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From: mcpeters@inuxh.UUCP (David McPeters)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: A Question For Atheists
Message-ID: <288@inuxh.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Apr-84 21:35:54 EST
Article-I.D.: inuxh.288
Posted: Fri Apr 20 21:35:54 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 22-Apr-84 08:27:46 EST
Organization: AT&T Consumer Products Div., Indianapolis
Lines: 30


	I have a question for my fellow atheists. Have you ever been tempted
to take the plunge and become religious? I find that in some moments of great
crisis it is sometimes tempting to do this. Doing this automatically
gives you someone to offload your problems on. One can say 'lord help me' and
then depending on what happens say 'I will bear it because its gods will' or
'see my prayers were answered.' It seems to be the easy way out. For this
reason I always reject this course of action.
	For those of you who are religious you have to understand that I
believe religion is only a state of mind. Therefore when I think of becoming
religious it seems to be simply a way of shedding the responsibility for my
own life.
	Back to the question; have you ever considered this alternative,
and what reasons caused you to reject it? I ask this because there must be
a number of good reasons or else few would be atheists since most people
experience moments of crisis in their life. With the predominance of religion
in this country I have to believe that this is an alternative to everyone
at a certain point in their life. What is it about religion that causes many
people to simply reject religion as their way of life?
	My personal feeling is that it is a last resort. Let me qualify that.
Some people seem born to religion. They have believed in god from day one.
Others must be converted. During the process of being converted one must give
up his old beliefs in regards to religion. No matter what, he must justify the
change to himself. I can't see myself doing this. My own feelings about
religion are to deeply ingrained and to strong to be counter balanced by
the 'I believe' syndrome. For this reason I feel that if I were to succumb
and convert I would have finally arrived at the last resort.

	David McPeters
	AT&T Consumer Products
	Indianapolis IN