Too many decisions being atheist.

[RJT]

To all those who replied to my post, especially to you Carlo, thank you.

I decided to convert back to Catholicism. Atheism is just too damn hard.

My first big problem came when I tried to change my screen name here. I wanted a new name. You know, like the Muslims do. I even chose a great name “HaveACigar” in homage to Pink Floyd and cigars. Then I found out I couldn’t do that. I would have to start a new account. I thought that would be “disengenuous” to my past life. I didn’t want to erase my past life. I wanted to change the rest of my life.

Then I started thinking about how I would tell others about my new atheistic self. I didn’t even know the proper verb to use. Does one become atheist? Decide to be atheist? Believe in atheism? Convert to atheism?

This led to my awareness that a whole new vocabulary would be needed. For example, I could still use the word “revelation”. But to use the word in the context of sign from god (which is one if its definitions), seemed preposterous. Since god did not exist, how could I even speak of “a sign from god”? I could speak of “a sign from what people refer to as god”, or better still as, “what people are calling a sign from what people refer to as god.” But, that does not fit this particular definition of revelation.

Another example is the word faith. Faith has a few definitions, one of which is: the unquestionable belief in God. Since I had decided (believed, came to the conclusion?) that, god or more precisely, what people mean when they say the word “god”, did not exist, how can I ever use the word in this manner. I needed a word that means “the unquestionable belief some people have in what some people refer to as god”.

So really, atheism needs its own dictionary.

Furthermore, I had no idea that after deciding to be Atheist, I would have to then decide if I wanted to be one with a life of meaning or no meaning. Not only that, then they tell me I have to guess if there are absolutes in morality or not, or if I want to have ethics or no ethics or some degree of ethics. I thought it was like grace in Seinfeld, you either have ethics or you don’t. Atheism is way too complicated for me.

Catholicism is so easy. And like riding a bike, I am back on.

I did like that part about life being about strippers though. But, where I live - how can I say this? Well, if I had to rely on the quality of strippers around here for the meaning in my life, I’d rather do scientology. So, (at least) until I can get my poker game together and be able to move to Vegas where the strippers are “U.S. Prime”, I am going stick to being Catholic. Besides, being Catholic I can have it both ways. Have a few lap dances for meaning in my life, then a quick Confession, a few Our Fathers, a couple of Hail Marys and I’ll be good to go.

Until someone here pastes a sticky of FAQ for the atheist newbies, I will remain Catholic.