BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Atheist Were you always Atheist or did you wake up?

All babies are born atheist. Were you raised free of superstition or did you find your way back to reality?

Tell about your journey.

Born into a Roman Catholic Family, and Half Italian to boot....!
Brought up very much under the influence of Religion, I attended mass regularly as a child, and went to a convent school for four years...
Married a non-Catholic, in a Catholic Nuptual Mass ceremony, but baptised and raised my two girls in the Catholic faith. They went to a Catholic dioscesian school, (no nuns though) and I became a School Parent Governor there, where I held the post for four years, until 1999 when my family left the UK, to live in France.

I conscientiously did my duty as a Governor, and attended mass every week, encouraging my daughters to do the same,but never forcing them. In fact, my eldest daughter delayed her own confirmation until she felt adequately mature to do so.
Neither child now goes to mass.
In 1994 I began to study Shiatsu, and discovered Buddhism (Zen form) at the same time, because according to Oriental tradition, you cannot separate the Mind from the Body from the Spirit from the mind....
My Mother (Italian, and a staunch Catholic, though not a blind and mindless one) gave me a book, at around the same time, called 'The Tibetan Book of Living & Dying'. It hit me between the eyes like a sledgehammer, and after years of doubt, questioning and insubordination (as a Catholic) I finally Took Refuge in the Eightfold Path, as a Buddhist, in 2000.
I do not dispute the existence of a higher power, but I doubt it, and furthermore refuse to give it a name, or the creative, judgemental or omnipotent powers traditionally attributed by Religions.
I do not personally believe Jesus was the son of God, nor that his mother was a Virgin.
I do not doubt he existed, but not as we have been taught to know him.

I follow a Buddhist path, but do not adhere to any one specific school, rigidly. This is not uncommon, neither is it frowned upon.

How's that? <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Always an atheist at heart. I tried to adopt christianity as a teenager but ultimately accepted that I simply didn't believe that the whole thing was any more real than any other fairy tale (and in a literary sense, the Brothers Grimm were better writers).

Now I'm considering myself a (scientific) pantheist, which is essentially atheism with a tree hugging sort of flavor.

Thank you for your illustrious contribution. I find it very interesting. It is endlessly fascinating to me to hear about ones journey towards a rational life.

I grew up Catholic as well, but Catholics are very pervasive in the US. I wonder what it is like to be so in the UK - Ireland not withstanding. I think Buddhism has some of the most useful principles of nearly all other religions, but they lose me when they start babbling about reincarnation.

There is a whole pocket of religious adherents who while practicing are not superstitious - like liberal Quakers, Protestants and Unitarians. In fact the Dali Lama is delightful to listen to. I doubt that these people would ever cause a war, discriminate against gays or instill religious fear and shame in their children.

It is a common error - even amongst Buddhists - to speak of re-incarnation. A better term is 're-birth' which is actually far more simple (yet infinitely complex!) than one supposes....shall I try to expound simply? or would you prefer to leave it aside? <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

(EDIT NOTE:
I can go do it in the Buddhist forum, as it may well be deemed 'off-topic'here - and understandably so.....)

You are correctly mindful of content. That is very considerate of you.

If I am not mistaken, re-incarnation is a Hindu thing, but re-birth is a Buddhist thing.

Same concept to me.

I regard this as superstition and although I have been patient enough to listen to it explained before I am more interested in discussing the phenomenon of belief rather than the beliefs themselves. After being fed catechism every day of my childhood, anything that resembles dogma quickly makes my eyes glaze over.

There is a short path to pontification in this forum I am afraid.

I'm so sorry...I have just sent you a pm on this.... disregard it.

In my 'defence' Reincarnation and re-birth are definitely not the same. And whilst I understand your reluctance to indulge in a discussion, the theme would not be dogmatic. I would merely illustrate what the general concensus is, but I certainly would never expect you to embrace it unquestioningly,believe it or even to accept it....

Just to underpin this, the Buddha himself expounded in the Kalama sutra that nothing we see, hear or learn should be taken at face value, but should be scrutinsed, examined, thought about and dissected to its nth degree...and then, and only then, when we have exhausted all avenues, should we accept it as Our Truth, or leave it aside....
And heemphasised the inclusion of his own teachings in this.

See you tomorrow....

I am not familiar with this flavor of non-belief although it sounds like iit could be akin to Humanism

Alexandra, do post a clarification on the Buddhism forum - I am very interested in reading about the difference between reincarnation and rebirth <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> As I said before I find it a very Christian concept, so I'd love to have the Buddhist viewpoint now.

If I might be so bold, 'Buddhism' was existent long before the concept of 'Humanism' was...in fact, 'a Rose by any other name'....
Having studied psychology I have also found many of the concepts propounded by Modern psychology are firmly rooted in Buddhist philosophy and teaching...
Common sense in Evening Dress, you might say....!

As to the re-birth/Reincarnation topic....
I'll start a thread now.... for those who wish to view it.... <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />