Ask me (an atheist) anything!

[L a n a]

I’m sort of new to IslamicBoard and I’ve been wanting to be more active on this site. However, I feel like I can’t really participate on many of the threads, as I’d be inserting myself into topics/discussions that don’t really concern me (i.e. Islamic marriage, Islamic advice, etc.).

So…I decided to start this thread. You fellas/ladies can ask me questions about literally anything; my particular flavor of atheism, my views on religion, politics, music, etc., they don’t have to be related to religion at all. I most likely won’t get offended by anything, so ask away.

Hopefully this will be a good way to talk to and get to know some of you

 

[eesa the kiwi]

What's holding you back from embracing islam?
What parts of Islam you feel like you need some more clarity on?

 

[sister herb]

To which kind of ideology you base your morality? As it´s said in Islam (and few other religions too) that for example stealing or killing are the things you should avoid also majority of people without religion think alike. We believe that it´s religion who teach those things to us but does atheism also teach the same or from where you have learnt those basic moral ideas? (I suppose you have learnt them of course.)

 

[Simple_Person]

Do you think that Islam says blindly follow and do not use your head?

If yes, based on what do you say that?

If no, based on what do you say that?

 

[Abu Fauzi]

Peace to one and all,
As Lana gives us the chance... I would like to ask her a question viz:--

(1) How did she come to this planet earth and why is she here?

(2) Does the image she sees, looking like her, when she looks into her dressing mirror
have all the features/characteristics of a living being/person? If not, why not.

 

[STN]

I’m sort of new to IslamicBoard and I’ve been wanting to be more active on this site. However, I feel like I can’t really participate on many of the threads, as I’d be inserting myself into topics/discussions that don’t really concern me (i.e. Islamic marriage, Islamic advice, etc.).

So…I decided to start this thread. You fellas/ladies can ask me questions about literally anything; my particular flavor of atheism, my views on religion, politics, music, etc., they don’t have to be related to religion at all. I most likely won’t get offended by anything, so ask away.

Hopefully this will be a good way to talk to and get to know some of you

I really have a simple question and i want you to answer it honestly with thought.

Are you interested in knowing about God (Allah) and the evidences and proofs that show Allah is Al-Haq ? How sincere are you in knowing about Allah ?

 

[L a n a]

Hi [MENTION=36993]eesa the kiwi[/MENTION]

Thank you for the questions.

What's holding you back from embracing islam?

Well, I guess the first thing would have to do with not believing in any gods/deities. It's nothing personal, I haven't embraced any of the other religions either, besides Unitarian Universalism when I was younger.

What parts of Islam you feel like you need some more clarity on?

I can't say that there is any part of Islam that I need clarity on at this point in time, since I understand the basic beliefs and practices. I'm here on Islamic Board because I like talking to different types of people, whether I share their exact beliefs or not.

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Hi [MENTION=9623]sister herb[/MENTION]

To which kind of ideology you base your morality? As it´s said in Islam (and few other religions too) that for example stealing or killing are the things you should avoid also majority of people without religion think alike. We believe that it´s religion who teach those things to us but does atheism also teach the same or from where you have learnt those basic moral ideas? (I suppose you have learnt them of course.)

I couldn't name any specific ideology that I live by, besides "treating others the same way I would like to be treated" (i.e. the Golden rule).

My morality was dictated by society and my parents. You know the usual, "stealing is bad, lying is bad, hurting others is bad, cheating is bad,..." Good things of course, and not specific to any religion.

Atheism is simply a disbelief of any deities, and has nothing to do with morality. It's not a religion, there is no holy book, no creed, no holy leaders/authorities, no rituals, none of that. A lot of people seem to think that atheism is a type of belief system or ideology, but it literally doesn't teach anything.

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Hi [MENTION=40458]Simple_Person[/MENTION]

Do you think that Islam says blindly follow and do not use your head?

I'm going to assume, no, that Islam (or any religion for that matter), doesn't encourage its adherents to be blind followers.

If no, based on what do you say that?

