I think I'm an atheist

I’m a Christian who doesn’t think intelligent design makes sense - I think you should chuck that whole creation/evolution debate out of the window for a while and try to find out what YOU believe about God, not what someone else tells you you should believe.

I’ve spent about 12 years, as a Christian, volunteering for charities which raise awareness about poverty, and get governments to pay attention to the fact that children die of starvation. I don’t blame God, but I take strength from Him, and from his promises to the poor in the Bible.

So, what I’m saying is that having the good sense to question creationism and worry about starving kids doesn’t have to make you an atheist - it could just make you a better type of Christian.

I bet your mother worries about the starving kids, too. Maybe you could talk to her about how you want your faith to mean something, and focus on helping a poverty charity. She’ll see you’re a person who cares, and then it might be easier to talk about faith to her later on.

There’s nothing wrong with failing to believe ridiculous ancient myths. If it causes you problems with your mom to tell her, then don’t tell her. If she’s forcing you to hide things from her, it’s her own fault.

Arachnid: We caused starvation and all the horrid things that happened. Even if it wasn’t you specifically, it was humanity, not God. (I don’t believe in the Bible so I’m not talking about Adam and Eve, legit history shows that we got it for ourselves) God just gave us the ability to choose whether or not we would do those things. And that ability gives us the opportunity to be good. If you were forced to be a good person then it would mean nothing. No one would starved but there would be nothing to live for. God put us here and gave us every opportunity to have a spectacular life, it is your choice what you do with that. He should not be expected to just intervene at every bad point in everyone’s life, how would we learn?

I am an atheist too. I just dont get how so many people believe in god when there is absolutely no solid evidence he exists. and if he has the power to make a universe, then why cant he stop people from dying such horrible deaths constantly

I myself have never believed in a supreme power. I am an atheist. An atheist is one that doubts the existence of God or gods. If that is you you are an atheist. My father is a believer and he isn’t happy about my beliefs but after awhile he has learned to cope with it. You just have to be you. If you don’t live with your parents it shouldn’t really affect you. They will have to learn to accept you the way you are and you might have to tell them that. It isn’t a bad thing to be an atheist and don’t change your beliefs because people don’t like the way you think. Your beliefs are yours no matter what. Whenever you are around your mother just try to stay off the topic of religion or just stay quiet if it comes up. If you plan to talk to her again just explain to her that she needs to accept you and, if I am not mistaken, it is against her religion to be prejudice against you for any reason.

There are many questions that one has on the road called life… and maturity comes as we find the answers to those questions…

the ones that we can find… some, will just have to wait.

However, on the dying children, topic, God created the world, and put things into mans hands, we have the resources to take care of every man, woman and child on the planet… however, we do not do so.

This is not Gods fault… it is ours.

The buck stops here.

Man, in all his pomp and splendor… has the power…

He chooses to use it selfishly… for self.

This is the price that has to be paid in order that we have free will.

If God made us do anything.. it would not be of our own choosing.

So, he waits.

Much pain and suffering can and is relieved, thru the efforts of multitudes of caring humans, across the world.

However, much awaits to be done.

People make the difference.

Since this topic is near and dear to your heart, I would say that God is calling you to make a difference in your world.

You say what can one do… well look at history.

All it takes is determination on ones part, to make a huge difference.

What will you do with you life?

Will you spend it serving God.. or self?

brland88: Who bears more responsibility for starving children: Someone nearby, who can save them with little personal sacrifice, yet watches and does nothing, or someone half a world away who can only help with substantially more personal sacrifice?

With that in mind, who is more responsible - the first person, or an omnipotent, omnipresent being who observes everything and can change anything with no personal effort whatsoever?

Speak to your mother about it as calmly as you can. Tell her your feelings, and listen to hers. Remember, it’s important not to get into a debate with your parents. Doing that could make your relationship harder to deal with. Besides, if you are questioning your faith, who better to talk to than someone who probably questioned her own many times and will probably completely understand. She’s not just your mom. She’s lived a whole life before you were even born.

Well you can’t go for your entire life pretending to believe in something you disagree with. Religion is the number one cause of war in the world. Fairy tales cause deaths. It doesn’t really matter whether you believe in something or not, so long as you’re happy. Your mum will have to get over it. Sit down with your mum and tell her that you’re your own person and you have your own beliefs as she has hers and that she should respect what you believe.

There are many things we won’t understand until we get to Heaven - He tells us ‘my ways are not your ways, my thoughts are not your thoughts’ - I hope you’ll get to know who Jesus is - if you don’t get to know me, you’ve lost nothing - if you don’t give Jesus a chance, you’ve lost Everything - but, your choice - you and your Mom will be in my thoughts and prayers, take care !!

Lol, the children starve to death as a lesson for some other person? That’s mildly sadistic…

Welcome to Fun Advice!

  Maybe you have a definition or perception of God that is wrong.

I’m a Deist and accept that everything is a result of evolution. The negative things in our lives are usually the result of our action or lack of action.

Deist

  One who believes in the existence of a God, but denies revealed religion; a freethinker.  

de·ism (de’iz’?m, da’-) n.

The belief, based solely on reason, in a God who created the universe and then abandoned it, assuming no control over life, exerting no influence on natural phenomena, and giving no supernatural revelation.

God created us and we destroy ourselves. If you truly care about the children who starve to death, they do it on your watch, maybe you should go and help them. I’m not a Christian though (unitarian), so I can’t tell you what they believe. That is just my personal belief. As for whether or not to tell your mother. I would. Just tell her your doubts, not accusingly, just tell her them, and tell her that you just need some time to figure it all out. I suggest doing some research on other religions and beliefs. It helped me to find what I believed when I was questioning Christianity. For different reasons, I always doubted Heaven and Hell. How could a buddhist go to Hell? It never made sense. I never believed it.

You don’t have to tell her, of course. It comes down to which you’re more comfortable with: Lying (implicitly or explicitly) to her about it (and possibly having to attend church etc), or her reaction when you tell her your views.

Ideally, parents should let their children decide what to believe or not believe - present them with the evidence, give them insight into life, and let them come to their own conclusions. Telling someone what they have to believe doesn’t work too well. In reality, of course, that’s what many parents do.

Well I think you may be Atheist. I would keep it to yourself, until you find the right time to tell her, if there is even a right time. it is considered lying I think but since you are not religious it can’t be a sin right? I would keep it to yourself If I were you.

What do the starving children in Ethopia learn exactly? That life sucks and there’s not much you can do to change that?

Maybe they aren’t the ones who are supposed to learn from it. Maybe someone else is supposed to learn that they are a crappy person who has no right to complain and maybe should help others. But the starving child will either die and go to heaven or be reincarnated or something that is not so bad after the initial suffering. It is horrible that they suffer. But I’m not going to put the blame on someone else.