I had a nice walk with my family a few weekends ago. We stopped for coffee and ice cream. It was nice. It lasted only a few hours and then it was over. It came to an end and one day will be totally forgotten by any living creature. Did the universe care? No. Will future generations care? No. But I cared. Right here, right now, I care. And so did my loved ones. You might call that a 'fail', but I call it a good day. And it is days like that, that make life worth living.
Tatum, i will never meet you but your last words starting at 4:22 breathtaking! Thank you :-) I have watched this again after more than one year. I left it (christianity - catholicism) behind in 1981, and my life changed so very positive!
Again your telling me why i should not believe what i believe instead of telling me why what you believe in( whatever it may be) is so great and astounding.
These little videos are great. I'd love to see more individual stories about people's experiences leaving religion and religious ideology. I'm not looking for a club, but somehow by hearing this type of testimony, I feel much less alone :)
I'm so happy that even people with such a harsh upbringing can break from the cycle. It should be an inspirational story, broadcasted throughout the media. :)
Thank you so much for sharing your story Tatum, videos like this really help me understand why people believe the things they do and how hard it is for people to question their beliefs. As someone who has never believed in god it's great to get an understanding of the difficulties of rejecting an ingrained belief and the act of initially questioning it in the first place. I think if we all discussed rather than argued a little more then we'd all be better off. and thanks for a great video Seth!
:) great vid, I too went through a stage of....well depression when I acknowledged in my heart this was the ONLY life we get but like you I grew stronger, and now, turning that anguish into strength and focus. I try to live and love everyday as though it was my last......because it just might be. :)
You have a much harder road than I ever did. I commend you for your bravery, and I thank you for sharing your story, too. You are a truly amazing person to make your way out of your religion. I am glad you are also finding people who are coming out of Islam, because I cannot even pretend to understand or grasp what that must be like. I am pulling for you, and the entire atheist community is pulling for people with your struggle on a daily basis.
I have found atheism in the last year.I am going through a difficult period in my life when most people turn to religion.However I found atheism by accident when I watched a documentary by Richard Dawkins.Now I am blown away be the sence & openess of atheism & I allow science to teach me. This video is truely inspiring & I understand how she feels. Atheism has removed the doubts in myself & liberated me.I am starting to grow again.
I do not know your situation, but I am glad the video gave you hope. When I was going through my transition, sometimes the only place I could feel normal was the internet. Thankfully, the world is slowly changing. I hope yours is too.
I went in search for God because I wanted to erase my fear of dying and the thought of no longer existing. My search only brought me full-circle right back to unbelief and truth. I loved this video.
Education for the win! Having to read and understand a textbook on your own really gets the synapses firing. If only I'd learned to think at a younger age.
my parents grew up with religion and choose to let me grow up to make up my own mind, in the end i became agnostic and i honestly agree with you on that statement. it is what has me really terrified by romney running for office. as both a proud American and veteran i really do not want to see my country become theocratic.
great video and glad see another woman clear about why it makes sense to be an atheist. it is sad that some posting here are so determined to hold onto life canceling dogma and fear. i feel so much better making choices for my life as an atheist and not living in fear and my life has as much meaning now as it did when i believed in god--because the reality is there is no difference i just quit living a lie
I am extremely glad that I am privileged enough to have never had to live through doubt and uncertainty regarding my rejection of religion. I was born a skeptic, and when the evidence against my parentally-inculcated beliefs mounted to overwhelming proportions, I shunned them without a second thought. It's taken time to shed the related preconceptions and indoctrination, but there was never any doubt in my mind that I had chosen the correct path -- the path with evidence. I am an atheist.
I appreciate the insight. In a nutshell, we are hard wired to believe in patterns because we function in patterns of thought. Natural selection has built us not for truth, but for survival. What I find interesting is that I think we're at a point where truth is becoming more important for survival in the modern age where reason and science is vital.
Very moved by this. When my Atheist beliefs were solidifying, I went through some horrible depression. I realized how religion wasted so much of my life & began searching for purpose & meaning. I read the Bible, the Apocrypha, the book of Mormon, the Bhavagad Gita, the Nag Hammadi Scriptures & several Buddhist Sutras. I studied logic, philosophy, science & read books by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Penn Gillette & Christopher Hitchens. It took years but I finally found comfort in the truth.
I would love to see more of these testimonials on this channel. I decided to share this one on my facebook page, which is likely to cause some consternation among my Christian friends and relatives, but hey, they have no problem posting endless 'Jesus loves you' and 'Power of prayer' things on their pages, so now they get to see how it feels to have their core beliefs contradicted in a public forum.
