Why don't you believe in God?(different from the other one just asked)?

Question

I was wondering...I see many people use Christians as an excuse for not believing in Christianity...but the believers don't make the belief...

I see many people say they can't believe in a giant sky pixie....but they don't say why...

So, this is a serious question, besides the "lack of evidence" about the bible and God...why don't you believe?

Please be respectful because I'm questioning why some don't or can't believe...if you give me a good argument besides "where did the water go from the flood?"(or other things) you may actually convince me I'm wrong...

Answer 1

I think i'm more agnostic:

An agnostic does not deny the existence of God and heaven but holds that one cannot know for certain whether or not they exist.

Answer 2

I think the first thing to do is really determine what it means for something to exist. For example, why do you not believe there is an invisible unicorn in your room? What would make you convinced that there is one? If a scientist said that she discovered a new subatmic particle, but that there is no hard evidence and, in fact, there could not be any such evidence, would you believe her? Why or why not?

Then there is the question of what, exactly, is meant by the term 'God'. Do you mean the God of the old testament? of the Koran? One of the Gods of Hinduism? Some people define God as 'all knowing, all powerful, and all good'. Some define God as 'the creator of the universe' or 'the giver of moral laws', or 'the uncaused causer'. Spinoza even defined God as 'the whole universe'.

Now, obviously, if you define God to be 'the whole universe', then I believe in God. But I think that is a misuse of language and is not what most people mean when they say they believe in God. Most definitions, however, have God as a non-material being that created the universe. This is what I do not believe in.

Part of the problem is the term 'non-material'. I do not believe there is anything that is truly non-material. Ideas are produced by our brains, as are emotions. Even energy is, in this sense, material. Anything that interacts with the material world is, almost by definition, also material. Why? Because it is part of how we define the term. THink about it. When we started looking at magnetism, it was seen as a wierd, spiritual thing. Now, we see it as a completely understandable and yes, material thing.We tend to use the term 'non-material' only when we don't understand something. After we do, we call it material. This would happen even if we ever do discover 'spirits'. Whatever they are made from would simply be labeled material after we understand it.

So, to be truly non-material a thing would have to not interact with anything material. But, again almost be definition of what it means to exist, this means it would not exist! So God does not exist!

Answer 3

I will answer you respectfully because you ask respectfully.

First, in all religions whatever god or gods created the universe had a distinct interest in humans. To me, this is the ultimate in hubris. An entity capable of creating the universe and all it contains would be so far above humans in intellect that our existence, and our fate, would mean absolutely nothing to it. We would be, if anything, an experiment, and if the experiment didn't pan out, so be it. Time to move on to the next one.

Second, the idea of an eternal afterlife, a common thread in all theist religions. A hundred billion years is but a grain of sand on the endless shores of eternity. Some people believe we become disembodied spirits capable of roaming the universe. That would be thrilling for awhile, but how many times can I walk along the rings of Saturn, or fly through the center of a star, before it becomes mundane? After I've done all this afterlife has to offer I still have eternity to go. Others believe we return to an earthly heaven in earthly flesh but unable to get sick or die. That's all fine and good but again, where's the purpose? After I've learned how to be a great artist, or a great musician, and after I've painted all there is to paint, and written all the music there is to write, I still have eternity to go. Why would any loving god, assuming it does care about our fate, punish us with a meaningless existence from which there is no escape?

So, aside from the religious texts making no sense, this is why I don't believe in "God" or "Gods" as put forth in these texts.

Answer 4

Aside from the total lack of any credible evidence, which plays a large part by the way, I'd say it's because I "can't believe in a giant sky pixie." Why not? Because the very idea of a creator-deity who watches over me when I sleep, cook, use the toilet, and who knows my very thoughts, and who can bend natural law on a whim is highly illogical and improbable, and, if I may say, completely ridiculous. To put it into perspective, I struggle with the very idea that people actually believe any of it is true. Totally boggles the mind.

And don't tell me my answer isn't good enough or doesn't explain well enough. My answer can't get any simpler than this.

