Eλευθερί
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Post by Eλευθερί on Sept 9, 2018 8:12:33 GMT
A lot of the questions that come up frequently in this forum are discussed in Julia Sweeney's show "Letting Go of God."
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2018 10:32:44 GMT
I don`t get why some people act like its such a hard thing to do i mean letting go of God
Its not hard you just do it when you stop believing in God.
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Post by Aj_June on Sept 9, 2018 11:39:13 GMT
people believe what they believe. It comes naturally. it's not a systematic belief system.
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Post by CoolJGS☺ on Sept 9, 2018 12:45:32 GMT
What questions?
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Post by CoolJGS☺ on Sept 9, 2018 15:57:01 GMT
I don`t get why some people act like its such a hard thing to do i mean letting go of God Its not hard you just do it when you stop believing in God. It's not easy to let go fundamental beliefs, especially if you have been exposed to brainwashing all your life. I really admire people who are able to let go their beliefs of God and become atheists. For people like myself who haven't been brainwashed and have had a secular upbringing it might be difficult to understand just how difficult it is. People like Jaclyn Glenn have made me realize that it really is a huge mental struggle even when you are smart. If you are not that smart and you have poor education (lack of critical thinking abilities) it is near impossible. If it's easy for you it just means you never were a true believer... lol |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2018 16:05:41 GMT
I don`t get why some people act like its such a hard thing to do i mean letting go of God Its not hard you just do it when you stop believing in God. It's not easy to let go fundamental beliefs, especially if you have been exposed to brainwashing all your life. I really admire people who are able to let go their beliefs of God and become atheists. For people like myself who haven't been brainwashed and have had a secular upbringing it might be difficult to understand just how difficult it is. People like Jaclyn Glenn have made me realize that it really is a huge mental struggle even when you are smart. If you are not that smart and you have poor education (lack of critical thinking abilities) it is near impossible. If it's easy for you it just means you never were a true believer... Well for it was very easy. Of course i guess that could be because i did not grow up in a fundamental religious home. |
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Eλευθερί
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@eleutheri
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Post by Eλευθερί on Sept 9, 2018 18:37:23 GMT
I don`t get why some people act like its such a hard thing to do i mean letting go of God Explained in the piece. |
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Post by The Herald Erjen on Sept 9, 2018 18:50:58 GMT
Yeah, man. It's awful. I just lie awake at night struggling to understand atheism.  Is that the same Julia Sweeney from "It's Pat" on Saturday Night Live? |
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Post by captainbryce on Sept 9, 2018 18:56:07 GMT
I don`t get why some people act like its such a hard thing to do i mean letting go of God Its not hard you just do it when you stop believing in God. It's not easy to let go fundamental beliefs, especially if you have been exposed to brainwashing all your life. I really admire people who are able to let go their beliefs of God and become atheists. For people like myself who haven't been brainwashed and have had a secular upbringing it might be difficult to understand just how difficult it is. People like Jaclyn Glenn have made me realize that it really is a huge mental struggle even when you are smart. If you are not that smart and you have poor education (lack of critical thinking abilities) it is near impossible. If it's easy for you it just means you never were a true believer... It took me over 30 years, so I don’t know what that says about me. I was never really fully indoctrinated but it still took me a long time to let go. Having said that, I had only really questioned for about a year before I decided to let go. |
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Post by rachelcarson1953 on Sept 9, 2018 19:51:57 GMT
It's not easy to let go fundamental beliefs, especially if you have been exposed to brainwashing all your life. I really admire people who are able to let go their beliefs of God and become atheists. For people like myself who haven't been brainwashed and have had a secular upbringing it might be difficult to understand just how difficult it is. People like Jaclyn Glenn have made me realize that it really is a huge mental struggle even when you are smart. If you are not that smart and you have poor education (lack of critical thinking abilities) it is near impossible. If it's easy for you it just means you never were a true believer... It took me over 30 years, so I don’t know what that says about me. I was never really fully indoctrinated but it still took me a long time to let go. Having said that, I had only really questioned for about a year before I decided to let go. Same here. I had been brain-washed since birth. I'd been given no critical thinking skills for a reason. It took me years, too, but there were a few pivotal moments that finally did the trick. One drawback: if your family is still religious, there is always a tension there, at the very least. For years I masqueraded as another sect - Lutheran - just to avoid the constant invites to the Southern Baptists. Now, I no longer pretend to be any one thing, there are just unanswered questions on their part that I avoid like the plague. |
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Eλευθερί
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Post by Eλευθερί on Sept 9, 2018 20:14:55 GMT
