Comments on: Journey of an Atheist - Part IV: The Witch Trial http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/08/15/journey-of-an-atheist-part-iv-the-witch-trial/ Helping Mankind Overcome Religion Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:25:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: mountmccabe http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/08/15/journey-of-an-atheist-part-iv-the-witch-trial/#comment-956 mountmccabe Tue, 16 Aug 2005 03:21:16 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/08/15/journey-of-an-atheist-part-iv-the-witch-trial/#comment-956 boywonder wrote: "The Hagakure, I Ching, Tao de Ching, Confusionism, Taoism, etc. are all worthy of learning. Some of it is rather entertaining and enlightening." Religions don't survive if they don't have any life truths to offer; it can't be all threats and false promises. There's a lot of great philosophy and basic life principles embedded in successful religions. It's easy, as an atheist, to forget that. The problem, of course, is that it's a package deal... you get a lot of nonsense diluting the value of the collected wisdom. Like proselytization. Unlike many others commenting here I didn't turn to other religions when I dropped what I grew up in (Protestant Christianity) because it took me a while. And for all I know I would still be there if I was able to make peace with my doubts myself, for myself. It was when I got to college and was convinced that part of Christianity was going out and spreading it that it all came down. I realized I couldn't share that nonsense with others... so what was I doing believing it myself? Anyway, good series, I Am.

boywonder wrote: “The Hagakure, I Ching, Tao de Ching, Confusionism, Taoism, etc. are all worthy of learning. Some of it is rather entertaining and enlightening.”

Religions don’t survive if they don’t have any life truths to offer; it can’t be all threats and false promises. There’s a lot of great philosophy and basic life principles embedded in successful religions. It’s easy, as an atheist, to forget that.

The problem, of course, is that it’s a package deal… you get a lot of nonsense diluting the value of the collected wisdom. Like proselytization.

Unlike many others commenting here I didn’t turn to other religions when I dropped what I grew up in (Protestant Christianity) because it took me a while. And for all I know I would still be there if I was able to make peace with my doubts myself, for myself. It was when I got to college and was convinced that part of Christianity was going out and spreading it that it all came down.

I realized I couldn’t share that nonsense with others… so what was I doing believing it myself?

Anyway, good series, I Am.

]]> By: boywonder http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/08/15/journey-of-an-atheist-part-iv-the-witch-trial/#comment-955 boywonder Tue, 16 Aug 2005 01:09:58 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/08/15/journey-of-an-atheist-part-iv-the-witch-trial/#comment-955 I never knew so many people practiced wicca. I always associated it with cultist, satanic-type stuff or witches and warlocks and such. I didn't know much about it. The only 'religion' I ever tried, if you can call it that, was buddhism. Really, it was a fascination with Eastern thought in general. I thought of them as more philosophies than religions. I still am undecided on whether or not chi or ki is real or imaginary. You know, chinese accupuncture and stuff like that. There still seems to be some merit to it, though I could easily be wrong. The Hagakure, I Ching, Tao de Ching, Confusionism, Taoism, etc. are all worthy of learning. Some of it is rather entertaining and enlightening.

I never knew so many people practiced wicca. I always associated it with cultist, satanic-type stuff or witches and warlocks and such. I didn’t know much about it. The only ‘religion’ I ever tried, if you can call it that, was buddhism. Really, it was a fascination with Eastern thought in general. I thought of them as more philosophies than religions. I still am undecided on whether or not chi or ki is real or imaginary. You know, chinese accupuncture and stuff like that. There still seems to be some merit to it, though I could easily be wrong. The Hagakure, I Ching, Tao de Ching, Confusionism, Taoism, etc. are all worthy of learning. Some of it is rather entertaining and enlightening.

]]> By: Aeger http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/08/15/journey-of-an-atheist-part-iv-the-witch-trial/#comment-953 Aeger Mon, 15 Aug 2005 22:20:20 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/08/15/journey-of-an-atheist-part-iv-the-witch-trial/#comment-953 It's fun to experiment, there is a wonderful selection out there for you to choose from. Wicca was very fun for the short time I was doing it, much more exciting then christianity.

It’s fun to experiment, there is a wonderful selection out there for you to choose from. Wicca was very fun for the short time I was doing it, much more exciting then christianity.

]]> By: addict_no_more http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/08/15/journey-of-an-atheist-part-iv-the-witch-trial/#comment-951 addict_no_more Mon, 15 Aug 2005 21:44:00 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/08/15/journey-of-an-atheist-part-iv-the-witch-trial/#comment-951 Quite the tale, I Am... and this time, you left us with no clues as to what happens next. Tsk, tsk. Now we have nothing to really wonder over. So Samantha was just a friend? Think some of us were gearing up for you to break a heart/get your heart broken... ;) Anyway, I never exactly was Wiccan, but I certainly found it fascinating. The Protestant church I went to consider horoscopes to be Santanism/Devil Worship, so I wasn't about to experiment. Still, of all the religions I've researched, it was the one I cam closest to considering before finally just admitting to myself I was an atheist. Being an atheist just seemed to final to me. There's no sensible turning back from it, ya know? Thanks for sharing, can't wait for the rest!

Quite the tale, I Am… and this time, you left us with no clues as to what happens next. Tsk, tsk. Now we have nothing to really wonder over.

So Samantha was just a friend? Think some of us were gearing up for you to break a heart/get your heart broken… ;)

Anyway, I never exactly was Wiccan, but I certainly found it fascinating. The Protestant church I went to consider horoscopes to be Santanism/Devil Worship, so I wasn’t about to experiment.

Still, of all the religions I’ve researched, it was the one I cam closest to considering before finally just admitting to myself I was an atheist. Being an atheist just seemed to final to me. There’s no sensible turning back from it, ya know?

Thanks for sharing, can’t wait for the rest!

]]> By: dave http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/08/15/journey-of-an-atheist-part-iv-the-witch-trial/#comment-950 dave Mon, 15 Aug 2005 21:34:57 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/08/15/journey-of-an-atheist-part-iv-the-witch-trial/#comment-950 I have just begun exploring Wicca and I must say it is a lot like Marijuana. It is a good stepping stone and a gateway if you want to explore more specific self-discovering religions like Buddhism but it's certainly not the only religious alternative. I can identify with Delta when (s)he says no one else in his/her town doubts Christianity. I live in a city of about 700K and about 70% is Catholic so Metaphysical stores don't really exist here. Of course Wicca is not for everyone and if believeing in nothing makes you happy than go for it! I will say, though, that seeing the history of Christianity from a pre-christian Pagan point of view makes you see how ridiculous it really is.

I have just begun exploring Wicca and I must say it is a lot like Marijuana. It is a good stepping stone and a gateway if you want to explore more specific self-discovering religions like Buddhism but it’s certainly not the only religious alternative. I can identify with Delta when (s)he says no one else in his/her town doubts Christianity. I live in a city of about 700K and about 70% is Catholic so Metaphysical stores don’t really exist here. Of course Wicca is not for everyone and if believeing in nothing makes you happy than go for it! I will say, though, that seeing the history of Christianity from a pre-christian Pagan point of view makes you see how ridiculous it really is.

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