A question for the atheists?

Question

I'm an atheist, I've posted a few other questions today and they've both felt the wrath of know nothing christians who keep saying "He will do blah blah" "He will forgive you" "He is the savior" "The lord made all you see before you" crap like that.

Other atheists out there, what do you think? What's your reason for non believing, and sorry believers, stay away, I don't want to hear your pity cries. I'll talk to you when you take life into your own hands and not the hands of fictional beings.

Answer 1

Here's a summary of why I no longer believe in the existence of God:

First, you have to define the term "God." The problem with most theists is that this term is a moving target.

In addition, because there is no evidence either for or against the existence of God, you cannot use deductive logic (a+b=c; therefore c-b=a). You can only reach a conclusion by inductive reasoning using the balance of evidence (90% of A is also B; C is B, so the chances are 90% that C is also A).

So to begin with, I will assert (and others may shoot this down) that the only RELEVANT definition of God states that GOD INTERVENES TO CIRCUMVENT NATURAL LAWS.

If God circumvents natural laws, then it becomes impossible to understand natural laws. All scientific findings would have to include the stipulation, "It is also possible that these results are an act of God, a miracle, thereby making our research meaningless."

However, we have been able to expand our knowledge of natural laws (evidenced by every appliance in your kitchen). Therefore, because the scientific method leads to applicable discoveries, and the likely conclusion is that God, at least the intervening kind, does not exist.

Additionally, if God is defined as all loving, all powerful, and all knowing, then it is impossible to explain suffering. Either God is not all loving (he acts sadistically), not all powerful (he cannot prevent suffering), or not all knowing (he created suffering by mistake because he didn't know the consequences of his actions). A God who is not all-loving, all-powerful or all-knowing is also not sufficient for the definition of God, because any God that fails to meet these criteria becomes bound by rules that are greater than God.

If God is bound by external rules and/or does not intervene in our existence, then God is either non-existent or irrelevant. The classic Bertrand Russell argument is that I cannot prove that a china teapot is orbiting the sun between the earth's orbit and Mars. But while I cannot prove this is not true, the evidence against it is compelling.

The evidence against God is equally compelling, and while it is not possible to prove beyond any doubt, it makes enormously more sense to live your life as if there were no God.

It is more compelling to me that humans have invented God (a) to help people deal with the pain and fear associated with death and loss, and (b) to reflect the thoughts of the ruling powers in a particular time. Humans are always searching for explanations. When none were found, it was the natural inclination to declare that the cause of the unexplained was "God" (or gods). As the faith grew, miracles (coincidences) and laws were ascribed to this Divinity, and an orthodoxy grew up around it.

Now it seems unhelpful to believe in such superstition. The only matters that aid in our ongoing well-being are work, location, health, sustenance, and pure, blind luck.

So that's why I don't believe God exists. And you know what? It's okay with me if other people persist in believing God does exist, so long as they don't insist that I obey the rules of their religion.

Answer 2

Not atheist, but agnostic, so here's my point of view...

As an agnostic (or someone who is unsure that God exists), I believe in the statement of "All I know is that I know nothing", which is the basis of all science and the attempt to explain this universe. Some would call this position being a skeptic - that's fine.

When I turn my eye and intellect to religion, I see a chaotic field and history that neither makes sense, or can be proven. Humanity originally started off with the worship of many gods, and then a small sect broke off and worshiped only one god. From this, two other major monotheistic religions came about - now, in the western and mideastern worlds, the monotheistic religions are "king" if you will. Yet, still a large part of the world (China, India, Southeast Asia) still practices, for the most part, polytheism.

A question then must be asked: If there is only 1 god, and he wants all of us to worship him, why doesn't he correct this situation?

Another question comes about upon the study of monotheism: If the basis of your religion is love, please explain all of the hate and vengeance that your god allows and indeed advocates in your holy book.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea of why I am confused about religion.

However, despite all the contradictions, confusion, ect..., I cannot rule out that God does not exist. You can't prove a negative - that's like asking for you to prove that this pencil that I hold in my hand doesn't exist - logically, you can't prove that. Therefore, to be intellectually honest, I have to say that there is a possibility that God exists.

