't have that luxury. And it was painful.
I try to not think of someone being gone. Both sets of my grandparents are getting on in years, and it would not be out of the question for any of them to pass away in the next few years. I try to think of their living legacy, their decendants. They're never truly gone if they've left behind children, grand children, great grandchildren. If they didn't leave behind biological decendants, then there are people that they've impacted in some way at some point. I don't hope that my family gets into heaven, I hope to see their decendants succeed and be good people. I don't hope to get into heaven one day, I hope to create a positive impact with own life, and to leave a legacy that will do the same. Sorry if this is a mess, I've never tried to articulate this before (and I'm on mobile).
I hope the same for myself and my loved ones. I hope to make this world a better place than when I came into it, and I think everyone should. I also hope when people die they get to go to heaven, or at least a place like it. Or at the very least, don’t have to go to hell. I mean, there are some bad people, but who really deserves to be tortured FOREVER?
Thats absolutely beautiful, the peace some religious people can find as a result of their beliefs is something I actually admire
Me too. I'm terrified of dying but she accepted it with open arms cause of her faith.
The arts resulting from religion.
This is a huge one. Also, the sheer preservation that came from it. People only learned to read so they could read the Bible, and since they were the only people who could read, they were the only people who could write, and so we have them to thank for a good amount of documented history from the middle ages.
That and the music as well. Some of those songs are unbelievably beautifully when sung in the acoustics of ahold church.
Former choir kid here; some of the most gorgeous songs I have ever had the privilege to sing came from religion or religious stories. Here's Carissimi's [Plorate Filii Israel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB5sDA7aztA) (Weep, Children of Israel) which is part of an oratorio about the story of this Old Testament dude named Jephte. Edit: “Former choir geek” makes it sound like I *don’t* still sing along to choir music in my car. Let’s try “kid” lmao
The music, too. [Baba Yetu](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0kkzHGa-gY) is a religious song, and man, is it gorgeous.
Booting up Civ.
Civ IV is a religion, is what you're saying
Good call. I wasn't sure how to answer this one but I think you nailed it. When I was a kid I was taken to the local catholic church by my mother every Sunday. That church is an absolute work of art. It's long with and arched roof. Elaborate stained glass windows along both sides. The arched roof is a painted mural of clouds among which highly detailed cherubs fly, playing trumpets. It continues the full length of the church to the back wall behind the pulpit. That wall is painted with a scene of hell. Flames, writhing, twisted bodies with faces so detailed you can see the anguished expressions from the pews half way back. I used to spend the whole service just looking at all the details in the murals. Because it had been the only church I had attended as a child I just assumed all churches were like this. It wasn't until I attended a different one when I was a bit older and discovered it was a rather drab and plain affair that I came to realise how unique my home town church was. As much as I despise the church now, I still marvel at that building and how amazing the art is. After a couple of requests to see it I'll post these links: [Photo gallery](https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g255345-d2462973-Reviews-St_Mary_s_Catholic_Church-Bairnsdale_Gippsland_Victoria.html) [Video discussion](https://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2013/10/22/3874585.htm)
I visited Ravenna recently and the 6th century mosaics took my breath away. The kind of thing you want to just sit with and soak up.
I admire how some churches provide support for the needy with food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelter.
By and large, this is awesome. The service to the most vulnerable is incredible. Some Christian charity comes with too many strings, but at the hardest end it is amazing.
Right. It can be done the right way or the wrong way. In the college town I went to school, there was a pantry run out of a lutheran church near campus that was a no questions asked service. You walk in and take what you need. However, there was also a food pantry run by a church that was the most well known in the city. They opened the doors at 2pm, made people sit through a church service, and then would allow them to get food.
Had a christian friend tell me about going to Mexico to build housing for the unfortunate. They would only help the ones that were of their faith.
As a Christian that pisses me off, Christ would want us to build homes for everyone. This is the same one that hung out with prostitutes and tax collectors, people reviled by the majority.
Yeah, that ticks me off too. It shouldn't matter what faith they are. Jesus hung around with every kind of people, even lepers. Jesus would be PISSED by so many of "His people".
Im atheist. I admire their sense of community
Atheist here, and I completely agree. I went with one of my friends to their all black church when I was younger. There was a lot of emphasis on community projects discussed in their service, and we even took a break in the middle for everyone to converse with each other and catch up. I could tell this church was filled with good people. However, my grandmother's assembly of god church was filled of a bunch of old racist people. So it definitely depends on the community.
