It is freeing to recognize that I have never sinned and it pissed Christians off when I say this. To clarify, in Christianity sin is not simply “the bad things we do” it is specifically an offense against god. God does not exists so i have never sinned against him.

I’ve been an atheist for for 16 years but it was only recently that I realized this distinction. It short-circuits the guilt based evangelism. It forces the christian to first demonstrate that god exists before they can convince me I have sinned and need to be saved from that sin. And to say the least, they are ill equipped to demonstrate the existence of god.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        6 months ago

        Atheism has nothing to say about the meaning of life. Atheism is the lack of belief in gods.

        So either religion is “a circle jerk around the meaning of life,” and therefore atheism is not a religion “to a lot of atheists” or your definition is wrong.

        Which is it?

        • macattack@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          6 months ago

          Theism in its purest form is similarly devoid of religion. My point is that as a practicing atheist, I do not identify with the ways that many of you practice atheism.

          Look at the recently-created threads: “everyone, here’s a Christian pedophile”, “everyone here are stupid Christians” etc. there are ways to actualize your perspective on atheism without always punching down on religion. If we reduce ourselves to only comparing ourselves to the other, we lose who we are as individuals in the process.

          The approach that this board has is disappointing and mirrors religion in a way that seems obvious to those that are not taking part of the circle jerk

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            6 months ago

            So by ‘practice atheism,’ you mean talk about it. And that’s what makes a religion. Talking about something.

            So I guess discussing the weather is a religion.

            • macattack@lemmy.worldEnglish
              1·
              6 months ago

              If my main reference of weather was “why my weather forecast is better than your weather forecast”, then yes, weather becomes a religion

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldEnglish
                1·
                6 months ago

                I don’t think you understand the argument atheists are making if you think that’s all there is to it.