Atheist read this story?

Question

http://www.near-death.com/storm.html

and tell me if you still are?

read the whole thing first ..... then post

atleast you will know what to do if you encounter you in such situation....

Won't it be smarter to gamble and believe in him and you will live or to gamble to not believe in him and be condemned?

Answer 1

Are you aware that there is a new drug, which is the same chemical released by the brain during death, and everyone who has taken it has described the same things that near death experiencers have described? That's what I think of that. Good luck with the conversion attempts.

Answer 2

Read it. Still don't believe there is an after-life or a god/gods/goddess.

Those that find comfort in 'faith' good for you. It didn't do anything for me as a child, and I've moved on to a more aware state of being, where instead of relying on a book or a preacher, I am able to reason about life.

As I see it, when I die, just like the humble ant, dog or cat, I'll be gone. I'll live on for a while as a memory in the minds of those that knew me, then eventually they'll go to, and unless I become a President, King, or famous rock and roll star, I'll just pass off into history as part of the evolutionary chain.

None of that bothers me. I'm happy, enjoying life, not worried about dying, though I'm now in my 50s. I would like to die with dignity, pain free, and preferably in my own bed without some terminal illness; but I'll take whatever nature gives me.

Faith is a crutch that helps many (mostly poor) people get through the day. So be it. I'm not offended by that, and feel no need to challenge it. Hey, maybe they're right. Either way, it simply is not important to me.

As for near-death experiences - there are plenty of psychological studies about this debunking these stories, and explaining what actually causes these 'visions' of the after life. That they can have a profound effect on a patient's behavior after recovery is not in doubt; severe trauma does change many people. But to therefore conclude that this is proof of god is not just bad science, but also (according to the Roman Catholic church) blasphemous. That's because they believe searching for proof of god destroys faith. (That's also one of the reasons why the RC church is against teaching of Intelligent Design - that and the fact that they have supported Darwin's theories for decades)

Answer 3

Yep. Still an atheist.

Granting him the benefit of the doubt, I'm sure he had some sort of profound experience, but that doesn't say much. People of all religions (and the non-religious) have profound experiences. Some people, like myself, are atheists for intellectual, not emotional reasons. I don't have anything against religions or religious people, I just honestly haven't seen any convincing evidence of the Christian God (or any god, for that matter).

Testimony such as this is flawed in a major way -- it's unverifiable. It is just as likely that he's a) making it up, b) misinterpreting a dream or reaction to drugs c) using a gimmick to sell his book, or d) a number of other things. This is not being unfair or discriminatory towards him. If a scientist came up with a book called "Cold Fusion: How you can power the country with a glass of water," I would subject their testimony to the same scrutiny. It's called "not being gullible." Or, in shorter terms, "using reason."

Finally, as for Pascal's Wager (it's better to gamble on God), that line of thinking is thoroughly illogical. It sets up a false dichotomy between the Christian God and atheism, as if there are no other god-concepts out there that prescribe hell for disbelief. Even if I were to grant you the argument, which is less of an argument and more of an appeal to emotion, the question remains: WHICH god should I "bet" on? What if I bet on the Christian God and go to Muslim hell? ...or Hindu hell? ...or any of the Chinese god's hells? ...or Greek god's hells? or American Indian god's hells? ...or Protestant hell? ...or Baptist hell? ...or Catholic hell? ...or Calvinistic hell? ...etc etc etc

"Gambling on God" is no different than non-belief in all. You probably don't believe in any other of the 3000+ gods besides your own. Atheists just don't believe in 1 more.

Answer 4

Uh, yeah, still am an atheist. Anecdotal evidence is evidence of anecdotes, not anything else. If NDEs were anything external to the person suffering it, then they should all be the same. The only consistency with them is among people who believe or have been exposed to beliefs that are the same. Hindus report different NDEs, for instance. We've replicated them in the lab, without anyone having to nearly die. Do a little research on them outside of Christian websites. They use biased samples, tossing out anything that doesn't conform to their outlook.

Answer 5

Yep, still an atheist.

The man who wrote the story was sincerely delusional, and I'm sure truly beleived what he experienced, but once again it's just more effort to convince people of the existance of God with absolutley NO physical proof.

Just because evolution can't be proven doesn't mean that intelligent design is the only alternative.

Real men love Jesus, men who can think find the fantasy hard to swallow.

Answer 6

Lots of people have near death experiences, and indeed all manner of other life changing experiences. The experiences aren't (usually) in question but the interpretations of the experiences usually are - they are determined by your own set of cultural myths and superstitions.

In the unlikely event you are actually interested in gaining knowledge rather than propping up your religious delusions, have a look at Susan Blackmore's book:
'Dying to Live: Near Death Experiences'
Buffalo, N.Y., Prometheus, ISBN 087975 870 8

Answer 7

You bet.

Some weak minded fool thinks he was dead looking at his body? No thanks

Storm tells how they told him, in 1985, that the Cold War would soon end, because "God is changing the hearts of people to love around the world." Storm states, "Since the time in 1985 when I was told these things about the future the Cold War ended with little bloodshed due to the hearts of people being unwilling to tolerate oppressive regimes."

Oh yeah, I feel the love right now.

Answer 8

I got a better one for you.
This one time, at band camp, I was like in the woods and I was like lost and I kept hearing this noise behind me and I was like oh no what is it and I kept walking faster and faster and the sound got louder and louder and kept right behind me no matter how fast I ran and then I tripped over this log and I hurt my leg and I couldnt move and I think I was bleeding and then the noise stopped.

Answer 9

Near death experiences have been proved and accepted by the majority of the scientific community to be irrelevant. If you want to experience one, simply inject yourself with a dose of ketamine, and wait to see your dead relatives welcome you at the end of a long tunnel. I am an atheist not because their isn't sufficient proof of god, but because I feel no connection with anything, even though I have pursued it. You may say that god and jesus are waiting to welcome me into their little believers circle, but I have received no invitation and am unable to crash the party uninvited.

Answer 10

Sure, I still am. You have to understand that none of your little miracle stories are gonna change our minds. We're atheist because we're natural born skeptics, we don't just believe any fairy tale you tell us.
But you can keep trying. It's amusing.