Why do people try to prove their faith to others or that atheism is right?

Question

To prove soemthing would be to demonstrate beyond beyond doubt that something is a certain way. Isn't faith a hope of things unseen and therefore not something that can be proved in a rigorous scientific fashion and hence forcing others to accept it? What happened to giving a reasonable account of one's faith and leaving it at that?

And why is it that atheists think that they can prove that God doesn't exist? Isn't it more illogical to claim to know for certain that something doesn't exist, which would require simultaneous knowledge of every corner and dimension of the universe, than to believe it is possible that something exists that might not? Why are atheists so threatened by those who believe in God?

Discuss what you think the best dialogue between science and religion should be... and please keep your answers serious and respectful.

Answer 1

That's quite a question; let me see if I can give a good answer.

People feel driven to prove their belief when they really get caught up in the "witness" part; the prosyletizing. They feel it's their mission from the Almighty to go out and express their joy to others; often to the point of being a total pain.

Atheists, on the other hand, look at faith as you have accurately described it, the "hope of things unseen," and I think some of them have a lot of "negative energy" in them that makes them hostile to otherwise decent believers. I'm sure there are atheists that are quite mellow, and have no motivation to bash others' beliefs.

As long as there are people who are fervently into a particular belief system or philososphy, they will forever be knocking heads with those who believe otherwise. Seems like people can't just "live and let live."

As far as the "dialogue between science and religion" goes, I think people should be mature and logical enough to accept the best that both have to offer.

I mean, let's say you believe in God (as in the Christian version). Now, whenever he "created" everything, he also set into motion all the laws of science and physics. There's no way to escape that fact. And even if you believe stories like Moses parting the Red Sea, except for those brief moments, physics still operates as it always has.

People ought to be intelligent enough to accept the scientific explanation of the age of the earth. But, alas.....

Basically, people are going to believe whatever they lock their minds onto, and it's just about impossible to convince them otherwise, even with valid examples of math and physics.

Answer 2

Faith is the movement towards things unseen, however this movement is only fulfilled in application and this is where the problem ensues. While it is true that Faith is about the unseen, what is not always understood by the religious faithful is that this unseen is an ideal by which they seek to attain to, so as it changes from wonder to desire. Such a thing requires action, this is to prove all things within yourself, this is the power to "prove God" within yourself by applying toward that which you know in the endeavor to manifest that which is only in ideal form, or unseen - not manifest by yourself (i.e. let your light shine so man can see this work in you, apply the talents you have to receive 2x to what you applied,. This is all the result).

So there is an error in the foundational understanding of the religious when it comes to the whole process. For you must live your faith to obtain what is given by it, and that is gnosis. If you can't be faithful in the little things, how will you be so in the higher things? By works is faith made perfect and without it faith is dead.

As for the atheistic prospective, well they have proved that the biblical god doesn't exist as fundamentalist believe but they have not proved that God doesn't exist in general, only a scriptural allegory. Such a thing disproves itself, if one understands the purpose of scriptures.

And as a last THOUGHT, all the different beliefs/prospective are all trying to prove each other wrong and negate the other. Religious people do it to one another and atheist, but this is something that all seem to be doing.

Answer 3

Exactly. That's why i'm an agnostic. I don't believe in god, but I don't rule out the fact that he exist. I just find it hard to believe that some all mighty being/thing could create such an expansive universe and that he spends all his time worrying about just human beings when there are probably billions of civilizations throughout the universe.

Answer 4

god is not just in some odd corner or dimension of the universe; rather, god is supposed to be everywhere, or up in heaven controlling things, or at least receiving the dead's magic souls.

religion is to me a derogatory term used to describe systems of belief that pend on something other than experience.

atheists are 'threatened' by believers because believers force their beliefs on atheists through changes in law, amongst other types of attack.

we are only trying to teach. we care. we see something dreadfully wrong and we want to help.

Answer 5

Because people hate loneliness. They want to share the companionship of others who think like them. Humans are relational creatures; no amount of rationality or reason can change this fact, and no one is exempt.

Answer 6

"And why is it that atheists think of that they are able to instruct that God does not exist?" Who informed you that? i don't see atheists telling people who they are able to instruct that god does not exist. i think there are a pair of them - the folk who think of that the belief of god implies a contradiction - yet i will guess that maximum individuals of atheists do not think of that they are able to instruct that god does not exist. i don't think of that i will. It only does not look significant - in easy of the shortcoming of information for a god, god does not exist. something of that paragraph seems only irrelevant. If there is somebody who claims to be attentive to for particular that god does not exist, consistent with probability a number of that has some meaning, yet for atheists often, it is only not proper to the element. As for why atheists are threatened by people who have self assurance in god, you will might desire to ask the believers that one.

Answer 7

You're right. We will never argue anyone into faith; it must be done in a spirit of love, with gentle persuasion.

Answer 8

'cause they think it is the way to heaven and they want to help others to come with them..........