Why is it that religious people can't realise that...?

Question

If something can't be disproved then it is a weakness, and not a strength in convincing people whether or not their religion is the right one?

(I'm an Athiest so please don't give me any rubbish quotes from the bible, as I don't believe one word of what is written).

Add-on: Religion is merely an idea that MAN created. If man did NOT exist then the IDEA OF GOD would not exist

Sorry to tell you but the idea of God is completely unplausable, I mean people go on about "Oh god wants EVERYONE to be happy he gave us all this wonderful stuff, we should be grateful," oh yeah my whole family had a GREAT BIG PARTY when my grandmother died and celebrated that this God (Who doesn't exist) gave us disease, death and such sad events because he loves us OH SO much that he loves to torment our developed minds.

So therefore I CAN disprove your God.

@ nbost - There are 500,000 peanuts orbiting Mars as we speak, prove me wrong. That is the kind of thing you are saying to me.

BTW, God didn't give us free will, for he knows everything, if he knows everything that will happen, then that means our lives are predetermined and we can't control anything that happens. I'll tell you who controls me, ME. I'll tell you who decides what the consequences for my actions for me will be, ME. I defy God to create a stone so large that he himself cannot lift. He cannot do it because he is not all-powerful. Neither is he all-loving if he cannot save an innocent person by lying. God is an idea created by humans simply because we have abstract thoughts and can reason, although we don't seem to be able to do it very well, do we?

@have_somefun1 - If the idea of religion didn't exist, then I would still be an athiest because I wouldn't believe in any sort of higher, spiritual, etc. power. Athieism isn't all about disproving God, which if it cannot be done is a weakness on religions part, it's just not believing in a God fullstop.

BTW, I didn't force anyone to read this, I'm expressing my views which is perfectly allowed here.

@tocktock - If God does exist, then wouldn't he also have the power to make the world a better place? If he is truly perfect, he has no needs, if he wants anything, he is not perfect, so if he does help
us, then he is not perfect because it shows he has wants, if he does not help us, then he is not perfect because he does not want to help living sentinential beings, of which he supposedly gave a purpose.

@nofreedom - That was the weakness I was talking about. Blind faith doesn't get anyone anywhere. Where was religion and blind faith when telephones, radios, cars, aeroplanes, mobiles, etc. where made? The people who made them may have been religious and may even of had blind faith, but this certainly played NO part in the inventions of man, God too, is a creation, an idea, that would not be around if man did not exist.

@JML - That's why I didn't want quotes, to see if people had anything to say other than something they got out of a 2000 year old book that probably got translated wrong due to the badly structured sentences.

@onewhosubmits - "[013:027] And those who disbelieved say: "Why is not a sign sent down to him (Muhammad [Peace Be Upon Him) from his Lord?" Say: "Verily, God sends astray whom He wills and guides to Himself those who turn to Him in repentance." This is the kind of thing I asked not to have, but to rebuttle, clearly the questionner is aware that God exists, because he is speaking to him, unless someone is shouting down the mountains, but this is only a book so you have no proof whether it is true or not, and your quote is basically saying that God likes to misguide people and then when they have gone through enough grief and felt bad enough, they realise unless they give into god against their will, then they are going to be suffering eternal damnation in hell, which clearly suggests that God does not infact "Hate sin, but not the sinners," and infact, he will not forgive them for HIM giving them a free will, but he is going to punish them for something that another human being did.

@Angelina3213 - Then why bother posting? The question "Why?" is clear enough, as your fellows here said, religion is asking "why", science is asking "how". So theoretically speaking, you are saying that religion is to vague to answer, because the question "Why?" to vague to answer.

@vashsunglasses - "Why don't atheists realize that their position is pretty weak, considering that it is impossible to completely disprove the existence of God?

(I'm a Christian so please don't give me any rubbish quotes from atheists, as I don't believe one word that is written against Christianity). "

As I said before it is a WEAKNESS, not a strength. 500,000 peanuts are orbiting Mars as we speak, prove me wrong. We both know of course is not true, but you cannot in fact disprove it, which doesn't make it a strength, but in fact a weakness because it has no evidence to go with it. You cannot prove religion because that would be lack of "Faith," and I don't need to quote other people, unlike people who like to quote fictional characters out of old, grammatically incorrect books.

Which, BTW, is full of contradictions.

@friendshipband - I don't need to read up on 100 facts that all basically say "Jesus exists, believe it NOW!," to check if I'm going whacko or not.

@jan - So I'm guessing you're entitled to private conversations with "the big guy upstairs" on how he "floats his boat" or so to speak? Because let me tell you, I'm so keen on hearing about how he has "special plans" for all of us. But wait, shouldn't he be able to do all of this, everything in the universe, solve every problem, get everything done with, in an instant? Or can't he be bothered? Doesn't he have the ability to? Is he working on a secret alien project he calls "Bipedal Hominids - The Second Try," because you see, I don't believe in "going to hell," and even if God existed, you know what? I'm all up for burning an eternity if it means I don't have to step a foot near that belligerent old fool.

