do you consistently deny the existence of God because you personally have never seen him but you reject out of hand personal testimony from theists who claim to have experienced God as a reality in thier lives?
2007-01-23 14:16:44 · 28 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I can find you personal testimonies for Allah, Zeus, Odin, and the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Why do you just reject those out of hand?
2007-01-23 14:21:02 · answer #1 · answered by eri 7 · 11⤊ 1⤋
Why, Christians, do you consistently deny the existence of Vishnu because you personally have never seen him, but you reject out of hand personal testimony from Hindus who claim to have experienced Vishnu as a reality in thier lives?
2007-01-23 14:22:01 · answer #2 · answered by marbledog 6 · 9⤊ 1⤋
Personal testimony is totally unreliable evidence, for many reasons. I don't doubt that some theists are quite sincere in their belief that they have experienced "God". But I think they have misinterpreted their senses.
Note that these supposed experiences of God are inconsistent with each other. Why do you reject the testimony of believers whose religious beliefs are incompatible with yours?
2007-01-23 14:24:23 · answer #3 · answered by Jim L 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Saying you experienced something is not ample evidence for the skeptics here. I can say I saw the Flying Dutchman while on a western Caribbean cruise. My testimony doesn't make it real for anyone except me.
I would never deny that someone thinks they experienced god or that god is very real to them, but that doesn't make it real to anyone else.
2007-01-23 14:34:28 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'd think that the reason would be obvious. Those theists' claims are obviously false, and they can't back them up with anything.
This may help you understand better. Suppose I said that people can fly by flapping their arms really fast. You tried it, and said, "No, that's not true. No matter how fast I flap, I can't fly". Then I replied, "Well, I can". Wouldn't you want to see me do it? Would you really believe me just on the basis of my say-so?
Don't bother saying that you would - of course you wouldn't. That's why we deny the existence of god.
It's also hard not to notice that the believers - like the two above - who respond to this kind of question choose to lie rather than really answer it. That constant lying kinda wipes out your credibility, don't you think?
2007-01-23 14:23:12 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
religious hallucinations are not unusual and the testimonies of the religious fervor of individuals like you describe don't prove anything but some feel strongly about the imaginary god and lack touch with reality many suffering catatonic ailments also have divine smiles pasted on their faces but this does connote good to most of us ;either does the joy of schizophrenia.what you call reality?...,is tolerated insanity.
peace out
2007-01-23 14:25:55 · answer #6 · answered by dogpatch USA 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
deny the existence of God, its not denial..... he's not real.
You believe in him if you want to, and i definately will not.
You say reject testimonies of ppl seeing God, you reject all the science of it all.
We're even!
Paul s above, makes a pretty good point!
2007-01-23 14:24:07 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
Because God is an illusion. Lets take cheap magicians that you see at birthday parites. Little kids believe their tricks, they can pull flowers out of seemingly nowhere, and pull a bunny out of a hat. We all know its just a trick of the eye. Same with God. The wind starts blowing someones way one day, and they believe its God's help.
2007-01-23 14:31:45 · answer #8 · answered by Jonny G 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because I believe those people who claim to have experienced god in their lives are just suffering from mass hysteria. There is NO physical proof that a god of any shape or form exists anywhere in time.
2007-01-23 14:21:27 · answer #9 · answered by Stormilutionist Chasealogist 6 · 7⤊ 1⤋
I reject the concept of a god as much I reject the idea of unicorns, angels, dragons, etc.
Those theists who have "experienced" a god as a reality... hm, well, it's all just an induced psychosis really. An indoctrination. Why NOT reject deluded people's beliefs/ideas?
2007-01-23 14:20:48 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 10⤊ 1⤋