My reason for saying "no" is that I find it hard to believe that any religion would actively encourage that type of behavior. However, people themselves can become blind followers who don't question anything.

 

[OnePath]

Why did you become an atheist?

Not all atheists are hostile toward Religion. Are you and if so, why?

Have you asked yourself, what if you’re wrong and there is a heaven and a hell?

What happens after you die and what proof of your belief do you have?

Do you believe in objective truth?

 

[L a n a]

Peace to one and all,
As Lana gives us the chance... I would like to ask her a question viz:--

Hello @Abu Fauzi

(1) How did she come to this planet earth and why is she here?

Once upon a time, in 1995 to be specific, my mother and father were "in the mood" (ugh, just got some images in my head that I CANNOT unsee lol), and that resulted in a pregnancy. My mother carried me for just about 9 months, and I was born on May 2 1996 via Cesarean section. That's how I personally came to Earth.

(2) Does the image she sees, looking like her, when she looks into her dressing mirror
have all the features/characteristics of a living being/person?

Yup, as far as I'm concerned, I'm still a flesh and blood human being. Unless this reality is a lie and we are all nothing but computer simulations on some greasy, teenaged alien's version of The Sims: Universe Edition.

 

[Simple_Person]

Hi @eesa the kiwi

My reason for saying "no" is that I find it hard to believe that any religion would actively encourage that type of behavior. However, people themselves can become blind followers who don't question anything.

If you say no, how come you disagree with Muslims believing in a deity, while you are of opinion that Muslims do use their head and thus have come to the conclusion of there being a deity based on logic, rationality and reason?

ps. Answer other questions also, be equal in answering questions of others before concentrating on the discussion between you and me.

 

[L a n a]

Hi @STN

I really have a simple question and i want you to answer it honestly with thought.

Are you interested in knowing about God (Allah) and the evidences and proofs that show Allah is Al-Haq ? How sincere are you in knowing about Allah ?

I don't think I understand your question, but I'll try to answer it anyways.

I don't believe in God/Allah, so I'm not sure how I can know this deity, if that makes any sense. I also don't know what "Al-Haq" is :embarrass.

 

[Umm Malik]

hi Lana
this is Maryam with you
welcome between us
I would like to ask you ...
have you ever think about God
have you ever think about what if there is a god and you don't taste this best sweetness in your life ??
my question seems the seems as many questions but do you think that there is no God ???
I know that God and I hope one day you will know him also.
thank you Lana

 

[L a n a]

Hello @OnePath

Why did you become an atheist?

I don't believe in god, and I was never particularly religious, even when I did consider myself to be a Christian (Unitarian Christian; a bit different from mainstream Christianity). Atheist is just the catch-all term for anyone who doesn't believe in any deities.

Not all atheists are hostile toward Religion. Are you and if so, why?

I would say most atheists aren't hostile towards religion at all. But like any group, you will find your vocal minority who are loud, annoying, and aggressive. Kind of like with veganism, where some are annoying and pushy with their views, while the rest of us have no problem enjoying our veggie wraps while our friends/family eat their burgers, chicken, etc.

I'm definitely not hostile towards religion or the religious, as they are people who are near and dear to me; my parents and younger sister are Unitarian Christians, my boyfriend is ex-Catholic, my older sisters are Jewish, and I have friends who are Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Mormon, and even one who tried to dabble in Scientology. I have no reason to be hostile to any of their religions or their views, since their beliefs are their own and have no effect on me or my personal life.

If anything, I'm mostly indifferent towards religion. I don't love religion, but I certainly don't hate them either.

Have you asked yourself, what if you’re wrong and there is a heaven and a hell?

No, since the idea of heaven and hell sounds a lot like "Santa will give you presents if you're a good girl/boy, or a lump of coal if you're bad", but for grown-ups. I get that it's scary and terrifying for the religious, especially if you've been raised since birth to be afraid of hell/look forward to heaven. But I'm not religious, so heaven/hell speak has no real effect on me. Besides, I can't force myself to believe in something just in the off-chance that I might be wrong. Then there would be the issue of trying to select the one true religion (which every religion claims to be), out of the thousands that exist currently.

