Why is it so hard for atheists to believe there's a God out there somewhere?

Question

Just a question i would like to know. That way I at least understand your perspective.

Answer 1

You answer your own question with the phrasing, "Why is it so hard..." Because that's just it: we believe what we believe. We think what we believe is true. If it's true, it should be obvious. When we encounter someone who thinks differently we can't understand how that person could possibly not understand what we ourselves know is so obvious.

For me, it seems blindingly obvious that there is no evidence for a god. It also "obviously" follows that, if there is no evidence for the existence of a god, then there is no reason to believe in one. This, to me, seems a fundamental fact.

I could just as easily ask, with equal sincerity and conviction, "Why is it so hard for Christians to understand that there is no evidence for a god?" I don't understand how you could possibly believe that one exists without any evidence.

Answer 2

I believe in Jesus without needing any proof, but I don't "see" that as my "perspective". I don't "sense" that He's there. I don't even decide to believe based on any evidence because there is none presented to me and I can't share a perspective I can't have. Athiests seem to need evidence in order for them to decided to believe so how can I or anyone fault them for being real and needing evidence? They simply don't have a perspective of their own or a shared perspective of anyone who can convince them they've seen God.

I think the most "sensible" thought would be "I don't know" if God exists or doesn't because we don't have proof one way or the other, but Athiests choose not to believe, while I and others choose to believe.

Answer 3

It's a little hard to answer you because you are using "God" in an ambiguous way. "a God out there somewhere" makes it sound like belief in any concept of god will satisfy you. Does that mean you have no problem with belief in gods like Zeus, Odin or Ra? If you think belief in them is silly, then you know how I feel about all gods that have been named or described by mankind.

I don't have much to quibble with Deists, who generally assume that there is some kind of supernatural creator, but that its natural is unknowable and it doesn't interact in any way with the universe. There is no evidence for or against a claim for this kind of deity, and all we are left with are philosophical arguments. But I also think there is no compelling argument either way. The most compelling argument to me is that if we must postulate a creator to explain our existence, then how is it that the creator itself existed in the first place? This seems to be a good argument that everything exists without having been created from some intelligent act of creation. For this reason, I lean towards hard atheism.

Answer 4

Not again.

You do realize this question has already been asked at least three times today? And thats between the many hours of break from YA that I've had due to the exhaustion caused by the painkillers after my dentists appt.

And, for the billionth time, I don't believe because there is no logical reason to believe. I don't live my life in fear of the unknown and point to imaginary fairy creatures as an explanation. I simply search for the reason. If I can't find it, then I continue to search.

Not having an answer DOES NOT point to a gods existance. It points to a "need to continue the search to find out the answer".

Its called strength, logic, courage, and intelligence. Do you have any of those?

Answer 5

OK, if we set aside 'there is no evidence' i.e. I can't see, touch or perceive God or where He is located. And if we set aside (just for the sake of argument) "I can't feel God"..Then we are left with: What actions are required of a believer in a God. For my argument I will only look at the big three.

muslims = submission. Bowing 5 times a day and certain other requirements. If the idea of bowing or submitting makes my skin crawl (because of my personal psychology); then, I would choose to not believe.

judaism = a smorgasborg of concepts, most of which, are guidelines to live more ethically, with greater familial and national connection and pride and (some) holiday rituals (or not) The majority of jews are very secular people.
If I already feel that I am more moral than MOST of the Christians I have met in R & S; then, I can compacently claim superiority sans a God. Why judaism, they still are waiting and hoping for some kind of messiah to make their world a better place. As an atheist, I can be proud of where I am, my lack of need of anything to be a 'crutch' or my opium...I am modern woman/man...independent, confident in technology and my own self will.

Re: Christianity, ahso..now here's the rub...the people who believe in this religion think it's important to defend it and broadcast it.
Whereas the atheist re: relations with people of religion (just want to be left alone !!) But, there's an even greater threat, which is: the acceptance of Jesus means and emotional earthquake in my soul. It means that the "great I"...his/her majesty" wills to concede, acknowledge and worship someone Greater. And that is anathema !!

Therefore, I shall come to R & S and mock the Christians, catch them in no win psuedo intellectual positions, tick them off, if possibe (extra points for a Christian to rant, at me for provoking him/her) and 'crusade' for my beliefs; which are a lack of beliefs (as least regarding a Greater Power, Intelligence and Will -- than mine.)..

Asker: I hope that gives you something to add to your schemata of other's perspectives..

Ahhh.what's that I hear..."but, but you are a Christian..!!! you can't say that..you don't know that...because you aren't an atheist..." Hogwash Empiricism is only one of many philosophies; and an infantile one at that.

Prove me wrong. On any of these points.

Answer 6

it's more not believing that any specific God ever described by humans has had any legitimacy. And if there is a God we have never thought of, we can't possibly know how to change our behavior accordingly. HOnestly, no one cares if you believe "there's a God out there somewhere", but that's a far cry from "stem cells are people" and "the earth was clearly created 10,000 years ago.

Answer 7

It's not that it's hard for us to believe it. It's just that we have done the research (most of us) and have thought long and hard and have decided that God cannot be so.

If you are questioning us in this way, then I will question you as well...

Why is it so hard for you to stop relying on a book or a preacher to tell you what is true and what isn't, look around, wake up, smell the coffee, and get a dose of reality?

Answer 8

They deny God because they don't want anyone to answer to. They want to do what is right in there own eyes.
One day every knee will bow and tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. By that time however it will be to late for them.
There is evidence for God everywhere, unless you believe that all of this came by chance from a cosmic burp. Talk about a fairy tale.
Christians believe "In the beginning God." Atheist believe in the beginning dirt. It takes a lot more faith to believe that this all came about by chance.

Answer 9

Every single argument I've ever encountered to show evidence, through "logic", that God exists has been rife with logical fallacies. The definition of the word "God" is extremely ambiguous, and so it changes whenever someone shows that a particular variation of the definition makes no sense. Then when that definition is also shown to be lacking, the definition changes again. And so on, ad infinitum.

Answer 10

How did your infinitely complex God come about? Did it evolve? Was it created? You can't really expect me to believe it just happens to exist for no reason at all, can you?
Sorry saying he "just is" does not cut it. Saying he is eternal is irrelevant as the question is why does he exist. If you found a library would you claim that it is eternal was a sufficient reason for it to exist? Of course not! so why do you think that is an answer for your infinitely more complicated god?

The only reason that makes sense to me why nature exists is that nature is based on simple necessary tautological mathematical truth, not some magical infinitely complex god.

We observe that nature follows simple mathematical laws to incredible degrees of accuracy. There is no evidence that nature is following the whims of a sadistic magical bible god.