Atheism: A fad?

[Sergeant CJ]

People using atheism as a fad are bringing down our culture and will pass eventually  

[Theophrastus]

People can't help but chide under the intense pressure of religious voices that currently dominate or at least heavily comprise our current political and social scene.

Movies like Passion of the Christ, Jesus Camp and their ilk start pushing a group's ideas into the public sphere (and there's nothing wrong with that). However, a noticeable cultural movement of vocal Christianity has been swelling and yelling since the mid 80's.

After decades of it, a different culture will come to exist and, in the face of such impious and bigoted statements as, "I do not know that Atheists should be considered patriots or citizens," is it not clear why many Atheists are starting to speak up?

There are kids who deny God as an act of rebellion, and you can decry it all you wish, but the fact that people this age are even thinking about religion, the supernatural and the natural world is something to be praised.

One of the reasons I'm so active in this group is that it elates and surprises me every time I log on to see something intelligent and meaningful written by someone who didn't exist when I was in grade school.

Yes, of course I think there are dumb kids saying shocking things to get attention, but as with any other attention-whoring, ignore them and give your time and energy to the kids who are serious about it.

Atheism isn't a fad, nor is speaking up about it.  

[reverie0312]

Matataur

Okay, okay, don't get your text alignments all centered, I didn't mean much by it. I just hate teenagers. I hated teenagers when I was one. I just find it surprising with all of those hormones swirling in them that they can even think straight, much less deeply examine themselves and the spiritual and social repercussions of choosing atheism over their eternal soul.

I think you underestimate the power of self-control and the drive to make sense of the world. You can succumb to plenty of hormones, and still find a great deal of time to study and think about life and the universe. Trust me, at seventeen, I do both and enjoy both.

The teenage years are often the years when people wake up to the world around themselves, and challenge the way they look things. It seems to me that it's a great thing for teenagers to be questioning religion along with the old standbys of politics and social norms.

Irrational rebellion is as obnoxious as irrational conformity. But the seeds of rebellion often lie in a deep dissatisfaction with the way that life is, which can give rise to critical thinking if nurtured and directed.

Please don't discount the teenagers, even the seemingly frivolous ones. People do things for a reason, and we are no exception.  

[Baron von Turkeypants]

Sometimes a cigar...

I don't think I succumb to hormones as much as anyone else my age... and sometimes, to me, it feels like I'm the only lucid person in a sea of insanity.

...is just a cigar.

 

[Theophrastus]

Fairyfly

Matataur

Okay, okay, don't get your text alignments all centered, I didn't mean much by it. I just hate teenagers. I hated teenagers when I was one. I just find it surprising with all of those hormones swirling in them that they can even think straight, much less deeply examine themselves and the spiritual and social repercussions of choosing atheism over their eternal soul.

I think you underestimate the power of self-control and the drive to make sense of the world. You can succumb to plenty of hormones, and still find a great deal of time to study and think about life and the universe. Trust me, at seventeen, I do both and enjoy both.

The teenage years are often the years when people wake up to the world around themselves, and challenge the way they look things. It seems to me that it's a great thing for teenagers to be questioning religion along with the old standbys of politics and social norms.

Irrational rebellion is as obnoxious as irrational conformity. But the seeds of rebellion often lie in a deep dissatisfaction with the way that life is, which can give rise to critical thinking if nurtured and directed.

Please don't discount the teenagers, even the seemingly frivolous ones. People do things for a reason, and we are no exception.

I kinda love you for that post. :3  

[55may55]

Fairyfly

Matataur

Okay, okay, don't get your text alignments all centered, I didn't mean much by it. I just hate teenagers. I hated teenagers when I was one. I just find it surprising with all of those hormones swirling in them that they can even think straight, much less deeply examine themselves and the spiritual and social repercussions of choosing atheism over their eternal soul.

I think you underestimate the power of self-control and the drive to make sense of the world. You can succumb to plenty of hormones, and still find a great deal of time to study and think about life and the universe. Trust me, at seventeen, I do both and enjoy both.

The teenage years are often the years when people wake up to the world around themselves, and challenge the way they look things. It seems to me that it's a great thing for teenagers to be questioning religion along with the old standbys of politics and social norms.

Irrational rebellion is as obnoxious as irrational conformity. But the seeds of rebellion often lie in a deep dissatisfaction with the way that life is, which can give rise to critical thinking if nurtured and directed.

Please don't discount the teenagers, even the seemingly frivolous ones. People do things for a reason, and we are no exception.

I definately agree that a person should not catagorized based on their age, I mean I myself am a very strong Atheist besides the slightly strange happening that I go to a Catholic school, and I think the fact that although people are constantly trying to convert me and I stay strong on my views even after considering their arguements, shows that. However it would be wrong to ignore the fact that if there are any fads happening with Atheism it will most likely occur in the adolecent age range because these are the years that they will be "waking up" and taking a good look at what kind of adult they want to be. And because of this they will be more prone to changing beliefs and trying things to see if it is something that they respond to enough that it is worth incorporating into their life.  

[Aaron Lee Morrison]

Matataur

Les Adieux

Avoir Le Retour...