@BravoWon - You basically contradicted yourself there.

@GuessWho - If God loves us so much, why does he want to put us through so much anguish everyday? Why does he feel the want to "test" us, just so we can spend the rest of our days sitting on a cloud watching all the war and strife going on these days.

@Darksphyx - Money is not a substitute for intellect.

@tigress_taz - You should know of course that there can never be a "religious scientist," right?

@Chucky - That was the most obvious thing I have ever heard in my life.

Answer 1

I kind of get the gist of what you mean. I have asked many questions to vicars and priests. When they cannot answer a question; such as why is there so much suffering allowed? They give crap answers like: God moves in mysterious ways! My partner asked our local vicar loads of questions of this genre, and now he avoids us. I studied history at university; and I do believe that the bible is a history book. It makes quite riveting reading as a history book, however, it is open to so much interpretation. People interpret it as they wish to see it. You cannot begin to completely understand how people really were in the days that it was supposedly written. This is regarded as 'periodisation' that is to say, that you cannot know what it was like in a previous era unless you were truly there.
People will believe what they want to believe, whether it is proved or not. In my opinion, blind faith can be dangerous. Although, aiming to be a good person isnt a bad thing. But alot of these 'do-gooders' tend to be fanatical and do not, or will not see the bigger picture. There is good and bad in all. But I just do not agree with the religious people who do their utmost to enforce their beliefs on others. Live and let live, but do not encroach on others or judge them purely because they do not believe in a particular religion or belief system. I tend to agree with Marx who professed that religion is an 'opium of the masses.'

Answer 2

"...God (Who doesn't exist) gave us disease, death and such sad events because he loves us OH SO much that he loves to torment our developed minds."

Where do you get the idea that God gave us disease, death, and that he loves to torment our developed mind?

Also, do you or can you know for sure that God does not exist?

What color is the shirt I am wearing? If you do not know, you are not omnipotent, and have no way of knowing that God does not exist. Have you been to Jupiter or the Andromeda galaxy? Maybe God is there. Your claim that God does not exist is implausible because that implies that you know everything.

Now to the question. Religion is not science. It is based on faith, just like Evolution. Therefore you cannot treat it like a science.

Now I have a proposal for you. If you truly want to know the truth about the existence of God why don't you ask Him? Ask Him to reveal Himself to you in some way. If you truly seek Him, He will do something awesome in your life. What have you got to lose? If God does not exist...no one heard you. If He does, you will find Him.



I never asked you to prove anything about peanuts. I am asking you how you can believe that there is no God if you do not know everything. You did not answer my question.

Also I said nothing about our free will. Just because God knows what will happen does not mean that it was all predetermined. If you have seen a movie once you know what will happen, but that does not mean you predetermined the events in the movie.

"God is an idea created by humans simply because we have abstract thoughts and can reason, although we don't seem to be able to do it very well, do we?"

Can you prove that statement? If not, it is weakness according to your initial claim.

Answer 3

This is actually a very good question; however I have to go up against you like I do in most of my answers.

First of all, all of the thoughts to our creation is a therory and not a fact. In other words you can make the same arguement on evolution, aliens, ect. Actually you can even take it further to the mythical Gods, dragons, Atlantis, ect.

The truth is it is both a strength and weekness. I will explain.

It is a weakness because it can not be proven and not being disproven is not an excuse.

However it is a strength because people have been trying to disprove it for a very long time, by many different people with all the resources that money can buy and haven't been able to disprove it yet.

I mean out of all of the therories out there no therory has been faught harder then the creation therory. I mean when was the last time you seen somebody fighting the therory of gravity?

Answer 4

It is no accident that the symbol of a bishop is a crook and the sign of an archbishop a double cross!

Great question but unfortunately if you want a huge response to a 'Religious' question you'll incite a riot! blind leading the blind springs to mind.Anyway as its the new year lets chill with a few quotes from 'intelligent' people of our time........

'The trouble with born again Christians is that their a bigger pain the 2nd time around'. (Herb Caen)

'Religion-A comfort for the hard of thinking'. anonymous.

'Religion is the venereal disease of mankind' (Henri de montherland)

'Truly religous people are resigned to everything,even mediocre poetry' -Oscar Wilde

'All religions are found on the fear of the many and the cleverness of the few'- Stendhal (1783-1842)

'Which is it? Is man one of God's blunders, or is God one of mans blunders? - Friedrich Nietzsche 1844-1900 german philosopher

'Good people sleep better than bad people.But bad people enjoy the waking hours more. Woody Allen.