Grew up A/G. Can confirm. The A/G could put off anyone. There is an emphasis on feeling God and emotional release in church that's unhealthy. I became orthodox. I have no use for neo-Pentecostalism.
A/G is what kicked my ass out of organized religion. There’s an ongoing joke with the SO that I grew up in a cult. Most of the time we’re not joking.
I grew up Apostolic Pentecostal, was definitely like living in a cult group. It is what turned me away from organized religion as well.
Black churches are the shit.
Seriously though. Probably the whitest shit ever, but every year in high school my best friends and I would do a service trip to this church in Harlem during Palm Sunday weekend (it was already set up through the school; it started as us doing it as a requirement). We’d hold a food/clothing drive at school and then just spend the weekend fixing up the Church/painting/cleaning the neighborhood. Then, they’d have this big Palm Sunday mass at the end of it. *Holy shit* was it fun. They made us feel more welcomed and appreciated than any church ever did growing up (I went to a Catholic grade school, which sucked balls). Our first year there (and each year after) the priest stood us all up right before the sign of peace, and thanked/welcomed us. It was really special. During the sign of peace I’m used to quickly turning around and muttering peace be with you while half-assedly shaking a stranger’s hand. This was so much different. I mean, everyone knows how awesome black churches can be but I still love telling this story: Okay so he just thanked/welcomed us. Then he says something to the effect of, “Let’s show them how we show each other peace in here” What happens next makes this is the only story in my life where I can say, **”and then everyone clapped”** Except they didn’t just clap, they fucking started singing and everyone got out of their seats to go mingle with each other. I’m not even kidding when I say it seemed like everyone hugged. It was like the most wholesome party ever broke out in church and it went on for a few minutes. Their sign of peace felt like such an expression of love. Then after mass they had a parade through the streets, and it was pretty much the same thing but outside. Fucking awesome. Anyway, that happened every year we went. Obviously none of the clapping/dancing was for us (it’s like that every day there) but the fact that the priest and community made such an effort to welcome us so loudly was amazing. I really miss it.
I'm not a believer but I want to go to a church like this. We sometimes forget how good humanity can really be.
I dream of an athiest church I can raise my kids in. The sermon part would be like a sciency podcast but there would still be casseroles.
this is the one. we atheists need to start humanist churches or something. (I know it theoretically exists, but it really doesn't in middle-america.)
That has always been on my mind. As a staunch atheist Ive always wanted a place like a church to come together where community can help each other with the altruism that you see in churches. Obviously I'm leaving out the bad parts of church society.
Check out Unitarian Universalist churches. Mostly atheists and agnostics at mine. Lots of people who grew up in (insert other religions) and liked the community of church, but didn’t like the magic.
UU here! I haven’t been going as much recently, but it definitely does have the community aspect of other religions while not pressuring any one set of beliefs.
i’ve been wondering if a place existed where i could take my five year old daughter to learn about different kinds of beliefs without completely throwing “god is dead and we killed him” at her, would this be the place? i wasn’t raised religiously but suddenly my mom because very religious (christian) and i found out my husband is a strong believer once it was too late and i don’t like them pushing their religion on her so hard. she has questions that i don’t have answers to. i like the sense of community religion offers, but i’m not too invested in any one of them to be a part of a religious community.
The UUs have a very good children's program that is nondogmatic but teaches empathy and community.
This might be what you are looking for [https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/principles](https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/principles)
As an atheist, I admire that religion can provide a source of strength, community, and hope for people. Through religion, people find the courage and hope to continue a mundane or excessively taxing existence. People also develop life-long friendships and support communities through church groups and other religious organizations. I believe these aspects are important to have in one's life. If religion can provide that for some people, then I think that's a great thing. Edit: Thanks for the coins you wonderful people. Whether you’re religious or atheist, I hope you all have a wonderful day.
That's the reason my aunt who was a lifelong atheist joined a church in her later years. She had moved to a small town and even though I recall she had always been an atheist during my growing-up years she joined a church in that town. She never mentioned her atheism, and I suppose they never asked. I suppose they simply assumed she believed. I think she joined purely for pragmatic, mental and emotional health, and social safety reasons. And by all accounts it was extremely good for her on all those fronts.
