I'm only gonna explain this one more time for those of you atheists who think it's not a choice.
Your sexual orientation is choosen for you right...your born attracted to the opposite sex, the same sex, or both. There is no choice in that matter...you can only choose to accept what nature has given you.
Yes we are all born atheists, but to a person who has been brought up to believe in god...they think there's a god. And the fact that the Christian god, or some other god is not logical is not our choice...it's either is or isn't logical. But that doesnt mean that we automatically have to then assume their isn't a god, we make the choice based on the evidence that there must be no god. Which is why some people remain religious and some don't. But it's not predetermined like sexual orientation, for us to feel that way, it's a choice we make, consciously or unconsciously. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.
2007-07-03 09:39:22 · 20 answers · asked by Moxie! 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I was just trying to get you to guys to see something...not to be mean.
There's no possible way that atheism can't be a choice, you make the choice in your mind, whether you think so not, to not believe in god...it's not predetermined. So why are people not getting it?
2007-07-03 09:59:32 · update #1
Aren't conclusions choices that we come to in our mind?
2007-07-03 10:01:33 · update #2
You're entitled to that opinion, I don't see it as an issue anyway. I think it's a conclusion and a choice but that's just my opinion. There isn't any need to debate it, it's the conclusion that counts.
2007-07-03 09:45:37 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I respect your opinion, but I do beg to differ. You'd understand better why I feel that way if you had been there and seen how I struggled to save my "faith" when I was first realizing that there was no God. I was born and raised a believer, and I had a strong faith growing up. I loved going to church. As I got older, I started to question. I fought all the doubts tooth and nail. Even after I first started to acknowledge that I was atheist, I was traumatized by fear and guilt. It took a while for me to come to terms with it. When you've had something pounded into your head since childhood, and it's something familiar and comfortable, it's not easy to let go. I'm happy and comfortable with my non-belief now, but I did not become an atheist by choice. I no longer have a desire to go back to my old beliefs, but if someone showed me some compelling proof for the existence of God--something that I could not deny, then I would not "choose" to remain atheist. You believe what you believe. It's like...if I asked to to force yourself to believe in the tooth fairy, could you do it? Of course not...you *don't* have a choice in the matter. For most atheists, that's what belief in God is like.
2007-07-03 17:03:43 · answer #2 · answered by Jess H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have the right to believe as you do, but you DON'T have the right to speak for all of us. I was raised in a christian household and for many years I accepted those beliefs, but I always questioned. As I got older and more educated I came to the logical conclusion that there is no god. It wasn't a choice on my part at all. I believe that in my mind I never believed in god and just getting more education brought that out in me. Also being an adult and able to speak for myself helped.
Oh and saying things like "I'm going to explain this one more time...." like we are ignorant doesn't help your cause one little bit.
2007-07-03 16:47:29 · answer #3 · answered by Stormilutionist Chasealogist 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with you, actually, to an extent.
I would, however, like to add that some people raised in atheist households become religious later in life, and some who are raised in religious homes convert to a different religion or atheism later in life. It just depends on the person.
2007-07-03 16:44:58 · answer #4 · answered by The_Cricket: Thinking Pink! 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had no choice but to be an atheist. I have never believed, not even as a gullible child, nor will I ever. My brain just isn't wired for faith.
2007-07-03 16:51:44 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is, in fact, no evidence either way. [Ref. 1.] So, why do people believe what they do? Parental influence is very important [2], but so is one's understanding of science, and what it means to prove something [3].
2007-07-03 16:49:38 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're just not getting it are you? The conclusion speaks for itself, no choice involved. I don't choose to believe in peanutbutter sandwiches, but I know they exist. I don't choose not to believe in Santa or the tooth fairie, but I feel like they don't exist.
2007-07-03 16:53:05 · answer #7 · answered by Shawn B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is this actually an issue among atheists?
Wow, you guys will argue about anything, it seems.
I have no problem admitting that I have CHOSEN to follow Christ.
That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it.
PS...I like the way you think.
Even if you are a dumb atheist.
LOL
2007-07-03 16:54:31 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
You don't choose based on evidence. The evidence draws you to a conclusion. You don't choose conclusions.
Atheism is a conclusion based on evidence.
2007-07-03 16:42:52 · answer #9 · answered by NONAME 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Well, it could be that this whole free will thing is just an illusion, in which case nothing is a choice.
2007-07-03 16:43:32 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