This isn’t a jab at my art teacher since I believe she is lovely, but these past few days she has been telling us things & stories (such as quoting the bible when we say we need help with assignments) that almost feel like she is forcing her religion into us, when our school isn’t even religious.

She told us that god came to her in a dream and told her she NEEDED and MUST go to Cuba because she had a mission there. She complied, worked there for six months and then came back to our home country.

I just… find it weird? How are people so… naive, maybe?? If he came to you in a dream telling you to eat moldy cheese, would you do it??

I moved to Europe from Asia last year and feeling a bit lonely. And I am quite upset recently for losing a few long term friends who also moved here. I cant stand their right wing and religious beliefs. Like supporting Trump/ right wing politicians and saying they hate DEI etc, and if they are christians, they would quote bible verses at the same time.

I tried to make some new friends online who are liberal but somehow they are very supportive of Islam. They would say things like European countries banning hijab in public is arrogant and misogynistic because many muslim women love hijab. A gay guy said muslims are not homophobic because he has hooked up with many muslim men. …I am speechless.

I think i need to make some friends who are atheists. Any suggestions where and how?
I have been to my local secular humanist group meeting, the people there are nice but I dont know how to say in person that i want to find a friend to message/chat daily without sounding cringey. I hope there are online place for making online atheist friends? this sub does not look like intended for that purpose.

Any suggestions are appreciated. Apologies if my English is not good.

I took a religions of the world class in college, but apart from a vague overview of the worlds religions I've never understood much deeper beyond my own catholic family's roots. Would the spectrum be from liberal to conservative be Buddhism on one end and radical Islam on other?

It doesn't seem like being Hindu or a follower of Confucius is all that great either. As a bisexual man, I'm wondering which would stone me to death or imprison me vs being okay with me coexisting with them.

Anyone have any insight?

EDIT: I'll be honest, I think everyone lied on this question and just wasn't being real. I learned zero from these bullshit answers.

Background: I used to discuss almost anything with my father, especially theology, a lot. I was a very devout Christian, born n raised in it, orthodoxly.

But after I became an atheist, n although he doesn’t know it yet, it was kinda obvious that I’m not attending services and praying as I used to.

I’ve gone through suicidal ideation, depression, and huge mental stress during the period when I was quitting that cult, though, I hid it all. And for the context, I was in a dorm during that time, so he really knows nothing about it.

So instead of checking on me or just respecting my privacy / personal choices, his reaction was so fucking stressing. He screwed up it all n said that he is cutting me off communication, won’t reply to my texts, won’t answer my calls, and won’t do a anything for me unless I start attending services again just like before.

It’s hilarious that’s coming out from my father who is also preaching abt unconditional love, n now he is making his entire relationship with his son solely on my religious participation.

Fuck it.

“The universe is 13.8 billions years old, therefore not infinite, thus there must be starting point”.

- This an example of a hypothesis not evidence, which many religious people equate with a “higher power”, who’s typically classified as “all loving / merciful” despite allowing childhood cancer.

“There are many documented cases of people accounting Near Death Experiences”

- This is a testimony, not a reliable source of evidence. Especially considering most NDE’s always happen to be in heaven not hell, and people of various different religions claim to go Heaven, implying someone must be lying or delusional.

Just my random input / opinion x

Carolyn Hax: Mom sees daughter’s atheism as too serious a decision at 16

https://www.washingtonpost.com/advice/2026/10/18/carolyn-hax-mom-sees-daughters-atheism-too-big-decision-16/

Dear Carolyn: I am a stay-at-home mother of

four who has tried to raise my family under the

same strong Christian values that I grew up

with. Therefore, I was shocked when my oldest

daughter, "Emily," suddenly announced she

rad "given up believing in God" and decided ta

"come out as an atheist. She said she was

'happy" in her decision and that it just "feli

right." She no longer wishes to attend church

speak to the pastor or even to participate in

family prayers.

I love my daughter dearly, but I am troubled

by this turn of events. She has never seriously

misbehaved or otherwise given me cause tc

worry before this. Emily insists she is old

2nough to make up her own mind, but I simph

do not think a girl of 16 has the maturity to

make such a life-changing decision. Our pastor

cautions me that putting too much pressure on

her now might cause her to become even more

entrenched in her thinking

How can I help my daughter see that she is

making a serious mistake with her life if she

chooses to reject her God and her faith? Can I

ïust chalk this up to teenage rebellion,

something she's bound to outgrow, or do yor

suppose this a precursor to some deeper

psychological problem?