That's a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing. I don't believe it was a waste. I'm no atheist. I'm telling the atheist that the end of his philosophy results in all being lost. You admitted the outcome very well. But I'm certainly glad you had a wonderful day with your family. That love matters. That love you feel. Amplify that a million times and it still doesn't touch the love your Creator has for you in the person of Jesus who is the Christ. Have a blessed day.
Shady, I feel your pain... as a closet Atheist in a devout Muslim family, it is a tough situation to be in given Islam's very dim view on apostacy. But its great that the online atheist community is growing and very helpful. I hope one day we will all be able to come out with repercussions.
I agree 100% and the reality is ....in a blink you'll be dead. So roll your dice or seek spiritual matters and come to know your Creator who loves you abundantly. And THAT is the understatement of the day. Why would you reject such love?
there's an interesting thing about that, which is, it's extremely hard to teach without influencing the person or people you are teaching. But none the less still an extremely important thing to do.
Don't let them break you. Don't let falsehood get in the way of the truth. Even if your parents go against you. I know, it's hard. I was once Catholic. I hope that you break out of your shell, and find truth within yourself... and the world.
its always worth a try. I can;t make them honestly evaluate the information. He'll have to make that choice between honesty and preserving his/her belief on his own.
It's not about winning. I came to my realization that I didn't believe on my own, as an individual. It's about freedom and I hope everyone becomes free. :)
I had that " I wish I could believe" stage right after I acknowledged I was atheist. And I got over it too. I don't need those beliefs. They were distructive to me
One should not decide based solely on testimonials. This woman was asked to tell her story and that's what she did. One of the main missions of this channel (and TTA in general) is to let non-believers know they are not alone.
Then I'll spare you the heartache of my daft reply. I'm out of time for the day but be blessed and thanks for engaging such an unintelligent person. I'm honored.
Oh yes there is a point. Ever read about Johnny Appleseed? Supposedly he spent most of his adult life just walking no particular place but all along his way he planted apple seeds so that many years later people would benefit from the apples that those trees bore. It's what you do along the path, what you accomplish is the reward in the end.
Not being religeous or atheist, I can't really answer. I'm glad this woman is at piece with herself reguardless. I think everyone no matter where they are in life have to think outside of their box if not agree with anything diiferent from what they believe.
It amazes me how people take single quotes out of context without reading the before or after because if they had they would realize that the quote is comparative and not a stand-alone. Thanks for again construing the Bible in order to back up your point of view. I can explain my interpretation which is what i will do to show anyone that reads this that your interpretation is not the only interpretation.
His goal was to spread apple trees for the benefit of others as he never intended to reap the benefits of those trees. His goal was to make the lot of others better and thus he accomplished his goal. He made his own purpose and that was fulfilled by acting on it thus fulfilling it. I understood that you seem to consider time spent is not satisfying or fulfilling if there isn't an afterlife of bliss. Living the best life one can makes the trip worth making when one ceases life, the journey ends.
![Lil Uzi Vert - Chill Bae [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/D7F42F_JM3U/mqdefault.jpg)
I had a nice walk with my family a few weekends ago. We stopped for coffee and ice cream. It was nice. It lasted only a few hours and then it was over. It came to an end and one day will be totally forgotten by any living creature. Did the universe care? No. Will future generations care? No. But I cared. Right here, right now, I care. And so did my loved ones. You might call that a 'fail', but I call it a good day. And it is days like that, that make life worth living.
Thank you so much for your honesty! You're so brave and I admire you! My life seems to be very similar to yours and you were very encouraging to me.
Awesome Girl... True spiritually begins the moment beLIEf ends.... YOUR door is wide open now.... so gorgeous... so FREE! Thank YOU!
A very sincere and heart-warming testimony. Transformation is beautiful.
I simply love these kinds of videos - they are an instant click when I see them in my feed. Thank you.
Tatum, i will never meet you but your last words starting at 4:22 breathtaking! Thank you :-)
I have watched this again after more than one year.
I left it (christianity - catholicism) behind in 1981, and my life changed so very positive!
I left in 2007-ish, and my life has been so much better too. Best decision ever ...
I love hearing these stories, in what ways have your lives changed for the better?
That was beautiful. Brava to Tatum for breaking free.
Excellent video. I agree with all the points that she made, Thanks for sharing these stories, Seth! Helps me to know I'm not alone.
Videos like this are far and away the best work on this channel - very powerful.
Thank you for sharing your story with us Tatum. Excellent video.
Tatum is quite eloquently precise.Bravo,and thank you Seth.
Thanks for sharing your story, Tatum.
Good on you Tatum. Thanks for sharing your story.
Kudos to all of you who are talking about your experiences, it takes courage.
Thanks for sharing this. Every time someone shares the story of how they got out of religion, I become a little more hopeful about the future.
Again your telling me why i should not believe what i believe instead of telling me why what you believe in( whatever it may be) is so great and astounding.
