My main concern is to talk about how difficult it is sometimes to be an atheist. If being a believer of any faith is complicated, being an atheist is no walk in the park. Atheism and believing are much more than life and death subjects.
As individuals, atheists wrestle with the fact of their unbelief, their realization that there is no God. Atheists struggle to come to terms with their disbelief of a supreme being. This struggle entails deciding where and when to take a stand and how to come out as a disbeliever in god.
For those living in a very intense religious environment, this personal challenge is often designated as a crisis of faith. Atheists experience this crisis not really because faith in god makes a more compelling case for truth, meaning and morality but because atheism has social implications.
According to the Miriam Webster dictionary, an Atheist is a person who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods. One who subscribes to or advocates atheism. Atheism is defined as a lack of belief or a strong disbelief in the existence of a god or any gods, a philosophical or religious position characterized by disbelief in the existence of a god or any gods
There are many things to consider in regards of an atheists enviornment. As we have learned, an important aspect is perhaps the Social Challenge. By this we mean: What Will they say? What will they do? In addition to their personal challenges, atheists contend with possible reactions of their family and community members, that is, what family members and friends would say and their other responses to their atheism. This is actually where atheists encounter much of the risks and dangers-that is how the society judges or treats them.
Some people tend to think that atheism is a form of sickness. In some cases, embracing atheism is equated to some psychological problem or crisis.
Atheists often wrestle with how they will survive after going open with their unbelief. This is a serious concern because one way that theism legitimizes itself is by undermining the economy of atheism, by defunding unbelief, and yes, by monopolizing the belief market and capital.
There are so many religions I could never really understand how the concept worked. Some are christians, buddhist, jews or mormons to name a few. I have friends of all different religions and i respect them all but I could never understand their devotion.
As I learned, many atheists tend to be hostile toward the idea of faith, because it is, to them, stubborn belief that is ambivalent to logic or reason. They simply believe there is no God because it seems the most likely explanation of the facts.
I know, that’s an easy question for us to answer: You lean on friends, family, community, people who actually exist, etc. But it’s one of those questions religious people love to ask, anyway, as if there’s no way to grieve without God: What do atheists do in times of crisis?
My story, a part of it explains what an atheist in crisis looks like. Being an atheist in difficult times is really complicated. It’s almost impossible. The year is over and the festivities are gone but what remains for many people is a headache for the thousands of family reunions and debts for gifts, meals and celebrations. It can be said that almost everything is achieved by paying with the credit card.
And, when the situation begins to turn black, well, they close their eyes and ask all the saints for a miracle. This is a common problem. For almost everything you have to go to divine help: if you wanted to change jobs (or get a job), if someone was in poor health, if you had the illusion of traveling or studying abroad, if you wanted the Colombian team to qualify something, if I bought the Baloto ….. “My God, help me”.
In many cases we are tought that “God will provide.” And, sometimes you see people commit to this idea: “That is what Gods will”, “the times of God are perfect”, “a leaf doesnt move without Gods will.” I guess, sometmes prayers are answered. He helped. Other times, things did not get better.
But my parents always trusted that the resolution of their problems, in the end, was in HIS hands. It was a way to unload the suitcase of worries and put it on the shoulders of another so that they could sleep lightly on luggage.
I was always conflicted by this idea. To thank God for what went well, and to go calmly to bed because if something happened it was HIS choice and never up to us. It was Gods will. That was a bit wierd for me.
How does the Divino Niño (Divine Child Jesus) decide which soccer team to support? Who deserves our help? It seemed like cheating and unethical.
So, this is what happened. One day I looked out the window at a beautiful sunset. The light pierced some clouds in the distance and illuminated celestially a portion of the city. My first impulse was to say: “Thank you, God, for this view”. It felt wierd, like a lie. Then, in a moment of honesty with myself, I thought: “I do not believe this anymore … God does not exist.”
I reached that conclusion in a time when everything was going just fine. Everything flowed. I was going through the most peaceful moment in my whole life. Few things worried me and I had plenty of free time. Maybe that, the excess of free time, gave me the opportunity to reflect on what I had been taught to believe but that no longer resonated in my convictions.
Very soon things changed. I was going to become a dad. When I found that out I felt an irresistible urge to invoke emergency Holy Trinity meeting. I wanted and needed to know that everything was going to be more than ok: that my wife will cope well all the process, the baby was born healthy, that we had no money problems.
But no. By declaring myself an atheist, I had broken the contract with God and, as a result, could no longer enjoy the services of a believer. I see it as simple as canceling the internet suscription. You know that wifi is no longer going to connect to the network; you can put anything in the Google search bar, but you will not find answers.
Needless to say, I was more than conflicted. What was I suppossed to do? How was I meant to handle all of this? Should I believe again? The questins with out answers did not stop popping into my brain. I had no clue.
If I by faith am going to make a commitment in blind confidence that the Word of God is true, then at the same time I must be willing to abide in the Word and do what is written. Faith will lead me into obedience to God’s Word, and here I need firm, resolute willingness, which will bring me battles as I relinquish everything of myself. For many people, it may seem foolish to say that you simply believe that a promise will be fulfilled for you.
People around me saw that was is crisis, a believe crisis. They judged very quickly. When you have decided to only do God’s will and are being led by the Spirit, a conflict between the flesh and the Spirit arises.
Now I’m just saying I’m lucky. It is even harder when things don’t go as I plan. It is difficult to live without the comfort that someone powerful and extraterrenal is in control of the situation and is willing to take us by the hand. Being an atheist is not an act of rebellion. It’s just another belief: the belief that God does not exist. It involves a little more responsibility, because it means that we are the only owners of our actions (there is no “my God will provide” that is worth). It also brings something more of hopelessness, because it means that there is no one out there controlling the world in our favor.
