Why do so many non-believers question faith on here?

Question

I have not seen one question asking why someone is an atheist.
I think that they must actually believe but they have tricked themselves into thinking they are better off not answering to someone higher up.
I may be wrong but as long as I have faith in my God, I have something to live for.

I am not a preacher but I just wondered why so many questioning faith?

Answer 1

because its necessary. atheism is a check on theism (mailly christianity)

if there were no atheists then the religious would reign free, going arounfd waging wars and killing those who they suspect arent like them....so itll be like the medieval times....

Answer 2

I have to inform you that you could not be more wrong.

This is one of the more insidious bits of misinformation that follows us atheists around.

We have not been "tricked," by ourselves or anyone else. We have studied the situation with a very critical eye and asked the questions that the faithful dare not ask. The answers that we have received led us to believe 100% that god is a fiction. This conclusion does not come without a great deal of thought and meditation on the subject, but the evidence does not support the existence of Jehovah any more than it does the existence of Odin.

You say that "as long as I have faith in my God, I have something to live for."

I think that's sad. I have so much more to live for than the approval of some supernatural being. Even without a god I know what I am doing here.

Answer 3

This isn't an answer but an interesting quote from D.F.Wallace's book - "Consider the Lobster" "What exactly does "faith" mean. As in religious faith," "faith in God,"etc. Isn't it basically crazy to believe in something that there's no proof of? Is there really any difference between what we call faith and some primitive tribe's sacrificing virgins to volcanoes because they believe it'll produce good weather? How can somebody have faith before he's presented with sufficient reason to have faith? Or is needing to have faith a sufficient reason for having faith? But then what kind of need are we talking about? just food for thought

Answer 4

Now I can't say for certain why, and it seems to me a lot of people here have a lot of different pieces to a decent answer. However, my contribution to this discussion has to do with the observation that it seems to me that a lot of people that question their personal faith, are wrestling with the ideas of faith and freedom. Sure, I think all people deep down have a base level of faith in something (even atheism I feel is "faith" that there isn't anything beyond the material), yet don't wish to attach themselves to any of the major religions of the world, each with their own sets of dogmatic "rules" that need to be followed to the letter in order to have salvation conferred upon them.

Answer 5

Why do so many believers have a hard time understanding that some people just don't believe. Your second paragraph is an example of that. Some people have faith in themselves and they do good and help people but they just don't believe in a higher power. I have met people who say they have faith in God and all that junk and yet are the worst of humankind. To each their own.

Answer 6

Hi-

I think you find so many because atheists (just like theists) believe they have the correct answer to the question of spirituality. They are eager to share their answers because they feel they are freeing everyone else from ignorance (just as most theists do as well). So really, everyone has more in common than they realize. And considering YA is a public forum, we will probably see many more, from both sides of the equation. Hopefully, we will all learn to be respectful of one another in the mean time.

Best wishes.

Answer 7

I think that they are searching for the truth indirectly. I think they know that there's something better out there that they can't quite figure out. They are probably trying to figure out why so many of us can have faith in God, but don't want to appear vulnerable. All we can do is pray for them and ask the Lord to help us answer their questions in the best way possible.

Answer 8

"I have not seen one question asking why someone is an atheist."

I've seen plenty of these...

"I think that they must actually believe but they have tricked themselves into thinking they are better off not answering to someone higher up."

Oy... I've heard this one so many times. You're just going to have to accept the fact there are others who genuinely don't believe in deity concepts.

Answer 9

By it's very definition, faith is something you just believe in. You don't have to see it, hear it, touch it, you just accept it. Some people want to believe but they need something tangible. So they ask questions.

Personally, whatever makes a person better is OK with me. If you choose to believe in a god, and you treat me with respect, I will respect you. If you choose NOT to believe in a god, but you still treat me with respect, I will respect you right back.

So what was your question again?

Answer 10

People of all faiths and non-faiths beliefs are already set in stone and no one will ever change except during a time of extreme weakness.

Answer 11

b/c why should you listen to only one faith when there are hundreds more. you can piece together what you believe in. it's not what would jesus do. you think for yourself. you do what you think is right, even if it is question billions of people. i mean why do you choose to be apart of a religion. why can't we be apart from you all. why do you all always ask why? i never question your faith so why do you question mine. you all really such think, that we are people just like you. but we think differently. got it? so just shove it and listen to me, "stop your questioning and just accept us. we may not be as stable as you are. who cares? we don't. this is just another lifestyle that you have to overcome and get your head out of God's butt and just realize that we aren't you. so what?"