Well, I'm 13, and I have done a lot of research. I'm not an atheist because it's cool, because trust me, with most of the people I come into contact with on a daily basis, it's not. I'm atheist, because I simply do not believe in God, and have good reason.

...Les Adieux

Okay. But what do you think about atheism as a fad?

I think there are many ignorant people who think of it as just a fad, mainly one of contradiction and rebellion, but that's because they are merely ignorant people who lie for attention.  

[Matataur]

Fairyfly

Matataur

Okay, okay, don't get your text alignments all centered, I didn't mean much by it. I just hate teenagers. I hated teenagers when I was one. I just find it surprising with all of those hormones swirling in them that they can even think straight, much less deeply examine themselves and the spiritual and social repercussions of choosing atheism over their eternal soul.

I think you underestimate the power of self-control and the drive to make sense of the world. You can succumb to plenty of hormones, and still find a great deal of time to study and think about life and the universe. Trust me, at seventeen, I do both and enjoy both.

The teenage years are often the years when people wake up to the world around themselves, and challenge the way they look things. It seems to me that it's a great thing for teenagers to be questioning religion along with the old standbys of politics and social norms.

Irrational rebellion is as obnoxious as irrational conformity. But the seeds of rebellion often lie in a deep dissatisfaction with the way that life is, which can give rise to critical thinking if nurtured and directed.

Please don't discount the teenagers, even the seemingly frivolous ones. People do things for a reason, and we are no exception.

Fine, I apologize for going on a tangent about the teenagers. But what I'd like to know is if you believe that there is a countercultural appeal to atheism nowadays? Like Theophrastus pointed out:

Quote:

Movies like Passion of the Christ, Jesus Camp and their ilk start pushing a group's ideas into the public sphere (and there's nothing wrong with that). However, a noticeable cultural movement of vocal Christianity has been swelling and yelling since the mid 80's.

After decades of it, a different culture will come to exist and, in the face of such impious and bigoted statements as, "I do not know that Atheists should be considered patriots or citizens," is it not clear why many Atheists are starting to speak up?

'Fad' may not have been the right word, so instead of that, do you think that some of the atheists of this generation an effect of a seemingly overbearing religious culture?  

[Theophrastus]

Matataur

'Fad' may not have been the right word, so instead of that, do you think that some of the atheists of this generation an effect of a seemingly overbearing religious culture?

Considering the word I bolded yes, yes and thrice, yes.  

[CaprinaePsi]

Aw come on, I'm 16 and I know I'm an atheist (or, at the least, anti-theist). For me it wasn't too hard to come to the conclusion that religion is bullshit. I won't deny that many people around my age use atheism just to stand out, or rebel against their parents, but that doesn't mean all teenage atheists are fake. It's the same thing with bisexuality. Just because a lot of teenagers are using it as a fad, doesn't bisexuality itself is a total and complete fad.  

[Dathu]

Matataur

1 - Has there been a new wave of athiests these past few years?
2 - Has current history spurred people into losing faith?
3 - Did The God Delusion play as big a part in new atheism as believed?
4 - And finally, is today's atheist a product of counterculture?

1 - Maybe, but you also have to consider that Atheists in history were murdered, not much insentive to confess your beliefs. So it may not be that there are "more" Atheists today, but that maybe there are more "confessing." But then again, one study showed that Atheism tends to occur in the highly educated, so it may also be just that people are getting smarter, consequently, too smart for religion. Maybe.

2 - Back to my previous statement about education: the more we understand about history the more we see the flaws in theism.

3 - What's the "God Delusion"? sweatdrop Is that a book or something?

4 - I'm sure there are a fair share of confused young'ins who clamp on to Atheism to fulfill a self inflicted prophacy of trying to "not fit in." You know the type: They shop at Aero, I'll shop at thrift stores. They act upbeat, I'll be moody. They believe in god, I won't. But that's a give in. Every culture (if you can call Atheism a culture) has its posers. I just ignore them.  

[Theophrastus]

Dathu

3 - What's the "God Delusion"? sweatdrop Is that a book or something?

Are you ******** SERIOUS?!  

[Dathu]

Theophrastus

Dathu

3 - What's the "God Delusion"? sweatdrop Is that a book or something?

Are you ******** SERIOUS?!

blaugh Haha, I knew someone was gonna jump me for saying that. I had a feeling I've heard it mentioned many times before, so I knew it was something big. Anyway, not a big fan of Ol' Man Dawkins, got nothing against him, just not really into Atheist literature. mrgreen  

[Baron von Turkeypants]

Sometimes a cigar...

I'm 18, so my theological reasoning is automatically correct

and your ignorant you're just ignorant dramallama

...is just a cigar.

 

[Death God Hitsugaya]

Well, the thing is, there are some youth who can think logically about religion. I knew I was an atheist and the age of twelve, if not earlier, as I just didn't believe all "of the crap that my gullible community believed in" There are some people that can think logically at that age, even though it is few and far between.

Yes, I do think that some people denying the holy spirit are doing it as some sort of rebel act, even though it is not so for everyone.

(okay, those words in the quote of myself from the past was me paraphrasing myself. I didn't use all those big words back then.)