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It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
-- Carl Sagan
How Do You Imagine God?
God in America and USA WEEKEND Magazine are partnering to explore Americans' images of God.
How do you imagine God?
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gods are already imaginary. i have no need to belive in imaginary delusions.
My Beliefs
I believe ...
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i don't believe in atheism, i just am an atheist. i have no belief in gods. that include all gods, devils and hells.
My most powerful moment of belief was ...
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when i realized that there was nothing out there and i was unafraid.
My greatest moment of doubt was ...
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i went for a time to a baptist church for a while when i was a teen. it became quite clear that the bible was a crock and the pastor was only about controlling people. i walked out one day and never went to another church again.
My spiritual life means...
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i see spirituality as a communion with the beauty of this planet. to sit and take in the awesomeness of what is about me. to learn as much as i can about this wonderful world and our universe.
The biggest misconception about my faith/belief system is ...
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is that either i believe in satan and am going to hell, (that all is imaginary too), or that i worship evolution, i don't. or that i am angry at god in some way, nope can't hate was is not real. or the best is that i have no morals and that my life has no meaning, that is the biggest crock of all. i have a great life.
My spiritual role model is ...
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any one who can live their life happily with out need of gods. but if there was one pesrson to name, it would be carl sagan who instilled the love of science in me.
The tenet/practice/teaching I appreciate most about my faith is ...
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atheists generally value intelligence, reason, critical thinking and logic the most. they tend to keep their minds open. they love beauty, art and music. i love learning new things is the greatest gift that our level of evolotion has given us. to not us it is a tragic waste in my opinion.
My Faith History
As a child I believed ...
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as i child i believed in all the fairy tails about going to heaven. my parents were not particulary religious. the only time we went to church was for easter and xmas.
My spiritual journey has been ...
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my spiritual journey has been a long one. even though i have not believed in a xtian god for a very long time, i searched for meaning and for some sort of supernatural being. after looking and looking i heard the word atheist and that struck a chord with me. my search was at an end. i am an atheist.
I was raised as ...
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no particular religion.
Are your beliefs or practices different from your parents? If so, how and why?
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my dad is barely a deist, my mother has become a devout catholic. i do not speak to my mother. but that was long before her conversion.
If you have children, did becoming a parent change your relationship to faith? If so, how?
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no children by choice
How I Practice My Faith
Where and when do you practice your faith?
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always and everywhere. what i have is not a belief but a way of life. i am very active at finding others like me who are tired of the religious telling me how i am suppossed to live my life.
Does your family practice more than one religion or faith? If so, how do you blend the traditions?
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my family that i love are pretty much non-religious. dad and step-mom go to a unitarian unversalist church and they are very liberal and loving. i am so glad that they are accepting of me no matter what.
How easy or difficult is it to live your faith? Why?
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i am lucky that my closest friends know of my atheism. i make no bones about it. i admin a fb page to help and connect with other atheists. we are very discriminated against especially living in the south.
In my house, the thing that most represents my faith is ...
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life, history books, science books and philosophy books.
The song/book/film that most represents my faith is ...
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god is not great by the very eloquant christopher hitchens and science programs on tv like cosmos and the universe.
Religion & the Public Square
What should be the role of religion in politics?
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NONE, politics needs to be SECULAR!!!! there is already far, far too much religion in politics.
Should courses about religion be taught in public schools? Why or why not?
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ALL religions from the early shamens to zeus to allah as a social science.
Should the Bible, Torah, Quran or other religious texts be taught as works of literature in public schools? Why or why not?
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only if they are taught EQUALLY. you should also add the bhagavad vita and the wiccan rede as well.
Is interfaith dialogue important? Why or why not?
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yes it is important but atheists should be included as well. there are many of us out there and we are tired of sitting by the sidelines.
Do you feel comfortable discussing your faith with others? Why/why not?
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very much so, but if i sense that my non-belief is only going to anger someone, i find it best to keep my mouth shut.. there is still a lot of dislike for the non-believer.
Do you feel that you have a duty, because of your faith, to put your beliefs into action? What are some of those actions?
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i really would like it if people gave up their needs for having to believe in delusuions. i have been working on connecting with fellow atheists and agnostics on a fb page to spread the word and news concerning our cause. we need and want to be heard.
Are religious beliefs compromised by engaging in politics?
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YES, again, religions have NO place in politics. i am sick of people calling america a christian nation, it is NOT but is a nation of freedom for ALL and that includes the non-believers.
because of religions i can not by liquor on sunday and that gays can not marry. prayer needs to stay at home or at ones church of choice, not at public and municipal meetings.
Has 9/11 had any impact on your thoughts about religion? Are you more/less interested in learning about other religions? Do you feel more/less comfortable expressing your religious beliefs?
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only to enforce the fact as to how really evil religions can be. i fear conservative christians as much as conservative muslims.
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