I can understand if it's the latter. I am a jaded ex-Catholic. Tried the other Christian faiths. I just don't think any of it is what Christ had in mind. I especially love the whole WWJD campaign...But what would Jesus do if he bumped into a homesexual on the street? Well sorry folks, he would welcome him or her as a brother or sister JUST LIKE YOU.
I got off track. Mainly, I just wanted to know what most "atheists" believe: No God or no Christian God?
2007-04-07 14:42:02 · 28 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I'm an atheist in the sense of not believing in a biblical "God". A personal god. I sometimes think there might be something intangible at work in the universe, that has nonetheless had tangible outcomes. Although I see consciousness as something that arises in the brain, and is therefore grounded in the physical, I sometimes wonder if there is "something" mysterious at work that is being made manifest... if all physical matter - even a rock - has some kind of intrinsic spiritual dimension (for lack of a better word word) that reaches its zenith within the complexity of the brain. It would be an unmeasurable x-factor that would act as something of a determining selector for mutations over the millennia and guide the evolution of the brain. A clumsy example would be how the development of the eye is contingent first upon the existence of light.
I guess I'm an agnostic, with leanings towards believing in no higher power, but with some hope left that there might be things in the universe beyond the reach of science. I don't think a lack of proof necessarily demonstrates that God does not exist - as absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
2007-04-08 02:26:31 · answer #1 · answered by opifan64 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I don't know what "most" atheists believe but I will tell you my own beliefs.
After extensive research, I became an atheist because all the evidence points to the fact that God and gods of all varieties are fictional; attempts by primitive people to explain the world around them. We no longer need to resort to "god did it" as an explanation for the natural world. To be sure there are still gaps in our knowledge, and you can fill in those gaps with god if you like...many people do. Atheists clearly do not.
My research also proved to my own satisfaction that there is very likely no such thing as a "spirit" or "soul" that survives this life. What we call the "self" is completely a physical, brain based phenomenon. When the brain dies, so do we.
So no god, no reincarnation, no life everlasting of any kind. One life is all we get.
And in case you wonder, contrary to popular Christian belief, you can live a very moral and happy life based on humanistic principles of kindness and love without having to resort to religion.
Check out the links below for more of what (some) atheists believe.
2007-04-07 15:52:29 · answer #2 · answered by Mom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Both?... The former is a concequence of the latter in most cases as if one rejects beliefs that are passed to them unquestioned, they often feel that there is no decemt reason to believe in a God, most notably if they haven't experienced anything which could be interpereted as a religious experience (but of course many times if they have realizing that similar experiences tak place within all religions, and even among athiests, and it's an interperetation of a religious experience.
It seems to me that rejecting dogma, and knowing with any conviction that you know the nature of God are conflicting ideas, which makes agnosticism a more attractive choice, probably eventually fully transitioning to atheism if one concludes after further examination that there's no reason, other than dogma, to believe in any greater power.
2007-04-07 14:50:44 · answer #3 · answered by yelxeH 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atheists do not believe in God. The idea of religion and dogma grows out of a belief in God. So, the idea of religion and dogma is rather irrelevant.
It's rather like not believing in Santa, and therefore not taking time to write the annual letter or putting out the cookies and milk.
2007-04-07 15:28:44 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No gods, no higher power. If there was a higher power, why have all the suffering in the world? It seems to me that alot of people have died because they believe in a god and a religion.
2007-04-07 15:28:44 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Both.
I don't believe in any god or goddess, not just the christian god. None of them are real.
And since there is no higher power, there is no reason for me to center my life around the teachings and instructions of someone else.
2007-04-07 14:47:31 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm pretty sure atheists believe in no god period and no higher power. The self-proclaimed atheists I have run into over these years have all been very supportive of the big bang theory / Darwinian evolution... etc. Pretty sure this is indicative of their non-belief in anything "spiritual" or "ethereal" or what have you.
2007-04-07 14:46:00 · answer #7 · answered by F1reflyfan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no christian concept of God.or the divinity of jesus./ i've gone from christian to atheist to mystic to buddhist to mystic. mystic just doesn't belong to any religion and i think what is called God is the Divine Mystery. whatever happens in the present moment is unavoidable and has an incredible interrelatedness and started at the birth or being
2007-04-07 15:25:10 · answer #8 · answered by robertbobbybob 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not the latter. It's the former. The god concept is logically impossible. I couldn't believe even if I wanted to.
2007-04-07 15:07:14 · answer #9 · answered by ZER0 C00L ••AM••VT•• 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's the FACT that there is no evidence that either exist. Also that the idea of a god or higher power is totally ridiculous.
2007-04-07 15:45:04 · answer #10 · answered by ChristOnAStick 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