I'm an atheist but I've been thinking...?

Question

Ok from what we know about earth and the universe it makes the most sense to me not to believe in any god, especially not the ones of the organized religions today.

However, when you think about it there is so much we don't know about the universe. Its beginning, how far does space extend, the existence of matter and how EVERYTHING started. I've been thinking, do we really have enough information to come to any conclusion at all about things like this. Perhaps it makes more sense to assume that there is no evidence and to become an agnostic.

I was wondering what other atheists think about this.

*by no evidence I just meant too many unknown factors, not enough information.

EvolvedKW: Actually, you are incorrect. There are no solid theories on how matter came into existence or about the beginning and limits of space and time.

Answer 1

No, we don't. I say I'm an atheist, BUT only atheist to all of man's religions and their gods. I do not rule out some higher intelligence, whether it is a being(most likely not) or something we don't understand. There is so much we don't know, don't understand, and can't comprehend. We barely know anything about dimensions, and little about the smallest building blocks and largest macrocosms. To say there is absolutely NO god of any sort, or no higher intelligence, is a leap I feel too many atheists make without there being evidence to back up that claim. I don't think there is, but I'm not ruling it out. In this sense I'm agnostic, but that is only because I do not know, and neither does ANY one else.

Answer 2

First of all the defenition of god is different for everyone I guess...for some its a man on a chair up in heaven for others an other idea...It's very vague. The universe et al is completely beyond our heads... Therefore people discussing god should first tell their idea about god so you know what the discussion is about in the first place....Then again it's completely pointles and very dangerous as lots of trouble come from that...If you truly believe in some god or gods then why trying to convince someone else...its personal. But if someone believes in god, whatever he makes of it, and it supports him/her than that's great even if it's an illusion. Personally I can not believe in gods from any religion...I just can't.

Answer 3

I feel that there is evidence of a Creator. If you contemplate how perfectly suitable for life our planet is it becomes evident that there is a Creator. Here are a few examples of the complexity of our world that you may have noted in your research:

Earth's Position in Space
1.The earth is the perfect distance from the sun, giving us just the right temperatures for supporting life. Also, the earth revolves around the sun in an almost perfect circle, preventing extreme temperatures.
2. The earth rotates on its perfectly angled axis 24 hours per day allowing 9 hours of darkness for sleep. The short periods between light and day allow for moderate temperatures (venus, on the other hand, completes a rotation once every 243 days). Also, the earth's tilt allows for our different seasons, all beautiful and all necessary for life (winter provides rest from growth for vegetation).
3. The earth is located in a relatively uneventful part of the universe, protecting us from celestial explosions, black holes, radiation, collisions with other celestial bodies, etc..

The Earth is Perfectly Suited For Life
1. The earth is the perfect size. If it were slightly larger, it's gravity would pull accessive amounts of hydrogen gases into the atmosphere making it unsuitable for life. If the earth were slightly smaller, oxygen would escape and surface water would evaporate. Hence, the earth's size contributes to the perfect mixture of gases needed for life.
2. The atmosphere serves as a protective shield. The sun emits healthful rays and deadly ones. When the lethal rays strike the earth’s upper atmosphere, they cause ordinary oxygen to turn into ozone. The resulting ozone layer, in turn, absorbs most of the harmful rays. By means of this process, the ozone layer has the ability to rejuvinate itself for our benfit.
3. The moon acts as a counterbalance, holding the rotation of the earth at a constant, steady tilt. It also serves as "night-light".

Evolutionary theory suggests that life evolved to adapt for the better. However, the "second law of thermodynamics" states that all things tend to disorder. For example, if you were to leave a bicycle outside, what would eventually happen to it? Would it become a better bicycle? No, rather it would deteriorate. If you owned a business and never put any effort into it, what would happen? If you had a microorganism and left it alone, what would happen? Likewise, the theory of evolution contradicts the proven laws of thermodynamics. A living microorganism could not possible become a complex, sophisticated human being by itself. Let's say, just for the sake of discussion, that the conditons were perfect for the accidental start of life, as the theory of evoluton suggests. Let's say that somehow life accidently started as some primevil soup that was hit by lightning. What are the chances that those micoorganism would live long enough, not only to mulitply, but to change quickly enough to adapt to their surroundings? I honestly feel that there is a Creator who designed the earth for the enjoyment of human beings. We see millions of colors. We have art. We have emotions. We have a sense of right and wrong. We have taste buds. We have a vast variety of foods, that not only provided needed nutrients, but also taste great. We have ice cream! None of these things are necessary for life, but we have them.

I have respect for a person who is agnostic rather than atheist (actually, I have respect for atheists too). If a person were to base his belief in God on the religions he sees, he would be very dissapointed. Religions, for the most part, are full of hypocrites, liars, unreasonable persons not open to any agreement, who are immoral, prideful, self-pleasing, who say they have godly devotion but show no evidence of it in their lives.

I know that your question was primarily directed at other atheists, but I hope that my answer helped.

Answer 4

Part of the dilemma is that the evidence that Atheists say proves that there is no God, I (and many others) see as proof that there is a God. It's all how one interprets the facts. We will obviously never know everything, but the question is this--do we know enough to make an intelligent, reasonable, rational guess?

Answer 5

I think agnosticism is the wisest position on any issue.

The wise man knows only that he knows nothing at all.

IS there a pink unicorn? I don't know, I'm a pink unicorn agnostic. But at the same time, some things are REASONABLE to believe or not to believe in.

I think in pragmatic terms, the question of "What is reasonable" is more improtant than what can be KNOWN.

I think atheism is the most reasonable position to take, but that srong agnosticism in principle is the most WISE.

Answer 6

Thoreau preached the importance of a 'personal God.'
I don't think there'll be an argument that organized religions have screwed it up. Thoreau was saying it's fine to be religious, but be your own kind of religious. Don't tell other people to agree with you and don't look for other people to do the same to you. If you feel God, feel him.
I'm currently agnostic, former atheist, playing with the idea that maybe I'll find that personal God someday.

Answer 7

Ok well first I am a follower of christ, but don't just disregard my answer. I believe that there is tons we dont know about everything. We don't have enough information to come to any conclusions. If we did certian Theorys would be proven.

you should read Case for Christ some time, it hits on topics like these with out shoving christianity down your throat.

Answer 8

Atheists disbelieve because there is no evidences for the beliefs.

Agnostic believe there might be something out there, but there are no evidences for it.

In essence Atheists and Agnostic are similar, so it does not really matters what is your label.

Answer 9

The enormity of it makes you feel insignificant, so it`s natural to think there must be something bigger out there. It seems too orchestrated to be a random act of nature, therefore there must be some higher being, pulling some strings. Sure, why not ?

Answer 10

The only thing that supports agnostic is faith alone. It pretty much comes down to a battle between faith vs theory and which one you feel more strongly in. There is no "smoking gun" proof that either is the definitive.