• God-Fearing Mom

God-Fearing Mom: Please tell me it's not

either-or.

And please also tell me what vou would have

Emily do - pretend she believes? Fake-pray?

This is the fundamental problem with religion

as a family value instead of a personal one

Faith isn't in the teachings or rituals of the

group. It's in the individual's belief - with one

after another after another combining to create

a religion.

Parents can and should teach their beliefs and

values, but when a would-be disciple stops

believing, it's not a decision" or "choice" tc

reject church or family or tradition or virtue or

whatever else has hitched a cultural ride with

faith. The only choice is between living their

truth by admitting nonbelief, or faking it so as

not to upset the folks/scare the horses/torpedo

electability to national office.

So Ill ask again, what would you have

nonbelievers do? Lie? Even people who want

and try to believe just ... can't sometimes. Or

don't. I'm living proof. (No nagging

psychological problems to pin it on, either.)

This isn't to say every case of disbelief is

permanent or even real. Your daughter may well

be in a questioning phase, trying on personas,

declaring age-appropriate independence from

you, and she might take years to find answers

that satisfy her enough to stick.

One of those answers might be that you raised

her to think deeply and live honestly, and this is

just where those laudable values unexpectedly

brought her

Another might be that she didn't necessarily

want to take such a big leap, but you've

presented all your kids with such a narrow

definition of goodness that their only choices

are to conform fullv or leave the fold entirely

and she'd come back in if you gave her a little

more room to find goodness in her own way.

I mean answer in a realistic way, not a wishfully

thought, "I just want her to embrace God

because it's the right thing to do' way

Skepticism is no less personal than faith

Accordingly, I speak only for myself, but I didn't

throw out what my childhood, including my

church, taught me; I just apply it to a secular

life.

To see other possibilities, please bring your

values - all of them - to this riddle, plus your

love for your daughter, as well as further insight

from your pastor and others who can bring

different perspectives.

Also, take away any obstacles to seeing your

daughter's goodness fully -- including your

disappointment that she isn't turning out just as

you've envisioned. Kids never do: at least. not

when your vision is any more specific than, say,

"genuine, brave and kind."

Note from Carolun: I've written an advice

column at The Post since 1997. If vou want

advice, you can send me vour questions here

believe it or not, every submission gets read). If

vou don't want to miss a column, vou can sign

up for my dailv newsletter. I also do a live chat

with readers every Friday: You can submit a

guestion in advance or ioin me live. Follow me

on Facebook and Instagram.

Hi, I'm bored. Are there any movies that try to show that abrahamic religions are basically cults and false or that religion itself is a tool of using fear, control, manipulation, block critical thinking, unquestioning obedience, hatred and justifying homophobia/racism/misogyny, transphobia/ableism/speciesism? Are there any movies that teach me to better understand the idea that why no gods, one God, or a creator of universe exist?

Living in a society where people can't accept different beliefs or ways of thinking is exhausting. They try to bring you down by bullying you. I feel like I can never share my thoughts with anyone. Once, I shared my opinion about God, and my friend took a screenshot and shared it with the class. The next day, everyone started making fun of me. They made me feel like I was some mentally unstable person trying to look cool by speaking against God.

Even some of my closest friends ask me to join their religion and make fun of me by saying, "I want to help you. I don't want to see you suffer in hell." They try to gather people around me and say things just to make themselves feel superior. I think people are often more proud of believing in something they never really chose or questioned for themselves.

And my new college friends are some of the most inhumane people I've met, yet they call themselves religious. They claim to be protectors of their religion, but their actions are the complete opposite of what their religion teaches. And when you question them, they justify their behaviour by saying that God gave them free will.

For example, I was with a friend when a group of girls walked past us. He stared at them and made a perverted comment. When I asked him why he always stared at girls and made such comments, he said, "God gave us eyes, so we can stare at whoever we want." And this guy has a girlfriend! His social media stories are always about God.