What happens after you die and what proof of your belief do you have?

I have no idea tbh. I've never died, obviously, and I've never spoken to the dead before. Except for that one time I astral projected, and *apparently* spoke to dead family members about their experiences as slaves on the sugar plantations of Jamaica, and different dimensions/planes of existence. However, I'm pretty certain that astral projection/out-of-body experiences are just really trippy, vivid dreams.

I'll just have to wait and see, I suppose.

Do you believe in objective truth?

Sure:
-water is wet
-Wyoming is a US state
-2+2=4
-Coke is better than Pepsi

 

[L a n a]

If you say no, how come you disagree with Muslims believing in a deity, while you are of opinion that Muslims do use their head and thus have come to the conclusion of there being a deity based on logic, rationality and reason?

ps. Answer other questions also, be equal in answering questions of others before concentrating on the discussion between you and me.

Well, because I don't believe in the deity that Muslims believe in. However, that still doesn't mean that I think all religious people are "blindly following" their religion. Some are just blind followers who were born into the religion, that's a given, but others actively choose to follow their religion, sometimes after months or even years of studying or building up faith for conversion. That is their truth, and that is absolutely not a problem to me.

 

[Simple_Person]

Well, because I don't believe in the deity that Muslims believe in. However, that still doesn't mean that I think all religious people are "blindly following" their religion. Some are just blind followers who were born into the religion, that's a given, but others actively choose to follow their religion, sometimes after months or even years of studying or building up faith for conversion. That is their truth, and that is absolutely not a problem to me.

You are contradicting yourself. You say you do not BELIEVE in the deity Muslim believe, yet you say Muslims base their belief on their thinking (ie logic, rationality and reason). As you said, they do not follow blind belief without using their head.

So what is it now..is their belief based on logic, rationality and reason?
OR is their belief based on blind belief?

If it is based on logic, rationality and reason, what keeps you following logic, rationality and reason ..thus becoming a Muslim yourself.

If it is based on blind belief again, what is your argument saying they have this blind belief without using logic, rationality and reason?

EDIT: To make things a bit more clear. I say EVERY OTHER religion INCLUDING atheism (speaking as an ex-atheist), is blind belief. I say this based on logic, rationality and reason. Although i say philosophy does help a little hand to ponder deeply about matters.

 

[sister herb]

I also don't know what "Al-Haq" is :embarrass.

Al-Haq means "the Truth", which is one of the names of Allah, mentioned in the Quran.

I think members should to be carefull when using such Arabic terms and words here when discuss with non-Muslims.

 

[fschmidt]

Was any rising culture in history atheistic? Why were so many declining cultures in history atheistic (Late Athens, Declining Rome, etc.)? Did any atheistic culture ever transition to democracy?

 

[Ephémère]

Hello [MENTION=41447]L a n a[/MENTION]

I’m sort of new to IslamicBoard and I’ve been wanting to be more active on this site. However, I feel like I can’t really participate on many of the threads, as I’d be inserting myself into topics/discussions that don’t really concern me (i.e. Islamic marriage, Islamic advice, etc.).

So…I decided to start this thread. You fellas/ladies can ask me questions about literally anything; my particular flavor of atheism, my views on religion, politics, music, etc., they don’t have to be related to religion at all. I most likely won’t get offended by anything, so ask away.

Hopefully this will be a good way to talk to and get to know some of you

I've been genuinely curious about this: What is your purpose in life? Do you feel like you have to accomplish something before you die? Not necessarily you, but the whole humanity in general... How do you make sense of this life?

 

[Scimitar]

To the atheist!!! Hi,

My questions are as follows and i'd like to read your answers.

Were you created from nothing?

or, did you create yourself?

or, did you create the heavens and the earth?

Or will you be honest and say, "i am not certain" ???!!!

