Question for all Atheists/Agnostics, Help please?

Unfortunately, many theists aren't willing to consider that people who don't believe in the god(s) they believe in are every bit as normal and moral as they are. They think these things come from their deity and their religion, but they don't.

A.) This is the classic "can you be good without God" argument. Obviously, since there probably are no gods, we all do it every day. A great book on this subject is "The Science of Good & Evil" by Michael Shermer.

B.) This one's funny. Christians frequently urge you to read the Bible, never even considering that you have. I read stuff in it very frequently, and most atheists I've met know more about it than most Christians. Yes, read the Bible. And read about its history, the history of the time it was written in, about the other religions circulating at the time it was written, how so much of it parallels other myths of the time...for a better understanding of this stuff, I recommend any books by Bart Ehrman, and many books by Robert M. Price.

C.) I've fortunately never had a problem with having Christian friends (all of mine are) but I've heard a lot of horror stories from people who have. Usually, the more evangelical/fundamental/conservative the friends are, the less able they are to be friends with an atheist or agnostic.

D.) This one's pretty silly. I've really been surprised by how many atheists (myself included) don't drink at all, or do drugs. Not because any doctrine commands it, but because it doesn't appeal to us. Maybe it has something to do with being more willing to see the world as it really is, and not needing an escape.

E.) Depression can affect anyone, regardless of religious position. Personally, I find the thought that my life is my own, that I'm free of some cosmic father figure constantly watching me, to be very uplifting and freeing. And no, that doesn't mean I run around doing whatever I want, because I realize that to have a happy, productive life, that means that you're responsible for yourself and your actions, and what you do affects all those around you.

F.) It's good that you're still trying to learn more. There are a lot of arguments out there for the existence of a god, and it's important to be familiar with them. Personally, I've never found an argument that holds up to scrutiny, but I'm always looking.

We non-believers have been demonized for centuries by people who don't understand us, and don't want to understand us. Unfortunately, part of being a non-believer is putting up with being the most hated minority group. Our image is improving (and our numbers are growing) but it's going to be a long time before we're treated as equals by the majority of Christians.

MOrals do not come from religion. Atheism is about not believing in any god. This statment "Have obviously never read bible, otherwise I would have converted to become christian immediately." says that you are not a Atheist or agnostic. The drinking and drugging and the loose body are the result of the way you were raised. The people you hang out with are also a function of your raising.

You only have to look at many other atheists and objectively examine facts to see that all of your list is false.

We know that almost everyone has a moral system and that only a very few are actually amoral. Many ignorant people assume that the more restrictive a moral system is, the "Better" it is. This is simply not the case, nor does it in any way reflect reality.

Many to most believers "believe" many untrue things about atheists and other groups. However, just because they "believe" it does not mean that it is anywhere close to being true.

You have not mentioned whether you are doing some spiritual practice like meditation along with your studies or not.

I think, a combination of the two ie. practice and study is more beneficial.

It usually happens and everybody feel so in the beginning but it is difficult to say whether it happens due to the lose of ego or due to not knowing the real self.

So take the things lightly and do not take notice or talk to people who do not know you.

Becoming aware of the "self" will definitely help you.

I'm not an atheist or an agnostic... but, I have seen the kind of thing you are talking about... Just remember, it's not their place to judge you, and in the great scheme of things, their opinion doesn't matter. Live your life and don't care what others think. If you are happy with who you are then that's all that matters.

Yes it goes both ways. Everyone thinks they are right. I'm sorry you feel that way. Keep learning and be yourself don't worry about others. It's a battle between fact and fiction. Kind of like the war on terror or the war on drugs they will never be won.

You are in the process of becoming a Christian. I know a lot of other people who went through the same thing as you and they ended up turning into Christians. Your case is very common. The people end up hitting rock bottom and they finally decide to attend church or believe even a little and they end up becoming strong Christians. For example, Ravi Zacharias (an indian born, canadian american evangelical) tried to commit suicide at the age of 17 but somehow he lived and he couldnt believe it himself either. Then he became a Christian and is now one of the most well-known evangelicals. There are a lot of famous/interesting stories of Christians. Another story is Eric Liddel. Around the 1920s, Eric Liddell was basically the Usain Bolt of back then. Everyone knew he was going to win his events. However, his event was held on a Sunday, and because he was a strong Christian, he chose to withdraw from his event and attend church on Sunday. Few years later, he came back and won the gold medal in his event. There is a movie on him called Chariots of fire.

And just because you did all of that bad stuff doesnt mean you cant become a Christian. You are right too. God is always looking down on you and everyone else. If you are in search of God, that means God is waiting for you. God forgives everyones sin, no matter how bad it is. In the Bible, there is one person known as Apostle Paul. He was like the Osama Bin Laden of today. He tried to kill all the people who believed Jesus Christ was the son of God. However, he went through a punishment for a couple of days and that completely changed him. He ended up beliving God and Jesus Christ and he also wrote the most books in the bible. He went from an Osama Bin Laden to a Billy Graham. If you are depressed, feel sad, or feel like you are missing something, then attend church a couple of times/read the Bible and that missing feeling will be answered.

Yeah, it sucks that stupid bigots love to show their @$$es. But, chill a little and consider the source. Don't let their nastiness ruin your day or your attitude. Not all religionists are like that. Besides, they do not define your state of being. Their baseless disapproval is meaningless. You cannot expect realism or fair mindedness from everyone. Just keep on being your awesome self and let them wear them selves out pouting.

There is a good reason why atheists and agnostics are this way. Some reasons : (1) They are not "called" to be Christians (yet) [John Chapter 6, verse 44] (2) The Apostle Paul tells us the uncalled (atheists / agnostics) are in a state of indifference because God has determined it re:"stupor" [Romans Chapter 11, verse 8 AND II Corinthians Chapter 2, verses 10 -14]. This is not their fault but God is at the controls and has determined this in the execution of His Plan. They will have their turn to become "called" - drawn to God at a later time. In the end - ALL humans will have their kick at the proverbial "can". God loves ALL people - not only Christians. Christians do not have the market on God's love.

Where do you live? Here in Australia, nobody could posibly care less about that sort of thing.

However, I can speak as someone who was often ostracised and judged by my peers. The only bit of advice I can really give you is to think to yourself "**** 'em". People who judge you for something like that are not worth thinking about, and people who accomplish great things in life aren't the ones who care what people who dislike them think.