These little videos are great. I'd love to see more individual stories about people's experiences leaving religion and religious ideology. I'm not looking for a club, but somehow by hearing this type of testimony, I feel much less alone :)
Yes, she is very well spoken.
I am also impressed with her written responses in the comments section as well.
You guys are on the front line. You have the toughest fight, but your victories matter the most!
I'm so happy that even people with such a harsh upbringing can break from the cycle. It should be an inspirational story, broadcasted throughout the media. :)
Great video - clear, well made, and a great message.
Great video! I too found the fear as the hardest thing to overcome when rejecting religion.
I always enjoy these interview videos
That was truly beautiful
i can relate to your story. thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for sharing your story Tatum, videos like this really help me understand why people believe the things they do and how hard it is for people to question their beliefs. As someone who has never believed in god it's great to get an understanding of the difficulties of rejecting an ingrained belief and the act of initially questioning it in the first place. I think if we all discussed rather than argued a little more then we'd all be better off. and thanks for a great video Seth!
:) great vid, I too went through a stage of....well depression when I acknowledged in my heart this was the ONLY life we get but like you I grew stronger, and now, turning that anguish into strength and focus. I try to live and love everyday as though it was my last......because it just might be. :)
Very true. Thinking leads to truth, and truth leads to atheism.
You have a much harder road than I ever did. I commend you for your bravery, and I thank you for sharing your story, too. You are a truly amazing person to make your way out of your religion. I am glad you are also finding people who are coming out of Islam, because I cannot even pretend to understand or grasp what that must be like. I am pulling for you, and the entire atheist community is pulling for people with your struggle on a daily basis.
Thanks for uploading this, inspiring!
I have found atheism in the last year.I am going through a difficult period in my life when most people turn to religion.However I found atheism by accident when I watched a documentary by Richard Dawkins.Now I am blown away be the sence & openess of atheism & I allow science to teach me. This video is truely inspiring & I understand how she feels. Atheism has removed the doubts in myself & liberated me.I am starting to grow again.
I do not know your situation, but I am glad the video gave you hope. When I was going through my transition, sometimes the only place I could feel normal was the internet. Thankfully, the world is slowly changing. I hope yours is too.
Excellent video. I can relate to her so much! Please make more similar videos! Also, one Christian has watched this video.
What a beautiful woman...inside and out.
thank you. tonight is sleep just a bit better than i would have
I went in search for God because I wanted to erase my fear of dying and the thought of no longer existing. My search only brought me full-circle right back to unbelief and truth. I loved this video.
Just watched 07/19/2022. Wonderful. I hope I meet her someday.
Thank you!
wow.This is easily the best advert for college I've ever seen
Good for you, Lady. the decision was hard but she did it. good job.
Education for the win! Having to read and understand a textbook on your own really gets the synapses firing. If only I'd learned to think at a younger age.
Iam proud of you as an atheist! Thank you for your words they mean a lot to me. Best wishes from munich!
Grandioso video.
Much love to the thinking atheist community. I find so much comfort in your videos. Thank you!
i was also raised in a similar household in the biblebelt, this video hits home
aww... love this girl
I wish I could click Like more than once. Bravo!
I have hope without resorting to fantasies, reality really is beautiful.
And the good thing about reality is that it actually is real...
Truth can be a cold friend, but you always know you can trust it.
That was beautiful
Great way to put it!
An amazing video! Thank you :)
These videos are great
Great points made here
Thanks, ThinkingAtheist. It's good to see another person set free from the fear, ignorance and intolerance of religion.
my parents grew up with religion and choose to let me grow up to make up my own mind, in the end i became agnostic and i honestly agree with you on that statement. it is what has me really terrified by romney running for office. as both a proud American and veteran i really do not want to see my country become theocratic.
great video and glad see another woman clear about why it makes sense to be an atheist. it is sad that some posting here are so determined to hold onto life canceling dogma and fear. i feel so much better making choices for my life as an atheist and not living in fear and my life has as much meaning now as it did when i believed in god--because the reality is there is no difference i just quit living a lie
I'm 45 years old. Not much time left. You be blessed. Jesus loves you.
great vid mate, keep up the great work
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and views.
I am extremely glad that I am privileged enough to have never had to live through doubt and uncertainty regarding my rejection of religion. I was born a skeptic, and when the evidence against my parentally-inculcated beliefs mounted to overwhelming proportions, I shunned them without a second thought. It's taken time to shed the related preconceptions and indoctrination, but there was never any doubt in my mind that I had chosen the correct path -- the path with evidence.
I am an atheist.
Inspiring, thank you :)
I appreciate the insight. In a nutshell, we are hard wired to believe in patterns because we function in patterns of thought. Natural selection has built us not for truth, but for survival. What I find interesting is that I think we're at a point where truth is becoming more important for survival in the modern age where reason and science is vital.
