Atheists believe in no god. But the very first man and woman (Adam and Eve) believed in God. Its like playing Chinese whisper - somewhere along the line the message has been distorted. So what then, will you say if a time arises that your standing before God - how will you explain to him that you spent your whole life rejecting him, telling others that he doesnt exist, and you werent expecting to meet him?
2007-05-03 05:12:07 · 60 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
If all is done according to God's will, then God purposely allowed them to be atheist.
2007-05-03 05:15:24 · answer #1 · answered by Paien 3 · 7⤊ 3⤋
Who says Adam and Even existed in the first place? A holy text? And this same holy text claims that they believed in God too, right? That part of your argument doesn't help further your case much when read by a person who believes the Bible was written by man and is not of a divine origin.
What will I say if a time arises that I am standing before God? I will say I rejected nothing, but merely did not believe what I was told about him. Rather, I followed my own mind and lived as I thought was best.
What if there is a "god", but he is *nothing* at all like the god of the Bible, or any other holy text? What if he *does* favor good deeds and skepticism over blind faith? What will you say to him when you stand before him and he asks, "Why did you focus so much on a book written by man rather than enjoy this beautiful world I made for you?"
2007-05-03 06:31:32 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Maybe I can help straighten this out. It is not that we believe in "no god," it's that we don't believe in any God, religion, or any of their associated dogma. So, you using Adam and Eve as and argument doesn't working. You see, Adam and Eve are not only characters in a work of fiction, but definitively NOT the first humans on this billions of years old rock. It's not that the message has been distorted...the original message is baseless.
2007-05-03 14:52:50 · answer #3 · answered by carmandnee 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The very essence of understanding begins with tolerance. In life we encounter many ideas along with endless theory accompanied with various ideology's. We either agree or disagree with these impressions. If we find a statement, quote or religion that we find truthful, often enough we want to share it or even force it upon our peers and even our own family.
Debating the existence of something that can't be proved is a difficult task. For one, no matter the threat, you can't change the belief of another person. Change is entirely the responsibility and choice of the individual. Secondly, what is the purpose of the question? Is it a tolerant approach to another person's belief, or a passive aggressive exchange of personal opinion?
In reading some of the responses I see that we have many different thoughts on just who this God is or is not specifically. Let us take all the known labels and names away and assume that God is simply the creation of all things and that through the centuries of history he/she has had many different names. In this way we can all find a common ground on which to stand together and practice tolerance of one another's beliefs. Or even non-beliefs.
If a person is an atheist, than so be it. Warnings of a perceived recourse as a result of such a choice is not conducive to productive dialogue. The need to seek change in others instead of change in one's self is the main flaw in the collective human mind. If I think there is a God and you do not, it doesn't change what I think and it doesn't change what you think. Therefore, the best way to discuss such things is to allow the other the natural right to personal opinion.
If a person chooses not to accept that God is the creation of all things, therefore declaring themselves to be an atheist, why should this change your opinion?
How does one know that a another person has spent every moment of their entire lives rejecting God? Why would we bother to entertain the meaning of such a question? Without a compassionate approach we are left to haggle and persecute each other's views. We can't prove that God exists and we can't prove that a God does not exist. So the argument of an Atheist is flawed in the way that a believers argument is flawed. God cannot be proven either way, the question of who is right can never be answered.
However, if I was to find myself in the situation as asked I offer the following.
If it meant that because of my beliefs only, (that I had lived a just life, but not actually believed,) I would be condemned to hell. I would have the satisfaction in knowing that throughout the course of our human history, all those who had committed evil upon the innocent were burning eternally right beside me. At least I would know that they did not suffer in vain. This would be enough for me. - jcr
2007-05-03 07:03:55 · answer #4 · answered by jrob4403 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I will tell you, but you wont like it.
I will stand before him, look him in the eye and say that it is his fault and his fault alone that I did not believe, and that if I should have done better, he is to blame for my failings.
"Religions" serve to split people into groups of people that at best, disagree and at worst hate each other, whatever message there is is unclear as it is lost amongst so much contradiction, hate and division. How can I decide one religion is right when other religions say the opposite, with as much conviction and with the same dirty slate of their own behaviour?
There is evil in this world outside of mankind - whether it be the disease that racks the body of a new born baby and kills it, the lion that rips apart the zebra or those born disabled. Nature is ugly, nature is built on suffering. God created it and God created us and put us in nature. If God exists I have a major problem with him for his lack of responsibility for his own creation.
I have tried to be a good person, I have existed well and tried to be the ebst I could. If God holds the fact I didnt live in accordance with him, so be it. If he is insecure that I didnt get some calling that was lost to me through the chaos of his own creation, so be it. If I fail him because of this. So be it. But he is at fault for not being clearer and not giving me a better chance to do so.
2007-05-03 05:47:30 · answer #5 · answered by Caffeine Fiend 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You can only say the very first man and woman were Adam and Eve IF you believe in the bible and god. We (atheists) know that Adam and Eve are a part of the religious mythology and therefore, are not fact.
IF there is a god and IF I end up standing before him... I'll apologize for using my intellect and logic to prove he doesn't exist and he might forgive me for thinking. If not, I'll gladly go wherever he deems it appropriate for me to go because I don't want to worship a god who only appreciates blind faith.
2007-05-03 05:29:05 · answer #6 · answered by Rogue Scrapbooker 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I have always considered myself an atheist. But your question is very interesting. If i was to die and find myself stood in front of A god i would be shocked to day the least. As for what i would say? I would probably ask him why my life is as bad as it is. Is it because i didn't believe in him and pray to him every day? I don't actually go around telling people that he doesn't exist. I think its up to the individual to decide their own beliefs. In fact i take my daughter to a church youth club every week where she learns about the bible. She believes in a christian god. I really have no problem with that, I think it is a wonderful thing to gain comfort from believing in god but i personally don't.
I think i would say to him that as i have been a good person all my life does it really matter that i didn't believe in him? Could i still be allowed into heaven?
Very good question by the way.
i'll give u a star.
2007-05-03 05:23:54 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Technically it's impossible to be an Atheist. To say "I don't believe in God" is to simply say that you acknowledge his existence but choose to ignore him.
To answer the question though, some forms of religion state that, with true repentence anyone will be forgiven. Others say that unless you follow the religious teaching to the letter, you will end up in "hell" or some other form of eternal damnation.
I personally don't believe in "GOD" as such but I do believe in a higher force that one could call God. I do however believe that if you live your life and enjoy everything good and accept everything bad, and you don't do anything that is morally wrong, you can end your days with a clear conscience. Life is to be lived and whatever power it is that exists, would surely like you to use your time to enjoy life, not mourn it.
Wow this is way too deep for a Thursday afternoon! I'm off to find a question about Music hehe >.<
2007-05-03 05:26:43 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
The very first man and woman believed in God?
How do you know?
Did those people ever exist?
I need more than the Bible to feel comfortable believing something so far-fetched.
And I'm sure, if there is a God, he will realize that.
2007-05-03 05:18:48 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
Guess what? We don't believe the stories of the bible either. So that means we don't believe Adam and Eve were the first people on earth.
2007-05-03 05:31:07 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The time will never arise when I stand before God, as I am certain that he does not exist.
What you are saying sounds something like Pascal's Wager to me. If you don't know what Pascal's Wager was, ask the question and I'm sure some clever person can look it up in Wikipedia for you.
To useful quote is:
If one person suffers from a delusion, it's called insanity. If a large group of people suffer from a delusion, it's called religion.
2007-05-03 05:17:12 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 3⤋