Just an observation I have made in my time on this forum.
Yes, I fully recognize the ridiculousness of many of the things that Christianity believes, and I also know that I am painting myself with a big bulls-eye asking this question. So go ahead and fire at will.
Anyway, Atheists constantly ask how Christians can believe in things like a virgin birth, resurrection from the dead, burning bushes, parting of the seas, talking donkeys, global floods... you get the idea.
Christians believe that a God that exists outside of our plane of existence created the entire universe out of nothing, and formed it exactly to his specific design. Now wouldn't it go to figure that if we believe that God can do THAT, then the rest of the Bible is child's play to him?
So if we believe Genesis 1-2 is true, then there's no logical reason to believe that the rest couldn't be true.
Not trying to open debate--I'm just curious what kind of answers I'll get.
2007-09-10 22:59:38 · 21 answers · asked by SDW 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It's hard to tell by some of the answers so far exactly who believes what. Except for those of you I already know.
2007-09-10 23:10:08 · update #1
The reason many atheists and other non-religious people (of which I am one) ask the questions is because, not only are the so-called miracles totally far-fetched, to say the least ... but they were written by primitive, non-English-speaking illiterates over 2000 years ago, based ONLY on THEIR testimony! We are mystified by that and also because ever since then, NOBODY:
- has ever seen God,
- has ever seen a miracle like a parted sea or a burning, talking bush,
- has ever talked to a donkey and stayed out of the psych hospital,
- has even a shred of evidence, besides the shroud of Turin, that supports the possible existence of Jesus,
- again, has EVER seen God in 2000 years!
Where did he go? Don't you all wonder? I know you all have answers for everything, but geez! I'd start to get a little suspicious, at the least! A few decades ago, people said God was deceased. Why is THAT not a possibility? Why did he stop dropping in from time to time and only leaves us with some hearsay campfire tales by sandal-makers and camel-breeders? Hell, why so much allegiance to a culture and a land that's so foreign to us in the first place?
I just think living a life of worry over sin and hell is an awful way to waste 60 to 90 years.
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2007-09-10 23:28:54 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 2⤋
Well, let's say god is outside all of the rules of physics. Why don't things like that still happen?
I guess I'm just trying to wrap my mind around the absurdities of some of the stories.
I want to be able to discuss some of the great questions, but I can't do that until we have some kind of common ground to work from. And if I can't follow the logic from the beginning of the debate, I'm lost for the rest of it too.
2007-09-10 23:10:01 · answer #2 · answered by hypno_toad1 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe because they are trying to test you to see if you have any logic in that indoctrinated religious skull filled with STORY'S from a book that has been changed so many times and prooven wrong even more times.
I'm not a Atheist actually, I believe in a "god" but i believe no man women or child needs a religion to connect to him. I believe religion is the root of all evil along with the love of money. Religion causes war and blind support by people when governments all around the world say "do this in the name of god".
God wants everyone to connect to him in there own personal way, not follow a books and false visions which where written by MEN for personal gain and the feeling of power because they have endless blind followers.
I probably have more of a connection with god then most religious people simply because I have discovered how to attain that connection by myself and I don't read books which say "this is the only way to connect/worship god" which god DOES NOT LIKE people reading. God is ready to listen to you without use of religion.
My belief: Nobody has a wrong belief as long as they came to the conclusion by there self.
Religious belief: Follow this story which was written by men years ago not just the bible the Koran as well and any other religious scripture and if you don't pick the right story to follow you will burn in hell for eternity no matter if you have good intentions or not.
YOU are evil if you believe anyone who does not believe JESUS/MUHAMMAD etc is NOT THE SON OF GOD will go to HELL. I can only PREY for you and hope you will have ---peace of mind--- (not hell) in the next plain of existence for all those people you have wished go to hell because they did not believe in your STORY of how to follow/connect to the creator of this mystical unbelievable universe.
2007-09-10 23:10:34 · answer #3 · answered by ? 1 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Actually, the atheist who had asked that question if they believed a specific miracle is quite ill informed. Christians are supposed to believe everything as mentioned in the bible.
