Atheists...what do you believe in? What is your proof there is no God?

Question

Not trying to be sarcastic. I am trying to find out what exactly you do believe, and why you think there is no God. My Dad was a Lutheran Christian the first 12 years of his life, then quit believing in God when his Mom died during the depression. He taught us all the Bible stories, probably knew it better than we did. But for about 30 years he thought that God didn't exist because no God would take a Mother away from her husband and 4 kids. He was a grateful and starting believing in a Higher Power after praying that an accident on an icy road wouldn't kill us both. When somehow it didnt happen and we both survived, it renewed his faith. He studied every major religion in the world, and had his own set of beliefs when he died. So, what do you believe and why?

Thanks for all the interesting answers. I am not exactly sure what I would be "labelled", basically Christian but I believe that God send down many prophets to lead people, and we can all learn from Ghandi, Budda, Jesus, and prophets from many belief systems. As a child I went to many Christian churches with my Mom, she was always searching. Christian Science was one of my favorites. I look for peaceful people of all religions to learn from. And I appreciate the peaceful answers you have provided. There are several that would be great Best Answers. Thanks!

Answer 1

A lot of good answers although some presume things in your question that are not present. I don't see in your question where you believe in a particular "Christian" or "Lutheran" God or even that *you* believe in a higher power.

"Atheists" have one common binding principle: They live their life under the conclusion that there is no deity that oversees their life.

"Pure" atheists believe there is no God, be it a creator god or a personal god that intercedes in human or the universe's affairs. Many accept current scientific theories on the origin of the universe (big bang hypothesis) and the development of complex life (theory of evolution). Most are rational, intelligent people and many have scientific backgrounds. Many were also brought up or adhered to an existing religious dogma (such as Christianity, Islam, etc) before rejecting the notion of any deity.

Atheistic agnostics are another subgroup of atheists in the sense that they are agnostics (meaning that they do not see enough evidence to convince themselves that there is or is not a God) but live their lives as though there is no personal god (and perhaps, creator god); hence, they are "practical" atheists.

I call myself a deistic agnostic. That means that I don't see enough evidence for or against a creator god (indeed, I don't believe such evidence can or ever will exist) and the same is true of a personal god. However, since I see no physical foundation for a belief in anything other than a creator god, I choose to accept this hypothesis. I do, however, accept also the hypothesis of the big bang as the physical origin of the universe. On the other hand, even though I am agnostic with regard to a personal god, I live my life as though there is none and therefore would be considered a "practical" atheist in this sense.

Beyond that, atheists have no common bond. Most, like most modern people, believe in living a good life, the laws of society, etc. But there's no other common thread besides the above.

Regarding your father's beliefs: I believe in the power of humanity and its ability to pull through situations. If a belief in a higher power helps your father live his life as a "good" man, and raising "good" kids, I'm happy for him.

Answer 2

Atheists can't prove that God doesn't exist any more than Theists can prove that he does! Theists believe in accepting God on faith while atheists believe in remaining skeptical.

I have also studied many different religions. I think humans just seem to have a need to believe in something, it's just human nature. All religions seem to have certain things in common, and those are things we all seem to agree on whether we're religious or not. If you're agnostic or skeptical, and don't believe in any one particular religion, then you see these things as the important stuff and the rest as just window dressing.

I guess there's nothing wrong with simply accepting the religion you're born into and taught by your parents. But some of us are just curious so we do some searching on our own. I don't believe the Bible is inerrant or that it's some kind of revelation from God, but I have studied it and I find it fascinating just as ancient literature, for what it shows us about human nature and the relation between man and God. I'm not Christian but I have learned a lot from Christians, also from Muslims and Buddhists, etc. There is a certain amount of wisdom in all the great traditions, and you don't have to be a believer to benefit from it.

Answer 3

there is no proof of god.

athiests are not required to prove there is no proof as if someone makes a claim that something is true, then they must also be able to support it. otherwise it is merely a "belief" in the absence of proof- it is not true.

Until theists can provide some form of credible evidence then the correct position is that there is no god- factually.

this is where many theists make the mistake, the position of athiesm is based on logic, not faith, not belief. Theists have and seem to have a hard time grasping that any belief system different from thier own is not nesessarily a religion and they don't like to place religion in the realm of science because religion has no hope of winning.

so most theists talk, say and try to convince others that athiesm is not in fact a scientific position, but a belief system, which it is not.

It is the absence of faith in a higher power.