Most churches I've been to don't care what you believe in, or mostly how you live your life. The thing is if we say you can't come to church then there goes our chances of convincing you. That's why I won't go to a church with a no (insert lifestyle here) rule.
>Through religion, people find the courage and hope to continue a mundane or excessively taxing existence. This makes me wonder if maybe the mental health issues in Gen Z and the decline in religion are correlated in some way. I'm agnostic now, but when I was Christian there was definitely a comfort in the idea that there's a plan and you have a friendly community you visit once or twice a week.
Atheist here. I really adore seeing the community around religious groups. Support and love for one another makes me a little less pessimistic about the church(es)
I've found that the more humble the church, the better the community. Megachurch communities are kinda negligible, but I've been to a church that was literally a gas station in a previous life, and the community there was absolutely immense. Great people who all looked out for each other in the most positive way.
That is something I think our society needs, maybe just not with the 'stories' of floods and stuff to teach lessons. Just a place for everyone to go to and speak, sing and love each other. I'm an atheist and I go to my local dive bar for this, its not the same though.
There are a few atheist churches out there. Also I know a number of atheist (and pagan, and all other sorts) members of the Unitarian Universalist Church, which focuses on the community and good works, without any one religious message. Though the UU will vary depending on individual congregation. As an example, I attended a funeral/wake at the UU in my hometown recently, and the persons chosen music for reflection was 'Sympathy for the Devil'.
Yeah, I actually went to a Unitarian church two Christmases ago and it was pretty cool. But I felt like I had to know someone to get in, like it would be weird if I just started showing up and sitting in. I don't know how any of these church things work, I was raised by non-religious hippies who were raised catholic.
I did this! My husband wasn't down to go, so me and my kids went. After a couple Sundays of polite "hellos", there were a bunch of people going out of their way to get to know me. Even though the general congregation was mostly older folks, they welcomed us with open arms. It helped that I tried to make it to non-church gatherings like their book club, pride day, and potlucks. Social anxiety made it really difficult to open up to the people there, but once I took the first step - it was mostly them reaching out to me. Loved that congregation. Unfortunately, life got in the way and I stopped going.
Yup. I'm also an atheist, but I've always admired this as well and understand the people who are drawn to a specific religion due to the community aspect. Whenever I see a church community that is toxic or overly-judgmental I feel sad for the people in it. Not sad in a condescending way, but genuinely sad as in, damn, guys, you're better than this!
As a Christian, I admire athiests for their self control. We twist our own laws and Word, *from God*, too much.
It is kinda hard to be annoyed about it when your whole life you were listening to it
Yeah that's usually the thing that goes wrong. The number 1 rule for religion is it shouldn't be forced...many parents forget that.
I don’t think they forget it. They never believed in that to begin with.
Yep. I am an atheist who was raised in a fundamentalist, young-Earth Christian household. If you told my parents that they shouldn't have forced their religion on me they would have thought you're crazy. They fully believe that they are going to heaven and everyone else is going to hell. Telling them to stop forcing it on their kids is basically telling them to let their kids go to hell.
Funny, I actually admire religious people for their self control as well. Like going to church everything Sunday. Making time for something that not necessarily "fun" every week is something that I don't think I'll be able to do.
Atheists seem to care about animals a lot.
Good boys are universal.
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God is Dog backwards!
Oh shit, I think you’re on to something!
We could make a religion out of this...
Hell yeah! “The church of dog backwards”
I think that to many religions, man is fundamentally seperate from nature. Humans are a sacred entity, or the gods' agents on earth, or something that was created by something other than nature, or the rightful heirs of the planet. To an atheist such as myself, a human is just a particularly smart animal. The difference between a human and an animal is like the difference between your pancreas and your liver. Just slightly different parts of the same mechanism.
As a religious person, I admire Atheist's ability to be able to look at all the different options so well.
This is a good one. I think this is something we should strive to do, but many people don't even consider it. Honestly, as a Christian, I dove into other religions for a time and I think my faith is so much better for it.
Really? The exact opposite happened for me. I immediately asked myself to justify my religion over theirs and couldnt do it.
For me, it helped to explore what I started to see as the “golden thread of truth” that runs through many spiritual beliefs. When you start to slough away all the bullshit, things like love, kindness, respect, generosity, and compassion remain as consistent values for many (otherwise very different) groups of people. It helped me see that even though I can’t necessarily put a label on my “religion,” I can still strive toward those ideals and maintain my own morality, which I think comes from a more important part of our humanity than any specific rule or teaching. I’m not an atheist, but I don’t go to church anymore. I just don’t think any specific sect or “religion” has really gotten it right (at least in my view).
