Atheists and non-believers?

Question

OK, I am going to talk to you real. I know that you have heard the Gospel before, and I am not going to try and force feed you the book of John or anything. But what I would like to know is, what is holding you back from believing in a God that loves you? I guess I mean if there was one thing that would change in Christianity, or in me for you to believe, what would it be? God Bless and thanks for the honest answers.

Answer 1

God's existence would make all the difference.

If God were to actually show some sign of his existence, I'd strongly reconsider. If there were a God, that'd be a trivial matter. But we don't even get that.

I appreciate the respectful tone of your question, particularly your recognition that we have heard the Gospel already. The fact that so many Christians assume that nonbelief is the product of unawareness of the Bible is a large part of why atheists have so little respect for Christians. If you want to do some good for Christianity, I suggest that you work with Christians to get them to behave as you did here in that respect. You seem to be way out in front of your peers.

Answer 2

The Biblical stories about God are not the only one's that show a loving God (or Goddess for that matter). Others have sacrificed themselves and their children to save mankind. Personally, it's not that I don't believe in a deity... I simply don't believe that mankind can give unbiased information in any form. They may convey truth in their writings, but I certainly don't put faith in them to give me THE Truth. No one can do that and it's arrogant to claim anyone can.
As for change, Christianity is changing all the time. There is a vast difference in the Christianity that is practiced in American than in Europe. I don't expect you to change. I wouldn't ask a person to be anything other than what and who they are. I prefer their honesty over some fake image.
And I thank you for not taking the route of slinging verses. You are right, most of us Non-Christians have heard the Gospel and most of us have read the Bible. To throw Biblical verses at people who do not believe in them is just as silly as if I were to start quoting the Egyptian Book of the Dead at them to try to convince them that the Egyptian deities are the real ones. :-)

Answer 3

I appreciate Your approach, this may be the first Christian approach I have ever experienced

I am an atheist, and the main reason I don't believe in God as church describes Him ( Her ) is because of the poorly written Bible ( www.bibletrash.com ). And this is supposed to be the only real connection to God and his words

Also, I can not believe in any kind of rewarding-punishing God because of what I see around me litterary every day, innocent children hurt and killed,while killers are often healthy and living

I would love, however to be able to really believe in God, my grandma does, and she had all the best from it.

I would really have to have extraordinary experience to become an believer, but that is not in manpower, that would really have to be something out of this world

Sincerely,
Vlada

Answer 4

Well, ya see.....the "God" of the Bible is always "fixing" things that ought to have been designed well to begin with, you know...messing around with tradesman's' wives, giving tablets on mountains, commanding you to smite people he could have made obedient and toadying in the first place, telling people what words they can say or not say, making people feel guilty about the pleasures he placed in our paths, telling us to denounce or repress drives and hungers he gave us.

All of this intervention speaks to bad design & incompetence. And for me, any "God" worth honoring would be MUCH better at his job, and a little more consistent in dealing with his creation.

BTW I *do* believe in a Divine Source (manifest, in the least differentiated forms, as God and Goddess) that impartially, dispassionately loves me, but no more than any other life - a Divine Source that does a wholesale, not retail, business; that is embodied in the very world I live in, in the system of reaction & consequence that allows me to live like an adult instead of a cringing child.

That's the loving part. That I can be a mature human, that I can choose for myself and deal with the consequences of that choice without punishment or reward, only impartial, impersonal reactions and consequences.

EDIT: Well, all the above, and the fact that the "God" that ya'll refer to declared himself to be the "God" of a specific people - "the children of Israel", and those are not my people.

Answer 5

Thank you for your thoughtful question, lad. No doubt, other atheists and even religious folk will reply. For me, it's really a simple matter: not since I stood and raised a fist in the Jim Crow South, at age 9, have I believed a god existed. I should say, gods. It isn't a matter of not 'loving' god or rejected the love of a god. The nonexistence of any gods makes the matter of love a question without bones and flesh. Though I am an unbeliever, which stands me in good stead, believe me, I respect the beliefs of others, and I do yours of course. Thanks for asking, and be well, forever well.

Answer 6

What is "holding me back" from believing is a complete lack of evidence for the existence of the Christian god,a preponderance of evidence against events in the bible being true,The inability of one single Christian to perform miracles,and greater miracles than Jesus supposedly did,as stated by Jesus in context that anyone who believed in him would do.The fact that I don't get comfort from a rod and staff by some shepherd,and my utter disgust at a being that creates a hell for anyone,period.Also,the wacky way he did things,like forgetting to warn Adam and EVE THAT THERE MIGHT BE A LYING SNAKE!!!!!!!!Then the absurd notion that God wants all to come to him,yet he gave us a brain and wants us to believe in an event that goes against every logic circuit he put in my brain or off to hell with me.He's god,if he really wanted that "none should perish" POOF,I forgive you,come on in to heaven.He's God,certainly that would be a lot simpler.I could go for pages.The entire concept is ridiculous so,basically nothing would get me to accept the Christian version if,however impossible,did exist

Answer 7

I have tried for a long time to find God, and studied the Bible, and am now pretty familiar with the reasons that people believe, having understood that it is just about impossible that I will ever believe the Bible is more than a tool for social control.

Answer 8

Well, for me it is the apparent absurdities of what God expects from us. The Bible goes out of it's way to make things unclear and confusing. And to be told that you have to believe to understand is quite frankly beyond my beliefs. If this was said about anything else, or in a court of law, it would be totally laughed out of existence

Answer 9

The bible would need to not contradict with itself and reality - bare minimum.

The resurrection story is a LITTLE bit important in chrsitianity and yet, the gospels themself conflict hopelessly. Who went to the tomb, when they went, why they went (body spiced or not?), who was there (men or angels), how many (1 or 2), what did they say, was the stone rolled away. There are over 20.

This is a crucial bit of christianity and it can't get the story remotely straight.

Answer 10

Talk to me from the heart, not from some inconsistent book and don't continue trying to persuade me to accept Jesus Christ when he clearly was not real. Another thing, I do believe in a 'God' of love. The bible God- Christian God, is not a God of love, but of wrath, hate and cruelty. He is also a very disturbed individual, considering that anyone who doesn't believe in him . . . gets to die. Worship him or die. That's a God of love? Not to me. To me, that's a God of death.