Read & Comment
I don't know how many of you are aware that I identify as Atheist. It's not something I discuss a lot in my journal, although I have considered myself one for quite some time. It's only relevant now because of a post a friend made this morning about how she is not Atheist. The post was quite interesting given the reasoning presented for why she can't be Atheist. The following is her post -
i am not an aetheist
it's impossible to be an aetheist
once you've experienced the eternal bliss
of god
even for a short minute or two
simply impossible
i wish everyone could have the experience,
it might change the world
Now, on the surface this may seem all well and good. However, I immediately noticed the inconsistency of her reasoning. I left a comment to illustrate why I thought her post was illogical. Allow me to explain for those who don't yet see what I mean. She stated "it's impossible to be an aethiest after experiencing the eternal bliss of god". That statement itself is self-contradictory and rather absurd. We all know that to be Atheist is to deny the existence of god. Given the Atheists genuine disbelief in god, it would be completely impossible to experience "the eternal bliss of god", thus negating the possibility of their subsequent conversion to a person of faith. Surely you see the validity of my reasoning. Atheists can certainly experience bliss, but the notion that it is related in any way to a god wouldn't even cross our mind. I've experienced my own kind of spiritual bliss, although instead of linking it to "god" I have other explanations. To make that connection would mean the person was not Atheist to begin with, which is perfectly fine and would allow some sense to be made of the above post.
Anyway, I had the urge to post this in my own journal in hopes that doing so may spark a discussion on Atheism. Feel free to comment with your thoughts on the subject, even if (maybe especially if) you feel strongly against it or perhaps don't understand much about it. At the very least, this post means many of you now know something about me you may have previously been unaware of. On that note, I would love to know if there are any other Atheists on my friends list, as I can't say I know of any. I should also mention that I immensely enjoy intelligent discussion on this topic, with fellow Atheists as well as religious folk (actually, especially with religious folk). :)
i am not an aetheist
it's impossible to be an aetheist
once you've experienced the eternal bliss
of god
even for a short minute or two
simply impossible
i wish everyone could have the experience,
it might change the world
Now, on the surface this may seem all well and good. However, I immediately noticed the inconsistency of her reasoning. I left a comment to illustrate why I thought her post was illogical. Allow me to explain for those who don't yet see what I mean. She stated "it's impossible to be an aethiest after experiencing the eternal bliss of god". That statement itself is self-contradictory and rather absurd. We all know that to be Atheist is to deny the existence of god. Given the Atheists genuine disbelief in god, it would be completely impossible to experience "the eternal bliss of god", thus negating the possibility of their subsequent conversion to a person of faith. Surely you see the validity of my reasoning. Atheists can certainly experience bliss, but the notion that it is related in any way to a god wouldn't even cross our mind. I've experienced my own kind of spiritual bliss, although instead of linking it to "god" I have other explanations. To make that connection would mean the person was not Atheist to begin with, which is perfectly fine and would allow some sense to be made of the above post.
Anyway, I had the urge to post this in my own journal in hopes that doing so may spark a discussion on Atheism. Feel free to comment with your thoughts on the subject, even if (maybe especially if) you feel strongly against it or perhaps don't understand much about it. At the very least, this post means many of you now know something about me you may have previously been unaware of. On that note, I would love to know if there are any other Atheists on my friends list, as I can't say I know of any. I should also mention that I immensely enjoy intelligent discussion on this topic, with fellow Atheists as well as religious folk (actually, especially with religious folk). :)