Why would atheists not want there to be a nice all loving God, an afterlife and an overall sense of meaning to their lives? I mean, why would anyone really be an atheist? Atheists can understand religious belief, in some sense. You want to belong, feel looked after, feel there is purpose to your lives and a life beyond it.But how do you explain the atheist position? Aren't the atheists the real truth-seekers, here? They have every reason to want to believe in God,but they don't. Because they see the truth, and they won't be blinded by their fear of death, or their inability to explain the unknown. That takes real courage, to allow yourself those fears, to sacrifice the illusion of meaning and eternal life simply because you can't live in that darkness and turn yourself away from the truth.
2007-01-21 12:44:12 · 30 answers · asked by Katrina W 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Before everyone tells me to 'go read the Bible, I've read it, I studied theology. May I also point out that the Bible is a book written by people thousands of years ago that inspired religion, much as certain science fiction books, written by a Mr Hubbard, started the religion of Scientology.
Also, atheists do not necesssarily choose not to believe in God because it means there are no rules to follow. Surely believing in a forgiving God is better than believing that you have to live with what you've done and then cease to exist?
2007-01-21 13:03:44 · update #1
YAY a voice of reason!
*looks around* now DUCK!
Oh, hey now (above)...
NOBODY said anything about any science disproving any god types out there...
Science might help one to reach the conclusion that a supernatural being would be very improbable, but, as any scientist (or rational thinker) would be compelled to concede, we scientists cannot know anything with 100% certainty (that's left for the fundies)
..................................
Ok, seriously, there is a comment below, "Atheists are not necessarily bad people"
Umm, Though I appreciate the sentiment, I think it is ironic all the same.
I don't see ANY atheists crowding 'round a banner to do physical harm to anyone because of atheism!
The KKK, the Neo-Nazi separatists, the Islamic radicals, The Christian Right, the Army of God (see depressing link - These people believe that Paul Hill is a Hero for killing doctors. I care not if you agree or disagree with abortion, what he did was wrong). and all other fundamentalist groups claim what they are doing is right because "God says so".
I do not wish to know this god as he is a danger to all society, but because of these groups, I must.
2007-01-21 12:49:12 · answer #1 · answered by pip 2 · 5⤊ 1⤋
It gets under my skin a bit when i hear others say that believers believe because they need consolation, hope, etc... I do believe in a Creator, angels, dreams, energies we cannot explain and an afterlife, but I am still absolutely terrified by death. I still grieve deeply for my loved ones. I still fear what is to come and feel very uncertain about my future and those of the ones I love. Believing in a higher power isn't easy. In fact, I think it is HARDER to keep faith in something that hasn't directly been proven to you. I have dreams, signs, strong feelings, and so on, but no one has knocked on my door and said, "oh yeah, just so you know, God does exist and there is an afterlife. see ya." That will never happen, but I look at our world (it's beauties and devastations) and I "know" that God exists...just as others may "know" that God does not. The real truth is, it is not easy to believe and it is not easy to not believe.
2007-01-21 20:54:59 · answer #2 · answered by lilansteve 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on individuals. There are some atheists that I'm sure would like to believe, but are sincerely compelled by their logic to disbelieve. Others, I believe use it as an escape from responsibility. If there is no god, then life is absurd and I can do what I want. Fortunately, we live in a context in which moral precepts have already been established in the culture by religion regardless of those who shun religion itself, so that serves somewhat as a barrier to the eventual collapse of society from immorality.
The same thing applies to believers though. Some I feel would sometimes prefer not to believe in order to get rid of some weighty duties, but continue in their respective faiths because of personal experiences that tell them that what they are believing is true.
2007-01-21 20:53:25 · answer #3 · answered by Pyebwa 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"Like racism, atheism in some cases is taught at childhood"
I personally have never met an atheist who was raised to believe there is no god. All atheists that I know, including myself, was raised Christian. Ever since I have been told stories from the bible, I automatically thought they were suppose to be like fables or fairy tales--stories to not be taken literary. As soon as I found out that people truly believed in these stories, I began to question religion. By the time I was 14 I was positive that I did not believe in any religious beliefs. It seems so illogical.
2007-01-21 21:03:39 · answer #4 · answered by WastedPaint 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I understand what you are saying and yes that does take courage. You seek the truth and you believe that any idea of a god is false.
Don't forget though that the search for truth is an ongoing process. Don't stop just because you feel as though you've finally found it and there's nothing left to discover.
2007-01-21 20:54:14 · answer #5 · answered by Atlas 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
(1) i think atheists can't handle the truth
(2) don't like the idea that what they're doing is sin and therefore wrong
(3) can't handle being wrong
(4) they might feel they've gone to far/unloved/were never taught God was good, so they blocked him out altogether
(5) had a horrible upbringing/ parents with few or no morals
(6) weak for listening to the world and its sinful deisres
(7) or don't want to change their lifestyle. i'm not saying this to be rude (though in reflection i don't really care if i am) but one of my close friends is and atheist and she's a great person. she's just horribly, deeply, and in all senses of the word, WRONG.
2007-01-21 21:00:41 · answer #6 · answered by flamaria14 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think this is very well put, but you must admit there are plenty of atheists on this board who seem more concerned with teasing Christians than any sort of personal truth-seeking.
There are clearly others who think they have found the 'truth' and are no better than fundamentalists in their openness to ideas.
In the end, nobody should be too surprised that atheists are really no better or no worse than anyone else.
2007-01-21 20:55:54 · answer #7 · answered by Bad Buddhist 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
okay do you want to know what the atheist and agnostic agenda is all about well here goes i'm agnostic and the agenda is to get people like you to wake up and face reality anyway i don't have a problem with people having religion and religious beliefs nor do any agnostics or atheists for that matter the only problem is when people go around condemning those who don't believe the same way they do to hell and say that we are immoral when that simply isn't case at all oh and please knock it off with the pascal's wager this is for all christians who use this theory it's boring and tired
2007-01-21 20:52:22 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm seeking truth, in a sense. I'll let science explain everything. Maybe within my lifetime, if I get lucky, scientists will find a non-religious explanation for the universe.
Do I want God to exist? Yes. Just because I want something to be there doesn't make it so. I want there to be a stack of $100 bills on my bed right now. But they're not going to be there.
2007-01-21 20:49:35 · answer #9 · answered by Nowhere Man 6 · 7⤊ 1⤋
Why do you not think others seek the truth also? Why just the unbeliever seeking truth? I think many Christians seek the truth, they want to put their hope in the real God. We struggle with questions the same as anybody else.
2007-01-21 21:00:26 · answer #10 · answered by angel 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