Two more for the theists...?

Question

1.) Do you understand WHY the atheists think your scripture is just superstitious myth from a bygone era? Can you SEE how someone might perceive it as an attempt by those in power to maintain their dominion over others, or the efforts of a scientifically unsophisticated people to explain a world they didn't understand?

2.) If definitive, verifiable, and reproducible evidence of your god's existence and nature was available, would you WANT it to be presented to the world -- thus eliminating all arguments over which religion is the right one? What if the evidence proved conclusively that yours was NOT the One True Faith?

Answer 1

There's no such thing as one true faith. You have a faith based on zero gods. Let it go. The Christians base their faith on one god and converting as many people as possible to that religion. Just don't listen to those asking you to repent and be saved. Tell them you have a faith that's the one right for you. You say faith and they'll assume you have a god but, they don't need to know that. They don't care about your beliefs, only that you accept theirs, and you don't have to do that.

Answer 2

1a) Atheists believe their faith is better than that of a Theist. They believe that there is no God, and they base this on the lack of evidence of a God. Thus, they are making a belief based on no evidence....this is called faith.

1b) I can see how a person could disbelieve the Bible, calling it all the things you say in your question. The are a few problems, though. The explanation of the creation of the world, as told by science matches up pretty nicely with that of a people who were "a scientifically unsophisticated people" who were trying to "explain a world they didn't understand." And, since the people who wrote the Bible were almost always a weak, oppressed minority, I cannot see it as a way for "those in power to maintain their dominion." They had no dominion from which to begin!

2) I have definitive, verifiable, and reproducible evidence of God's existence...however, you would not see my evidence as any of the three. Given that I could produce that YOU would find living up to the three, I would want it. I believe I am right in my beliefs. If I am wrong, then I desire to be right.

Answer 3

1. Yes, they are foolish and lack faith. Yes, it would seem like some of the religions use the teachings in the Bible and twist them around to gain power and wealth, and why are you assuming that all theists are scientifically unsophisticated? I'm not scientifically unsophisticated, I've studied science on many levels and in detail, yet everything that I study makes me believe more in a creator.
2. Definitive, verifiable, and reproducible evidence of God's existence is available, athiests just can't or refuse to see it. If evidence proved that my faith was not the one true faith, I would not want to believe a lie. I would want to search out the truth.

Answer 4

In re: to question 1.) - Yes. It's much easier to dismiss the contents of the Holy Bible as being fable. It's human nature to be lazy, and to find the path of least resistance. It takes courage and strength to really seek out the true nature of reality- whether it happens to please us is of no consequence. Pardon the cliche- but the truth is out there- but that doesn't mean that we will like it if we discover it. Actually, it's not really a matter of if, but when. Eventually, everyone will know the truth with glaring, terrible certainty. It can be a release, or an immurement, depending on what one's convictions consisted of during this ephemeral moment called life.

I think it is commonplace practice to arbitrarily mythologize God. If you elect to do this, do you also throw all the other gods from mythistory into outer darkness?

I can't prove anything to you. Nothing proves anything. Evidence proves nothing- it only may heavily suggest something. I wish that something could be done, but if you are adamant about being nihilistic about the existence of God, there is nothing I can do to persuade you that God is more real than anything you see in the natural universe. Not everything is palpable. You can't see the wind, but it exists.

Moreoever, God is not going to present an incontrovertible piece of evidence that he truly exists. This would nullify our status as free agents. Free will would be annihilated. Even some of those who are confronted by the truth would still be "doubting Thomases."

Peradventure, it is more plausible for nay-sayers to surmise that God is an invention of man...as Nietzsche postulated. Maybe the government just made him up, along with the ten commandments, in order to control the masses. I have been there before, and I know that such conjecture can be more palatable than believing in a great, immortal creator. I have an ear for the opposition, because the unbelievers now stand where once stood I. I used to be skeptical about God. I used to question him (and, it so happens, I still do- only I try to be more respectful in the questioning now). There is nothing wrong with healthy skepticism! It is necessary sometimes, and I even encourage it. There is nothing nefarious about being inquisitive- but there are more productive and pious ways to handle the task than some choose.

I used to believe in nothing. It was easy to do- it didn't require any investigation or creativity. But I was desolate. I came to feel that there is more to life than what we see- more than meets the I.

No, if evidence were available proving that God is real were available to be shown in the public eye, I wouldn't want it to be. I suspect that will never happen, in any event. God is mysterious. He doesn't want to take away mankind's free will.

I don't have to justify or defend God, because he does a very competent job of defending himself. Like a brazen bell toll, every eye, amongst the dead and the living, will see the truth one day. The day is coming soon.

But do people really want to know the truth? I want to know it, even if the truth is ghastly. I would venture to guess, however, that many people demand to know the truth, and the reality is that they cannot handle such a stark revelation.

Answer 5

Hiya. I'll bite. Sure I understand the atheist point of view. There are two probabilities. 1) They don't understand. Those who turn to science eventually come around. 2) Neurotheology tells us that some people just aren't hard wired to experience that which is not physical. Sad but true.

I'm not certain there can be one view of God. We are all individual. We are all unique. I have two uncles who are cops. They'll tell you if 10 people witness a crime you'll have 10 different stories. If a billion people experience God, there will be a billion different stories.

Answer 6

To your first question, yes I can see why some believe that. But think about the second one- if God gave us free will, then gave us some way to reproduce his miracles, would we really have a choice of who to follow? If he gave us proof, then that eliminates the choice of choosing because it is verifiable, thus eliminating the place of faith in favor of fact.

God Bless

Answer 7

1. What are you afraid of?

2. I know God exists. But I can not "prove" it to you. God works with individuals, one-on-one and personal. God calls to all. All who come to him in The Way He proscribes will receive His free gift of Salvation.

3. God makes the rules... you do not... you my choose not to play by God's rules, but you must then be prepaired to accept the concequences of that choise... it is up to you.

I accept honest email questions concerning The Christian Faith.

Answer 8

There are many types of "theists".

I happen to be an agnostic theist.
(ie. there is a god, but we can't know or define him/her/it/them)

Faith, by its very definition, requires no proof.

If you could prove it, it would no longer be "super-natural" and would fall into the realm of science and/or logic.

Answer 9

1. Yup. I see why and dont care. tis their choice. im fine with it, its like this
heres my thoughts on god.
ya dont like them?
cool
whos gonna win the superbowl
is it hot in here?
got any ice cream?

Im not going on and on and on blathering about why this who that what where, and so on. i came, i said my piece, you disagree. coool.. wanna watch tv or something?
get a life and get over it.
if it bothers you THAT much maybe something missing in your life. no i dont care what it is.

2.
read number 1.
MOVE ON.

Answer 10

Testify!