Answer 3

For me religion serves no purpose. There is not one shred of evidence that god exists. Just because something is beyond our current knowledge doesn't make it supernatural.
Primitive people thought the seasons and the sunrising, a good harvest were the work of "gods", we know different now. I don't know when or if the human race will unlock the secrets of the universe, but that doesn't mean it was the work of "god".
Some people NEED certainty as to life and death and laws of the universe. The thought of a benevolent god for them enables them to deal with life's traumas. Personally I find it extremely arrogant to think we are the "chosen species", or the "chosen people" if they have a particular belief.
My best guess is there is lots of other life in the universe and we really not all that unique.
If people want to believe in a "god" that is their prerogative, but don't condemn people with other believes. Believe in god doesn't make it fact or make you more moral or good. Many terrible things have been done in the name of god.

Answer 4

I studied several different religions and found that for the most part they don't make any rational sense. The parts that do make sense can be found in any well written self-help book. That was when I started to realize that religions were just a way of passing on a way of life and philosophy that worked (to varying degrees of success) for past generations.

The problem is that the life philosophy of a culture needs to be flexible enough to be reassessed when new information is discovered, if that culture wants to thrive and grow.

Answer 5

-Not enough evidence for any god. The "evidence" that exists is too much of a stretch (look at all the so-called "fulfilled prophecies" in the Bible).
-Even if a god existed, which one? Humans have believed in thousands of gods, and there's no guarentee that any of those gods is the "real" one.
-I refuse to take anything on "faith." That seems like an excuse to believe in something that you know has no way of being true.
-In regards to Christianity, I keep being told by Christians that God is true because the Bible is true because it says it is. There are so many logical mistakes in those assumptions it is laughable.

Answer 6

I think, YOU & OTHERS has a Right to your Own belifs, The lord Forgives, Hes not a Judging Person, Unlike People on EARTH today, I dont understand a lot, Its really Scary To me, & i feel we All Have our Own Belifs, I get lotts of religion Jokes, some i read, some are nice, Some i delete. Dont let no onetell you what to do, I know Wonderfull Atheists, that will do anything for me, Its with in your Mind, & body & yourself, That makes You what you are, You can be a Great person & diffrent Belifs, No one should judge a book by its cover, Underneath could be Clean,

Answer 7

Atheism is the logical choice. There is no evidence to support the existence of a god or gods. I realized this when I was about 6. Christianity is just plain idiotic - a bunch of bronze age tribesmen made a book one day and used it to control farmers. Whoop-dee-doo. Christians need to get off their lazy as$es and stop asking God to do everything for them.

Also what's up with Christians capitalizing random words, spelling things wrong, and answering questions like complete idiots? (blueyeslady) - It's kind of pathetic, really..

Answer 8

Uh, perhaps it is your less than kind attitude towards "them" that makes you receive those types of responses. Ive found that in my encounters, if I am respectful towards them, 8 out of 10 are respectful back...

That being said...my reasons for not believing boil down to the utter lack of evidence, and the excuse that God cannot and does not want to be tested. Seems to me that if God performs miracles on earth, then he should be testable. Also seems to me that if God can intervene whenever he wants, yet refuses to in cases such as Vtech shooting, then he is malevolent, not benevolent... Heck, there are a thousands reasons why I do not swallow the Abrahamic God.

Answer 9

Atheism is the only truth that makes sense. Belief in gods is a ridiculous left over from our primitive days.

Answer 10

I read the Bible repeatedly, as a Christian.

And after reading it many times, cover to cover, and actually studying it, it all fell apart.

The Books are filled with frauds, tampering and fakes. The history of the books is not what you are told.

After your faith in the books themselves is gone, added to the nonsense and fairy tales that had already been slowly rejected, what is left?

The political institutions of a failed desert kingdom?

I couldn't care less.

The political propaganda of a first century rebellion?

Not my concern.

And their 'God'?

Not much of a God if you ask me. He goes from being all powerful in the original stories to a pale, frail martyr by the end, full of empty promises.

And little more than a cheap imitation of the gods that the Bible tells you to reject throughout.