Have atheists, sceptics and like minded folk exhausted all resources, or did they just give up?

Question

Is there some kind of line drawn in the thought processes that just says: well, that's the limit of evidence. I've seen it all. Therefore my conclusion must be correct.

Or when there is eye-witness accounts, they say: well, that's subjective, and the person is deluded. Why cut and dry? Why think that is the correct conclusion? Delusion is indeed one answer, but it is not the only answer.

Answer 1

That's a good question (even if you did misspell skeptics).

I think most are always open to new evidence. But we are just saying "in view of the evidence available so far, I see no reason to believe."

Like the scientific method, our conclusions are always tentative. If good reasoning or evidence comes along, we must change our conclusion.


Some of your comments:
"Or when there is eye-witness accounts, they say: well, that's subjective, and the person is deluded. Why cut and dry?"

- Well, unless you believe in the validity of ALL religions, you do the same don't you? Do you not discount the eye-witness accounts that tell Hindus that they saw Laxmi or Ganesh?

"Why think that is the correct conclusion? Delusion is indeed one answer, but it is not the only answer."

- No, but it seems the most likely answer. It is the one you probably apply to 99% of religions and beliefs such as ghosts, UFO's, alien abductions, succubii, and faries.

Answer 2

I am always open to new evidence.I have yet to see any evidence to support any religion or give me any reason to think or believe or to know for a fact that there is a God.People make many claims.People say they see flying saucers and have been abducted.Does that make it true?People say they have seen fairies and leprechauns.Does that make it true?People say that they are from another planet.Does that make it true?People say all kinds of things.But the question should always be " does that make it true?".And in light of what is stated and the lack of evidence, what conclusion would you consider more likely?That these people are experiencing true events that can be proved beyond a shadow of a doubt?Or, is it more likely that they are a bit delusional or at least are just hallucinating or imagining what they have seen or believe?Think about that for a little while.

Answer 3

I admit that I have not exhausted all resources in my search for what Christians and other Theists call God. But I have spent considerable time putting the bible and the Christian faith to the test and found it lacking if not just plain silly. I have found no reason to invent a magical invisible undetectable being to explain things I may not understand. That type of thinking was necessary for thousands of years before we had the technology to go beyond our meager 5 senses limitations.

So when I examined the evidence for and against god, at least the small amount of the available evidence, I concluded that there just wasn't any scientific, testable evidence for the existence of god. Why waste more time searching for what doesn't exist? Would you exhaust all known resources to see if there was any evidence for the Invisible Pink Unicorn? If you spent more than a few moments before you rejected its existence, would you think you just gave up?

During my 16 years as a born again, evangelical, Bible-believing Christian, I rarely came across another Christian that was willing to question the conclusions that they got from their preacher, favorite TV evangelist, or Christian author. Have you exhausted all the evidence for a god? Have you fully examined the teachings of all the hundreds of religions on Earth today to see if what they teach about god and man explains your observed reality better than Christianity? I doubt you know much about many other Christian sects or faiths,, much less about totally other religions like Hinduism, Buddahism, Islam, or Judaism.

Answer 4

I don't believe that they have given up trying to share their rationalism. These sort of people are constantly finding new scientific evidence of how the world has evolved. Just because rational people don't have ALL the answers to everything in the universe, there is no need to make up what the answer is and then push this biased view onto our own children in the form of religion. I'm not 'hating', i just feel that you should look at the athesists views, to make yourself a more rounded, well informed individual. Have a look at this http://www.veoh.com/videos/v549222mJGTHM7b?searchId=9092508946770891044&rank=3
(i'm not trying to make you give up on your religion btw, lol)

Answer 5

Most atheists/sceptics etc think that the concept of God is illogical. I myself would like to have blind faith in God, because I think that believers are generally happy and content in life. Handing my existence over to a higher power, would absolve me from worry and fear.

The trouble is that it just doesn't seem very likely. I, and other 'non believers/atheists/sinners' or whatever you want to call us have serious doubts about devoting our lives to a lexicon of old doctrines and scriptures written by people who were only human, and subject to human fault.

I am glad for believers in some ways because they will live their lives feeling happy and secure in their own destiny, which is a good thing. But I believe that it is possible to be happy in other ways too. There's no need for conflict.

Answer 6

The more they deny the existance of God, the more they feed into Satan's plan for them. I do beleive there does come a day when they are lost and can't find their way back. The truth can no longer reach them.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

…the Day of the Lord…cannot come before the final rebellion against God, when wickedness will be revealed in human form, the form doomed to perdition. He is the Enemy. He…even takes his seat in the temple of God claiming to be a god himself….the coming of that wicked man is the work of Satan. It will be attended by all the powerful signs and miracles of the Lie, and all the deception that sinfulness can impose on those doomed to destruction. Destroyed they shall be, because they did not open their minds to love of the truth, so as to find salvation. Therefore God puts them under a delusion, which works upon them to believe the lie, so that they may all be brought to judgment, all who do not believe the truth but make sinfulness their deliberate choice.

Answer 7

How many religions people, for example Christians, maintain their religious practices because it is how they grew up? Do many grow up and take a hard look at the faith they have been brought up in or do the majority simply continue with the religious practices they are used to? My guess is that the majority never seriously question what they have been taught. However most atheists grow up in one religion or another. They question what they have been taught and eventually decide that they don't believe in God. It seems to me that never questioning what you were raised with as a child is the same as giving up.

Answer 8

Look in the mirror. The best thing about us skeptics is when something that thought to be true turns out false we let go of the pride and admit we were wrong. Plus when we can't explain something we don't just say God did it and leave it like that. If we did we would still be the center of the universe with the sun circling us on our flat planet with drop offs at every ocean end.

Answer 9

All the evidence is in. We can see the invisible now with microscopes. We can send probes into space with cameras that see what seems like forever out into space. We know more now than ever before.

Still, we have two choices. God or no God. Ultimately, you have to believe in either one of those. Scientific experiments prove nor disprove neither. Life's experience proves only one...God.

Answer 10

No, i'm one of these people who think that knowledge is power so therefore i'm always willing to learn more, and exhaust all options before i reach a final conclusion. I don't believe in limits or limitations!!