Is anyone else an atheist with BC besides me?
Comments
-
Chumfry, I think I read somewhere about how the body produces stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline when overwhelmed, how that can become a chronic state that feels less like alarm/panic/intense fear/whatever but is still so dangerous to our emotional/physical health. Maybe that's one way we get to the point of feeling worn out!
Bren, I also workout at times when fearful or anxious. I also have learned to do a serenity now yoga workout I have on dvd that helps me to be still with whatever intense emotion I am feeling and not feel overwhelmed. Sometimes I do not realize how anxious or fearful I am...it just slips up on me, gradually building, until I find myself wondering "What's going on here?" I also think that emotions are a part of who we are, but I agree that we also can learn to notice/observe/work through/let go of emotions, which is empowering.
0 -
I don't know why you guys aren't posting on the Buddhist thread as well. You all sound as though you have at least explored the teachings.
Buddhism does not have a creation story or creator god. It's a nice little philosophy for atheists.
0 -
Is there a Buddhist thread? <grin> I've been attracted to the concepts of Buddhism, but you have to give up meat (I think) and I'm not up for that. LOL
I do deep breathing exercises to calm myself but when that doesn't work, I have to do something physical. It's like I have to wear out my body to burn off the anxiety. I've been thinking of joining a beginning yoga class. I think I'd get a lot out of it on a variety of levels.
(I've always been a big klutz but my numb Taxol toes has just made it worse!)
--CindyMN
0 -
The Buddha was not a vegetarian. His cousin wanted the Buddha to pass a rule that monastics had to be vegetarian, but he would not do so. This is the rule the Buddha established.
Eat what ever lay people provide to you including meat. The exception to this rule would be if you have knowledge that the animal was killed specifically to provide meat for you (the fatted calf type honor) or was killed because you requested meat.
So I go to a grocery store and buy meat, but I will not buy a side of beef for my freezer because the cow would have been killed and butchered on my request. I know it is a fine distinction but one that works well in this age of grocery stores.
Never the less, the northern schools of Buddhism do practice vegetarianism. Tibetan Buddhism does not require it nor does the Southern schools. I'll bump the Buddhist thread.
I follow the practices of the Southern school known as Theravada. It is the oldest form of Buddhism and does vary in several ways from the Northern schools but no one here needs to concern themselves with the differences. I mention it only because when I speak about Buddhism I am speaking from the Theravada perspective.
0 -
Thanks for mentioning the Buddhist thread. I'll check it out. I've been reading a great deal about mindfulness over the years and trying to incorporate mindful living into my daily life as possible. I am inconsistent at best with practicing mindfulness meditation.
0 -
I have several friends who are buddhists, and I have a great deal of respect for both of them. One of them is studying to become a buddhist chaplain. Do all buddhists believe in reincarnation? If not for that, many of the buddhist philosophies are in line with my own experiences.
0 -
Ah, reincarnation. Well that is really a complex subject that is talked about in differing ways.
Where is the baby that was born now that you are an adult? Are you the same as that baby? Are you different than that baby? Are you neither the same or different as that baby? Are you both the same and different as that baby? Answer these questions and you could as well be talking about rebirth.
Some people understand rebirth to be the continuation of subtle consciousness; the consciousness that keeps your heart beating and your lungs breathing when you are in a vegetative state. One could call it brain stem consciousness. Since medicine and science no little about the workings of the brain stem, who knows what additional information resides there?
Going back to the questions, what makes you who you are? The answer to this is the very processes of your life. Some people understand rebirth to be a continuation of processes, of the phenomena of life itself. Here is a poem written about 2100 years ago about rebirth. Warning: This simple beautiful poem encapsulates 40 years of the Buddha's teachings.
"Mere suffering is, not any sufferer is found
The deeds exist, but no performer of the deeds:
Nibbana is, but not the man that enters it,
The path is, but no wanderer is to be seen.
No doer of the deeds is found,
No one who ever reaps their fruits,
Empty phenomena roll on,
This view alone is right and true.
No god, no Brahma, may be called,
The maker of this wheel of life,
Empty phenomena roll on,
Dependent on conditions all."
