Do theists ever try to look at religion from an atheists point of view?

Question

The God hypothesis can't be proven scientifically or indeed even logically. The idea can only be understood from a psychological perspective implying that it's a product of the mind as opposed to reality. Personnal experiences are entirely subjective. Many can be explained scientifically (ghost infestations etc.). The Bible strongly implies that the world is 6, 000 years old and fails to account for fossils. It also includes a talking donkey. Most religions suggest that humans are the most important beings in existence, which seems to be the product of a superiority complex. There exists theist extremists but not atheist extremeists. An atheist was beaten to death by religious fanatics in America only a few months ago. If God did exist he'd clearly be either evil, or lacking complete omnipotence in which case he's a liar. Being omnipotent and omniescent is a strong paradox. If omnipotent & omniescent, does he have the omnipotence to change his omniesence. Try it. What do you think now?

Ash, I got to 5 then it stopped making sense. Why is everyone looking at me?

angeltress, I'm not quite sure what you're talking about, but if you ever want help with that I'd be happy to lend a hand. LOL! Raar!

Menon R, were he omnipotent he could make evil vanish in a puff of irrationality, were he to choose not to interfere we'd have to ask why? He had no problem interferring at a time when recordable evidence failed to exist.

Maged, people are fighting over sex? Where?

Oh, and deism is deism is deism, who cares about deists, they aren't extremists either so they're fine in my books. I can't imagine someone driving a plane into the twin towers or beating an atheist to death over a dead or as good as god.

Has anyone else noticed that all the theists have nearly disappeared completely? I haven't heard much from them in ages. Maybe it's just my questions...

Single Eye, a god is a supernatural controlling force. If you don't believe in one of them then you're an atheist. Narcissism isn't theism.

equesniger, your facts aren't facts at all!

Matthew T, if God didn't exist it would be neccessary to invent him. Every action that theists say is a product of a God is illogical, and irrationality is the square root of all evil.

Friend of Jesus, I don't know where to start with your answer. Prayerfully isn't a word, that'll do I guess.

Answer 1

I am only answerin this because i am an atheist and need points. Alot of christians are just *** holes and have no way of proving the bible is right and about 95% of people who call themselves christians arent because it is ipossible for them to respect other religions views and beliefs. They only try to convert people by saying things against atheism. They have nothing to back up the bible and say that the bible is real. I think jesus did exist but he wasnt the son of god he was a normal man like everyone else. My friend thinks that because i am an atheist i will go to hell but how can you go to somewhere you dont believe exists?

Answer 2

Nice one. Of all the ramblings and rattles so far, I like this the most. succinct and honest.

Though I just want to point out, if God DID exist, he need not necessarily be evil. I mean lets look at this logically
Presuming he is omnipotent
a) He is omnipotent but chooses not to intefere
b) He is omnipotent and keeps intefering to keep away evil

I think of the two, B sounds down right authoritarian. And letting evil take place does not actually make you evil, does it? Just a thought.

Anyways, the possibility of a deist god would answer your paradox. Im sure you know the difference between deism and theism, so I wont bother explaining it.

Cheers!

Answer 3

Most theists and atheists suffer from add. Neither one focuses attention on a single topic, making sure to understand the other person before responding. Terms, ideas, and concepts get lumped together, confused, or misinterpreted to the point that all meaningful discussion ceases. Many atheists have strong conflicts with other atheists, same with the theists. The reality is, we are all theists. If we reject the concept of supernatural gods, then we make each individual a god. Do you really find it more reasonable to believe that we are all gods? I fail to see where reason or objectivity play a part in this belief.

Addition: Who gave you the right to define what god is?

Add#2: What's the matter eyes? A theist ask you a question you can't answer?

Add#3: then I will answer it for you. No one has the right ot define God. If He does not exist, then there can be no definition, a non-existent cannot be defined. If He exists, He alone knows the correct definition, not you or I.

Answer 4

Atheist's point of view - This was my point of view when I was an atheist: If there is a God, why doesn't everyone believe in Him, if He wants everyone to be good why didn't He just make us all good? If there's only one true religion, why do we see so many religions?, the bible doesn't make sense, its full of contradictions, violence etc., its just made up by men to "keep us in line", any way, I'm a good person, so I don't have a problem, and finally, if there is a God, Hes "up there" doing His thing, and I'm down here doing my thing.
So, does that qualify as having tried it?
I was always very interested in science, especially evolution, which was intriguing, but seemed not totally believable.

Answer 5

God can neither be proven nor disproven. We can hold to some idea as true (i.e. believe) if that idea will enable us to get to where we want to go. Christians want to find their Creator and they have to hold as true (believe) He exists in order to seek Him. This is not a difficult or unusual concept. All explorers hold that what they are looking for really exists even though they may have doubts. Atheists want to be apart from God so they hold as true that God doesn't exist.

Most Christians do not think the Bible to be a science textbook so things like the age of the earth are not relevant.

Your comment about an atheist being beaten to death is completely irrelevant. Are you going to talk about the crimes of the officially atheistic Chinese and Soviets against Christians during the Cold War?

