For Atheists: what would count as valid evidence for the existence of a deity?

Question

Seeing a god might be a hallucination.
Likewise for hearing a god.

No atheist on this board agreed that a polaroid picture of god would be acceptable evidence.

How can an atheist ever rule out that any given piece of seemingly genuine evidence isn't some sort of trick or a mistake?

d_chino_m: In other words, you have no idea what would constitute evidence for you?

Lisa H: I don't recall forcing anything on anyone. All I did was ask whether atheists have any standards of evidence. If they don't then they don't. No one is forcing atheists to hang out in the Religion and Spirituality section. No one is forcing them to answer my questions. It's not my fault that atheists who do choose to answer cannot come up with any rational justification for their positions. And I have said over and over I see truth and beauty in all the world's major religious traditions, so your singling out of Christianity says more about you than you think.

morpheous: But any stage magician worth his salt can perform a "miracle".

mypublicident: Don't ask me. It's the atheists who spend their lives here clamoring for evidence. All I am asking is what would fulfill their requests. Apparently they think God would, if he exists, leave loads of credible evidence around.

Answer 1

Atheists just don't believe at all. Good, bad or indifferent it's irrelevant.

Answer 2

This is the answer I gave to a similar question the other day ( http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjiaTkPwYZU89PWCirv0Qwjsy6IX?qid=20060617073153AAOkK4D ). Pardon my cutting-and-pasting, but I thought it was a good answer (even though it didn't get best answer!)

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Gee, I don't know... He could, for example, stop an earthquake from killing innocent children, or he could make deformed babies not be deformed... He could clean up the air and water pollution that kills millions of animals every year. He could stop AIDS. He could punish rapists and child molesters - here, in this world - or at least have the good grace to stop repeat offenders... He could right the imbalance between developing countries and developed countries. He could stop terrorists from reaching their targets.

He could weigh in amongst the millions of people who fight to the death over the correct 'interpretation' of him and unequivocally say 'this is what I am and this is how to worship me'. He could accept that sending a whole bunch of prophets, signs, commandments and revelations to a small geographical area over a small time in history but then stop completely 2000 years ago might not have been the best idea.

He could appear in front of me, right here right now, while I sit at this computer, and say 'Here I am, my friend. You asked for me, and here I am.' No vague, interpretable signs - directly, here in front of me.

Your God could do any of those whenever he wanted. He is all-knowing and all-powerful. Yet for some reason, you will try to convince me that he chooses not to do those things. He can, but he doesn't want to. Well, if that's the God you want to believe in, you carry right on... But don't expect me to follow you!

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I was a wee bit angry that day.

Answer 3

I think it would be a very personal matter of faith. If God chose to speak directly to them and/or show them something perhaps they could believe. Perhaps a true atheist would blame it on something they ate, smoke, or drank. Maybe they are atheist because, hello, they choose not to believe in anything at all. No matter what evidence may be presented to them. It must be tough for them with all these Christian groups shoving their beliefs and morals down their throats. (I am not an atheist, I just don't believe it's right to force my opinions on others)

Answer 4

Moon sized stone tablets in orbit with the 10 commandments carved on them.


For some strange reason a feeling came over me that I may go outside tonight and see them.

That would be crazy. I'm sure I could sue for that though if I get the idea patented, right?

Answer 5

It's very hard to trust any "proof" about god, including the Bible, because God is something people would make up. It is a very specific and questionable answer to where we came from. God is unlikely, and any evidence would be given extra scrutiny.

Answer 6

We can't.
Technically everyone is agnostic because there is no hard, physical evidence. That's why it's all down to faith.
Personally, one of my reasons for not believing is God's apparently erratic behaviour. I wouldn't accept it from a friend/lover/family member so it doesn't really endear me to the idea of a god.

Answer 7

One day all atheism will not exist. One day all atheists and agnostics will be believers.

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father "

Philippians 2:10-11

Answer 8

If Jesus comes up to me and introduces himself and performs a miracle, I will believe. Until such time I don't believe. The Bible to me is a book that might be full of lies, I haven't verified this idea of God.

Answer 9

I guess only god knows what evidence is required for us to believe.

Therefore it is up to god to prove it exists, if it want's our worship.

(In response to your follow up)

To be honest, not really. The evidence would have to be supernatural in nature though, that much I am sure of.

Answer 10

Evidence? Why would a god meddle with something as insignificant as a human. Don't be so conceited that we are as grand as to be reconed with some god.