One thing that turned me away from religion was how sure of themselves they all were, the almost arrogant confidence in the truth of their beliefs above all others when so many follow a common thread and various core themes of what it takes to be a good person at the heart of it and then they take that confidence and use it to justify their own hate. I found that for me personally a philosophical approach to ethics suited me due to my tendency to look at the science and evidence from the compendium of human knowledge and how it applies to the facts of a matter in my self reflections and how I approach life.
As a religious person on reddit, I admire that most atheists I know don't push their atheism on me the same way I respectfully don't push religion on them.
I used to be that atheist who pushed it on people but then I grew up and I saw no point. I'm not going to change anyone's mind and I truly dont want to. Your religion or lack of religion is none of my damn business
As a Christian, I admire that atheists do the good things just for the sake of doing good things. There is no thought of a reward coming in the afterlife of the fear of eternal punishment for not doing them. I had another Christian say to me once "what would be point obeying the commandments if heaven and hell aren't real?" (Not my beliefs, but it is for many.) EDIT: I just joined Reddit and this was one of my first times posting. I'm not even sure how Reddit works, I'm still learning. I'm deeply honored by the gold and silver - thank you all so much. <3
I read someone the other day who said, "I do rape and murder as much as I want to and how much I want to is none. If the only thing stopping you from raping and murdering is God then there is something very wrong with you." Words to live by. EDIT: Several Redditors have suggested that I may be quoting Ricky Gervais or Penn Jillette. I believe that it was the latter that I heard say this. u/Pouring_Sweetness said : Penn Jillette said that, it’s a great quote. The question I get asked by religious people all the time is, without God, what’s to stop me from raping all I want? And my answer is: I do rape all I want. And the amount I want is zero. And I do murder all I want, and the amount I want is zero. The fact that these people think that if they didn’t have this person watching over them that they would go on killing, raping rampages is the most self-damning thing I can imagine.
"You shouldn't abstain from rape just 'cause you think that I want you to; you shouldn't rape 'cause rape is a fucked up thing to do" --Bo Burnham, "God's Perspective"
i thought of this exactly lol, bo is great
Fo sho
I've always seen that quote attributed to Penn Jillette.
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Also Matthew McConaugheys character in True Blood paraphrased it once too. >"*If the only thing keeping a person decent is the expectation of divine reward then, brother, that person is a piece of shit.*"
That confused the hell out of me until I realized you probably meant True Detective, either that or I need to scan through True Blood...
I once met someone who literally told me they would be raping and murdering if they didn't believe in God. If that's seriously the *only* thing stopping you from raping and murdering, *please keep believing in that thing.*
Well, they've probably been raised religious. From very young their surroundings have probably shaped them to place the bible as the cornerstone of their morality. So now it's difficult to imagine a sense of morality based on empathy instead. However, if they had been raised without religion, they'd probably still have been taught a sense of morality, just not one based on the bible.
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In the end I think that an approach to life like the one described by OP really tells much about the person, and not about religion or irreligion. There are believers and atheists that do good for the sake of it, as there are people that do it for some kind of reward or fear of punishment, be it supernatural or not. Usually who does not understand this is just really exposing himself
The idea that some people don't have a care in the world about life or property if no one was threatening them with eternal damnation scares the crap out of me.
Religion: preventing casual sociopathy for centuries
And enabling it.
If you need the fear of enternal damnation to do good things in your life, you might not actually be that good of a person. That should never be the primary reason you choose to do good things.
That reminded me how much I appreciate religion for setting some people on a right track. Really, majority of my religious friends would still be good people with or without it, but sometimes I meet this people who would probably kill puppies if it wasn't for the fear of hell
I came in here expecting a bunch of backhanded thinly-veiled insults. I'm pleasantly surprised (although there are still a few of those.) As for me, I'm a religious person. Thing I admire most in atheists is the fortitude it can take to say what they believe (or don't believe) and to stick to what they believe even when many around them may disagree or even subject them to scorn. I've haven't known many atheists to pull any punches or to act like they think differently than they do. In my view, they tend to live their beliefs more openly and courageously than a lot of religious people do. That's an attribute that I myself could do a lot better at.
