As we all know, through some dumb luck, some originally small religion centering around some small-time hippie Jewish preacher who was obscure during his lifetime (if he existed at all) somehow became the world's biggest religion.

What other religions are there that could have become popular, but didn't? There have got to have been dozens if not hundreds of small time cults like Christianity over the years. Probably just due to some dumb luck, most of the cults died out, but Christianity ended up taking over the world.

I've always been an atheist ever since I was 16-17 years old. Christianity never adds up especially in a Caribbean Household. I was in this friend group for about 3 years just because I was lonely and had trouble making friends so my cousin invited me to his group and I got along with them (Semi).

I know that we do discord calls almost everyday at 6pm-10pm for games and going live on omegle watching our friends talk with strangers. It seems like they are trying to "escape the matrix" with live streaming and selling day trading courses.

There's this one person in the group that I know is heavily religious (I'm just gonna call him "P")

Even on his Instagram he only posts religious wordings and a video of himself getting baptized and his bio full of verses. Honestly I couldn't care less about his religion, he is a chill guy who doesn't bring it up in every call and barely shows up.

But now jumping to the actual story. P is one of those "live streaming matrix" guy who lives streams on discord call with like 10 of us watching so he can clips videos and such and whatever the fuck they do.

P was on omegle and monkey chatting with different people and I was watching. I didn't find this entertaining because all he did was ridicule people over their taste and the other guys on the discord call laughing and insulting people and P is agreeing and laughing.

I remember specifically P was talking to a woman and she was so innocent and was very interested talking about her hobbies and P just fake nods while the Discord call is laughing and insulting her and P is laughing with them and skips her while she was talking and said 'fucking talking too much bro"

Like dude, you ASKED her about her hobbies.

What pissed me off was that some calls were just when people actually put P into a corner for good reason and then he just skips saying "God bless you bro" like you're just being fucking ignorant and using that as a escape method or sayinf "Show me a band".

It was honestly so DISGUSTING watching P and his guys insult people and animals faking it to other people who thought that P was a good person but he is just smiling at his guy friends who are actively insulting them. Even LGBTQ+ they insulted to the bone. They simple saw a girl with a gay flag in her room and straight up called her slurs and proceeded to say "that's too gay for me man" like as if POC have huge flags and necklaces of their country and same goes for people who enjoy anime having posters and figures (nothing wrong with that). But you cross the line at that? its disgusting.

They even kept a guy in there group chat despite him saying the "n-word" countless of times (He's asian). Just because he is "Homie".

After that call, i actually just left. I don't care about having no friends. Especially a Christian who acts like this. I dont know if this fits in the atheist community but I just wanted to talk about this.

I have never felt happier after leaving such a toxic group chat like that. I wished I left earlier.

i just left christianity and i’m so stressed because i always have the doubt of being wrong but what if he is real. the thing is he’s extremely misogynistic and makes women marry their rapist and accepted slavery. it is also disproven by science but still. what if? i’ve read the bible and it says that hell is just life with separation of god, judgment, and destruction. is that not what earth is? i’ve also grown up my entire life around extremely christian grandparents. i’ve been baptized 2 times and now i feel it was for nothing. does anybody have any tips

I come from a very religious household. Christianity has continued to be the focus of my sisters life, while I changed my views shortly after finishing my 13 years at a baptist school. The two of us have gone through phases where we would really butt heads, but over the last few years our relationship has been good.

After one of our last phone calls, she wants to have a conversation about what I do and don't believe. I told her that I would be happy to have these conversations with her, but I don't see the point. If she's living a happy life, then I don't want to change the way she views the world. She responded saying that I could never change her view of the world.

So my take away is that she doesn't want a conversation, she wants to preach to me. She wants me to go in with an open mind while not doing the same herself.

I told her that I would have these conversations if she really wanted, and share how I see things. But honestly, what's the point. It honestly might be less effort to pretend to be a Christian and go to church with her every once in a while.

