Atheists: How are you so sure God does not exist?

Question

Look people, I grew up atheist, and have lived that way for 21 years, so don't brand me as a bible thumper or anything. I realize that there are some inconsistencies in the various religions around the world. I know what you are thinking. But now that I have been through engineering school, and have learned so much about science and the universe, I must ask all of you atheists out there - as rational thinking, educated, science oriented people, HOW CAN YOU BE SOOOOOOOOOO SURE THAT GOD DOESN'T EXIST? Isn't there some shred of a possibility that maybe He exists? What rules God out?

To thomas, I used to say the exact same words as you. All I can say is that since I began to believe, the world and the universe started to make so much more sense, and my life has gotten much better. I like to think God is rewarding me for seeing the light.

To jarm, where do you think that order came from? A scientist once replied to a question about life on earth, and he said "If we were to find a PC on Neptune, we would want to find out how it got there, and even the most simple organisms are millions of times more complex than a PC." So how did we get here?
Another scientist was talking about the order of the universe and said, "The likelyhood that our universe would be set up the way it is, with it's laws and constants would be like a tornado hitting a junkyard and ending up with a fully functional Jumbo Jet." Think about it.

to tobykeogh - Again, I used to think and say those exact same things. First of all, an all powerful, all-loving God only 'allows' those that have turned their backs on God go to hell. That is why sinners can be forgiven, if they ask, and still believe in God. It's not a contradiction. And those that believe that an all-good God would not allow the evil to exist on earth needd to learn about God's gift of "free will."

As for evolution, that is still up in the air as far as I'm concerned. Yes it explains alot of the unexplained, but if you research more about the cons to darwin's theory, you'll see some inconsistencies there too.

Believing in God is not like believing in a unicorn, bigfoot, Santa Clause or purple elephants, it is SPIRITUALITY. There is more to life than earthly things, you have a soul. By being agnostic or atheist, you are totally missing out on half of what life has to offer and ALL of what God has to offer.

To be continued......

...continued

And lastly, answering the question, "where did the universe come from?" with "God made it" is not delegating the question. The question you were trying to ask is "HOW DOES THE UNIVERSE WORK?" or as I like to ask, "What was God thinking when he made this place? Will we ever figure it out?" So, I hope this clears things up a little better for atheists out there.

This is in response to tobykeogh's edit:

After carefully reading your reponse, I can respond to the entire thing by saying this - You need to learn more about Christianity. Your arguements and questions are totally flawed based on lack of knowledge of religion. It would be like arguing against 1+1=10 because you are not familiar with the Binary number system. Here is a quick little lesson for you: God IS our father, and like all good fathers, He will never ever ever allow you to be tortured for eternity. But when you turn you back on Him forever by refusing to acknowlege his existence, you don't get to go to heaven, period. Hell is the absence of God. When you understand this, everything you argued about in your fist couple of paragraphs make perfect sense. But of course it is not making sense now, because you are not even familiar with how God operates. Learn more and you will avoid all the pitfalls you have fallen into in your argument.

Answer 1

I think I follow what you are getting at. The idea is that Science cannot disprove the idea any more that it can prove it. It is a question of faith, and Atheists have just as much as anyone else. The people that really have no faith are agnostics.

Answer 2

"The likelyhood that our universe would be set up the way it is, with it's laws and constants would be like a tornado hitting a junkyard and ending up with a fully functional Jumbo Jet." This statement is made using our very limited knowledge of our universe, using our same limited knowledge of the universe I’d say that "The likelihood that a omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, interventionist and all loving being exists would be like a tornado hitting a car and ending up with a fully functional aircraft carrier with planes included". When we don’t know the answers, the correct thing is to admit our ignorance, to know that we can’t answer many things about life and the universe doesn’t mean “god must have done it”, that’s just an argument from ignorance kind of fallacy. Feelings aren't evidence for anything else but feelings.

Believing in god is like believing in Zeus, fairies and leprechauns, for the people who believe it, it will always be more than a “myth”. You believe there is a soul, belief do not constitute truth.

I’ll better quote that who has said it better:

“I am an atheist, out and out. It took me a long time to say it. I've been an atheist for years and years, but somehow I felt it was intellectually unrespectable to say one was an atheist, because it assumed knowledge that one didn't have. Somehow, it was better to say one was a humanist or an agnostic. I finally decided that I'm a creature of emotion as well as of reason. Emotionally, I am an atheist. I don't have the evidence to prove that God doesn't exist, but I so strongly suspect he doesn't that I don't want to waste my time.” – Isaac Asimov – (Free Inquiry, Spring 1982)

Answer 3

Anyone that says God does or doesn't exist is ultimately incorrect. Religion is based on belief, not fact. I do not BELIEVE that God exists. A true, rational, logical atheist will never say "God doesn't exist." Why? He can't prove or disprove the existence God. Nobody can. That's why religion has always been a hot button issue. When you talk about possibilities, you're characterizing yourself as an agnostic. It seems like you are questioning your own beliefs. In response to your final question of what rules God out, the fact is that nothing can rule God out just as nothing can rule him in. Hope that makes sense. In the final analysis, everybody is an agnostic because nobody really knows.

Answer 4

The more obvious evidence that an all powerful, all knowing, and all good god doesn't exist is all of the evil in the world. I have no evidence that god exists and no reason to believe such a being exists. I'm sure god doesn't exist just like I'm sure that Peter Pan or the tooth fairy don't exist.

"Isn't there some shred of a possibility that maybe He exists?"

Yes, there's a shred.

Answer 5

I am not a christian, and not really a scientist. I am just a person who thinks a lot. I don't see how someone could believe that there wasn't a god. I mean, c'mon, try and even comprehend the fact that we exist. seriously, try. did we poof ourselves out of nowhere? I mean, c'mon. even if the universe had a bing bang, or whatever, where did the universe come from? we can't create ourselves, and at some point, something was created. therefore: something created us. i can't see how that doesn't make sense.

Answer 6

ORDER definitely exists. But why should that imply an intelligence of any kind behind it? I am happy knowing that patterns exist, that some forces encourage love, growth and light, and that other forces do the opposite. Why does it have to be a god?

I think because deep down, people want the perfect parent they never had, pure and simple. It's poignant.

Answer 7

Of course theirs a possibility. Its just so ludicrously small it doesnt make sense. For example, at least since can show its results again and again..Religion has, as yet, no proof for its beliefs that are firmly rooted in plausable fact. Why would i believe in god if theirs not a shred of proof?

Poster, your taking the asy option. Your seeing God and order because you want to, not because its their. Its a common trait with beliefs friend. Again, hark back to your science days, where is the proof?

Answer 8

I'm not, but how can religious ppl b so sure he does exist? It's all reasonable doubt. I just dont see how god could exist, there are way too many holes in religion, too many unanswered question, and too many "facts" that have no proof(like the entire bible). I guess i just like to have some sort of evidence, like evolution. I've studied the bible thoroughly it just doesn't add up.

Answer 9

It is UNreasonable to say there is no God. Logically everything had to start from somewhere. If you got back to the beginning, the very first Cause of all else is God.
The burden is not on believers, but on those who do not believe. Let the atheist prove that there is no God.

Answer 10

I think God exists, but not like the Judeo-Christians think. There is a tendency to personify God and that's where they go wrong. God is more like the Tao, not a codgy old man sitting in a rocking chair in the sky