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[–]RightReverendJA 14 points15 points ago


don't really consider atheism a way of life...

Exactly. My 'way of life' is unchanged. I work, I see my friends, I read the books I enjoy and spend too much time playing Minecraft...

What I don't do is let dogma or scripture or local clergy tell me how to live my life, what friends to see, what books to read, and so on.

For me, nothing attracted me to atheism. Rather, quite a lot repelled me from the faith I was raised in. My first impulse was to find a new faith, but every one I looked at was just as flawed.

Upshot: Atheism isn't something you believe in. It's the word for what happens when you don't believe in what the other guys do believe.

[–]Gr33nD34m0n 0 points1 point ago


For many of us I'm sure it is an improvement in our ways of living, more personal time, less stress, greater freedom in the activities and interests we choose to pursue.

I know many have also made sacrifices along the way, family, friend and job related. Some are easier to make than others, it's just like converting to any other religion, some of your relationships will not last. I don't have nearly as many christian friends as I did 15 years ago, but I have allot of great new friends, of diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. It has taught me allot, including a personal motto of mine I think of every day.

A single line of text from a 12th Century Persian poet/mysitc; ~Let the beauty of what you love, be what you do.~Rumi

I had show some respectful interest in my friends practices during Ramadan a few years ago, and he politely invited me to join his family one night, I honestly accepted out of curiosity, mostly about the food, which was excellent. But I found a robust and happy family, telling jokes, sharing stories, breaking bread, just like everyone else. I've gone back a few more times and always enjoy my meals with them, and the grandfather always opens a meal with that line. I've read allot of his works since then and often find them soothing to a troubled mind. I would say I this experience has drastically improved the quality of my life, probably something I never would have done if i still went to church.