Atheist Or Religous??? Why??

Question

What is your take on religon, its practices, its history, and everything about it. Are you atheist or Religous and why??

Answer 1

I am a Christian Because God exist regardless of what psuedo secular science has to say with it's fabricated evidences that it has brainwashed people into believing.

Following are some of the approaches I use when dealing with atheists in conversations that deal with alleged lack of evidence for God's existence. Now, no argument is fool-proof and no single argument answers all the objections. Nevertheless, it is important to have thought out some of the implications of the statements and bring them up during conversations. Of course, conversations rarely follow a logical format. They usually take tangents and detours. That is normal and good. But we need to be prepared as much as possible.

I don't see any convincing evidence for the existence of God,

That does not mean there is no God.

Since you cannot know all evidence, it is possible that evidence exists that proves God's existence, or at least supports his existence.

Therefore, it is possible that God exists.

If it is possible, then faith has its place.
If it is possible that God exists, then you should be an agnostic (an agnostic holds that God may exist but no proof can be had for His existence.)
It is possible that there is no evidence at all for God.

But this cannot be stated absolutely, since all evidence would need to be known to show there is no evidence.

Therefore, since all evidence cannot be known by any one person, it is possible that evidence exists that supports theism.
Then what kind of evidence would be acceptable?

If you have not decided what evidence would be sufficient and reasonable, then you cannot state that there is no evidence for God.
If you have decided what evidence is sufficient, what is it?

Does Christianity fit within that criteria?

If not, why not?
Is it possible that your criteria for evidence is not reasonable?

Does your criteria put a requirement upon God (if He exists) that is not realistic? For example

Do you want Him to appear before you in blazing glory?

Even if that did happen, would you believe he existed or would you consider it a hallucination of some sort or a trick played on you?
How would you know?
Does your criteria put a requirement on logic that is not realistic?

Do you want him to make square circles, or some other self-contradictory phenomena or make a rock so big He cannot pick it up?
If God exists, the laws of logic would be a product of his nature since he is absolute, transcendent, and truth (logical absolutes are conceptual, absolute, and transcendent, which reflect a logical, absolute, and transcendent mind). He did not create the laws of logic. We simply recognize them because God exists. Therefore, God cannot violate those laws because he would violate his own nature -- which he cannot do.
Are you objectively examining evidence that is presented?

Granted, objectivity is difficult for all people, but are you being as objective as you can?
But, do you have a presupposition that God does not exist or that the miraculous cannot occur?

If so, then you cannot objectively examine the evidence.

Therefore, the presuppositions you hold regarding the miraculous may prevent you from recognizing evidence for God's existence.

If so, then God becomes unknowable to you and you have forced yourself into an atheistic/agnostic position.
Do you define the miraculous out of existence?

If so, on what basis do you do this?
If you assume that science can explain all phenomena, then there can be no miraculous evidence ever submitted as proof.

If you made that assumption, it is, after all, only an assumption.

Answer 2

I'm both atheist and religious. The two are not mutually exclusive. Zen Buddhist, by the way.

Religion's purpose is to provide humans with things they cannot get anywhere else, such as control over things they cannot control (eg weather, death, illness, environment) through rituals and worship; a means of answering the unanswerable questions (eg, why are we here, how did we get here, or what happens when we die); and a frame or structure to make sense of the world and existence (eg why bad things happen, what human nature is, the relationship between people and nature). It provides many other things, of course, but those are the biggies.

Religious practices, history, and everything about it? That's something a lot people write doctoral dissertations about and still end up writing a part two. To cut it short, though, religion is something that's generally passed from one generation to the next, without much question. Belief isn't so much a matter of personal choice but a matter of childhood indoctrination. Many American atheists I've spoken with have said that one of the hardest parts of leaving Christianity aside from what the family would say was the fear of going to hell. This is a tiny number and cannot be considered representative. Most people are in the religion they were exposed to as a child and if they live areligiousy for a while and "reconvert," they generally do not look into other religions before returning the fold.

So, in my opinion, religion is a human thing, culturally reproduced, and far too often the religious leadership that has no desire to lose the power it has from its constituency. It's not about love for humanity, it's about converting others into one's own belief system. I consider this a bad thing.