The question of why there is evil? It's been answered many, many times. The possibility of evil comes as part of the definition of free will. Only with free will can we have the possibility of love for the definition of love includes free will. God is not the God of confusion so, in that sense, He is not omnipotent.

ADDITIONAL COMMENT ON YOUR COMMENT
"Every action that theists say is a product of a God is illogical, and irrationality is the square root of all evil." You haven't shown that to me. You can email me and try to prove it if you can.

Answer 6

I always find it amusing when atheists refer to science as a means of disproving the existence of a supernatural and Divine. If this were the case, then most, if not all, scientists would be atheists. It's exactly the opposite. Scientists (postgraduate, both of the applied and research variety) tend to overwhelmingly be "believers" in something, and most acknowledge science as means of strengthening, not weakening, their faith.

To answer your question directly, yes, we do. Not all theists are mainstream Christians, and not all theists are fundamentalists. There are many of us who do not take the Bible literally, but as a mystical allegory, not meant to be interpreted as a literal explanation of the hows and whys of existence. We also realize that science doesn't understand everything - if this were the case there would be no research at all at the moment. Science still struggles to explain many things that cannot be proven - the flight of the bumblebee was "impossible" according to science up til a few years ago, and they still cannot explain the "existence" of fire.

I'm an Ebionite - we believe that there is only one God, and that all else is polytheism and against the scripture. Consequently, there is no Jesus the Son of God, or Holy Ghost, though we acknowledge and adhere to the teachings of Jesus and his followers (well, not Paul of Tarsus) as Jesus the Prophet and his Disciples, and accept that Jesus was divinely inspired, but not Divine (anymore than all men are). We also consider a belief in Satan, or any anti-God, as polytheistic, as Lucifer is essentially the mainstream Christian god of evil, and therefore reject it. We do not believe in the virgin birth, or (physical) resurrection, but we do not feel this, or his non-Divinity, cheapens in any way his works and the works of his followers – perhaps it makes them even more profound. We reject a literal interpretation of the Bible, and consider not doing so to be, well, silly. But we also acknowledge the mystic and moral importance of the work. There are not many of us - we were more or less on the losing side of the Council of Nicea with Bishop Arius, and were persecuted as Judaizers by the Inquisition until the 19th century, and by anti-Semites thereafter (we believe that Christians should maintain a Jewish style of worship, so some folks have trouble telling us apart). But, there are always alternatives between blind faith in something that you don't feel make sense and complete rejection of belief, which would put most atheists in the shoes of Paul of Tarsus for different reasons in the Christian faith eons back.

Addendum: Saying my facts aren't facts without providing refutative evidence is the atheist equivalent of a Christian saying "God exists because I know he does". You wanna be scientific, be scientific. You're sounding "Eyes Wide Shut". To be objective, your view has to be held to the same burden of "proof" as the opposing view. Otherwise, you're a fanatic, and your vain pretense to "scientific" methods fall flat. Is your intellect up to the task?.

Answer 7

Equesniger is correct in his facts. While Nature, Scientific American and other periodicals have published articles showing that "scientists" no longer believe in God, they also heavily footnote that such surveys were conducted of students, not graduates and practicing scientists. Of "scientists" as a whole, including students, 2/3 believe in "God". 38% of those in natural sciences believe in God, while 69% of those in social sciences follow the same. Basically, depends on whether you look to find evidence of God in a test tube (natural science) or in the human psyche (social science).

Add: Because I KNOW you need help with math from your other question, 2/3 is almost 67%, which is more than half, which is the majority. Hope this helps make it all clearer for ya!

Answer 8

Who says that God is a hypothesis? Making a hypothesis comes from looking at a phenomena we can't explain and trying to find an answer by repeated testing of the phenomena from many different angles.
I bet you haven't pursued the phenomena of God enough yet so you have ONLY come to the conclusions you have drawn here.
I challenge you to really seek God with all your heart, read the New Testament objectively, but prayerfully, not from any religious bias you may have grown up with, but with an open mind. And then come and tell us about the God you don't believe in. If you seek Him with ALL YOUR HEART you WILL find him.
Heb 11:6 "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that HE REWARDS THOSE WHO EARNESTLY SEEK HIM."

Answer 9

Its obvios you are an atheist. Some theists do try to look at an atheists pint of view but dismiss that thought because they are too religious.


' If omnipotent & omniescent, does he have the omnipotence to change his omniesence. ' - i dare you to say that out fast 10 times

Answer 10

dude no offence but lol!! :D i heard a lot of stuff like that before... strangely each time i listen to these stuff, i become even more religious!! the words you say make no sense or logic to me and dont ask me how!! the only thing i wanna understand... what's with people fighting over religion and being male or female or whatever?!! i mean come on, there are groupS on facebook, Hi5, etc about religion and why being a male is better than being a female and vice versa... seriously people, GET A LIFE!! go listen to some Music, read a book, play a game, watch Movies not fight over something as trivial as religion and sex!!!!!!