Answer 5

While believers themselves were not the reason I stopped believing, seeing that people are hypocritical was one of the things that made me begin to question in the first place. Then I read the bible, and it wasn't really what I thought it would be - it isn't a great book, and doesn't really contain any real "evidence" of god. Rather, it made me realize that it was written by many people with their own ideas, their own agendas, and that it wasn't necessary for me to live a good life or be happy.

Of course there is much more to it, but I'm not writing a book here!

Answer 6

Well, first of all there's the complete lack of any verifiable evidence for the existence of any God. If God existed, one would expect him to leave behind some evidence.

Then, the fact that there are so many religions, all mutually exclusive. They can't all be true, and if a single one is true, why would the god(s) of that belief system allow the other religions to arise? Or, if there is a god not represented in any human religion, why has this deity not revealed itself?

Then, there are the truly despicable actions of some religious believers, committed in the name of their God. Eric Robert Rudolph and Osama bin Laden, Fred Phelps and David Koresh, so many others. What kind of God would allow these people to represent him? Perhaps an evil god, or one completely indifferent to humanity, but not a god worth worshiping.

Answer 7

What other reason do I need besides lack of evidence? Perhaps the evidence that goes directly against what the Bible says. Science is far more reliable in my experience then religion ever was. More often then not accepted scientific knowledge goes directly against the Bible and for that matter most religions. Believing in God takes a combination of faith and lack of reason.

If people blindly went against reason we would still believe the world was flat and that the lights in the night sky are spirits instead of burning balls of gas. Without proof of Gods exsistence there is no reason for me to believe in him, other then the words of a book that has been altered so many times the original authors probably wouldn't even recognize it. That in itself is more then enough of a reason for me to not believe.

I say we are both atheists, I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand the real reason you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours

Answer 8

If you cannot prove or disprove something, it is near impossible to quote a reason for not believing in it. Some will believe, some won't. It's literally as simple as that.

I have no intention of convincing you that you are wrong. In fact, I believe that you are right. Your beliefs are right for YOU, therefore you are right.

My own reason for not believing in God? I just don't. Have no reason, need no reason. I believe in myself. I have faith in myself, and I believe that ONLY I can change my future. Others may influence me, but they have no control over me.

Aside from not believing in God, I have read and disagree with the Bible. Many of its stories promote fear, ignorance and hate for others, while I believe in tolerance and love for ALL.

I understand that this is mainly in the Old Testament, but it is still a part of the same book, and some really do take some of this to heart. You may or may not have seen some SHOCKING posts by Christians on here, rebuked sometimes even by other Christians.

Answer 9

The reason I do not believe in simply that: I have no belief that there is a God (at least not the Christian God, who is violent regardless of what his practioners preach, and who opposes the existence of any other religion in such a manner that I can only view as egotistic). It is not that I believe there is no God, or that I am confident that his existence is or isn't a reality. I merely doubt that he exists, and that doubt is coupled with the hope that he does not exist simply due to the fact that I view him as jealous, cruel, and fickle, all with the declaration that his destructive acts and judgments are done out of love.

Answer 10

Well, I think there is no serious evidence for god and I think the bible is obviously a man-made artifact. But since you said not to say that ---

I think the whole notion of a god in the sky who created the whole universe but still has time to watch everything each of us does and listen to everything we say including every thought in our head and who will take care of us no matter what happens and, in the end, will welcome us into Heaven (if and only if we love him) or send us to Hell (if and only if we don't love him) ---

Is nothing more than the wishful thinking of insecurity.

Does that make any sense to you?

Answer 11

youre all twisted
you dont need ANY evidence to NOT believe in something
what evidence do you have to not believe in the FSM?
the only evidence you xians have to believe is a book
lots of people write books of fiction
if there was an all powerful god
then it would be obvious
if there was an all-loving god
then there wouldnt be any evil or suffering
if there was an all-knowing god then
he wouldnt have created an imperfect world