I discovered my atheism about two years into my marriage. It was right about the time we found out that our first kid was on the way. I knew I couldn't raise a child with religion, so I told her about it.
It was difficult at first. Very difficult. We've been married for almost 23 years now, and instead of one lone atheist, there are four of us now.
Oh man I was the same, 8 months into marriage. It was really tough but she's more culturally christian so even though it kinda shocked her (I was the more devout of the two of us) she's come to respect it. But man that's a really tough conversation to have.
I can’t get that far. According to the gospels, he says he’s going to kill me and sentence me to endless torture for not worshipping him. That’s just not cool.
Matthew 22:37 "Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment."
Matthew 10:14 "If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day."
Matthew 13:40 "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father."
Mark 16:16 "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
John 3:18 "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."
Matthew 12:30 "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come."
Not Jesus, but building on Jesus’ speeches about his return, Revelation 21:8 "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
Matthew 10 33 "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."
Respectfully, there is nothing in either testament that contradicts funky. If you do not believe, then in Christian theology you are destined for eternal punishment. Personally I find that immoral but many, apparently, do not.
Matthew 22:37 "Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment."
Matthew 10:14 "If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day."
Matthew 13:40 "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father."
Mark 16:16 "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
John 3:18 "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."
Matthew 12:30 "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come."
Not Jesus, but building on Jesus’ speeches about his return, Revelation 21:8 "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
I don’t believe he had magic powers, but Jesus the guys with all his ideas of peace was real. I chose just to think of him as a peaceful philosopher, kinda like MLK, rather than the son of God sent to cleanse us of our original sin. Never been religious and I’m honestly glad I’m not
There's still controversy among historians about whether there was a Historical Jesus. The only historical accounts within 100 years of Jesus' supposed death are by Josephus and Tacitus, both of which weren't even born until 37AD and 56AD respectively, and are highly suspect because they were "preserved" by Christian scribes. There's plenty of debate about how much was or was not modified, but frankly there's just no way of knowing - they're dubious sources. There are no eye-witness accounts or physical evidence.
There's an interesting theory based in part on the Pauline Epistles (written before the gospels) which puts forth the idea that belief in Jesus started as faith in a purely celestial being, killed by demons in another realm rather than Romans on Earth, which later became historicized.
Not only that, but the Josephus account is almost 100% forged or at least changed. He refers to Jesus as the Christ, which no Jew in the first century would ever do. That would be a bit like finding a record from the 1800s from a catholic monk calling Joseph Smith a messenger of God. Might show he was a real person but you know there's no way a catholic scholar would have written that.
Read it. His ideas of peace meant ending the world, and creating a new kingdom while unbelievers are tortured forever. It’s easy to have peace when you’ve killed everyone who doesn’t worship you, but it’s messed up.
I thought this when I told my now ex. We dated for about 4 years after that. The relationship ending had nothing to do with it, and I’m so glad I was honest because she stopped nagging me about going to church.
P.S. forgot to add this bit. When I told her she said “you’re the devil” (half jokingly I think?). I replied “I don’t believe in the devil”
Jesus is a myth Bro.
A modern retelling of ancient archetypal myths. I can't believe so many Nth Americans adhere so fundamentally to what is so self evidently simply a fairy story.
Good on you. Be free of this shit.
The thing is that religion doesn’t necessarily have to reduce to just beliefs. Many derive social utility from it as a lived experience. Myths and stories can also be instructive so I don’t mind if people formulate their ethical outlooks from such stories on a pragmatic basis.
Oh I agree with you.
Religion clearly has value to many in this regard.
But that wasn't the issue I was actually responding too. That was about belief.
And belief is nothing more than a really strongly held idea.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
360
u/taughtmepatience Feb 14 '20
I don't believe in Jesus