Do you know why I am Atheist?

Question

I have seen millions of good honest caring Christians get the royal shaft in life. How can a loving God behave this way? So much ill-will towards good people, and all the evil jerk offs getting away with murder. There is NO god how we see him. God is just the normal process of life and death and thats it. Im not sorry for it. I just wish it was different

Answer 1

you asked a question and then answered it yourself....maybe you don't understand how this whole answers thing works....

Answer 2

One might ask why we should not expect god to be at least as reasonable and compassionate as the average person? Take a simple scenario that was given to me on a yahoo group: You are in the kitchen. You see a toddler headed towards a stove where a pot of oil bubbles away furiously. He reaches up... do you sit there and watch him do grievous harm to himself when he pulls it down, thinking pain, fear, scarring or death are just rewards for wanting to know? Or do you get up and pull him to safety? This is a good one. Where’s god;s warning when people are nearing unknown but certain danger? Here are my ideas: First, it is possible that the value system that is placed on this equation is meaningless in relation to some HIGHER PURPOSE? Perhaps the history of death and pain and suffering is a spit in the pan compared to what the ultimate goal is? Does a mother focus on the pain of child birth when she first holds her infant in her arms? Or is she elated with the result such that the pain becomes meaningless? Chaos, pain and suffering are inherent propensities in this system, but in the evolution of biology toward man they were certainly necessary components of the equation. Unlike the animal, whose pain is a conditioned response mechanism, man (now conscious) has an understanding of these things. He understands pain, suffering, mortality. Now he must suffer the consequences of that knowledge. But given the loftier goal of creating new personalities, perhaps the awareness of the chaotic nature of our environment and the pain and suffering and death we know in our conscious states is well worth attainment of another goal? In other words, maybe the means justify the end. Quite possibly not even the intervention by God would change the final outcomes. Secondly, this scenario assumes god can intervene. I believe god is just another word for perfection or morality and that saying that god could grab the infant or give him some warning is the same as saying your morality could grab the infant and save him. You (being moral or godly) want to save him because you have god (morality) within you.

Answer 3

Dear Sleestack,

Only you can really say why you are an atheist.

I believe that one of the reasons that I am not an atheist is because of my mother. She was born in 1917, and went through the Great Depression, and then WWII. She was mother to eight of us. My father was a bricklayer, and so we were not wealthy.
I remember when I was growing up my mother made clear her order of priorities. She loved God first, she loved her husband next and after that she loved each of her children equally. I never thought that I was in any way deprived of her love. When I needed to talk to her about something important I was the focus of her attention. Her counsel was both wise, but more importantly I always had a sense that she had prayed about her answers and had received an insight from God. My father died of a heart attack when he was 61. My youngest brother was nine. Mother took care of us on her pension and children's allowance. Never once did I feel poor. How could I be when I had so much love from her. One time I asked her where she got all of her love. Her reply was that she could love so much because God loved her so much. My mother died an agonizing death from breast cancer. She knew that she was dying and yet there was a bond between her and her God that never wavered. I remember watching her die. I will never forget her serenity as she took her last breaths. She KNEW that she was enfolded in the arms of the God who loved her. She KNEW that soon she would see Jesus, her lover, face to face.

My mother has been dead for almost 30 years. This is her legacy. She has eight children who know that God loves them. But here is another part of that legacy. I meet people that, when they find out who I am will say something like this "I knew your mother. She taught me what love is. Even to this day when I have a difficult decision to make I ask 'What would Elsie do?'"

Answer 4

I am a Christian who has suffered greatly in life, but I have also seen great blessings in life. I understand the Bible thoroughly. I have read the parts that show God as an understanding and loving God, but I have also read the parts that say that God is a consuming fire, a just God. Suffering in this earth is not to be compared to the great and wonderful life I will live in heaven.

Answer 5

God isn't the one behind evil and murder - how could the creator of life be so?

It is the devil who is behind a lot of evils such as you describe.

The thing is that people will get both good and bad things happen in life - many of these things are what moulds them - either bitter and twisted/spoilt - or wiser with more compassion

it isn't what happens to someone that makes them what they are - but what they do with what happens to them

Answer 6

OK, you're an atheist 'cause you can't believe that "god" would allow the rotten things you see happening in the world. That's fine.

It's not the most *positive* reason to believe something, and sounds bit like anger, but if it works for you --great.

I don't believe in god simply because there is no evidence of any kind that one exists -- part of that encompasses your "if there was a god he wouldn't let bad things happen to good people" idea, but it goes way beyond that. Keep learning about the real world, and don't let the religious nuts get you down! :)

Answer 7

It IS different, Sleestack. I do not know why bad things happen to good people or why good things happen to bad people, but if you ask the bad people if they are happy, even if good things have happened to them, most of the time they will say they are not. Bad things have happened to me, but the bad has is always made me stronger and more equipped to handle the rest of life. Sometimes the bad things are what are need for you to help someone else through the same type of situation.

Answer 8

Rain falls on everyone,just because one is christian does not mean we will not have suffering.I will not bore you with the heart aches of my life,but believe me I would not want to do it without my faith in God,Jesus the Holy Spirit,for me this is just my earth suit,it will pass away,I have learned to just go deeper to God.As Jesus said if you would let this cup pass me while he suffered of course Christians don't like suffering but we know its only for a time.We are here to be hands,feet,heart,of Christ.Because God still loves the people on this earth,and wants real relationship with his creation.No matter what condition they are in.Read Job

Answer 9

well supposedly they christian teachers say "god is testing us"
and that he has a plan for all of us...frankly the bible is too goddam wishy washy...but the phrase "he has a plan for all of us" does raise a good point, every action has a reaction, every little thing affects something else maybe its something like that, kinda sounds like fate though, but u sound like u dont believe in god because u have a grudge against him...well not the best reason why...like i always say always know WHY u believe in something, i couldnt tell u how many christians ive asked why they belive in god and they say cuz they were raised on it or i dont know...well now that ur athiest dont sterotype all of em and dont be an asswipe...athiests stil have their own morals and ethics

Answer 10

God knows just how meaningless this life is compared to the eternity he offering us in his presence. To judge the unfairness in life in human terms is to reject the belief in a higher order of things. You are an atheist because you rely on your human perspective instead of relying on God's wisdom in the matter, which is best summed in
Proverbs 3:5. Good luck, Sleestack.

Answer 11

Paul the apostle wrote that we must enter the Kingdom of God through many difficulties or tribulations (Acts 14:22). Tribulations refine us and make us stronger; they are forms of discipline. While no discipline is pleasant when it is being administered, discipline produces righteous fruit in those who learn from it.