Answer 4

I believe in trying to do what we can to make the world a better place. I believe in what can be observed and measured. I believe in many of the teachings of Christ, Buddha, and Mohamed. I just don't believe that they spoke for God.

As for proof that God exists or does not exist, there can be none since God is, by definition, beyond human ability to know or understand. So it is a question of believing it or not.

God's existence, though, is less important than "His" works. (The idea that He wants us to behave and believe in a certain way and that he has created heaven and hell, resurected Jesus, answers prayers, heals the sick etc. to affect these changes.) Since these "works" supposedly have an earthly presence that can be observed, it is easy to prove that they are not real.

If God really answered the prayers of His one chosen religion, for example, we would see that those people would have much better fortunes than everyone else. Clearly this is not true. Christians, for example, have just as many divorces, just as much chance of winning the lottery, just as much chance of getting in a car crash as anyone else.

Hope this explains a little. I am sure there are places you can look on the internet for more info. (some of them are a bit condescending, though, and I think they give atheism a bad reputation for being elitist.)

Have a good day.

Answer 5

Why I dont believe there is a God? Because the only books that mention the existance of God were written over thousands of years ago. The Bible for example was handed down through generations and changed by a corrupt church. The Bible makes no sense. It contradicts itself on nearly every other page. I'm supposed to believe what it says in there. I dont think so. I'll believe in God if he becomes visible or heard. Physical evidence.

Answer 6

We believe in nothing. Belief requires faith and we have none. We also do not try to prove that there is no god. There could be I suppose but there is no evidence for us to investigate either way. I prefer to be called a humanist as opposed to an atheist. Says more about what I am than what I'm not. Here is a definition of a humanist.

Humanism is a philosophy of life inspired by humanity and guided by reason. It provides the basis for a fulfilling and ethical life without religion.

Humanists make sense of the world using reason, experience and shared human values.
Humanists see no convincing evidence for gods, the supernatural, or life after death.
Humanists believe that moral values are properly founded on human empathy and scientific understanding.
Humanists believe we must live this life on the basis that it is the only life we'll have -- that, therefore, we must make the most of it for ourselves, each other, and our world.
Humanist philosophies have arisen separately in many different cultures over many thousands of years. Whether or not they use the term humanism, tens of millions of Americans and hundreds of millions of people around the world agree with the humanist philosophy of living a happy and productive life based on reason and compassion.

Answer 7

Well I'm not athiest, but I will tell you one thing. When a person calls himself or herself athiest, there can be many interpretations and definitions. Coincidences and miracles are not proof by the way. For some people, lots of tragedies occur, and they prayed a lot (more than the normal person) and it still happened. A religion is just a philosophy of a person. In history, many religions have been created; their purpose was a way to teach people morals and culture through stories. You cannot take religion literally, you have to make your own religion from what you believe is right. I don't like to "worship", but I am thankful for things and I do pray. A person also should not try to force their beliefs onto another. Individuals should be interested to learn on their own accord and make their own judgement. There is no right or wrong way, as long as you follow your conscience.

Answer 8

I believe in a lot of things, but an god is not one of them. I have seen no evidence of a higher power, no proof that any god (not just yours) exists. Why would I believe?

All people die. No higher power is involved with that process. And sometimes what appears to be a sure thing (like an accident) can be avoided by some quick thinking or pure happenstance. Again, no interference by a higher power.

If it comforts some people to think that there is a god watching out for them, I have no problem with that. My issue is with those people expecting everyone else to believe simply because they do.

Answer 9

I do not believe in a god(s) because I have no compelling reason to.

There are many religions out there, all of which are convinced they are the only true religion. The way I see it, they can't all be right so they're all wrong. An individual's religion, unless he is rebelling, is that of his parents. So how is your religion anything but a cultural inheritance?

When you approach it from a sociological perspective you see that religion is just a cultural artifact used to describe events that aren't understood, passed from generation to generation. Science has filled that role far more effectively.

I don't buy into the supernatural explanation of the world because I don't need to.

Answer 10

I think it's a common misconception that we are somehow "mad at god" and therefore don't believe. While I am sure that's why some people loose their faith, it's just not the case with Atheists. We simply don't think that there is any god to be mad at or believe in.

I don't have any "proof" that there is no god. You really can't prove a negative. I would need some proof that a god existed before I could believe it was real. You don't believe in the ancient Greek gods do you? You most likely see them as a myth. And so I see your god - a myth.

Invisible beings with no proof whatsoever are just not something I can believe exists.