If atheists believe there is no God?

Question

Why do they keep arguing with believers and asking for proof?
Do they WANT to believe?
This is a serious question, not a flame.
Thoughtful answers would be appreciated, but I'm sure I'm in for some nasty comments.

http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&new_topic=3

Answer 1

First Straight answer - religious people - mainly Christians - feel that they are soldiers for Christ and must go around and convert everybody and anybody they can find. This is rather upsetting to us free thinkers. Therefore, we feel it is our duty to try to counter some of the proselytizing.

Second Straight Answer - It is enjoyable to debate with people. It is also educational.

Third Straight Answer - Even though I don't believe I would be delighted if someone would show me something that is even slightly reasonable evidence for the god-thing. So far - I have seen nothing.

Answer 2

I had the same question a few hours ago and got some nasty responses and some good ones. I should have worded my question more like yours, I would then had got better answers maybe.

I have thoughts on it too. But I have to assume something first about what an atheist is. Someone who does not believe in any type of God be it even an all encompassing spirit that does not take the form of a man.

I think that religions today have mis-represented what God is. Even the Bible says "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things"(Romans 1:22-23). Christianity in general may have created many of the atheists, because I think the general theme changes God into a man. Man was ORIGINALLY created in Gods image, not vice versa. Then man was reduce to flesh and here we are to someday become a new creation....I hope.

So I would again say.... many religions are probably wrong when they compare God the a fleshy man, and they are still trying to prove exactly why.

Answer 3

Good question....no, seriously.

I'm an atheist and I neevr argued with a believer asking for proof. Why would I ask for proof when there is none? I just don't get it. Is there proof that mermaids exist? Not as far as I know, but if there is then I'd be more than happy if you tell me.

No I don't want to believe, simply because I do NOT believe. Because when I used to "believe" it wasn't fun. I was forced to believe. Religion is taught to children at a VERY young age. This way, I grew up with religion, so that any thoughts, ideas, concepts of atheism or disbelief were completely alien to me. Until last summer that is.

I live in a world full of people, blind to their own ignorance, dedicated to a 2000 year old story written by people who's intellect doesn't even compare to an 8th grader.

Answer 4

I think people see the problems when beliefs and conditioning aren't questioned and, instead, answered with circular reasoning and dogmatism. Because if we didn't question and investigate, we wouldn't be able to get past racism and other human rights violations that may have been taught to us. We see that when people don't have a habit of using logic and investigation and open-mindedness, the nation suffers because political propagandists can manipulate by appealing to people's ego-identification with religion and patriotism and relying on the fact that many don't question. I think also that people see the dangers of fundamentalism with its effect on education and medicine (evolution, stem cells), human rights (Gay Marriage Amendment), and democracy (the fundamentalist's blindness as to their own theocratic agenda). On the other hand, many atheists like to promote their own sense of self/ego to show that they're smarter than the 'naive believer'. This latter mechanism occurs whenever someone's sense of self is not strong and they need others to feel better/smarter than. Another reason is the common human dynamic of projection: some atheists (like all humans) will use projection to make believers the bad guys so as to remove the fact that their own desire to demonize and separate is covered by the 'you guys did this to me first' defense. I know this stuff because I've engaged in all of these dynamics :).

Answer 5

I don't believe in Papa Smurf so I don't go find questions about him and answer them because I don't believe in him and I don't ask questions about him because I don't believe in him. So why would it matter to an Atheist or any other non-believer what we think? If you truly did not believe I can not understand why you would waist your time trying to change our minds about something, just like I can't understand why believers keep trying to convince you when God has a way of showing you he's God.

Answer 6

Personally, I don't ask for proof because the concept of a god is not provable to me.

I used to be a christian and after an attempt to strength my faith during some dark times, I discovered instead that all I was taught was based on mistruths, contradictions, and outright deceptions.

After some more studies, I discovered how religions and "gods" came about and entered the light of atheism.

While this next statement may come across as close-minded, ti really isn't. There is no proof that a christian can provide that would counter what I now know about religion in general and "god" specifically.

Answer 7

I don't know. I'm a believe but also some what of an atheist. I DO believe in god but I'm also skeptical of some things. With all the things happening and all the rumors about the world is going to end, I would certainly want to believe in god.

Answer 8

Normally, atheists aren't arguing with believers. Believers have this knack for pushing their faith onto other people either blatantly or through assumptions. Atheists simply don't want to have their rights infringed due to belief in something they don't believe in.

This leads to the arguments. Christians can't believe someone out there doesn't believe in *any* of the things they feel are the foundation of the world as we understand it. Atheists can't believe that there are people out there that aren't willing to look outside of the bible for answers to the way the world is as we understand it (or rather, we believe that there are people and it causes a state of disbelief).

Atheists don't "want" to believe. The thing is, we just *don't* believe. There are as many types of athiests as there are Christians, so some you will find have discovered non-biblical ways to answer the questions they have about life and death. (For me, I believe there is no heaven or hell and when you die, you cease to function and you are dead... which is not sad or sorrowful for me, just makes me want to do good while I'm here.) There are others that are Atheists because they were brought up in religion and the people around them hurt them with "God".

A lot of the time, to me, it seems that Christians are very intolerant (not the neo-Christians who believe gay is ok and such, but the ones that actually have read fully the book they believe in). They aren't willing to allow for other religions because they are of the mindset that theirs is the only true one and theirs is the only true god. As an atheist, I respect the way religion has shaped the path of human kind, but I also respect and enjoy the myriad of different opinions... so long as those opinions aren't going to come to the detriment of myself or my family or the rights we are given as citizens of the US.

There's a lot to it, but I won't get into writing a book here. For myself... I don't want to believe, I just don't, and I'm perfectly happy with my life. I love my fellow man, I do right by all as often as I can in order to have the same reciprocated onto me.

Answer 9

They need proof because they are shallow little people hwo need to see something before they believe. Presumably these idiots need to see everything else before they believe it to be true. But no that is not the case they believe it because it is a history book. But they still didn't see.

They believe the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. But who says what is east and what is west.

They believe in evolution. Yet this requires more faith than creation.

No they want the proof because the proof science gives them likewise is non-sensical.

Answer 10

Atheist would like to understand why other people believe in God if there is no evidence. And ,yes, most atheis woul like to believe in something beyond this life, if proof could be offered.