Simple, no. It seems the common theme here thus far is if one is to be atheist, he is alone. Its not a religion - i get it. Theism is the belief if a god/gods. Atheism is the lack of belief in a god/gods.
I am simply trying to educate myself and find some like thinkers in the process. Rough crowd here....
AFact, I remember being in your place right now. I was never a strong theist--if I ever was a theist. I considered myself an agnostic. But I found that position uncomfortable. So, in a sort of mid-life crisis feeling, I resolved to figure it out one way or the other. So, I began an earnest search for god; joined a church and even spent a few years on its board as president and vice-president. Figured that would get me closer to god--:)). And I began a deep read of seminary approved books on Jesus and God. I also picked up some books from the opposite side, mainly Robert M. Price and Dogherty. That was a process that took about a decade. I tried to embrace the traditional christian god--that did not set well; then I tried a deist type of belief--that didn't take; and tried several other paths to a 'god'. None worked. I also did a deep study of the bible--while very, very interesting, it underscored the fact that christianity is a pick and choose type of religion; the bible is cobbled together from a huge assortment of writings, none of which is fact based. An equally deep study of the nonbelievers produced more facts for me to deal with; their arguments made sense to me. Anyway, at the end of the decade I ended up understanding that I am an atheist and I think I can say without any doubts, there is no god and Jesus is a fiction. All religion is a fiction. Unless and until somebody can can give me data or facts about any god or jesus, I know they are human created fictions. Without hesitation I call myself an atheist.
I love reading about topics I am interested in. And so, I still read atheist books and articles that seem to be a bit different than the usual theist material. It helps me keep my thought clear--and I am always interested in the outlook of others. Keep on reading--it's good for you.
