Atheists Find Peace and Enlightenment through Non Belief
Added by Rebecca Savastio on June 24, 2013
The journey to Atheism is not an easy one. It involves a lot of careful reflection, discussion and even meditation. Pondering letting go of belief in God means turning away from societal norms and embracing an alternative way of thinking about the world- thoughts based on science rather than mysticism; concrete evidence rather than the supernatural; reason and logic instead of faith. Far from being a simple decision, for many, becoming an Atheist is fraught with emotion and difficulty. While the path to Atheism may be a rocky one, finally arriving at the destination can bring peace and enlightenment through the realization of non-belief.
Many Atheists are raised in religious households, and embracing Atheism means rejecting their family’s wishes. Atheists who grow up in Agnostic or Atheist households obviously don’t have to deal with family pressure, but they still have to face society at large. While attitudes about Atheism are shifting, polls show that the majority of religious people do not trust Atheists and some even have hatred against them. In many countries, Atheists face life-threatening dangers if they “come out” about their non-belief, and many have been murdered for being open about their Atheism.
While most people in the United States do not embrace Atheism, the number of non-believers has grown dramatically in recent years. A PEW study revealed that 20% of Americans now consider themselves Agnostic, Atheist or unaffiliated with any religious group- a staggering increase over past years and the largest percentage in the history of PEW research on the topic.
Many Atheists predict that those numbers will only continue to increase as distrust in religious institutions grows and people become disillusioned with the hierarchy inherent in organized groups of the faithful. Whether or not Atheism will expand in the coming years, many current non-believers feel that accepting Atheism has allowed them to become more peaceful, calm and happy about everything from the fear of dying to how they live their lives day to day.
http://guardianlv.com/2013/06/atheists-find-peace-and-enlightenment-through-non-belief/
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