2007-09-10 23:09:16 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Questions like this elicit answers such as the one provided by 'Steve b Seeking after salvation', above.
Answers like Steve's provide real insight into why I perceive religion in general... and christianity in particular... to be the epitome of gullibility, irrationality, willful ignorance, self-delusion, intellectual dishonesty, hypocrisy and drooling stupidity.
Steve writes: "And that is the most absurd thing about most of them. They claim logic, higher education, and intellect are on their side, yet believe that they must disprove something that they claim is not there to begin with. Which shows a much lower intellect, don't you think? A true atheist could careless what anyone else believes, because if they really believe that there is no God, then there is no effect, is there?"
Atheists are NOT trying to "...disprove something that they claim is not there to begin with." They know that it cannot be done... just like they know that it is impossible to prove that there is NOT a china teapot in orbit around the sun, opposite the earth. But by the perverted, insane kind of thinking that passes for 'logic' in christianity... since we cannot PROVE that there is NOT a china teapot orbiting the sun (metaphor for 'god'), then we are 'logically' obliged to BELIEVE that it is so. And it is by this kind of 'thinking' that they strive to show us that their belief does NOT merely result from 'blind faith'... that it is backed up by 'logic', too.
The thing that REALLY amazes me about this is that they are able to 'think' this way without having their heads explode.
Steve says: "A true atheist could careless what anyone else believes, because if they really believe that there is no God, then there is no effect, is there?"
Now how in the world can Steve tell us what a 'true' atheist might care about, when it is plain to see that he has no clear concept of what an 'atheist' is to begin with?
Anyway... Steve... boobie... the effect of your beliefs on society... on the world... upon humanity... is one of great HARM. And so we care a great deal. We intervene in order to mitigate or prevent that great harm. Our purpose in Yahoo!Answers is to demonstrate how insane, stupid, baseless and senseless beliefs such as yours actually are... not to 'convert' you... that would be a hopeless goal. You are too far gone. No... rather, the aim is to protect vulnerable FROM you and your ilk.
Delusion IS contagious... in the form of a harmful 'meme' (viral idea) that we call 'religion'. This contagion can often be stopped in its tracks, though, if the intervention occurs BEFORE the mind-virus has taken complete hold, and conveyed to its victim an immunity to reason, knowledge, logic and critical thinking.
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2007-09-10 23:56:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
"Now wouldn't it go to figure that if we believe that God can do THAT, then the rest of the Bible is child's play to him?"
so he tinkers around with talking donkeys. Well, that sounds like Christian God.
2007-09-10 23:04:57 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
Because most of the Atheists here are ex-Christians. And they are questioning the current Christians about the stories that made them go Atheist.
2007-09-10 23:07:51 · answer #7 · answered by Ahmed A 4 · 9⤊ 0⤋
Even the Isrealites, having seen the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, heard God speak to them himself etc, didn't believe and kept on doubting. How much more this society?
2007-09-10 23:11:38 · answer #8 · answered by Starjumper the R&S Cow 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Yeah...... And if you just ask most Christians, they are not superstitious people. We do not think it is normal to walk on water or give a virgin birth or for the seas to part or for donkeys to talk. But if there is divine intervention, these things are very possible.
So can people walk on water? No. An illusionist may make it look like they can walk on water, but people simply can't go walking out in the middle of a stormy lake. Now if God showed up and said, "Do you wanna bet I can't walk across the stormy lake?" I wouldn't take the bet, I would know it is totally within his capability to do so, because God is not bound by the laws of nature like we are. He is not bound by time, space and matter. He is not bound by physics and such. He can bend or break those laws of nature, because he is supernatural.
2007-09-10 23:09:44 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 5⤋
Then my question to you would be: "what don't you believe?". Since you have no problem with talking snakes and whatnot, Why aren't you a scientologist or a Jihadist Muslim or a flat-earther? They all make magical claims also. Do you doubt the toothfairy? Why?
2007-09-10 23:05:03 · answer #10 · answered by heartfelt_atheist 2 · 5⤊ 1⤋