Is being Atheist "cool" nowadays?

[Grace Stapleton]

I have noticed that more and more of the people that I know are calling themselves atheists. Or a lot of teenagers will say “I’m supposed to be –insert religion here- but I don’t believe in it.” Why do teenagers do this? In biology, they teach us theories on how science thinks the earth was created. Religions have different theories on how they think it was created so is it leading to confusion? Do teenagers just surrender and give up on everything they believe in? I also think many teenagers don’t practice their religion like they should. Yeah sure, they go to church, but how many retain all of the information that they tell you?

My thought is, teenagers just go with the flow. Someone else says they’re atheist so they conform and go along with it. Teens are trying to discover who they are so their views and beliefs are changing. Since many don’t know what they believe, they think that not believing anything is the easy way out. I will say though, some teenagers probably are actually atheist but others are merely going through a phase.

So what are your religious views? Why do you think teenagers are calling themselves atheist?

[Ben Perkins]

I am not super religious or anything but I think it is good to have belief in something, it gives you hope and lets you live life a little better. But I also think that some religions are having trouble reaching out to teens. So that causes teens to not have as much belief in their religions. I don't think it has to do with conformity, I just dont think kids like waking up early and sitting in a religious ceremony for an hour, or it just doesnt interest them at the moment.

[Patrick Witt]

I can say that I went to a Catholic school from Kindergarten to eighth grade, so I understand a little bit about the Catholic faith. A lot of my teachers were former nuns. I found the religion itself to be a little hypocritical at times. Personally I don't consider myself an Atheist, if anything I consider myself an infidel, one who has no religious beliefs. I think that I should be able to worship whomever I so choose without any ridicule. I shouldn't have to feel sucked in to a religion to be a part of it. I believe that religion is a personal endeavor that one should only truly believe if they naturally feel it, and I just so happen to not truly feel Catholicism nor any religion.

[Kaity Drahos]

I've realized this a lot lately. I feel like some kids think it's "not cool" to have religious values and personally, I think that's insane. I am a catholic, and I'm proud. I'm not looking to force my views on other people, I just think people shouldn't hide behind the term "atheism." It's so much easier to say "oh yeah, I'm just an atheist" than to stand up for what you believe in. But, someone has to do it.

[Alex Konrath]

I agree with your statements on today's teenagers religious choices. This generation we are in, is not nearly as religious based as the one before us. Don't get me wrong, some people are still very religious, but i truly think that today's religion is being replaced by science and a majority population of atheists.

[Nick Fallico]

I am what you would call a Deist. I believe that yes God is real but I don't really follow or believe that much about it. I mean how could one being, because he isn't a human, create the entire universe. I believe in the Big Bang Theory to be honest and that we evolved from single cell organism. This is a little controversial because I go to a youth group 1-2 times a week and I have a great time. There are days where I don't believe in God at all and then there are days where I do believe in him and that he has a plan for us all. But you know that however many thousand years ago Zeus was the god of everyone so does that mean in another couple thousand years there will be a new god? If so then why are we following this one?

[Davy Mellado]

I am a Christian. But not like the common "Scheduled Christian." Where one goes to church and gets their "Jesus points" for the week and then releases to their life how they wanted it. I do believe there is a divine power, but i also believe in evolution and matters of science. The way I see it, science shows you how something works, (ex, put bread in toaster, out comes toast) but it cant ultimately tell you why (ex, where did the hands originally come from that put bread in toaster). Because you can ask why all the way till you get to the beginning of life. And there is one thing that divides what we are, to what made us...time. Something that exists outside of time had to have created us in it. A power that is not bound by beginnings and endings, but has always existed. Me being a Christian is my way of saying, "thanks devine power that exists outside of time that made me." And i think while teens today say they are atheist, one aspect of that is just social norms, but there is also the fact that they have a grudge from being involved with a religion and want to be "free" in their own mind (which is ultimately saying they are in control and wont believe there is a greater power than them). And if a person just doen't care to seek answers, their agnostic. Just to be proper in terms.

[megan bryk]

I agree, I think that teenagers today don't know what to believe so they just say they are atheist. Now there are so many different religions and beliefs teenagers don't know what to choose. Also I think some teenagers choose to be atheist because they don't want to be told what to believe in by their parents.

[Patrick Norman]

I believe that people aren't trying to be cool by being atheist but only by they're own beliefs. There are many reasons why people don't believe in god. People who do say that they are atheist and also say that they should be a certian religion are the ones who try to be cool.

[Abby Muller]

I think that there are many people today who like you said don't know what to believe anymore. Some may have tried to pick up on a certain religion but never saw change in their life or just didn't see a purpose with it. Others may call themselves by something, but don't actually live it out. And then there are people who do actually live out their beliefs to the best of their ability.