Is becoming an Atheist the equivalent of having a stroke, turning autistic, and pooping your pants?

When Socrates was sentenced to death for his philosophical investigations, and for blasphemy for challenging the gods of the city — and he accepted his death — he did say, well, if we are lucky, perhaps I'll be able to hold conversation with other great thinkers and philosophers and doubters too. In other words the discussion about what is good, what is beautiful, what is noble, what is pure, and what is true could always go on.

Why is that important, why would I like to do that? Because that's the only conversation worth having. And whether it goes on or not after I die, I don't know. But I do know that that's the conversation I want to have while I'm still alive. Which means that to me, the offer of certainty, the offer of complete security, the offer of an impermeable faith that can't give way, is an offer of something not worth having. I want to live my life taking the risk all the time that I don't know anything like enough yet; that I haven't understood enough; that I can't know enough; that I'm always hungrily operating on the margins of a potentially great harvest of future knowledge and wisdom. I wouldn't have it any other way.

And I'd urge you to look at... those people who tell you, at your age, that you're dead till you believe as they do — what a terrible thing to be telling to children!

And that you can only live by accepting an absolute authority — don't think of that as a gift. Think of it as a poisoned chalice. Push it aside however tempting it is. Take the risk of thinking for yourself. Much more happiness, truth, beauty, and wisdom will come to you that way.-Christopher Hitchens

No, you're not an atheist, but you do sound unwell.

Did this question sound clever and powerful before you typed it? Did you try saying it out loud first? Because you seem to be asking if rational thought causes diarhea and strokes.

Nope. This is a stupid question.

Also: people don't "turn autistic". You've either got that kind of brain, that functions differently from neurotypical brains due to real physical differences, or you do not! And calling someone autistic should NOT be considered an insult. It's just another way of being, that needs to be accepted! Which has got both its benefits and its deficits... One of the benefits, the way I see it, is that most autistic people tend to be very honest, very genuine, and usually also very accepting! Plus some of them have got special talents, and also interesting, unorthodox ways of thinking about things... (Which, we very much need more unique perspectives, contributing to our creativity and overall awareness in this world!) :)

There you go. This has been today's much needed infomercial about autistic people... *Rolls eyes.* Hopefully you won't ever use that word as an insult again.

To become an atheist you just have to not believe in God. To be a millennial atheist you also need a lobotomy.

Autism is way better than atheism. Plus crapping your pants feels awesome

Immorally.

A Christian abandoning any semblance of civilized debate and resorting to talking shít?

Must be Thursday!

Yes, actually. The side-effects you mention come from realizing what you used to believe before becoming an atheist. Don't worry, they'll wear off.

No. That would be being religious...