Theists: What do you think when an atheists says ...?

Question

When an atheist argues, "If God existed, he would do X"?

Does it seem presumptious for someone to claim how an infinite being would behave?

Are you, as a theist, guilty of the same thing?

Daughter of Isis: You must be a prophet.

JonJon is right. You are at least presuming he has inspired a book that accurately describes his character.

Answer 1

I'm not aware of a preponderance of instances in which atheists HAVE said "If God existed, he would do X" - but good point anyway.

The theist excuse is that they have a book written by God, so that they aren't "presuming" anything. (See the three idiots beneath me.) Well, they're at least presuming that the book IS written by God! And the evidence is NOT in their court on that one; but the excuse for this is that "Satan" is trying to deceive people away from the "Truth." Sigh. It boils down to the quality of mind of each individual, whether he is so constituted as to believe things based on evidence and internal coherence, or external "authority."

It's singularly amusing to everybody other than themselves when "Christians" quote Scripture on the veracity of Scripture to "prove" the veracity of Scripture...lol. It's as if I finished up this answer with a clause stating that everything I've said is infallibly true, and then demanded that everybody accept it on that account. (If only!)

Answer 2

You are right. It is very presumptuous for anyone to presume how an infinite being would behave. But if that infinite being engages with finite beings in a way they could understand it would not be presumptuous for them to recount and give testimony to how that being acted and, from their continued experience of that infinite being's interaction with finite beings, say how he continues to act.

To answer the question, any theist who does not know God personally but only intellectually would be guilty of just the thing you state.

Answer 3

Your question is very insightful. I think that you are right on both points: it is a common but specious argument against the existence of God, but there is also a tendency for believers to ascribe human motivations and reasoning (and limitations) to an unlimited non-human supreme being.

I personally have to make a conscious effort not to anthropomorphize God. My understanding of God will always be limited by my human viewpoint and my puny little human brain, (because that is all I have!) but I think it helps to be aware of my limitations and to pay attention to how I may be putting these same limitations on God.

The other part of your question is related to my reaction: what do I think when an atheist brings up this argument? I think it is a common mistake to anthropomorphize God, one that I make myself, so I do not blame them for thinking that way.

More importantly, I do not feel threatened by these kinds of questions or challenges. It doesn't change my belief any more than I could change their disbelief with a single sentence. It isn't up to me to change how they believe, anyways. I think that everyone has to come to their own understanding, on their own terms, in their own time.

This is just my own opinion, of course. Have you seen the disclaimers where someone posts an answer to some question and has to say something like "these are my own personal opinions which do not necessarily represent those of my employer"? Well, in this case, I should point out that this is just my personal opinion, which does not necessarily represent those of TSBI -- The Supreme Being, Incorporated.

Good question!

Answer 4

First: I don't usually mind when they do that because a lot of atheists I know reject the notion of a benevolent deity simply because they think he would do certain things if he actually did exist. I think it's a valid argument, and while hypothetical can sometimes give you a headache, a lot of the atheist points about God's benevolence, omnipotence, etc. have really influenced the way I think as a Christian.

Second: it can be presumptuous of theists to do the same thing BUT they do believe that God has revealed his character to them in at least a limited way, so they have a bit more to base it on.

Answer 5

The Bible says that you do not test the Lord your God. So, if you claim that if God existed, He would do "X", you are tempting God. God will hear you but he will not answer you in the manner that you tell Him to. People can claim how an infinite being will behave, but the Bible tells us how God will behave and what we need to do to get God's help and grace for our lives. There are always times in peoples lives when they get upset or mad, and we as christians end up guilty of the same thing. We were all created by the same creator and we all fall short of the glory of God and we alll were born sinners so it it natural for us to make mistakes, the key is to ask God to forgive your sins and to walk on His light and aim for His glory !!

Answer 6

I find it presumptious for any human to dictate what the gods do or must do...

What really galls me is when people say "I reject all gods because an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent..."

Since MOST gods don't claim omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence, I don't see those two clauses as having any relationship.

I don't tend to claim what the gods would or should do. Only to know what they've done that involves me.

Answer 7

I don't because God did...
You know it is very shallow to presume one knows better than an infinite source. So I think the person is very badly lost and is desparately crying out for love he/she has trouble accepting is real because of a past disapointmentand unfortunately believing God would do him in.

So it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that he gets the negative outcome God in his infinite wisdom has allowed him to create for himself.

Answer 8

Which god are we talking about here ? I think each god has his/her own little idiosyncracies.

Zeus can be mischievous and Zeus can be downright stubborn at times. Yahweh on the other hand can always be counted on to massacre a few millions of people now and again.

Answer 9

Atheists are presumptious inasmuch as they judge God according to their own faulty logic which is biased against the concept of an all powerful supernatural Creator. They attempt to apply their own materialistic criteria to something which because of their predjudices against the supernatural is outside of their understanding.

Theists have the word of God to tell them how God has behaved, does behave, and will behave. They don't need to be presumptious, they just need to study scripture and listen to the Church.

Answer 10

Nope because it stands to reason that an infinite being would have the capacity to do things in a logical fashion.