Very moved by this. When my Atheist beliefs were solidifying, I went through some horrible depression. I realized how religion wasted so much of my life & began searching for purpose & meaning. I read the Bible, the Apocrypha, the book of Mormon, the Bhavagad Gita, the Nag Hammadi Scriptures & several Buddhist Sutras. I studied logic, philosophy, science & read books by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Penn Gillette & Christopher Hitchens. It took years but I finally found comfort in the truth.
I would love to see more of these testimonials on this channel. I decided to share this one on my facebook page, which is likely to cause some consternation among my Christian friends and relatives, but hey, they have no problem posting endless 'Jesus loves you' and 'Power of prayer' things on their pages, so now they get to see how it feels to have their core beliefs contradicted in a public forum.
Perfectly stated!
Possibilty of another life is 100% true. people have gone through there
That's a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing. I don't believe it was a waste. I'm no atheist. I'm telling the atheist that the end of his philosophy results in all being lost. You admitted the outcome very well. But I'm certainly glad you had a wonderful day with your family. That love matters. That love you feel. Amplify that a million times and it still doesn't touch the love your Creator has for you in the person of Jesus who is the Christ. Have a blessed day.
Shady, I feel your pain... as a closet Atheist in a devout Muslim family, it is a tough situation to be in given Islam's very dim view on apostacy. But its great that the online atheist community is growing and very helpful. I hope one day we will all be able to come out with repercussions.
This is great but I truly love the music. what is it?
Can you cite the passage which says what you claim here please? Thanks.
Good on you Tatum!
I agree 100% and the reality is ....in a blink you'll be dead. So roll your dice or seek spiritual matters and come to know your Creator who loves you abundantly. And THAT is the understatement of the day. Why would you reject such love?
there's an interesting thing about that, which is, it's extremely hard to teach without influencing the person or people you are teaching. But none the less still an extremely important thing to do.
Brilliant.
Don't let them break you. Don't let falsehood get in the way of the truth. Even if your parents go against you. I know, it's hard. I was once Catholic. I hope that you break out of your shell, and find truth within yourself... and the world.
Loved this video - gives hope and some great advice to us closet Atheists too!
its always worth a try.
I can;t make them honestly evaluate the information. He'll have to make that choice between honesty and preserving his/her belief on his own.
It's not about winning. I came to my realization that I didn't believe on my own, as an individual. It's about freedom and I hope everyone becomes free. :)
Needs more views!
I had that " I wish I could believe" stage right after I acknowledged I was atheist. And I got over it too. I don't need those beliefs. They were distructive to me
One should not decide based solely on testimonials. This woman was asked to tell her story and that's what she did. One of the main missions of this channel (and TTA in general) is to let non-believers know they are not alone.
"We need to know how to think, not what to think"
-Tatum
Every word out of this woman's mouth is me. I couldn't have said it better. This is what I went through. This is how I escaped. This is what I think.
Then I'll spare you the heartache of my daft reply. I'm out of time for the day but be blessed and thanks for engaging such an unintelligent person. I'm honored.
This made me smile. Somehow I don't think that's the case at all but you're free to believe it. Have a nice day.
Awesome!
Oh yes there is a point. Ever read about Johnny Appleseed? Supposedly he spent most of his adult life just walking no particular place but all along his way he planted apple seeds so that many years later people would benefit from the apples that those trees bore. It's what you do along the path, what you accomplish is the reward in the end.
Not being religeous or atheist, I can't really answer. I'm glad this woman is at piece with herself reguardless.
I think everyone no matter where they are in life have to think outside of their box if not agree with anything diiferent from what they believe.
Hey thanks, great stuff that!
Where there is doubt, there is freedom.
It amazes me how people take single quotes out of context without reading the before or after because if they had they would realize that the quote is comparative and not a stand-alone. Thanks for again construing the Bible in order to back up your point of view. I can explain my interpretation which is what i will do to show anyone that reads this that your interpretation is not the only interpretation.
I want to hug her....
I find it just sad that many children are raised in such a way, especially when a lot of these children never 'break out of the box'.
His goal was to spread apple trees for the benefit of others as he never intended to reap the benefits of those trees. His goal was to make the lot of others better and thus he accomplished his goal. He made his own purpose and that was fulfilled by acting on it thus fulfilling it. I understood that you seem to consider time spent is not satisfying or fulfilling if there isn't an afterlife of bliss. Living the best life one can makes the trip worth making when one ceases life, the journey ends.
I'm doing my best....the Holy Spirit is making me new every day.
Well Done! Science is facinating!
Good job.
Awesome.
woo hoo! I love this stuff!