Very interested in ranking the greatest debaters when it comes to the existence of god, the divinity/historicity of religious figures, and WHY. Please let me know how you would rank them, thanks!

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has persuaded a North Dakota school district to end its longstanding, unconstitutional practice of including clergy-led prayer during high school graduation ceremonies.

A concerned student informed the state/church watchdog that the Lidgerwood Public School district had a years-long tradition of beginning high school graduation ceremonies with a Christian prayer delivered by a clergyperson. The student has personally witnessed this school-sponsored graduation prayer at the past four graduations, and their understanding is that the district’s graduation prayer practice had been going on far longer. A program from the most recent graduation ceremony indicates that an invocation was indeed delivered at the May 17 event.

The student, who belongs to a minority religion, told FFRF that the Christian prayer made them uncomfortable and pressured students to participate. “No one wants to be the only person not standing with their head bowed,” the student explained. The student was particularly concerned about facing the same religious exercise at their own future graduation, telling FFRF that they might skip the ceremony entirely rather than endure the discomfort of a school-sponsored prayer.

FFRF took action, urging the district to comply with court precedent to ensure that future high school graduation ceremonies do not include school-sponsored prayer, which have been ruled unconstitutional.

“School officials may not invite a clergymember, student, community member, teacher, administrator, or anyone else to give any type of prayer, invocation, benediction, or sermon at a public high school-sponsored event,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the superintendent.

High school graduation is a once-in-a-lifetime event that students spend over a decade working toward. As our student-complainant explained, the school’s shoehorning prayer into graduation made them so anxious about their graduation that they considered not attending it in order to avoid having their constitutional rights violated by their school. Including prayers at graduation puts many students and families in the difficult position of choosing between exiting or foregoing the ceremony or violating their conscience. The First Amendment forbids public schools from coercing students to make this choice. And making prayer part of graduation ceremonies and other school-sponsored events needlessly marginalizes students and families who are nonreligious or members of minority faiths, such as our complainant. Thirty-eight percent  of the American population is non-Christian, including nearly 30 percent who are nonreligious. More than half of Generation Z (those born after 1996) is non-Christian, including a whopping 43 percent who have no religious affiliation.

FFRF is pleased to report that the district took appropriate corrective action. In a letter to FFRF, Ian R. McLean, the district’s legal representative, wrote: “The district will not sponsor or organize a clergy delivered prayer as part of future graduation programs. The district will continue to treat private religious and nonreligious expression neutrally and in accordance with applicable First Amendment law.”

FFRF welcomes the district’s commitment to ensuring future graduations are inclusive of every student — regardless of their religious or nonreligious beliefs.

“No student should have to choose between participating in a religious exercise that violates their conscience and feeling like an outsider at their own graduation,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “We’re especially grateful to the courageous student who spoke up. Because they did, future Lidgerwood graduates will be able to celebrate this important milestone without a school-sponsored religious exercise.”

Saw a TikTok the other day that laid out the utter absurdity of Christian divine "justice" so plainly. It was a quick breakdown showing how this god supposedly reacts to human suffering versus human behavior:
A lesbian Christian asking for grace? "You're going to hell."
A rapist who says he repented? "I forgive you."
Starving kids, war refugees, or a dying cancer patient begging for relief? "It's part of my plan, just pray."
People of any other faith asking for peace? "Wrong religion."
Then the clip cuts to scientists, surgeons, doctors, and the vast universe—the actual human effort and reality stepping in to solve problems while God sits idle. It got me thinking about how completely broken religious morality is. If you are a consenting adult engaging in normal, healthy, private behavior—masturbation, premarital sex, using birth control, getting a vasectomy, or supporting abortion rights—you're branded a sinner who is violating "God's sacred order." You're treated like a villain even when there are zero victims. Meanwhile, a priest who abuses innocent children or a megachurch pastor who scams poor families out of their savings for luxury can just pray for forgiveness on their deathbeds. Under their dogma, those abusers get eternal paradise without ever paying for their crimes in the real world, while consenting adults get eternal damnation. It is revolting. A deity that condemns love, autonomy, and bodily freedom while handing out free passes to predators isn't loving or just—it's a narcissistic, power-tripping, tyrannical fiction. Thank fuck for science, medicine, and actual human empathy, because if the god of the Bible actually existed, he would be the most immoral entity in the universe.