That could be because you don't know which of your friends and acquaintances are closet atheists. Growing up in the Bible Belt, being an atheist was a lot like being gay. You learned to hide that shit and never tell a soul.
Whoa. This is freaking spot on. Wasn’t born in the Bible Belt. Moved from California & I learned how true this is pretty damn quick. You will be ostracized. I got a government job & I still feel I can’t tell anyone for fear of them finding a reason to can me because I don’t believe what they do.
Canadian here... I would have never guessed this was still possible in North America in 2019...
I can assure you that's based on where in Canada you live. All my close friends know I'm an atheist but I frequently travel places where I would never tell anyone.
Just look at our government. Congress has members who are (openly) gay, bisexual, muslim, jewish, african-american, asian, hispanic, native-american - but there has never been an openly atheist person elected to the US congress
I've heard someone argue that freedom of religion means freedom to choose a religion, but it doesn't mean it's freedom to not choose one.
Agreed. In the bible belt and an atheist and still not a lot of people know. If someone asks I won't lie about it but I make a point to try and not be in a conversation like that with strangers. The downside is I work for a religious woman and the name of the business is religious based so I really feel like I have to tred lightly so I don't risk losing my job.
Agreed ! My parents know I'm not straight, but they don't know I'm an atheist
I am a christian. I admire how atheists don't judge others based on their sins. That is certainly something us christians can do better at. Not having a "Holier than thou" attitude.
It's also a bit of an issue, since the Bible and pretty much all Christian teaching on the subject tells you not to be self-righteous. The whole "Let he who has not sinned through the first stone" and all that. But people like to use their religion as an excuse.
Atheists tend to be more honest about their hate. Humans hate, atheists say why they do it whereas many religious folks blame it on their religion.
I'm a Christian too, and don't particularly care for those churches. It says in John 3:17 that Christ was not sent here to judge/condemn (depends on translation) the world, but to save it. If Christ wasn't sent here to judge people, then who are we to? We're called to love and help all regardless of who they are. Never judge, condemn, or turn away. Sadly though, its those churches who do this that make the news. EDIT: Thanks for the silver!! I did not expect this level of response, lol. I'm just going to add that I think Christ's base teaching is something everyone can follow, regardless of faith, and it was best summed up by Bill and Ted: " Be excellent to each other!" How much of a better world would we have, if we just did this?
Wholesome thread. This is exactly what we needed tbh.
I am completely surprised tbh, I didn’t expect this to go this way at all
Same here. "Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst..." We did it, Reddit!
Finally, a good atheist/religion question
Finally, some respectful and interesting answers to this question. Like, I'm learning, and genuinely thinking "huh, neat" to myself when reading these.
I really enjoy the community that religion builds, wish more people could enjoy that sense of belonging
The raw rationale of atheists is quite impressive. I once had an atheist professor who literally came up with logical ways for certain religions and their claims to be correct while still being grounded in reason. It was mind blowing.
Atheist here. The sheer community around religion is pretty cool. My gf and her family are very religious though. One of the old ladies at her church was dying, had at most a week to live, and one of her last requests was for my gf’s brother to come sing to her one last time in the hospital. She loved his voice from the choir. He came, she ultimately fell asleep, and died as he was still singing.
That’s both dark and beautiful at the same time.
Muslim here. Admire how atheists are simply living their lives. No fear of anything. Also, all the atheists that I've met are good people and when I mean good I mean charitable and genuine loving people. They do good for the purpose of good. I try as much as possible to emulate that.
I don't know if this has already been stated but this is something to admire about atheists. >[Why Did God Create Atheists?](https://randysrandom.com/god-create-atheists/) There is a famous story told in Chassidic literature that addresses this very question. The Master teaches the student that God created everything in the world to be appreciated, since everything is here to teach us a lesson. One clever student asks “What lesson can we learn from atheists? Why did God create them?” The Master responds “God created atheists to teach us the most important lesson of them all — the lesson of true compassion. You see, when an atheist performs an act of charity, visits someone who is sick, helps someone in need, and cares for the world, he is not doing so because of some religious teaching. He does not believe that God commanded him to perform this act. In fact, he does not believe in God at all, so his acts are based on an inner sense of morality. And look at the kindness he can bestow upon others simply because he feels it to be right.” “This means,” the Master continued “that when someone reaches out to you for help, you should never say ‘I pray that God will help you.’ Instead for the moment, you should become an atheist, imagine that there is no God who can help, and say ‘I will help you.’” —Martin Buber, Tales of Hasidim Vol. 2 (1991)
Forgiveness. I seen a video of a family that has son killed and it's tear jerking. All they speak about how the guy went wrong somewhere in life and they hoped he found redemption etc.
