Atheism - the intelligent choice? Do Christians agree?

Question

Is atheism really the INTELLIGENT choice, or is the devil lying to all the people out there? I know what I believe about my Creator.

What I am trying to determine is how can atheists deny a living God. How do they think they came about, and what is their purpose on earth.

Spikey-R - I do not contradict myself. I am a Christian - reborn and questioning other people's beliefs. It may be controversial, but I would like to know how what determines peoples choices.

Answer 1

Between Atheism and blindly adhering to any religion that you don't actually understand, yes.

Don't get me wrong.

I am, and have been an ordained Christian Minister for thirty years, so I am NOT proposing that anybody renounce their testimony of the Savior and begin behaving atheistically.

What I'm saying is that I have found honest-with-themselves Athiests, who don't know if there is a god, so they honestly tell others that they do not believe in God, to be much more honest, and much more at peace with themselves, and much more readily capable of living Christlike lives, than ANY of the many pseudo-christians I have met who don't actually believe in God any more than any Athiest, but claim they do, dishonestly.

I have met many an Athiest whose everyday behavior, actions, and beliefs are much more Christian than many a dishonest-with-him-or-her-self pseudo christian, and I am quite convinced that our Lord would much rather that those of us who have not yet attained a testimony of Him and His Goodness, not pretend that we have, but that we would honestly share with others our lack of such testimony, just like all the Atheists do.

In that respect, I am convinced that God is much more pleased with each and every Athiest than He is with a less-than-honest pseudo-believer.

......

Athiests do not reject anything. You have them confused with Agnostics. It's Agnostics who say "So there might be a god, or there might not be a god, who cares?" Athiests, the honest ones, anyway, are the ones who are saying that they don't (yet) believe in God. Even those who say "There is no god" are, to me, actually saying "There is no god [that I'm aware of (yet)]."

Answer 2

For me, Atheism is the poorly thought out choice. But that is the individual's right to take that choice and the world is a better place for that choice. I was an Atheist and had the same resentful attitude as many of the Atheists on Answers.

The more I think about the existence of God, the more i find it impossible to doubt.

The line in "The Usual Suspects" sums it up really well:

"The greatest trick the Devil pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

Answer 3

Atheists tend to see their viewpoint as the only logical choice because they have fallen victim to constraints of science which only deals with the physical world and that which can be proved by available technology through the use of the scientific method.

Unfortunately, because science is limited in this way, it is unable to analyze metaphysical phenomena which may include the existence of God, the human soul and spirit, faith and other such concepts exclusive to religions and belief systems.

The very fact that science is unable to measure these things, may be reason enough to exclude science as a means by which anyone should rule out any religion or belief system. In short, atheists who use science as a defense for their lack of religion ,or as a means to attack religion, do not understand the limited nature in which science can be applied.

Ideas about belief systems are studied under the heading of philosophy, a general rule of which is that if it cannot be logically ruled out, it should be considered a viable possibility. Anyone who rules out viable possibilities due to a lack of evidence is a close-minded fool.

Before there was enough proof, people of this world used to think that the sun revolved around the earth. Despite this common unbelief, the truth was that the earth revolved around the sun and always had.

By the way, KUDOS to Robert G (below). He hit the nail on the head. The false Christian much is more of an adversary of God than the disbelieving atheist. God has always been more critical of his so-called followers than he ever was of non-followers.

Answer 4

It is not necessarily an unintelligent choice, but often an ill educated one, or an un-informed choice. With that said, it does not matter how much information or education you can offer up or attempt to drum into someone, if they do not and or will not agree with thee, then 'they won't / can't.'

Witnesses to Jehovah, Catholics, Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Mormons and so on, each believe 'that they know the truth, or the way' ....can they all be right? And if not, then which is 'Right' and thus Mighty?

Great amounts of blood and internal organs have been shed over these arguments, vast tragedies have occurred through one set of individuals Knowing that They Hold the Truth and therefore are right and Righteous.

It's one hell of a responsibility. I just pray that which ever your religion, that all those who have died in its name will not hold those who promulgate it as responsible for their lives being cut so short ~ and likely in such obscene ugliness.

Religion is usually such a beautiful thing. Please be careful with it. Miss-handled, it can go off in your hands and in the faces of those about you.

Sash.

Answer 5

Atheism is really just another way for the devil to keep people from God. Its not that atheists just don't believe in God but it denies he exists which in turn makes the devil non existent. Exactly what the devil wants. Think about it, if humans don't believe there is a devil or demons, these evils can roam the earth as they wish and he will win. He is trying to take as many souls with him as he can, if we don't believe he even exists, there is more time to work on the others who do believe. Atheists are left alone to think as they like b/c the devil has no need to convince them, they did it for him. The devil isn't real to them b/c he doesn't need to come around. Hes not worried about them, hes already got them.

God Bless

Answer 6

No God, Know Problem
Know God, No Problem

Babe->Child->Man->Perfect Man Christ: the end of the law.
Returning to the middle ages is evidently intellectual suicide.
Both biblical literalism and human secularism are dead ends.

It's all "allegory" in both 'covenants": Galatians 4
http://www.godshew.org/Allegory.htm

God said: let us make "man", followed by two options:
- "in our image": created imperfect...BEFORE (them)
- "after our likness": made perfect... AFTER (us)
Yet no "man" is justified by the law in the sight of God.
And better blessed the "man" in Ps 32:1,2 (Rom 4:7,8)
There's lots of 'clarity'...about a 1000 pages of it in Bible.

In a virtue-all reality game of life or death (God Shew)
the level of deceit (difficulty) increases as you go on.

Many shall come...to DECEIVE...shall deceive Many.
What part of the first and last Many did you not get?

Lukewarm? Not acceptable! So get hot or not = cold.
Many x-ians will offer you a 'cup' of 'cold' for a 'reward'.
Here's a picture of 'cold', notably from the weather channel:
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/slideshow/katrina2.html

At the throne of grace only mercy is obtain-able. Go figure.

Only what began can end.
His Grace has neither begin nor end.

The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.

Answer 7

I don't believe it's neccessarily all the devils fault, I just believe people are generally unwise.

intellect has nothing to do with beliefs. Intellect is just a person's ability to think and understand at a certain level, not believe. If you thought that you had to have a high intellect to be an atheist, then I guess people should assume I was one. But I'm not.

Answer 8

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that most religious people don't think atheism is "the intelligent choice".

I think it's a good choice for me but I don't really expect them to agree.

Answer 9

I'm not Christian.I was born into a religion of religious tolerance,I feel that ATHEISM would allow me to be a much less frustrated person about how n why God turned his back on me.I feel that if I do not do things that are morally wrong, it's OK to be atheist. Somehow I feel that atheists have to be more secretive about their beliefs than gays about their sexuality. (No offence to those who find comparisons odious.)

Answer 10

No, I think it is the worst choice you could ever make in your life.
This decision will affect where you will go for all of eternity if do not accept him as your Savior,a simple choice heaven or hell?

2 John 1:7
Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.

1 John 2:22-23
Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

John 17:24
"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

John 3:18
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

Matthew 10:32-33
"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.