I have always been an atheist, and I did not chose my beliefs. I am incapable of theism. Is this possible?

Question

I have never believed in god. Theism has always been a delusion to me, something to be mocked for its obvious fallacy. How is it that god exists, and the choice to believe in him exists, when this choice was not offered to me? How is it that I can be punished for my natural state of mind, for being an atheist when I had no choice in the matter?

*choose, not chose

Let me put it this way. I can no more convince myself god exists than I could convince myself I have four arms. Can anyone really think faith is a light switch? Off and on that easily?

Answer 1

You are right. That's pretty much how I feel. I have been this way since at least 3rd grade when I was sent to the Rabbi's office because I didn't seem to like going to hebrew school. I can not imagine believing in god. It seems alien to me. And, if I did ever join up, it would not be with a religion that values blind faith above all else.

It's not you - your not wierd - it's the crazy system!!!

Answer 2

It seems more like there are some human teachings about God that you find hard to believe- I may be incorrect in that assesment. Yet the logical possibility that a Being created the known universe is not hard to accept, if given the right information. So, yes, you do have the ability to go counter to the belief system you have held for many years and accept the possibility that there is a God. C.S. Lewis is one of many examples of people who have done just that- recently an avowed atheist and debater, Dr. Gish, has announced his change in this direction. It is possible, you just need different information that what you currently have. Psalm 19 says "The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork..."- if you look for God, you can find Him.

The real question is: Are you looking for Him, if you start the search by stating, "I can no more convince myself that God exists than I can that I have four arms..."?

Answer 3

you can be punished. you know that it is a choice and you have not chosen God. you can't get out of punishment that easily. plus, Everyone will have a chance to learn about God and accept Jesus as their personal savior. trying to play dumb won't keep you from eternal damnation. Pray to God and ask Him to show you The Way. He will send someone to talk to you or send you somewhere where so you will have a chance to learn about Him. If you ask Him, He will answer.

i didn't have a way to go to my church's week long revival this year because my husband was between jobs and we didn't have any exra money. my vehicle is hard on gas and we live about 30 min. away from our church so i wouldn't have been able to go. so i prayed " Dear Heavenly Father, i pray that you will make it possible for me to go the revival this week." After Sunday morning service another member of the church shook my hand as i was leaving and said " The Lord told me you needed this" and when i opened my hand it was $100. The Lord had answered my prayer. i didn't know how He was going to but, i absolutley for sure, without a doubt knew that He would make a way for me to go.

i understand that you not being a Believer may not be impressed with this story, but i felt led to share it with you.

i will pray for you.

and just remember that we are on God's time, He's not on ours. so don't be discouraged if you don't get an answer when you want it. things happen the way they do for a reason.

Answer 4

"How is it that I can be punished..."
You shouldn't be punished for being an atheist, whether you chose to or not.
"How is it that god exists..."
You say you are an atheist yet you state that god exists, perhaps you should rephrase.
"and the choice to believe in him exists..."
Why do you think the choice to believe in him exists? If that choice exists why do you think that you have already taken it?
I think that our own minds are easy to change so if I would want to believe I could(I just don't want to). I have no valid argument for that but that's how I feel.

Note: I'm an atheist but i like to remain as objective as possible.

Answer 5

Sure it is. I was never impressed by Christianity from childhood on up. Or any religion for that matter. There was far too much reliance on vague answers like "mysterious ways" or "Godmagic" to explain contradictions and nonsense. I can't remember NOT being like that.

If Biblegod wants me to be a believer, he's going to have to be a lot more convincing than his followers are. As it is, Biblegod behaves exactly like something that doesn;t exist at all. So what's the point?

Answer 6

You will only hunger for the things you feed yourself with if you absorb yourself in secular things then you never will have insight into spirituality.
God doesn't punish you for being athiest, if you had the opportunity then learn about him then take it.
Get a free bible studies at home with Jehovah's Witnesses and see what is really in the Bible. You never have had the hard evidence presented to you about God and his purposes for earth and mankind. Delve in an do with an open heart at least at maybe you will then have a choice that you can make.

Answer 7

A very scientific mind. What if I told you that the Catholic church had an artifact that was 1700 years old. Was a human hand. And that it was a replacement for the one St. John Chrysostom had cut off as a "punishment" for being a Christian.

http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?p=1732645

So, I would like to know what "could" convince you.

Answer 8

Mt 17:20 - He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

A mustard seed is tiny. If you held out your hand and somebody places the seed into your palm, you wouldn’t even feel its weight.

All you have to do is seek that grain of faith. Talk to God. Say to him, if you are who you say you are show me how to have faith. Guide me and teach me. This is really more about sincerity than anything else. If he sees that your heart is sincere and that you are honestly seeking, you will be blown away by the response.

I know I was.

Answer 9

If you didn't choose your beliefs, who did? If you're not able to choose your beliefs, who is capable of choosing for you? Who is the person who chose that you would be an atheist? If you tell me it's not you, I believe you. Who made your belief choice?
Whose rules do you want to go by?

But the word "believe" is an action word. I think it hard to'
"believe" that you can't control an action of yours. You made the choice of putting the question up.

I don't offer the choice to believe to you now. How can I offer you something that I don't have? Possession is nine-tenths of the law. If you want to believe someone or any thing, you don't have a choice but to seek for truth. You should believe the truth, and not believe a lie.

The choice to believe in God has never existed for any one to have it. You can only believe in someone who
tells you something. How can you believe someone who
has never spoken to you? Assuming that God is omnipotent, he would have all the choices, commanding
who he would give those choices to. I don't have the choice to believe. You can choose your beliefs, an opinions about other things.

I do think that atheism is every person's natural state of mind. Assuming that God is invisible, and the common knowledge that people don't see Jesus walking this earth
in the flesh now today, it is only "natural" that people will either deny that he is, or forget about him. It is the obvious thing that, assuming God is, we are literally separated from him. Unbelief or disbelief in God is not surprising. That there is faith in this earth at all is.




It is possible. Many cannot believe because they really aren't able to. Many don't believe because there are teachers of religion that do not teach, or teach things that they know to be untrue.

I have a friend who is an atheist. Since I don't argue or beleaguer her to convince her that God exists, I will not do so to you either.
I will tell you that because she is my friend, and an
atheist, it's more painful for me to believe than it is for
you not to.

I don't have the proof that many people want. I'm sure you want proof also. But I don't have it to give you.

I believe in Jesus, and that heaven exists. I have selfish reasons, and my friend who is an atheist is one of them. My wife and my son are two other reasons, as are my other family members and friends. Without the belief in heaven, I would have to believe this: that when they die, they're gone for ever, and that when I die, they're gone
from me forever. What is the point of loving any one on this earth when you know you're going to lose them any way?

If my loved one or loved ones are gone for ever when they either walk out of my life or if they die, that's how long I would have to mourn for them. Without a hope of heaven, I would never see them again.

I have often felt that God withholds things that I ask him for. A lot of hopes and dreams have to me become nothing but an argument from weakness. Then there's the matter of why evil and suffering? Life on this earth sucks, and a lot of the time, people suck. Life on this earth doesn't really make any sense any way, let alone the kind of sense that you want for a belief in God to make.

I cling to belief in Jesus and the hope of my loved ones going to heaven, because the loss of the people I love is more painful to me than the loss of any thing else.
I apologize that this is emotion, rather than logic.

As far as punishment, it wouldn't apply in your case. No crime, no punishment.

Answer 10

You have heard the word of god. To Christians, just knowing that god exists, even without proof, is enough information for you to make a choice. It is up to you to make the decision based on faith...or fear. Regardless of how you were brought up or how much it contradicts all reason.