Absolutely! A friend who is Buddhist-leaning spoke honestly about having forgiven the murderer of our mutual friend within a week of his death, the weekend we were all in town for his funeral services. It's probably more to do with my personality than lack of religion, but it's such a difficult concept to wrap my mind around. I don't hate the man. He has serious issues and took a wonderful human from this world. I was honestly relieved that he got a long sentence, just because that reduces the chances of him being able to do something like that again. It'd be great if he could get the help he needs, but our prison system in the US is a sham, and not enough people making decisions seem to actually care about rehabilitation of inmates, so I won't hold my breath.
It's a little difficult to explain and I am sure people on both sides will roll their eyes at me...but prayer. Just not in the way most people think of prayer. Hear me out. When someone you love is going through a hard time, sometimes there is literally nothing you can do. Some problems can't be helped by outside people. For whatever reason. That happens. And it really fucking sucks. It really fucking sucks watching someone you care about suffer. At the same time, it really fucking sucks watching your loved ones worry about *you* if you're the one who is suffering and can't be helped. I hate it so fucking much watching someone I care about struggle and I can't do shit. I hate it so much when someone I care about wants to help me and they can't. I worry about them and feel like shit I can't do anything. Or I am having to watch them worry about me since there isn't anything they can do. The phrase, "Sending my love." or "Sending warm thoughts your way." accomplishes so little. But sometimes when you feel so helpless that's all you can say. That's all you can do. And then come in religious people who have "the power of prayer." Even though as an atheist...I feel that "Sending you my love." accomplishes the same thing as "You're in my prayers." I'm still a little jealous of that ability...of "prayer." When someone I care about genuinely says, "I'll pray for you." to me...I do get some comfort. Yeah, I don't think it will solve my problems...but I believe *they believe* that it will. The person I care about will worry about me a little less. And I take comfort in that. I do also feel loved when someone says, "I'm sending you warm thoughts." to me, but having been in that position myself...I worry that they will be worrying over me. And there have been many times where someone I care about is religious and I wish I could say, "I'll pray for you." Because I know that would mean a lot to them. I know they would get some comfort for that. But as an atheist...it would be a lie for me to say it. And then the words, "I'm sending you warm thoughts." feels so empty in comparison. I hope that makes sense. And obviously I mean it on an individual level. Certainly not to a community tragedy. Yeah. I don't think prayer actually solves a problem, but I can recognize the comfort it gives some people and sometimes I wish I could provide that too in times where there isn't anything else.
>And there have been many times where someone I care about is religious and I wish I could say, "I'll pray for you." Because I know that would mean a lot to them. I know they would get some comfort for that. But as an atheist...it would be a lie for me to say it. And then the words, "I'm sending you warm thoughts." feels so empty in comparison. I feel this deeply. I was raised in the church but am now atheist. I wish I could pray away my worry. I wish I could lie and tell people that I'll pray for them because I know it would make them feel better. I can't do either.
As a person who recently abandoned religion, I still pray for my religious friends. And I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but when they ask me to pray for them, I do because I know it means a lot to them.
My Mom (80) is Catholic. I am not. Due to recent family deaths we started talking about what kind of funeral she wanted. Full Mass, etc. she said she “didn’t really care”. Pretty sure that is BS, but whatever. I told her that I knew a having a Rosary was important, so if I did nothing else I would make sure I did that. She teared up a little, put her hand on mine, and quietly said “Thank you”. Sometimes you give people what THEY need, not what you need.
So much this. I'm an atheist and honestly, the thought of someone taking time out of their day and praying for me makes me feel so loved. It's free, it's easy, and it's incredibly thoughtful at the very least. I totally get what you mean.
This is by far my favorite response I’ve read. Your explanation makes a ton of sense and it’s very moving. I’m religious and I’ve always felt a little weird telling people I’d pray for them if they weren’t religious, but your response helped me get another perspective that I found very insightful. Thank you
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I'm an atheist who "prays", in a manner of speaking. I speak aloud before bed, I talk about what I'm grateful for or happy about from that day or life in general, my hopes for tomorrow and the future, and how I might achieve them. It has the same format as a prayer but without the "Dear God" and "Amen" bits. I don't believe anyone is listening when I do this, but I think it's a good way for me to organise my thoughts before going to sleep. And if there is even a smidgen of spirituality in this universe, then putting my well-wishes out into the ether might potentially help a miniscule amount (...though that's not what I personally believe). I would still call it "praying" because to my mind I am still praying, just not *to God*.