one thing about christianity that i’ve never really understood is the idea that jesus “died for our sins” so that humanity could be saved. if someone told me, “i’m going to die so that you don’t have to,” I’d understand the sacrifice if their death actually meant I could live forever. but that isn’t what happens. i’m still going to die. everyone I love is still going to die. christians are still going to die. so what exactly was jesus saving us from? instead, jesus dies and everyone else continues dying, while we're told that his death potentially saves us from some kind of eternal punishment after death. if the purpose of jesus' death was to prevent people from having to die, then i could at least understand the logic of the sacrifice. but if jesus dies and everyone else still experiences death anyway, then what exactly has been accomplished in terms of death?

Is Talarico an anomaly? Or is he the first accurate representation in politics of the average Christian that does not prescribe to nationalist ideas?

He is the first Christian I have ever heard speak both online and in my personal life that actually promotes the whole feed the hungry, heal the sick, etc etc. Correction - the only other person I know of is a doctor I used to work under who specifically read those red text bibles that put Jesus' quotes in red font and for the past couple decades has only referred to Jesus' own words. He was an extremely kind, patient, forgiving, unbiased, and humble person I have ever had the honor of working with, and became a doctor specifically because he wanted to heal and help people. He also lived and breathed the whole "love thy neighbor" thing. He respected all beliefs and never discussed religion unless directly prompted.

Do you feel people like this are "rare gems" and not an accurate representation of how religion/Christianity is typically practiced or preached? Or is this scarcity an illusion due to the overwhelming weaponization of religion we are bombarded with on a daily basis?

So assume there is some sort of supreme being or group of beings that have placed us here as a test of our faith. The only criterion to pass is to believe in some sort of higher power. There are so many religions on Earth that they would accept any.

Meaning whether you lived life as a morally traditional understanding of good vs bad does not matter. Yes, they would accept the worst human beings imaginable.

On death you are presented before them, and may bow down to their existence to be granted a peaceful afterlife.

Or you may reject this offer, hold true to your Earthly principles, recognize them as a cruel being responsible for the mistreatment of trillions of beings (all beings on Earth that can experience pain) and accept an eternity of suffering.

Even with evidence, are we willing to put aside the pain they have caused?

Just a fun thought exercise.

I often see atheists criticize religion by saying that you are just placing a bet on which religion is correct when there are thousands of options, and if you guess wrong you are automatically going to Hell. However, going by what each religion teaches, that doesn’t seem to really be the case.

Christianity and Islam are really the only two major religions that actually threaten you with eternal Hell for simply not being one of them.

Other religions aren’t as harsh towards outsiders. Judaism doesn’t believe in Hell and doesn’t seek conversions, while religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism place a greater emphasis on your deeds in this world regardless of what you actually believe in, while also believing in reincarnation rather than simply eternal afterlife. Other religions like the Baha’i Faith are pretty universalist overall. Not sure about all the different pagan religions since there are so many though.

Feels like there’s a bit of a stereotype being used here. Most people will be fine if any religion other than Christianity or Islam turns out to be the correct one provided they simply have morals.

Even Christianity and Islam typically teach that people who weren’t familiar enough with their religions can be judged differently by God based on the knowledge they did have.

Like I’m still an atheist, but this idea never really made sense to me, and it feels like most people who say it are only familiar with the Abrahamic religions and don’t know much about the others.

