Atheists, do you have any doubts about not believing in the God of the bible?

Question

I've known many Christians who at times doubt their belief in God. I don't anymore, I've had too many experiences with God. How about you?

Answer 1

I may have doubts about the existence of a god, but not so much for your Biblical God.

Answer 2

The whole point of doubt, including Atheism, is that you always leave room for error. If you mindlessly believed something, even non-belief, then you are no longer doubting.

So, when it comes to god, I occasionally wonder and question myself about what I believe. However, you should know that even when I consider if there might be a god, it is not the capital-G god that most Judeo-Christian-Muslims think of. My belief is only that there might be a force or core of the universe that people perceive as god. Not an invisible man in the sky judging me and demanding my obedience.

I pretty much never doubt my non-belief in the bible. I know too much about how it was written, mis-translated, mis-interpreted, and purposefully edited to trust anything in the bible. I agree with the basic message, "be nice to each other", but little else.

Answer 3

I think you meant well by this question. Let me first of all say that I was so incredibly moved by what one answerer said, or rather, the way in which it was constructed:

do i believe in God (R-Heaven)..... you know, god, the legislative representative from the state of heaven? i laughed hard enough to tear up pretty bad for a minute. you made my day. i thank you.

atheists have weighed the differing opinions, theories, and done the work they felt was necessary before deciding to identify as atheist. there is very little chance that a self proclaimed athiest would be struggling still with the idea of whether or not to adhere to a belief contained in the text called the bible. because of christianity's prevalence (to put it nicely) it is nearly impossible (at least in the united states) to have not been exposed to the tenants and belief system of christianity. its EVERYWHERE you go. surely it would be most likely the theory/religion to be examined by those who later ID as athiest.

as a recovering member of the protestant church (baptist, specifically) i have seen inside the walls and outside looking in. what a world of difference. there was a time that who i AM was deemed unacceptable by christians who said that god would punish me and condemn me unless i lived a false life. i was so deep inside "the Church" that for awhile, i did worry and wonder What if the Christian beliefs in god, jesus, heaven, sin, etc. turned out to be true? that is exactly what happens to someone pressed hard under the weight of fear - when someone is terrified of going to a place you call hell because a christian used this manipulative technique to 'save an unbeliever', fear will always be a present factor unless somehow the individual frees themselves from it.

clearly. gotta lot of recovering still to do. don't worry about atheists - they are no threat to you. they can be quite warm and cuddly, actually.

Answer 4

You have made 2 distinct statements here. There is the god of the bible and what ever god you may think about. The god of the bible is a political character created in 325 CE to consolodate a nation. Nothing in the bible was written at the time of Jesus so what is said has little to do with Jesus or god. Mary Magdalene is a good example. She was from a wealthy family and was one of Jesus chosen but in the 4th century is was not politically expedient for her to be one of the chosen so they made her a prostitute. Show mw something real and I may believe. Show me fairy tales and you have the atheist before you.

Answer 5

No, since it was a deliberate and reluctant conclusion after many years of being a Christian,
(And yes, I know what the official doctirine is on that.)

And that included religious experiences.
But since they are not confined to Christianity, how was I to see my experiences as being more valid than those of a sincere Muslim or Buddhist?

And having had at least one experience that was utterly convincing and as it proved a little later utterly mistaken,
experience and conviction were shown not to be sure guides to truth, either.

Answer 6

No experience with god, do not require any. I have absolutly no problem with accepting the fact that there is most likely no god. Plus, I would not worship the god of the bible if you read it start at gensis and work your way forward book by book and you will see want a monster that particular god is.

Answer 7

I believe there is the universe itself and that nature is sacred. I believe in cycles that run through eternity over and over until you break its hold on you, mostly by combatting negative energy. Prophets like Jesus, Buddha, Abraham happened because of pre-destination. The Jains do not believe in a God but in heaven and hell as if it were already planned. The earth itself is sacred. We live in a divine realm and can choose to leave it and struggle through good and evil since the nature of the universe is based on an eternal struggle between oppositional forces, a Zoroastrian belief.

Buddhists believe that memory and the human spirit is sent through an endless cycle of lives till they break the cycle of samsara and reach nirvana and become like Buddha, the perfect image of nirvana. Jains believe that one can become heavenly oneself and the need to is manifested in the purpose of our lives and that we must free ourselves from dharma by embracing the positive light and energy in the universe. They also believe that what we do in this life affects the outcome of the next and that there is a moral judgment attached to certain actions, similar to certain Judeo-Christian traditions.

Answer 8

I have considered god might exist. I have never doubted the the god OF THE BIBLE doesn't exist. There is no way

Answer 9

No, I don't. It is SO illogical that I don't worry about it at all... I am as concerned about the Judeo-Christian God existing as I am about being struck by lightening, mauled by a bear, and swallowed into a cavern at the same time. The chances are so INSANELY small... I really just can't say that I do.

Answer 10

"If I do not want what you want, please try not to tell me that my want is wrong.

Or if I believe other than you, at least pause before you correct my view.

Or if my emotion is less than yours, or more, given the same circumstances, try not to ask me to feel more strongly or weakly.

Or yet if I act, or fail to act, in the manner of your design for action, let me be.

I do not, for the moment at least, ask you to understand me. That will come only when you are willing to give up changing me into a copy of you.

I may be your spouse, your parent, your offspring, your friend, or your colleague. If you will allow me any of my own wants, or emotions, or beliefs, or actions, then you open yourself, so that some day these ways of mine might not seem so wrong, and might finally appear to you as right -- for me. To put up with me is the first step to understanding me. Not that you embrace my ways as right for you, but that you are no longer irritated or disappointed with me for my seeming waywardness. And in understanding me you might come to prize my differences from you, and, far from seeking to change me, preserve and even nurture those differences." Source(s) If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. —Henry David Thoreau