Atheists, if you decided to choose a religion, which one would it be?

[barts]

I began to wonder which religion I'd choose if I wasn't an atheist. I went shopping with the "given" that all the claims of all religions were true. I know that none of the believers of the religions agree with that premise, but there really is no other way for an atheist to proceed. Or is there some way to tell which religion is the true one?

At any rate, after much tire kicking I'm going with Christian Protestantism. The reason is that it's the best bang for the buck. As best as I can tell, as long as I accept Jesus Christ as my savior, I get all the benefits with no further costs. There's no necessity to be good. In fact, I can be a serial killer who eats babies and robs widows after raping them and still have eternal life and happiness if I accept Jesus. Too many of the other religions expect me to actually be a good person. I don't plan to be a bad person, but I'd rather not be obligated to be good.

So, if I convert, it's onto Christian Protestantism. Jesus is my personal savior. I get to go to heaven and not change anything about the way I live.

Any religion got a better deal for everlasting life and happiness?

[SoylentGreen]

I am quite partial to Bokononism.

The foundation of Bokononism is that all religion, including Bokononism and all its texts, is formed entirely of lies; however, if you believe and adhere to these lies, you will live a happy life.

If i am going to be deluded then i might as well be happy and deluded.

[Gods_Mercenary]

Can I make my own one?

[Electric Hermit]

Quote by: Gods_Mercenary Can I make my own one?

Is there not enough of this craziness in the world without creating a whole bunch of new creeds?

[Gods_Mercenary]

Uh, ... no?

In my experience religions don't add craziness, they channel it.

[Electric Hermit]

Quote by: Gods_Mercenary Uh, ... no? In my experience religions don't add craziness, they channel it.

Channelled craziness can be very dangerous. In fact, it's not a bad description of that scourge of civilisation, religious fundamentalism.

[Cephus]

None. So long as there is no objective evidence to support the factual existence of a god, I'm not going to believe in it, period. Therefore, I would not be part of any religion whatsoever, at least not any that believe in the supernatural without good evidence.

That's why I'm an atheist in the first place. I have intellectual integrity.

[minorwork]

Quote by: barts Any religion got a better deal for everlasting life and happiness?

Its gotta get that death thing out of the way. Preferably, by offering instruction on how to get an experience of existence independent of the body. It has to rely on personal testing of this. It has to have as its holy text the observations that an individual makes for himself. There can be text but it would be clear that the contents can be derived from personal observation, experimentation and testing. The texts represents a generic map to the spiritual realm of soul that must be adapted to the individual. In other words not the standard position of churches that demand adaptation of the individual to it.

Oh yeah. The most important part. When the plate gets passed there will be money in it from the start. If you need money take it out. If you feel like giving, give. Or do nothing. Yep, that's from Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land.

Except for that passing of the plate, I've found that Surat Shabd, Sant Mant, Yoga of the Sound Current types fit the description. These have been Westernized and operate in the States under various titles. Eckankar is my favorite. It meets my criteria. It let's you retain membership in the Catholic Church or other religious organizations.

[Electric Hermit]

Quote by: Cephus None. So long as there is no objective evidence to support the factual existence of a god, I'm not going to believe in it, period. Therefore, I would not be part of any religion whatsoever, at least not any that believe in the supernatural without good evidence. That's why I'm an atheist in the first place. I have intellectual integrity.

I'm with you. I already abide by the fundamental moral precepts anyway. Just by virtue of being a normal human being. What possible use have I for all the superstitious trappings and ritual mumbo-jumbo?

[Walrus]

Paganism, there is a romance to it. I was drawn to it as a teenager but my rational side got the better of me.

[Gods_Mercenary]

I'd want the movie type paganism, with sheep's blood and sexual ceremonies.

[Electric Hermit]

Quote by: Gods_Mercenary I'd want the movie type paganism, with sheep's blood and sexual ceremonies.

If it's blood and sex you're after, wouldn't you do better with the Catholics?

[Walrus]

Quote by: Gods_Mercenary I'd want the movie type paganism, with sheep's blood and sexual ceremonies.

I could do without the sheep's blood.

[Compugasm]

Quote by: Gods_Mercenary I'd want the movie type paganism, with sheep's blood and sexual ceremonies.

Don't forget your goat leggings!

[Jack]

Two possibilities: I could go with my original plan in the 70s and become a Jesuit. As long as I'm surrounded by intellectuals and near-heretics I might not mind the religious silliness so much. Or I could embrace deism since it suggests that there was a god who got everything going then bailed.

[Electric Hermit]

Quote by: Jack Or I could embrace deism since it suggests that there was a god who got everything going then bailed.

And when science finds the answer to the origins of life?

[Jack]

A devotee could still argue for a deistic god. All it had to do was kickstart the process of the universe. Perhaps it has a short attention span, "OK, got the universe started and life should appear soon...oh look, shiny colors" then it wanders off, never to be heard from again.

[Electric Hermit]

Quote by: Jack A devotee could still argue for a deistic god. All it had to do was kickstart the process of the universe. Perhaps it has a short attention span, "OK, got the universe started and life should appear soon...oh look, shiny colors" then it wanders off, never to be heard from again.

And this makes it worthy of worship?

[Gods_Mercenary]

Quote by: Electric Hermit If it's blood and sex you're after, wouldn't you do better with the Catholics?

Nah, the good old days for that are over in the catholic church. Days were a cardinal got more action than Hugh Hefner and killed more people than Attila the Hun in a week than they did in their entire lives.

[Gods_Mercenary]

I could go with my original plan in the 70s and become a Jesuit

Teaching at a university and drinking doesn't sound too bad.