Scimi

 

[L a n a]

hi Lana
this is Maryam with you

Hi Maryam. Sorry for the late reply, I ended up having a pretty busy day yesterday and wasn't able to log in and finish replying to the posts. But I'm back now.

I would like to ask you ...
have you ever think about God
have you ever think about what if there is a god and you don't taste this best sweetness in your life ??

No, in my typical day to day life I don't think about god. I also don't worry/care about whether or not god(s) exists or not. It's just really not a concern to me.

my question seems the seems as many questions but do you think that there is no God ???

I don't believe in any gods, no. I view all of the religions and their deities as the creation of the human mind to ease anxiety about death and more importantly, control the populace. However, I don't claim that some type of impersonal, creating force couldn't possibly exist.

I know that God and I hope one day you will know him also.
thank you Lana

No, thank you for the questions Maryam!

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I want to add some more details about me.

I tend to just call myself "non-religious" or "atheist" when people ask me, because those terms are fairly easy enough for most people to understand.

However, I would actually best be classified as an "apatheistic atheist". As in, I don't believe in god(s), but I'm also very indifferent/apathetic towards the idea of whether god(s) exist or not, in general. You'll never see my debating for or against the existence of gods, for example. It's just not something I care enough about to ever do.

Just thought I'd squeeze this in here, before there are any more replies.

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You are contradicting yourself. You say you do not BELIEVE in the deity Muslim believe, yet you say Muslims base their belief on their thinking (ie logic, rationality and reason). As you said, they do not follow blind belief without using their head.

So what is it now..is their belief based on logic, rationality and reason?
OR is their belief based on blind belief?

If it is based on logic, rationality and reason, what keeps you following logic, rationality and reason ..thus becoming a Muslim yourself.

If it is based on blind belief again, what is your argument saying they have this blind belief without using logic, rationality and reason?

EDIT: To make things a bit more clear. I say EVERY OTHER religion INCLUDING atheism (speaking as an ex-atheist), is blind belief. I say this based on logic, rationality and reason. Although i say philosophy does help a little hand to ponder deeply about matters.

I've never read the quran or any other islamic material, so much of what I said was based on assumptions. However, I'm respectful enough to not assume that Muslims or any other religious group are non-thinking beings who just follow whatever is written in old books. Rather, they are people who think that the religion and their holy books makes sense to them.

I personally don't think there is much "logic, rationality, or reason" in most of the religious beliefs/practices out there, but if it makes sense to the faithful, then good for them. Doesn't have to make sense to me (and they often don't). If that is what gets them up in the morning, and makes them the best person they can be, then great.

This is what I'm trying to say, *but I've never been the best at expressing myself in written format. So bear with me if maybe something I write isn't clear enoug

Concerning "blind faith", I'm sure there is a great degree of that in any religion out there. Being able to say that one's faith is the "one and true" is an example of that. But we put blind faith in a lot of things, so it's not really specific to religion at all.

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Was any rising culture in history atheistic? Why were so many declining cultures in history atheistic (Late Athens, Declining Rome, etc.)? Did any atheistic culture ever transition to democracy?

I'm a history major, but my concentration has mostly been on Transnational Black History (emphasis on the Caribbean and South America) and African American Civil Rights, so I'll admit that my knowledge on ancient western history isn't the best. I'll do some light research later if I have the time and get back to you if I find anything.

If I forget to reply to you, just remind me.

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Hi [MENTION=41438]Ephémère[/MENTION]

I've been genuinely curious about this: What is your purpose in life? Do you feel like you have to accomplish something before you die? Not necessarily you, but the whole humanity in general... How do you make sense of this life?

No, I don't believe that there is any inherent "purpose of life", other than attempting to be reproductively successful and spread your genes for as many generations as possible. But that's about it.

Individually, as human beings, we define and attempt to achieve our own "purpose" or goals in life.

How do I make sense of this life? Haha, I don't try to "make sense" of life, generally speaking. Life is crazy, it's intense, it's calm, it's hectic, it's....an adventure. That's how I see life, as an adventure, where one experience is never like the other.