Answer 3

I'm an atheist, and there are too many religions to summarize and lump together in this type of question. If you ask for a specific religion, then I can give you a specific answer about that religion. Otherwise I can only remind you that there are more religions and beliefs about gods than can be found commonly throughout the western world. I suggest you take a look at Eastern religions, just so you have an idea about how much of the story you're missing by simply focusing on the religions common in your own country.

As for why I'm an atheist, I look at the world as a whole and realize that each set of peoples had their own beliefs, and I don't subject their beliefs to my own.

In other words, I base my beliefs on the world as it is, instead of basing my view of the world according to my beliefs.

Answer 4

I am born as a christian orthodox, and i guess it is my religion even now, though there are a lot of things i don't believe in. I'm not very religious, i go to church every once in a while when i feel to, and only when the church is allmost empty, i like loneliness and peace when i'm praying. There is a strong connection to my religion, maybe because i was educated this way. There was a time when i considered myself as being atheist too. The truth is i dont entirely believe in any religion, i doubt any of them even knows what is true

Answer 5

I'm both. Non-theistic Pagan.

My take on religion is that religion takes a good idea or philosophy, then dumbs it down for the lowest common denominator to get converts. Basically, it's the idot's guide to life, where people tell you what to think or do, based on "divine guidance."

And other than that, your question is too vague to be answered on Y!A. History of which religion? Practices of which religion? Everything?

Answer 6

i'm not atheist, but i'm not religious either. i don't identify with the political hierarchy of any major religion, (although i do consider myself Roman Catholic by belief) ....

I don't agree with atheism because there are certain things that science can't explain. And, I don't believe that God's sitting on some cloud with a white beard or anything like that - I just believe that there is some entity that the universe does adhere to: call it Nature for lack of a better word. My views on Atheism, I like to think of Einsten - he believed in God. The man is probably the greatest scientist of all time, and he wasn't an atheist ... I'll take my cue from that man in terms of science dictating whether God exists or not.

In terms of Religious? Oh hell no. I don't go to church. Actually it makes me quite irritable and annoyed. Although, I love sitting in communion chapel alone. I've got my wealth of education with degree on theology but I cannot adhere to the hypocrisy, hatefulness and issues major religion cause. By telling people that YOUR GOD is the ONLY GOD and unless you practice THIS SPECIFIC WAY ... then you shall perish, go to hell, and the like ....

These religions have it all wrong. They are turning faith into a capitalist venture. By doing that - they are taking an IDEA and making it a Cause. Causes die. They die by the sword, they die at the moment of completion ... but ideas, they grow, they are a spark in the brain - that epiphany that can explore and change and become better and stronger. Causes can't do that - they are under-inclusive: they say, "unless you follow everything we say, you can't be a member" ... that's not the way God works. God is all inclusive by nature. To try to fit God within a specific scope destroys the IDEA of the entity.

So, I stick to my spirituality of God and Christ. I love my Aquinas, Boethius, Augustine (to name a few in the Catholic scope) There are some powerful turkish philosophers, one in particuler from 600AD that I cannot stop referring to ... I don't need to go to church to learn about God. I much rather prefer to read from wonderful people with amazing ideas.

Answer 7

I was atheist until I couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling that there was more to life. A spiritual side. after a long journey, I am a believer of a God who desires a relationship with us. Who sent a Man Jesus to guide us into forming that relationship

Answer 8

Strangely , I don't think it's a either or, I believe in God, but I don't need a Church or a minister , or the pomp and circumstance that may go along with many religions.
I chose to live my life as closely as possible to what is set forth in the bible and do not need to make a public display of my faith.

Answer 9

I am not a Christian, or belong to any other religeos sect. I do not think you should believe something just because a lot of other people do. Maybe you agree with some of what they are saying, that doesn't make the rest of it true. I believe what I believe, having thought about it carefully and exploring several religeons along the way, and I am much happier for it.

Answer 10

some my say i'm atheist, when i'm more spiritual. i use logic and reason, not hear say from a book that hundreds added to over the years. i believe there is something out there that is more powerful then i, but i will not worship it. i am not a slave. death, chaos, fear, words in which religion was born... wars, and all that is bad had been done in the name of RELIGION, it makes me wounder what is more evil, to have it or to deny it...