Atheists what do you think?

Question

Assume there is no God: then this world, and happiness in it, is extremely important. Indeed, it is all there is. So it is a great tragedy whenever anyone does not have a long and happy life here. The death of a child, or a painful life in a third-world country, is an unimaginable tragedy, which nothing can mitigate.

If you have seen your own grandchild killed by a car, or have traveled in poor countries and have seen the misery of people starving slowly to death, your own sense of justice demands that there be more to life than the vale of tears we experience in this life. It is just not fair that the only life a small girl knows should end almost before it is begun, in an agony of injuries. It is just not fair that so many millions of people be born into circumstances that they have no control over, and that condemn them to unimaginable suffering every day of their lives.

Are we ready to say that this beautiful universe, which is so incredibly orderly, is also diabolically unfair? That would make us only a great cosmic joke. That is not acceptable.

Our sense of justice demands that these wrongs be righted. But by whom? Not by us, that's impossible: only by a Supreme Being.

We have a conscience that lets us know right from wrong. Yet in this world, the people who do not follow this guide and commit murder and cheat and steal and lie and are selfish and mean are often the ones who are the most successful. Honest, good people living quiet lives of loving and charity often have horrible illnesses, or lose loved ones, or are born into abject poverty. Our sense of justice tells us that there will be, there must be a future time of accounting, when the books will be balanced and the inequities of this world will be resolved. Yet with no God, no Divine Justice, this is impossible.

Many of our readers ask: how can there be a God if He allows children to be raped and murdered? We ask: how can there not be a God, in a world where this in fact happens? It is only His Divine justice that can right this wrong. It is only a God with infinite power that could bring any good out of this unspeakable evil.

Answer 1

Man you wanna be a preacher get a church!

Answer 2

However, we are still in the same world if there really is a god, so why would He let all these horrible things happen to good people?
It seems as though you are saying He lets innocent people be born into horrible circumstances, when He certainly has the power to stop that from happening. If God is such a wonderful, divine being, why would He let this happen?
BTW, many people do not believe that there must be a future accounting time. Also, many of these wrongs can be righted by the justice system of the country.
From: A proud atheist

Answer 3

I'm an atheist and you are correct: there are tragedies in life. However, whether God exists or not does not change the fact that there are tragedies. Humans (of any religion) do evil things to each other. Whether God exists or not does not change that. Some people lead good wholesome lives and others are evil and hateful. Belief in God does not change this.

The universe is not orderly. Just in our solar system, planets orbits are way off the plane of the solar equator, Earths axis is tilted off by 17 degrees (that's why we have seasons) and Uranus is titled so far over its practically upside-down and seemingly spins backwards. What's orderly in that?

We all have to deal with the tough aspects of being human (regardless of our beliefs). It is far more comforting to think that our loved ones have moved on to a better place when they're gone. It is also arrogant to think that God has a special plan for us over and above the rest of the Universe. Arrogance is Vanity, and Vanity is a sin.

If people didn't worship "God" they would still worship "a god" of some sort. Its human nature, but it doesn't fix the problems of the world, it just tries to explain "why" they happen.

Atheists do not make the world a worse place. Christians do not make the world a better place. Get off your high horse.

Answer 4

"Our sense of justice demands that these wrongs be righted." Says who? Have you never watched lions in the jungle? Bears in the woods? Fish in the sea? Survival of the fittest my fooled friend. Religion is an opiate, calm the masses with a sense of invisible terror if they waiver from the path of moral obligation. Build our cities strong and god will reward you. Think for yourself and do what comes naturally and god will punish you. This is what was told to the general public a few thousand years ago, just so that the king could make sure his son got the throne, because "god" said so. How can you explain ten thousand year old rocks washing up on our beaches? How can you explain ten million year old dinosaurs in our museums? Please answer me that? If the earth is 5000 years old, where did these things come from? Are they fake?

Answer 5

If the world had a creator who was fair, none of the inequities you described would occur.

I have travelled to and lived in poor countries, and tried to do something about it but was thwarted by the greed of those in control.

It is all just chance where a person is born or what happens in life. Nothing is preordained. Noone will be held to account by god.

Answer 6

Now I have a question for you? How long have these wrongs been committed? How long has nothing been done about it? How can you say there is a God who loves everyone, when those who are truly loved by your "honest, good-living people" are taken every day, but the ones who cheat, steal and kill to get what they want prosper? Tell me, what kind of a God allows these things happen for so long, yet NEVER do anything about it. How many criminals die a day? How many good honest people, and young children die a day? Now how many people who do die every day, deserve to? Answer me that.

Answer 7

I admit I didn't read anything beyond "justice demands God punish or reward people" (paraphrased).

The primary reason atheism is much better for the world is because atheists do seek to make the world a better place in this life. I have no reason to invent an imaginary judge & jury exacting punishment on people for what happens in this life. Or, to reward them.

Life is what we make of it and religions that promise an "afterlife" make very little effort to actually improve this life. And, primarily because they accept miserable conditions based on the idea that things will be better in some imaginary afterlife.

It does not matter what you believe or hope for, this life is all there is and if people are wallowing in misery hoping they will be rewarded in the afterlife, they are wallowing in misery for nothing.

Answer 8

We are the people of the earth and together we control the tide of events that happens. When one individual acts against another as in rape of a girl, society takes over and deems it improper and seeks justice. It is not divine intervention. God only exists because men are weak and need something to believe in. They need an answer to their problems and rather than search for answers they make up an answer and call it god, or allah, or zeus. Whatever you call it it is only existant to you because you want it to exist, your too weak to get done with your childhood and its stories. Santa is not real neither is the easter bunny, but your too afraid to lose the belief that god is only created in the minds of weak men to explain what could not have been explained long ago. I am not an athiest, god does exist only in the hearts and minds of those who are too weak to realize that the god they believe in and the book they learn out of are corrup not out of balance but out of being created by common men

Answer 9

Wow, you are loopy.

:)

As an athiest, I have to reject some of the assumptions you've made. Although, shockingly enough, you admitted that athiests have respect for others lives. Thank you for saying that!

If humanity would pull itself out of it's collective ***, we could correct extreme poverty and starvation. It's not that we dont have the resources, its that we wont apply them.

Tthat you said god allows child rape in order to demonstrate that only he can "right this wrong" is also deeply disturbing to me.

Oh, and to the guy who made the arguement "what created the big bang?" who knows. simply saying god created it makes as much sense as saying you created it or it was created by a pink bunny. Take that arguement, wrap it around your head, and apply it to god.

I bet you dont feel so smug now...

Answer 10

Of course this is why people created religion. But does wanting Devinne Justice, and Devinne Order make it so? Muslims want a heaven with Virgins to have as sex slaves, Buddhist want to be re-born as higher beings, Many religions want to see Jews and Catholics in hell. Are all their wishes going to came true? You cannot argue that there is a God just because there should be.

Answer 11

I'm in real awe of your presentation / question because it is so well thought out and worded. The only flaw is that you assume, through your question, that atheists think. I mean REALLY think. If they did, you wouldn't have to make your presentation of God. Your question may open some eyes and hearts, and a lot it won't. Either way, God is holding you close to His Heart today because of it. You need to give yourself the 10 points for Best Answer. Your question answered your question. God Bless you.