'Many people think they have religion when they are merely troubled with dyspepsia' - robert ingersoll 1833-1899

'Conscience is the inner voice which warns us that somebody may be looking.' H.L Mencken 1880-1956

'Passionate hatred can give meaning and purpose to an empty life.'- Eric Hoffer

'The great thing about being Jewish is that you get more mileage for your sins' - anonymous

What do you get if you gross a Jehovahs witness with a biker?
Someone who knocks on your door and tells YOU to piss off. - anonymous

'Catholics are so obsessed by sin,and so thrilled when they commit it,that one of the confessional boxes in /st Peters is marked '8 items or less'. - anonyomous

An Atheist is a man who has no visible means of support' - John Buchan

I'll end there.......i'm bored with it.. Check out Guess who's response. Talk about brainwashed...poor thing.....

Answer 5

Everyday people do things that make no sense. Let them have their beliefs if it gives them purpose, however misguided they are. Personally, I don't label myself as anything as this would imply that I understand the workings of the universe and I am not smart enough to do that and neither are you.
Be happy in not knowing and don't turn atheism into a religion.


I don't see the contradiction. If I wanted to, I could prove away religion(that's the obvious bit) but how do you prove there is no God? The ground for argument are not based on logic. I think my view that there is not enough information to form a conclusion is the only sensible view to take in debate.

Answer 6

The bible is the truth. And Science agrees. If you have any guts.
http://www.cosmicfingerprints.com/audio/newevidence.htm

If your an atheist, why do you talk about religion? Are you not doubting enough? Just remember when you die, its too late.

Is the universe infintely old? Nope. Therefore it has a beginning. Therefore it was created. Therefore it had a creator. Got it. Or doesn't it register.

God is good Satan is bad never confuse the two. God sent his son Jesus to die for our sins. 11 of the 12 disciples were martyered for their faith. Would they have done so , for a fraud. If you don't believe in the miracles and resurrection of Jesus, even though the propehicies were written thousands of years before it happen. Maybe you should check up on the endtime propehcy.
http://www.angelfire.com/la/prophet1/cs01.html
http://endtime.com/
Maybe this will wake you up. Cause there nothing worse than being thrown into hell for all eternity. For our conscience is witness to the truth. On judgement day, you either stand with Jesus, or alone with no hope.

Would love let murders rapist go without punishment. Your sin is infinite, and so is the punishment

Answer 7

Spot on. You cannot prove a negative. Not being able to prove something is not a weakness, however as per Einstein and Quantum Mechanics. The other difficulty w # 1 is that a double negative is logically a positive, thus rendering it can be proved it is a weakness; not what you had in mind I surmise.
We cannot prove who wrote the US Constitution, that hardly makes it a weakness. I cannot disprove my ancestry - that does not make it a weakness, erin bargough! Why so in religion.
What you do with "rubbish quotes" is of course your business, but i do wonder how you would "not believe" much of the Wisdom Literature etc.

Answer 8

I say people will believe what they want to. Who is anyone else to say they are wrong or right in what they believe. Religion is about one's personal faith in them self and whatever lies beyond.

I was raise Jewish Catholic (please don't ask). I do not believe in organized religion. Each has too many 'holes'. To me that does help me. How can I believe in something that isn't solid. However, to others it strengthens their faith. That not understanding or not having the answer right there is putting their faith in the superior being (God, etc.)

I too don't like people just throwing quotes from the Bible at me. Explain why you feel that way about that quote. That shows me you understand your religion and your faith, not memorized text.

However, how does using quotes from the Bible strengthen your point to someone who does not believe in it if you just post the quote? Not trying to be a smart*** I really would like to know why if anyone could.

Answer 9

this is amazing to me. not your question, but the
comments from the few.

Science deals with the testable, measureable, and the
disprovable. Not the provable. Hence Faith is not a part ot
it, except that we commit the "original sin" of putting faith in
human reason.

Religion, deals with the unmeasurable, untestable, unprovable, undisprovable...in short it is only worth talking
about for its metaphorical and entertainment value...which
is not bad. Also, there is probably some accurate history
in each religion.

So, you can either put faith in human reason or in something else, or you can try to combine these things in some weird
mishmash that makes the individual happy.

Answer 10

Your question made absolutely no sense at all. Be that as it may, this is the deal. You don't want to hear any rubbish quotes from the Bible, and I have no intention of giving you any. Look,
even God himself says everybody has to sail their own ship.
You are here to make a decision, and it looks like you've made yours. As a Christian, if someone asks an intellegent question, I answer it in hopes that a seed planted will grow. But I have no power to cause it to grow; thats God's job. Mine is to plant it where opportunity presents itself. However, There is not one time God has ever suggested that anybody sit and try and try and try to convince someone to change. You won't hear me begging you to save your butt. Have a good one.....