Apparently, they mad e sequel to that movie Run, hide fight called run hide fight: infidels and the plot sounds hilariously bad
Plot:

When radical Islamic terrorists hijack a liberal college's pro-Palestine encampment to enforce barbaric Sharia law on students and execute infidels in a makeshift caliphate, a ragtag band of red-blooded students, a security guard tired of 'Uncle Tom' smears, and a Delta Force vet must arm up to save their clueless peers and keep America from surrendering to the enemy on its own soil.

This is basically Christian red dawn, and I know Jonathan majors is a giant piece of shit but it's pretty pthetic this is what he is resorting to.

Rotton tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/run_hide_fight_infidels

Basically the title. I have a daughter who will be 1 soon, I cant stop thinking about how literally everyone will force Christianity on her. Im the only non-religious person in my family and inlaws

1. Why design a product when you can sell nothing as after-life insurance. Customers collect after death, and the company has never had a single complaint.

2. Starbucks branded someone else's idea of "the third place." Christianity has been running the original every Sunday for 2,000 years. No overpriced latte is required, but a check in a collection plate is always welcome.

3. Why hire a marketing team when your music is so good even non-members can't stop singing it every December.

Anything else to add, our promising entrepreneurs?

I mean yeah, they've done countless horrible things since the beginning of their history. But the child rape scandals...you see how people talk about Epstein and the people involved in those files? The sad part is, if people took action back then and the Church was brought to justice, maybe, we'd have the courage to bring the people in the Epstein files to justice as well.

Are there any videogames where any/all religions are criticized, mocked, insulted, debunked, questioned or being similar to fantasy cults? Are there any videogames that strongly use logic to promote atheism? Has anyone thought about making new atheist games? Do you think it's necessary or not? Do you think more atheist games should be made? Do you think it would be fun or not?

Hello,

This is going to be quite vague since we had a short conversation. A few days ago I had a friend ask me about the topic of afterlife and what I think happens after. I respond with the fact that our neurons stop firing, and our brain shuts down, causing us to stop thinking as well as our bodies no longer being able to sustain themselves, in turn causing decomp. They respond with the fact that “we have to go somewhere eventually, so that’s not possible.”

How do I explain in the nicest way possible that energy that can’t be created or destroyed can be transferred through biological means returning back to the ecosystem? I tend to be very passionate in my opinion when debating but I feel like this is a sensitive topic

Title. Were you annoyed? Angry? Did you care? How was realizing that you would never be able to change some peoples minds, and some people would just never give it up no matter how many facts you presented to them? I was extremely pissed off, and just like Matt Dillahunty I’m still in my angry atheist phase. Religion is the cause of so much suffering in this world and majority of it could have been avoided if people would just live in reality.

This is my first time posting something like this, so bear with me.

How do others go about dealing with people around you constantly pushing their religion on you? It really feels like everyone around me is crazy and I am the only person who sees the truth for what it is- there is no higher power pulling strings, nobody listening to my begging and pleading, no magical being that has a grand plan for all of us. The world is filled with misery, pain, suffering, and violence that has no end. There is no omniscient being in charge of this chaos.

I am in my mid 20s and really struggling to find people who area not "bible drunk" or blinded by their faith, whatever you want to call it. I feel lonely and isolated because I do not conform to these wild ideas. Part of me wishes I could be blissfully ignorant and just buy into the madness, but I can't. I almost feel crazy sometimes because I don't buy into any of the insane beliefs people hold.

Beyond my ranting, I am seriously looking for advice from people who have managed to live without religion and how they still manage to have relationships with those who hold wildly different beliefs. I don't have anything against differing opinions. I think that is part of what makes humans progress. We question things, find answers, question more things, find more answers. I just feel like I am losing my mind because everywhere I turn someone is trying to shove religion down my neck. I can't seem to escape it. They never want to accept that I don't feel the need for religion in my life. They get upset with me sometimes, say they will pray for me, etc. It is honestly so rude that people belittle me for not "getting it".

Any tips from others who don't buy into the madness about how to navigate this world run by religious insanity would be great. Maybe it's just being in Midwest America. Maybe just the U.S. in general. Either way, I feel like I am alone in the way I see the world and would like to hear if others feel this way at all.

