Can someone explain to me how atheism helped them to break free from a life full of destructive habits such as?

It is only reality.

why do you have such trouble with reality.

the real world we atheists live in is...well, real.

How does your religion do with your destructive habit of lying all the time.

Oh yeah,m it encourages that, I almost forgot,

dishonesty is the only constant I see in religion. None of them agree on anything, yet none have an honest bone in their body.

What? I've always been an atheist and I was never into "prostitution, drunkeness, drug abuse, thievery, compulsive lying, etc, etc..."

The only "destructive habits" I have are smoking and coming here.

Like I have said before religion is a crutch to help people feel better.

When you hit rock bottom (like prostitution) and you are depressed you'll believe anything that makes you feel better.

Atheism takes a sufficient understanding of philosophy, history, science, etc.. that's why most atheist become it by themselves without someone indoctrination as a child like religion does.

But then there are the atheists that don't understand how religion works and eventually become theists like this woman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasha_Smith

Nope, but it I'm sure there are plenty of people for whom it helped break them free from a life full of destructive habits such as evangelism, abhorrence of abortion and birth control, supporting and/or unreservedly believing in others' insanity, etc.

It helps you break free of such bad habits as, thinking to your imaginary friend yet still thinking you're helping someone, trusting a book and using it for proof that you're better than people you don't like and sending your kids to rapists.

Why should it?

I am an atheist.

I don't believe in any 'god' or 'gods'.

As for my life history, I have lived 70+ years without getting into destructive habits. I've been a productive member of society, an honored veteran of the Vietnam war, a teacher, a community-builder, and I never needed a 'god' to guide me.

In all honesty, I would be willing to compare my life's resume with yours. My guess is, unless you have led an exemplary life, filled with accomplishments, you will come out a poor second-best.

I never had a life like that, and I don't know any atheists who did.

Is there any particular reason believers have this compulsive need to lie about atheists and pretend we're all like that? Who is going to help them with their compulsive lying? Religion sure isn't doing the job. It seems to make them even more inclined to lie.

Well, I'm sure it stopped them compulsively lying for jesus (or whichever deity they were fond of).

It's not so much that atheism is a positive force (it's a null state), as it is that the Abrahamic religions keep burning witches (sample extreme example)

So, y'know. not believing witches need to be burned or force-fed acid?

*Kinda* wins the hypothetical argument. Hence why you'll find atheists are pretty content in their moral ground over *ahem* CERTAIN religious mumbo-jumbo. :P

It doesn't, because atheism is not a comprehensive life philosophy, ethical framework or religion. It's a simple statement about disbelief in gods, and that's it.

Of course, that doesn't mean atheists have no morals or don't think about ethics. It just means that what theists claim God wants doesn't figure into an atheist's moral and ethical reasoning.

No but I can explain how I left behind the hyprocrisy of my church who tried to force me to have nothing to do with a good friend who had "transgressed" their strict laws and, forbade my small children to play with hers - not very christian, I thought.

For 40 years now I have managed very well without any form of belief in gods, and surprisingly have not given in to prostitution, drunkenness or any of the other horrors you mention.

I am a mother and grandmother with a loving family and good friends. We live in a close community and help each other live well and peacefully together, people of faith and of no faith, like me.

I wish you joy in your faith, after all we are all entitled to our beliefs.

Mo

Univ Lec (retired)

Atheist