Do you feel any pressure from family or friends about this? Expectations?
I didn't grow up in a Judeo-Christian home, but it was devoutly Buddhist. Not the "philosophical" Buddhism, either. I'm an atheist, on the outside looking in. Where the faithful see meaning, purpose, and take comfort in their religion, I just see the reasons why we're at each others throats, whether it's the bigger world picture, or the smaller family or community picture where we exclude and hurt each other based on religious ideas.
Like you, I had that sense of only half-believing. Not just Buddhist tenants but Christian ones as well. I live in the USA's so-called "Bible Belt," where there's a church every few blocks, sometimes they're next door to or right across the road from each other. Every other street? A synagogue. There are a few mosques, too, but they're trying to stay out of the public eye due to recent socio-political events in the US.
I see it as a big business, not some means to define our lives and give it meaning. It's possible to be an atheist and still have humility, morals, mores, and knowing right from wrong and being able to logically explain those decisions. Let's not forget criminals have religion, too.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2010-09-18 07:14 pm (UTC)I didn't grow up in a Judeo-Christian home, but it was devoutly Buddhist. Not the "philosophical" Buddhism, either. I'm an atheist, on the outside looking in. Where the faithful see meaning, purpose, and take comfort in their religion, I just see the reasons why we're at each others throats, whether it's the bigger world picture, or the smaller family or community picture where we exclude and hurt each other based on religious ideas.
Like you, I had that sense of only half-believing. Not just Buddhist tenants but Christian ones as well. I live in the USA's so-called "Bible Belt," where there's a church every few blocks, sometimes they're next door to or right across the road from each other. Every other street? A synagogue. There are a few mosques, too, but they're trying to stay out of the public eye due to recent socio-political events in the US.
I see it as a big business, not some means to define our lives and give it meaning. It's possible to be an atheist and still have humility, morals, mores, and knowing right from wrong and being able to logically explain those decisions. Let's not forget criminals have religion, too.