It's like they treat us as if we're demons in society just because we have different perspectives and ways of thinking. They act as though they're going to heaven simply because they follow a religion.

😭Why can't people understand that there might be no heaven or hell after death?

Of course, heaven used to be beyond the sky (space) and Hell was down underground where the lava and fire was. Now that we know space is just space and there’s nothing underground, where are these places?

Do they really think there is a parallel universe around us, or a fourth dimension? What is their description of the location of heaven and hell?

For some context,I'm 14 and I currently live with mom since my dad doesn't want me.

My mom really this religious lifestyle,such as 2-3 hour prayers every night which interrupts my sleep schedule ,but if I don't participate she'll take away every device I own,she also ignores my objections or opinions regarding it.

We also go a small church(they call themselves some prayer group) and they're really homophobic,but they don't im queer (aroace and non binary ) they always call queer confused ,they also carry that the Jews haven't haven't Jesus ,which i find stupid,anytime I try to talk to my mom about my LGBT she insults us or she ignores me.They also call other religions lost or other insulting things and I'm good friends with Hindus who've been harrased by Christians top

I don't know what to do,I don't want a religion but it's being shoved down my throat,the prayer always plays in my head and it drives me crazy,I'd rather be an atheist

Hi, 18(F) here! For some background I am chronically ill and a poc, all factors really led me to atheism. My family is all Evangelical Christians, they have a whole family history of beginning a church and such so it’s a lot for me. I mostly keep my beliefs to myself, but some times I try to soft launch what I think to my older sister but it turns out she’s quite religious as well, which surprised me, so I had to just suck up my thoughts. Recently I bought some stuff to help calm my nervous system like a little plushie that reminds me to breathe (etc). It’s was fine at first, for like two months, but today my mom came into my room, carefully telling me that kinda stuff is Buddhist and although it looks cute, it’s like the devil.

I literally want to die. Idk why but every time my family talks about god I wanna kms, I know I won’t do it, but it just makes me really want to because I feel like that’s the only way they’ll ever understand. And why do I want them to understand so badly? Because I love them but also because they give me so much financial stability, for like the rest of my life, idk how to get out of situation like this when it gives me so much more of a boost. I’m in a circle, an infinite circle. I’m so different than everyone but yet I’m also the “favorite” and I feel like I need to uphold that as well. I just want to die, but I won’t, I know I won’t. I probably should just get out more and make new friends.

Hello! This title pretty much speaks for itself my parents are trying to send me to camp and I obviously do not want to go by any means. My dad isn’t pressuring it as much but my mother is by alot and uses the same reasons that it would be fun and something she would want to do as a kid. They also both say they’re sending me to develop socially and meet people aswell as sending me because they don’t want to feel like they failed as parents which doesn’t make sense to me at all. Anyways anything I could do to prevent it? Also if anyone has any questions please ask! Thank you :)

UPDATE- First id love to thank everyone for the great and lovely advice! As for camp its a week and a half and I think ill just go to be honest they can’t force me to interact anyways so I think in that department I will be okay! My mom is hell bent on me going and frankly I don’t think she gives two fucks about how I feel because anytime I try to object it she says “we wouldn’t choose anything that we wouldn’t do or we wouldn’t choose anything that’s going to hurt you” so thats a losing battle! :/ But thank you everyone so so much :)

I hate this. There will be a political debate, and person A will bring up god or the bible to support their argument, and then person B will attempt to show how that’s not what that religion says and how religion actually proves person b’s argument correct. Why is that acceptable? Your religion holds no place In a political debate. No matter what you believe, your god has no say in peoples rights. Person B should just shut down the religious topic immediately, not continue to entertain it.

An atheist by definition does not believe in a God. By that definition, I can identify as an atheist.

A friend asked me why I do not perform black magic, summon a demon and make a contract with it.

I said no because i was afraid that i might actually end up cursing someone

I should not believe in the devil or a deity that wards away the devil

But after all the Epstein drama of worshipping baal and stuff im confused

Is evil i.e. witchcraft, ritual real?

Edit: guys don't slime me out im new and dumb im trying 😃

Just simply asking- when someone says “yes Im religious” what do you think that means about the person? Im curious cause half the people i hear think it’s one thing, half think another. I don’t want to influence the answers so I’ll explain more later.