- Visuddhimagga XVI 900 -
For me, fear comes in waves. Even the small waves used to knock me down, but I have learned to stand up to those waves and each one that hits me makes me stronger. A big stinky wave may still come by and knock me on my butt from time to time, but I pick myself up again and brace for the next one which I will not let knock me down!!
I'll also have to check out the buddhist thread.....I have a few friends who are buddhist and one is even a monk, but I never really thought about it because I viewed it as a religion instead of a philosopy. Thanks for opening my mind notself !
0 -
You're welcome.
Buddhism is a philosophy, a religion, a way of life, a thought process.....
Chainsawaz, your description of dealing with fear is similar to my experience. Each time fear arises, it ceases a bit faster. When it arises, I look at it and think, hello old friend. Each time I look at my fear, I see something a bit different.
0 -
Notself .. thanks for the insight into Buddhist teachings. I'm just not ready to try another religion/philosophy at this time. I still grieve once in awhile the loss of my faith, which is long gone now.
My mom just got back from visiting my son, his wife and my two grandsons in San Diego. Nicky is 2 and Isaac will be 6 next week. My son will be giving his masters thesis in physics this summer .. so he is a man of science. I didn't raise my son in a church, although I did get him baptized when he was about a year old .. at my mom's insistence.
My son and his wife don't believe in god and have told the kids they don't believe (usually after spending time with my son's dad). My poor mom is so upset because Isaac told her this week that "we" don't believe in god. I told her that a 5 year-old doesn't even know what god is and not to worry about it.
My son's dad lives in SD as well and his family are over-the-top Jesus believers, so some of this is a backlash to all the praying and stuff my son has to do at his dad's house.
My only hope is that they will let my grandkids decide for themselves what they believe in .. whether it's nothing, god, science or some combo.
I've had lots of conversations with my son about physics, and there are things that even he can't explain .. and admits there is no answer. I hope he passes on all sides of the god questions to my grandson, so that Isaac can decide for himself when he grows up.
My mom is so funny and she just refuses to follow the rules at my son's house (any and all rules .. because she is the "grandmother") that she started singing Jesus Loves Me to Isaac. Poor kid didn't even know what she was talking about!
I don't fear that my grands will be good, intelligent, loving men. I feel bad that my mom is so upset. This is why I don't talk about my beliefs with my family.
love,
Bren
0 -
Bren,
My family knows that I follow the teachings and meditate, but they have no idea that Buddhism is atheistic. All I told them was people revere the Buddha like Catholics revere saints and let it go at that. Like most Christians I know, they have absolutely no interest in other religions and are afraid to explore other ways of spiritual thinking.
My dear sister, who has always been very devout, told me last week that she is having doubts. I changed the subject. I am fairly certain that the current issues in the news have shaken her. I find this incredibly sad. I hope she find peace again.
I am so sorry that you are struggling with the loss of you faith. It must be difficult. I stopped believing in Christianity at a very early age and realized that any god was just an "explanation" for the unknown. Many call this explanation as "the god of gaps" in knowledge. I did not go through the difficulty of loss of blind faith in one fell swoop.
Your child is proof of two things. First, we have to be taught to believe in an invisible creator being. We aren't naturally believers. Second, one can be good without belief. Goodness does not depend on religion.
0 -
There's no harm in singing religous songs. Just like there is no harm in singing songs about Santa or nursery rhymes. My grandchildren all did -- sing all those types of songs. But the older two, when asked, will say that jesus and god are just imaginary, like santa and the grinch who stole christmas or humpty dumpty. My youngest grandson still thinks santa is real, so there's no cognitive distinction in him yet about imaginary vs. real beings. But he's 6, so that will probably wane. The interesting thing is that neither my husband and I nor my daughter ever spoke or speak about religion or god in front of the kids. The boys reached their own conclusion about "god" on their own -- and they attended catholic school through the 6th grade. We always attended Mass with them and "participated" in their various religious "milestones."
0 -
I just read a note on Facebook that Obama has canceled the National Day of Prayer in May. Apparently, this has upset a lot of people. I responded to the note on FB .. and I wish I hadn't. What point can I possibly make .. other than the obvious.