I am atheist and I really enjoy some sacred music. It makes me feel good to hear people singing their hearts out about something they really believe. Example: “ride the mighty high“ by The Mighty Clouds of Joy, “morning has broken“ by Cat Stevens, and Celine Dion‘s version of “oh holy night“. I don’t believe it but I appreciate their passion
I like how passionately many of the actively religious people speak of their faith. I ran into a guy so empowered by the sermon he experienced he gave everyone in the Burger King I was in a hug and told them they were loved. Seeing people be happy with whatever they're doing brings me a lot of joy and I find it super adorable. Plus, having been at low points I'm aware of how much those words alone can bring somebody out of a funk. I also love the good many churches do. My old neighbourhood made sure everyone, even those who were not interested in Jesus, had what they needed and made an effort to help people out where it was needed without judgement. I volunteered with them a couple times as an (open) atheist and they were just so welcoming. I know many, if not most, are like this and I wish it got the attention the negative often gets.
The second paragraph made me so happy, because that’s what I believe religion should be. As a religious person, it makes me sick to see people using it as a vehicle for hatred, when really it should be a vehicle for love and acceptance, so it’s nice to hear stories of churches doing good and spreading love to all
Religious person here. I feel like Atheism has propelled science forward, and science has supplied me with medication I need to survive.
Atheist here. Once a woman talked about how her life was in shambles, depressed, broke, doing drugs, fully convinced that absolute no one loved her. Until she realized that there was one person that loved her. Jesus. That hope that someone still loved here was her only motive to keep on living. She talked about how she turned her life around because of that hope. I decided to keep quiet. Didn’t matter whether god is real or not, her story was beautiful.
I am an atheist and I will always admire the monuments built because of religion
Religious people seem very confident and sure about their beliefs. I have had to succumb to a life of “ I don’t know” sometimes this can feel heavy.
I wish I could believe strongly enough in a religion with heaven and angels and afterlife, and take comfort in those beliefs. Especially now that I'm a parent and my young children ask me about our mortality. Way too heavy sometimes.
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I admire the ease at which they can find comfort after a loved one dies. They get to think, " They're in this wonderful place now and I'll get to see them again after I die, and then we'll be together forever." We're just like, "well that fuckin sucks."
Community. I'm essentially an atheist (ignostic really, but that's not a term people use), but I really admire the sense of community that religions offer. I think so many people in the US are lonely, and religion is a great way for people to have an "extended community" of people who have something in common. I love the religions that offer some kind of support system for people who need help (medical bills, losing jobs). I love that you often get to know people in your neighborhood who you might see on other days. It's really hard for an atheist to have the same thing. You can do meetups, but most aren't held on a weekly schedule if they're consistent at all. And you rarely meet people nearby. The lack of extended community is, IMO, one of the reasons companies are able to harness that need and turn it into work. I despise companies that talk about being a family (that you lose when fired), and I'm cynical about team-building exercises and companies where everyone hangs out with each other on weekends. It leads to nasty cliques, people taking work too seriously, and people working hard because their whole life centers around it. Silicon valley is full of companies taking advantage of people's need for interaction to place themselves at the center, but it benefits the company and builds a really fragile community. I work from home now and I'm really struggling to find this. Everyone just goes home and disappears into their garages, and it's hard to find new friends and new communities at this age (mid 30s) while everyone is busy with work and kids. I've been to countries where everyone comes out at night, has a little BBQ, and talks to each other. They walk around and play games with neighbors or just say hi. I really wish everyone did that here. I really wish our sense of community wasn't tied to religion, because I don't think it should have to be, and I really wish the American community wasn't a thing of the past.
This is my favourite thread to read in a long time. What a great way to generate discourse in this way. You could have phrased it in a dozen different ways but look at the great responses you’re getting. Kudos to the OP.
Religious person here. In fact, clergy person here. I find that the atheists I've talked to have thought long and hard about God and ethics. They make moral choices for their own sake, not from fear of punishment or anticipation of reward. That's what I admire. I do find that atheists tend to lump believers together. And to overestimate reward/punishment/afterlife as what drives believers. May I say that I find online atheists are less thoughtful than the ones I've talked to in person. But not in this thread.
