Why not believe in God?

Question

Why not believe in god? when you are promised a wealthy, healthy,happy, no rainy days ever again, worry-free life in a wonderful place? i mean i wouldn't just want a life but i would love an afterlife too, and to be promised to live on forever!!!

Answer 1

their scared of accountability.

Answer 2

Now, think for just a second is that logical or illogical? Illogical as I presume... Do you really think such a thing would have some sort of reward system for actual people. The ones how disobey are sentenced to hell. Is that a little far-fetched. The fact that animals are here for aour porposes? That somehow a person rearranged the elements of water to wine... That to me sounds so much like a fairy tale just like the tooth fairy of the eatser bunny. From my view you can't commit sin in heaven, well isn't that saying I don't have free will then. Also, I don't believe there is actual sin. Yes I do believe we should not kill and hurt but I believe we are just another species so there's really no sin....
When I converted to athesism then later to Buddhism, I had such a better life then when I was a Christian.

Answer 3

You say why not believe in God,. But you didn't mention which one?

I don't believe life is about being a good little girl so i can get a reward at the end. That is just Fake - you don't think everyone can see that?..

I believe in being a good person (full stop).
I believe in Karma too, so what i send out comes back.
Again i am not being "so call good" because of Karma either.

Everything has an balance, good or bad we have it within us.
It balances out with what we do, sometimes we tip the scales a little more to one side than the other.

But It feels right to treat another human being with the same dignity as i would expect to receive myself. i guess its ethics.

And on that note, I do believe in my Goddess and Gods.
Although i am still going to be me. Good, Bad or Ugly.

BB. ALD

Answer 4

If god could really give happy afterlife "forever" *after life*, why not while we are still alive?

BTW, most atheists are atheists because they have been turned off by the lies and hate spread by the believers. The happy ever afterlife is just a carrot to keep the believers walking.

Answer 5

Well, you can't exactly *make* yourself believe into something you don't feel is true... No matter how much promise such belief may hold. (I certainly feel that all this religious stuff is a crock of sh1t... Can't even imagine "believing" in such nonsense - although I don't at all dispute the generally positive effect of such belief on your mental state. Delusions can be VERY comforting and helpful - and they are often necessary. But once you are "disillusioned" - you would not "believe" the same nonsense again, no matter what the rewards.)

Answer 6

Think about it. Does that argument really make sense even to you? What if there were a religion that promised something even better? Would you change your belief system just because the other one offered better prizes?

We don't believe in your god because there is no evidence of his/her/its existence. We're banking on what we know for sure. We know that we have this life to live. There's no evidence of an afterlife. Therefore, logic dictates that we make the best use of the time we have. Superstition would be a waste of that precious span.

Answer 7

Problem is, pretending ain't believing. Sure, I could go to church, read the Bible, and proclaim my faith to the Holy Spirit, but I'll never believe in Him--and, according to Christians, He can tell what's "in your heart" anyway. Also, I would never pretend to be something I'm not. That's wrong.

Also, you shouldn't believe in God just because you're promised paradise. That's extremely selfish of you. Living your life through God is all about helping others, loving yourself and loving God. You should get rewards for doing something good, not doing something good to get rewards.

Answer 8

But at what cost?

Is the promise of a happy place for those who bob and nod utter the exact right words, worth the suffering and torment of those who don't? Is that justice?

Is the promise of heaven for those who tow the line worth the cruelty and heartlessness of a judgemental deity? After all, if he would send others to hell, how can you trust that he would let you into his heaven?

Would you really sell out your fellow men to worship a deity who represents not unconditional love, but immense power in the hands of a vain, selfish spoiled brat?

No thanks, that's not something I can believe in.

Answer 9

Here's a deal for you then. You send me $100 per month for the rest of your life. That's a lot less than a lot of people give to churches. In exchange I promise you eternal life. And if you fail to receive eternal life, just contact me afetr you die and I'll return all the money you gave me plus 10% interest per year.

Kurt Vonnegut invented a religion called Bokononism and talks about "foma" which means "beautiful lies". Believing lies is not necessarily in and of itself bad. If I believe that magic fairies will rescue me if I'm ever in a life-threatening situation there's no harm in that. But if I make decisions based on that false belief, such as jumping out of a plane with no parachute, that is (I think) a very bad thing.

Consider these possible downsides to believing lies:

I might not be open to hearing useful true information because it makes me doubt my beautiful lies.

I might not expend the energy to seek answers because I think I already have them (even though I don't).

I might be susceptible to manipulation by others who use my beautiful lies against me.

I might limit my relationships with other human beings because I'm only comfortable with those who believe the same beautiful lies I do.

I might actually grow hateful of those who disagree with my beautiful lies.

I might begin to behave as if I am superior to those who do not believe my beautiful lies and to treat them as less worthy of love, respect.

I might decide that the problems of the world are caused by those who do not believe my beautiful lies and decide that the logical thing to do is to destroy them.

Answer 10

This is what is commonly called Pascal's Wager. It is not a good reason to believe in God. In fact, if this is the only reason you believe in God, for the benefits it will bring you, you are not really worshiping Him. You are worshipping yourself. Think about it.

As an atheist, I get this question a lot.

Answer 11

Yes, but the Muslims just promised me twelve virgins when I die. Can you top that? And the great sea-dwelling Ju-Ju apparently gives all His believers an island of their own in the afterlife.

But, alas, any great offer of some great reward after my death is just as pointless as the next one. I'm an Atheist, that means I don't believe in any of them.