I guess it hit me the wrong way.
Edited: I went back and deleted my comment on FB. A friend had posted the note .. all my friends are Christians, and I never talk about my lack of belief. Sometimes, it gets lonely.
hugs,
Bren
0 -
Bin - I rec'd an email about this about a month ago. It said not only had O canceled the Nat. Day of Prayer, but that he had hosted a Muslim Day of Prayer at the White House, along with a picture of him removing his shoes. According to Snopes, the pic was taken at a mosque in Istanbul. He has not canceled the Nat Day of Prayer, but is not holding a service at the White House. Didn't last year, either. Needless to say, he didn't host a Muslim service at the White House, altho there was a Muslim service on the Capitol Mall last year. Complete with permits, etc. Had nothing to do with Obama.
0 -
Amazing how fast mis-truths fly!
0 -
It is not as lonely as it used to be to be an atheist. Can you imagine posting to a thread like this even two years ago. Atheists are coming out. Perhaps we are only coming out on anonymous forums but it is a start. Some polls show the percentage of atheists in America is growing, but I don't believe that. What is growing is the number of people willing to talk about their lack of belief.
0 -
Bren, yeah, I got that email last year from my dad (at one point I actually had to flag my dad's email address as "spam" because he was sending such hateful stuff about Obama).
I pointed him to Snopes and he just laughed at me and said he would pray for me. (Yes, my dad is a christian -- bordering on a fundie christian at times -- he even has his own "church" that he's the "pastor" of -- got it online -- and now has a "minister" parking pass. Oy.)
0 -
Your own dad! That's kind've funny that he's a pastor now. Except the emails he sends you. My dad quit going to church about the same time I did ... a long time ago. He thought he was the only guy there with a hangover and smoking on the church steps on Sunday. I liked the donuts after church in the courtyard.
I wish he was still alive, cause I could talk to him.
I didn't respond anymore to the "fundie" on FB. There was just no point in it. Even after I told the man to check his facts ... and he returned to apologize saying he was wrong, BUT Obama is still pandering to atheists. oy vey.
Bren
0 -
In case you haven't seen the post on the Stage IV thread, Brenda/Analemma died on Thursday.
A post a while ago from one of her family members said she was looking forward to the cosmic journey ahead. I'm trying to think of Analemma zippin' across the universe having a great time.
Everyone is welcome to post on her "Brenda/Analemma is among the Stars" thread, if you want to. Sorry for being the bearer of sad news.
Elizabeth
0 -
I will think of her each time I see a shooting star in the sky
0 -
For Analemma
0 -
She is part of the Universe as we all are.
0 -
I am so saddened to read this. I love that she is part of the vast universe now. Everytime I look up at the stars, I will see Brenda. It's comforting to know that she is part of all of us now. We believed so closely that we would end being part of the universe when our bodies give out.
I wonder if she is part of the annalemma now ...
Sending love to her husband, children and family,
Bren
0 -
Will miss you, Brenda -- "star stuff" -- I will always remember you saying that. So sorry for Brenda, her beautiful family, and her many, many friends.
0 -
I was reading about analemma and looking at actual photos taken, and the really cool thing is, we all have an analemma over our homes. Brenda is with us always.
Bren
0 -
What a loss! She was very, very special and touched so many of our lives!
0 -
I wish Brenda's post in the Palliative thread was still there. She deleted the content of her initial post in the topic section. I remember reading it, and it was beautiful. I wonder if anyone was able to copy it. The thread is still up though.
Hugs to everyone,
Bren
0 -
What does one say to an old high school class mate who persists in proselytizing via e-mail? Her latest is a story about a man who was an atheist his whole life and has a death bed conversion right before he dies of .....cancer.
I probably have no choice but to block her emails, but I would like advice before I do.
0 -
Just send her an email from urinsensitive@rucrazy.com.
0 -
Good advice, Blue! Except that proselytisers not only do not recognize that they are insensitive, but they don't understand that they are also insulting.....
p.s. Blue, how's it going?
0