Yeah, man. It's awful. I just lie awake at night struggling to understand atheism. She's a comedian so she makes the whole thing very entertaining. She discusses comparative theology - Catholicism vs Mormonism vs Buddhism vs Scientology. She talks about where morality comes from. She talks about how can someone who does not believe in God be a moral person. She talks about how atheists deal with the death of a loved one. She talks about the Old Testament God vs the New Testament God. She talks about how Christianity justifies slavery. She talks about Deepak Chopra and quantum mechanics. She talks about literalist vs allegorical interpretations of the Bible. She talks about evolution vs creationism, and "intelligent design." She talks about the Watchmaker and the perfection of the eye. She talks about Adam & Eve, Noah, Sodom & Gomorrah, Lot & his wife & his daughters. She talks about Catholic views, and views of Christians more broadly, of women. She talks about the morality of God. You've never struck me as someone who lies awake at night struggling to understand anything, TBH. |
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Post by The Herald Erjen on Sept 9, 2018 20:27:22 GMT
Yeah, man. It's awful. I just lie awake at night struggling to understand atheism. She's a comedian so she makes the whole thing very entertaining. She discusses comparative theology - Catholicism vs Mormonism vs Buddhism vs Scientology. She talks about where morality comes from. She talks about how can someone who does not believe in God be a moral person. She talks about how atheists deal with the death of a loved one. She talks about the Old Testament God vs the New Testament God. She talks about how Christianity justifies slavery. She talks about Deepak Chopra and quantum mechanics. She talks about literalist vs allegorical interpretations of the Bible. She talks about evolution vs creationism, and "intelligent design." She talks about the Watchmaker and the perfection of the eye. She talks about Adam & Eve, Noah, Sodom & Gomorrah, Lot & his wife & his daughters. She talks about Catholic views, and views of Christians more broadly, of women. She talks about the morality of God. You've never struck me as someone who lies awake at night struggling to understand anything, TBH. Actually, I have, but atheism is not one of them. You don't believe. That's all. End of story. Nothing to see here. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2018 7:52:22 GMT
I don`t get why some people act like its such a hard thing to do i mean letting go of God Its not hard you just do it when you stop believing in God. Well there is a lot of emotional attachment with believing in God a lot of the times for people, and being from a family who is raised in that religion can make it hard to let go of because it can distance yourself from your family and even become an outcast to them. Since religion is also cultural this can easily happen to anyone growing up in a religious family, especially when the religion is indoctrinated and strictly enforced. |
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Post by Hairynosedwombat on Sept 10, 2018 8:07:49 GMT
I don`t get why some people act like its such a hard thing to do i mean letting go of God Its not hard you just do it when you stop believing in God. It's not easy to let go fundamental beliefs, especially if you have been exposed to brainwashing all your life. I really admire people who are able to let go their beliefs of God and become atheists. For people like myself who haven't been brainwashed and have had a secular upbringing it might be difficult to understand just how difficult it is. People like Jaclyn Glenn have made me realize that it really is a huge mental struggle even when you are smart. If you are not that smart and you have poor education (lack of critical thinking abilities) it is near impossible. .. I doubt that. Perhaps it is just that one hasn't used ones critical thinking skills on that specific question, of the nature of ones religion, and when one does, the step isn't a difficult one. You would be correct that it is critical thinking and analytical skills which are what torpedoes religion. |
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Post by phludowin on Sept 10, 2018 9:41:56 GMT
Same here. I had been brain-washed since birth. I'd been given no critical thinking skills for a reason. It took me years, too, but there were a few pivotal moments that finally did the trick. One drawback: if your family is still religious, there is always a tension there, at the very least. For years I masqueraded as another sect - Lutheran - just to avoid the constant invites to the Southern Baptists. Now, I no longer pretend to be any one thing, there are just unanswered questions on their part that I avoid like the plague. I grew up Catholic, and went to Church regularly for 8 years. Today, even as an atheist, I sometimes notice some of the Catholic indoctrination. I don't think I'll ever fully get rid of it. On the other hand, I've said and done things in the past that I'm not proud of today. But they helped make me the person I am today. So I guess maybe you don't have to eradicate your past. Just learn from it. |
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Post by captainbryce on Sept 11, 2018 0:02:13 GMT
Same here. I had been brain-washed since birth. I'd been given no critical thinking skills for a reason. It took me years, too, but there were a few pivotal moments that finally did the trick. One drawback: if your family is still religious, there is always a tension there, at the very least. For years I masqueraded as another sect - Lutheran - just to avoid the constant invites to the Southern Baptists. Now, I no longer pretend to be any one thing, there are just unanswered questions on their part that I avoid like the plague. I grew up Catholic, and went to Church regularly for 8 years. Today, even as an atheist, I sometimes notice some of the Catholic indoctrination. I don't think I'll ever fully get rid of it.On the other hand, I've said and done things in the past that I'm not proud of today. But they helped make me the person I am today. So I guess maybe you don't have to eradicate your past. Just learn from it. Such as? And why not? |
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