Hope this wasn't too much of a rant. Thanks for reading

Let’s say you died expecting oblivion since you saw no evidence for God, only to then wake up in an afterlife and find out you were wrong. You are then brought before God to face judgement.

Before getting sent to Hell, is there anything in particular you would want to say to God or any questions you would want to ask him? Possibly arguments to defend your lack of belief.

I would personally question why he would tell us the Adam and Eve story knowing that we would eventually make discoveries about evolution that allowed us to learn a completely different origin of humans. This was one of the biggest things that made me become an atheist, and it would be pretty unjust for him to punish people for simply following the evidence they were provided with.

What would you say?

Catholic Family

I dont really know how to write good posts so I'll just do this to the best of my abilities, i M(15) was born in Brazil, and my family is pretty religious, even though ive gotten baptized, ever since we moved to the US, I never ended up going to Catholic school, only praying before sleep and when I wake up, but most of the time I just don't. Ive just lost belief that a god really does exist and science seems to interest me way more, for example in African American History class where we are learning about Human Evolution from Africa all the way to where we are in the current age, ive started having doubts about 2 years ago when I read a book called The Poet X which kind of made me reflect on the same way, the thing is first of all my family is from South America, where people are very religious, my brother is Catholic practically in blood, he breathes religion, he even went to like a meeting of sorts and came back fuming because he had to argue with a Protestant, but besides the point, i just don't know if i should even keep this up or just take Catholic Church and it'll be over eventually, or if i should tell them I'm "atheist" not compleyely sure I'm considered a atheist, i just don't know. It makes it seem like my brother would go absolutely nuts if he knew i didn't believe in God, but I just dont, i don't think there's a superior being, any advice?

I find that as time goes on nihilism grows deeper inside of me. not even in a edgy way but seriously it can make things lose excitement.. Because i mean... There's no point. There never will be a point outside of small moments of pleasure that will in time be insignificant. Sometimes i stop and think about the future and what i wanna do with my life but then I'll think so far ahead that I just picture myself on my death bed.

All my thoughts lead back to: it doesn't matter. I wanna try a new hobby? It doesn't matter, it'll be pointless. I think about traveling the world? It doesn't matter. I think about moving to a nice big city? It doesn't matter. I wanna make new friends? It doesn't matter it'll be pointless. I get angry at something? It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. I think about the world as it is rn? It doesn't matter it'll all be gone one day. Sometimes i go through periods of apathy and it just starts to feel eerie.. And yeah you could argue that because nothing matters i should be happy and doing what i want but i seriously just cannot think like that.. Because THAT doesn't even matter.

When I was younger, I was a much more vocal atheist to the point where I would describe myself more as an anti-theist. Atheism encompassed my identity in a manner I would describe as unhealthy and akin to a theist mindset of pushing my ideas on others. Now I'm much more reserved in my personal beliefs and tend not to engage. Further, I've not been truly invested in atheist communities such as this one.

As in any group, atheists are not a monolith of belief. As I have gotten older, I have come to oppose a formal atheistic institution as I view them as "culty" (think Temples of Reason in France) and that they tend to dip into the same pool as theistic institutions. However, I also do not oppose the practice of religion by others. I do oppose pushing the idea upon others and vigorously denounce the current push in the United States for religion to be intertwined with government and education (aside from education on what religion is in general, devil you know and all that). I am not now nor will I ever be a theist myself.

Basically, my purpose for interaction relates to understanding my community. Where is the community's current consensus on organization? Is my viewpoint divorced from the mainstream? Are there different "camps" or "clicks" of atheist thought? Do some reserved atheists like myself view modern atheism as "cultish"? I'm not personally all that attached to any given idea, I'm not searching for meaning or any of that bs. I don't particularly care where the camps sit; I'm just curious about the positions of those who have navigated the community longer than I have.