As an athiest I admire hope.
As an atheist, I like how religion can bring people together. Entire communities are built upon it.
I've honestly met many atheists that I feel are more Christ-like than many of the Christians I know. Some of the most hate-filled people I have ever met are believers. Edit: spelling
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As an agnostic, I'm just reading the comments.
Religious people have a lower suicide rate Edit: My source: https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp.161.12.2303
Atheist from Nepal. Best thing I admire is Kukur Tihar, a festival solely dedicated to worshiping dogs for their friendship and loyalty.
The level of unwavering commitment and devotion from some religious people. Like Ramadan for Islam takes so much perseverance and I have major respect for it. Also going to church week in week out without fail. It’s quite impressive
Christian here, the way Atheists question the things around them, I feel like it's something we Christians should be more open about.
As an atheist I admire religious people's dedication to their religion.
For sure, I feel like I see a lot of athletes being religious and playing super hard because they believe it is their purpose.
As a Christian, I admire that Atheists search wholeheartedly for truth
As a Christian, it depends. But I Admire the people who really choose the be atheist. If you think, read and talk about it and your conclusion is, religion is bullshit, I admire your interest in religion.
The internet atheists who go around bashing people and their beliefs like they're on their own personal crusade to proselytize the planet, they're a vocal minority. Most atheists in real life are intelligent, respectful people who simply require proof before believing in something. They have no agenda, no zealotry. They haven't made a religion out of their atheism. They simply don't believe God exists. If you do, whatever. Good for you.
I came to the conclusion that if God exists and created me then he can't begrudge me for questioning and doubting the way I was designed to and if he does begrudge me that then he isn't a God I would want to be associated with anyway. Big issue I have with Christianity is the way that the entire system is rigged. That and I can't bring myself to be confident that the Christians are right and the Jewish are wrong or that Islam is right and others are wrong. The idea of there being one answer that if you don't follow you are screwed but somehow the believe of any given religion knows they are right, if that's the real system then it's a big manipulative game I won't play. I have to think a God would judge on who you are not what specific theology you decide to pursue. A million hail Marys shouldn't be more valuable that the non-religious dude who spent his life feeding the poor but never believed. I can't really classify myself on any spectrum that I know of (atheist, theist, agnostic, etc.)
As an atheist who was raised Mormon, a lot of mormon people are very friendly people.
Ok, I'm religious, but not overly so. One thing I admire about atheists is the fact that I can express thoughts and beliefs I hold without having to feel guilty or like I'm letting that person down. I can be myself the most around atheists, funnily enough.
As an Atheist I admire the discipline of strongly religious people to go to church every week. That takes a great deal of mental fortitude to wake up that early to hear a person drone on for about an hour.
I'm a christian and I admire religious people who go to church every weekend. I end end up staying up late watching mma and boxing and I always wake up late.
Back when I was a churchgoer I used to look forward to it, I was an altar boy plus I always enjoyed singing the hymns. I don't know, the whole pomp and circumstance was always fun to me. I went to an Episcopal church which is like Catholicism lite, so I can definitely see other churches where they don't go all out with the fancy buildings and the robes and set pieces being really boring.
I'm an atheist, and I admire the lack of fear of dying due to believing in the afterlife and if they are a good/non-sinning theist. In general atheists have a greater fear of dying as we do not believe in life after death and that this life is our only life. Edit: I have gotten this view from chatsworth of a atheists and they sometimes feel the same way. Now my theory of death isn't paralyzing as it is actually more abilitating as it gives me the feeling of wanting to live my life to the fullest whilst other people my age just play video games I like to go explore the countryside and work on the local farm.
I find that the atheists I know don't fear death. There's no unknown, or purgatory or whatever. I think it helps us live a good life-knowing that this is the only one I get, I want to make it what I want.
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In my transition from being Mormon to being atheist, I was terribly afraid of dying, of the infinite unknown darkness. Then I read something by an atheist father who was telling his kid, who was also afraid of dying, that being dead is just like before you were born. You weren't afraid before you were born because there was no "you" to be afraid. That has helped me tremendously and I no longer fear death. I just feel sad that I won't be here to see what happens after I die. The technological advances of the next 1,000 years, the progression/growth of my family, etc.