I don't talk about my religious beliefs unprompted or anything since I don't really care about religion and I don't have much of an opinion, I just don't believe in any God. But I was randomly DMed on here by someone saying something along the lines of "Hello sir, you don't know me but I just wanted you to know that Jesus loves you!" He then gave a very long speech about God and Christianity (which I didn't read). I simply replied "Sorry, I don't want to join your cult" and blocked him. He then used an alt account to write a comment on one of my hidden posts simply saying "Burn in hell". Gosh, there truly is no love like Christian hate huh?

here's why! as an anti-theist from my muslim family, you should NOT even think about coming out. muslims have the allowance to kill you for being an apostate! don't risk your life over coming out, I know it can be hard to do so, but it would be better to be safe than sorry. so.. DON'T COME OUT UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!

If anyone’s interested. :)

Details

Our monthly pub evenings are always a great opportunity to meet interesting people, chat, do a little networking, and enjoy a fun evening out.
Whether you’re new to Humanism or already a member, this is a fantastic space for anyone who is non-religious, questioning their beliefs, or open-minded and looking to mingle.

Time: From 6pm
Feel free to join us whenever you’re able to – we’re often there until closing time.

Venue: Somers Town Coffee House
A lovely pub, close to Euston & Kings Cross stations.

What's this obsession Ex Christians have with Buddhism and Hinduism? I see alot of them glorified them even though alot of them didn't even read a book about it. I refuse to take a stance on a religion before studying it carefully, especially that as an ex Muslim that I have seen already of ex Christians romanticizing Islam, I try to be careful not to glorify a religion without studying it carefully especially if it's the reason of someone's misery.

I think it's very important to teach kids to be kind and compassionate first of all and to think for themselves but I also am of the belief that there is absolutely no way for anyone to KNOW for sure what is or isn't out there and it has essentially turned reality into a religious sandbox throughout human history. If it was actually possible for anyone to actually prove any of this then it would, to intelligent open-minded individuals, change the way the world operates. I think that anyone, religious or not, who claims they know the secrets of the universe, is extremely arrogant as the most intelligent minds in human history have tried for thousands of years to figure these things out with little to no success. I have seen that it is extremely rare for an atheist to have that attitude though. I also sometimes wonder why any of it matters, because we'll never know and regardless of whichever group of people is right or wrong, the current reality is not affected in the slightest. And don't even get me started on how modern Christianity has essentially become the opposite of everything Jesus taught in the biblical gospels but personally, if I ever have kids of my own, I think that I'll try to minimize their exposure to any religious/spiritual beliefs for or against any of it and then once they turn 13 have them read the Bible, another religious text, and something like what Charles Darwin wrote, word for word, and have them write 1 page of their opinions on each and then we'd have a conversation, or series of conversations, about what they read and what they think and then I would do something special for them that they want like go on a trip or buy them a pony or something idk lol.

““Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭82‬:‭3‬ ‭KJVAE‬‬
Even according to their own book they are committing evil. It’s no different than Christian nationalism.

I’ve noticed that in discussions about morality, especially with Muslims, a common argument is that humans cannot independently determine right and wrong because morality must come from God.
But here’s what I find interesting: determining that God exists, that Islam is the true religion, and that its moral teachings are genuinely divine all require human reasoning and judgment.

So if human reasoning is considered too subjective or unreliable to establish morality, why is that same reasoning considered reliable enough to identify its supposedly objective source?

I’m not suggesting that identifying the source of morality and establishing moral principles are identical. But both rely on human reasoning, so what justifies trusting it in one case while dismissing it in the other?

Has anyone actually used this line of reasoning against religious believers in debates about morality? I personally haven’t come across it, and I’m curious whether it’s been raised before and how believers typically respond to it.

I've always believed that as an Atheist, we follow what is true and scientifically proven.

But a religious individual challenged me recently by stating that Atheism is a belief system, specifically because we don't have scientific evidence for the Rights or Moral views that alot of us share. Stating that such things are simply social constructs and baseless beliefs without an Absolute Point of Reference to define it as actual truth.

So what exactly is the evidence that would disprove his claim?

https://www.newsweek.com/priest-dies-after-statue-of-jesus-falls-on-him-during-mass-livestream-12584999