The Bible says we are born knowing nothing. " Babies are born atheist " ?

Question

The Bible Job 8 : 8 - 10
"Ask the former generations and find out what their fathers learned, for we were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow. Will they not instruct you and tell you ? Will they not bring forth words from their understanding ?

Answer 1

Tell this to the other guy He obviously wanted BIBLE PROOF
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ap6n5rNvd94KVEi2HD8imOfsy6IX?qid=20070623070349AAMuEVy&show=7#profile-info-8qHCsZy5aa

Answer 2

I think you are reading into this too deep. Is he really saying that an actual day can be a shadow the way a tall tree casts a shadow in the sun? Is he really holding a conversation if he was just born yesterday and is only a day old? You cannot take the bible that literally or you will lose your mind. Trust me, I've been there. He's just saying that your ancestors can answer alot of what you don't know. It has nothing to do with atheism.

Answer 3

Your question disturbs me. It challenges things I deeply believe. So please keep that in mind when reading this answer.

"Knowing" is the key word. Is it accumulating facts, learning physical skills, acquiring social skills and developing philosophy? Or, is it deeper?

I believe that we know more than our conscious mind can ever articulate or process. I believe that it is this hidden knowledge that drives people. There are many real life stories of people, especially young children. who have had experiences where they did things that required knowledge and skills that they had no logical way of having acquired. And, there are people who have never heard of a god who cry out to him when they face death.

Babies may not be born with "knowledge" easily seen, but they are born with many untaught skills and yearnings. When you watch a baby you can see that the young person already has preferences, thoughts and feelings. Many say that all you can see is a life that has genetic tendencies and instincts. But, I see more. God is there. The baby does not need to say it, name it or even call to a god. The baby is still and always will be a part of God.

Atheist to me means a doubter. Babies are the truest believers there are. They believe in unconditional love and support.

Job's words were not about doubting God. His words were about the huge responsibility of raising a child to be a child of God. A person who knows and reveres God and tries to do what is right for all is a person close to God. This is what the baby is born without the "knowledge" and skill to do as it grows. The world is a very dangerous and crazy place. It is easy to get confused and lost. Job wanted to make sure that he and others remembered that amid the human mess of life God is still there. That is the "knowledge" that matters.

Answer 4

No, this doesn't mean babies are born atheist, since atheist means "against God". What might be better said is that babies are born "agnostic", which means "against knowledge" - just like the verse says - they don't know anything yet, and that's why it says the former generations should teach them. By the way, before people that don't believe in God should start to assert here that this proves there isn't a God, all that exists are a bunch of people who've brainwaished each other, let me expand what I'm saying. I've said "agnostic" here, but even this isn't quite accurate. For example, a baby technically does not know anything about its mother when its born - it can't communicate anything to anyone else about the person that is their mother. However, the very first time a baby is placed in its mother's arms, there is a sense of familiarity, comfort and ease that takes place - an inner knowing that there is no threat. That is the bonding of the baby's spirit to its mother's spirit. It is a natural response that happens with every baby living, even in the animal kingdom. It is, in fact, one of the greatest early proofs in our lives that we have a spirit that very naturally responds to that which is right and true. It is one reason why the bible declares that we all have written within ourselves the desire and knowledge to know God. And that is why so many religions in the world exist - it is a natural response to the desire to answer the questions: where did we come from? how did we get here? what does life mean, and what am I intended to accomplish? why do we die? what happens when we die? what's the purpose of choosing to do good over evil? And our responsibility as the "former generation" that exists as this new era of children are coming into the world to guide them according to our life experiences, the experiences of our hearts, and our book knowledge - all of which are very valid tools for learning. Granted, none of us will learn perfectly. None of us will have everything exactly correct. But we will have a core of understanding that gives enough of a foundation to live our lives according to the basic tenets of human decency vs consequences and love vs hate. If we struggle with faith and whether or not we should pursue it no matter the label we should all recognize that ALL of life's purpose is LEARNING and APPLYING the answers to these questions. And that's why the bible says that "God giveth MORE grace" and that "His mercies are new every morning" - it's like saying every day is a new chance to learn more, to add to what we've learned, and to correct what we've learned that is incorrect. And at the end of our life, we are judged by the WHOLE of it... not the momentary failures, but who we are as a whole. Not the moments we all have that we regret, but all of it. And we will find that in all of it God has more mercy than we could ever hope possible. Because God was there for every heartbreaking moment, every injustice visited on us by outward circumstances, other people, and even every self destructive choice we've ever made. And His overall judgment will not be the hammer of death, but the gavel of mercy and compassion that says "I was there. I understand why you did what you did. Even the bad things. Come, let us reason together. And though your sins are as scarlet, yet they will be as white as snow! Because I LOVE you, and my LOVE is so much stronger and greater than your sin." Because truly God's love is the very power itself that created the whole universe, and everything living therein, from the microscopic to the immense.

Answer 5

understanding not something in this actual scripture does not advise an entire loss of awareness (ie: an empty innovations). It implies the comparable component a professor as quickly as pronounced in a classification I attended. He pronounced that when coaching around the globe for over 50 years He got here to the tip that for the time of spite of everything he had found out he rather did not comprehend something. In essence, by potential of assessment with the certainty attainable in totality in the international, his awareness became into very small. as some distance because of fact the certainty of God is worried it rather is made very sparkling in Paul's letter to the Romans financial ruin a million:19 and 20 that He has placed the certainty of Himself in anybody so as that all and sundry are without excuse. From this God is saying there's no genuine excuse for everybody to declare they don't believe in Him because of fact the seed is planted in them from the very theory of existence.

Answer 6

Everyone is born an atheist. But it's not because "we know nothing" it's just because we havent been taught to believe in anything. We become atheist again the more educated we get throughout the years or the smarter we are period.

Answer 7

Everybody was born an atheist. However, as the child grows it learns about religion and they become believers. In some Christian denominations the become part of the Christian family as soon as they're baptized. The passage was also talking about how we as humans really know nothing about our world, we are but just living.

Answer 8

An atheist is not the same as an innocent who has not yet heard about religion or any of the philosophical debates we grapple with here. An atheist has looked at the question and decided he does not believe there is any such thing as a god or goddess. A baby knows a goddess: his mother.

Answer 9

Babies are born knowing everything but by the time they can speak they have forgotten the amazing things that they knew. Have you ever looked into the eyes of a new baby? All wisdom is in them.

Answer 10

I can live with that...

Now then... Who's responsible for filling their little heads with all the unsubstantiated, fantastic, incredible and unbelievable BS of god-belief, eh? Whoever they are, they've certainly caused a lot of malarkey to be dressed up as if it was the road to peace rather than war.

There are no gods, folks... give up the folly and you'll find that your across-the-border neighbors look a lot more friendly.

[][][] r u randy? [][][]
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Post Script: to Terye L... Atheist does not mean "against god," it means, "no god," as in: There is no effin' god.