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Originally Posted by Mike Ciance
As far as atheism, I'm atheist. I was raised catholic (and still am) but in recent years i've passed through different levels of agnosticism and now i am almost purely atheist. I think the matter of "what atheist is", which has been discussed a lot in this thread, is more complicated than defining "God". I also believe that a person can be atheist in certain ways, but not others.
For example, although I highly doubt the existance of an all-powerful spirit that created the universe we live in, I do not rule it out. It may not comply with scientific laws, but the concept makes sense.
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Your description of your current beliefs--not ruling out the deity whose existence you doubt--closely describes what I believed when I was an agnostic. No matter what "level" of an atheist or an agnostic you are, you cannot still be catholic (Roman Catholic) in your religion. For example, how can you go to Confession, if you don't believe in God? If there is no God, then you cannot have sinned against God, and therefore have no sins to confess! (If you are still feeling guilty, can you be an atheist?
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Anyway, I am amazed when people say that they are Catholic, but are also atheist, or not Christians, or something else that is definitely out of line with Roman Catholic teachings. Most demographers consider Roman Catholicism to belong in the category of Christian religion (belief in God the Creator, Jesus Christ the Savior and Son of God, etc.). Is there now a valid concept that Catholicism is some kind of ethnic rather than religious category?
I'm wondering, how can you say you are "still" Catholic? What do you mean by this?
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i personally think that people believe in an afterlife because they are afraid of ceasing to exist when they die. i don't think that is really something to be afraid of.
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People often wonder about what will happen to them in the future. High school students may wonder what college will be like, and try to imagine their life in college. Similarly, people may wonder what dying, death, and the afterlife will be like, because these are all future events. Dying is often very painful, and most people are afraid of pain. So, people are often afraid of death and/or dying.
If, after death, consciousness ceases forever--well, try to imagine yourself not existing. Blank. Nothing. It is an unimaginable future. I think many people's minds sort of short circuit when they try to imagine not existing. You can daydream about college, or your future career, or marriage to a Special Somebody. You cannot daydream about your own nonexistence, as seen through your own nonexistent eyes! Belief in an afterlife may be less about fear, and more about what's incomprehensible.