Atheists, why must you have proof? Can't you just believe in something?

Question

Is it really so hard to believe that maybe humans aren't the highest on the totem pole?

For those who want me to believe in unicorns and goblins...I didn't say what that higher being might be. You are the ones sounding ignorant now.

to the ohioguy...i've thought the same thing before actually....

Adam L and others...I didn't try to dismiss the goblins and unicorns argument. I meant it is entirely possible.

just a note...i DO pray for others...i pray for myself...but i pray for others too....and i dont brag about it...so no..i dont do it to get praise for it...

Answer 1

My favorite argument on this subject is the following: Would you rather be a Christian and believe and be wrong, if you do this you've not lost anything you've lived a great life. But the problem is if you are an athiest and you are wrong you spend an eternity in hell. I'd rather be wrong and live the christian life than live the athiest life and go to hell if I were wrong. Just a thought.

Answer 2

Who says humans are the highest on the totem pole? On the contrary, given the essentially infinite number of other planets in the Universe, and the relative youth of this galaxy, it is a statistical certainty there are many species more advanced than us. And some of these species may even exist in a non-physical form.

But does this mean beings of these species are gods? Of course not. Would any super intelligent species waste their time (assuming that they even could) overseeing at the individual level billions of humans and punishing them (or rewarding them) for their actions ... a key one being that we worship them in some manner defined in a book a 'god' plainly couldn't have written, but conveniently justifies a self serving clergy? And would this be justification for worship or revolution?

Personally I don't have, or expect, proof there is no such thing as a god. However, I am sure that a 'god', as pictured by theistic religions, does not exist in any form that I have to consider in living my life. That is, there is no 'god' holding a clipboard and watching (or caring) what I do. I prefer to take responsibility for my own fate (to the degree anyone can influence it), and to try to respect the Golden Rule (which does NOT require a belief in 'god') ... i.e humanism rather than religion.

So ... I'm not going to say there isn't some form of 'being' much more advanced than humans -- in fact there are probably more than one -- but this doesn't mean they are 'gods' (any more than we are gods to an ant hive).

If only otherwise intelligent people would start to think for themselves and recognize that all we need is to practice humanist principles rather than believe in the equivalent of the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy (i.e. a "god"), the better off the world would be. Some day we may look back and wonder how we were ever so stupid and misguided as to believe in religion ... but I'm not going to hold my breath because, unfortunately, there are a lot of gullible, misguided, non-thinking people out there.

Answer 3

They don't. They believe that

"All we are is dust in the wind"
"We all want to rule the world"
"Every one wants a drug dealer on speed dial" because
"Love is a 2nd hand emotion" and
"The best we can hope for is to die in our sleep."

These are the highlights of the "survival of the fittest" religion where "the law of the jungle" governs. Apparently atheists are so ignorant about the environment and have no clue about the animals they say the evolved from to know that the "pecking order" / "natural selection" / totem pole hierarchy IS THE VERY THING WE EVOLVED FROM. Please prove your theory that when you are trying to survival as one does in the "survival of the fittest" frame of reference, when is equality something that humans do? In the classroom, do you all hold hands and sing "We are the world. We are the children" until the professor agrees to give everyone an C because you want everyone to be equal.

Do you say to all the guys on the dorm, here is my girl friend, I want to make sure we are all equal?

At your job, do you do that holding hands and singing thing until the corporation is structured where everyone does the same amount of work and everyone gets paid the same?

If they actually get out into the real animal kingdom, they will quickly discover that there is no "bill of rights" to protect them from those who would oppose not only their views but their "right to live." Genocide, ethnic cleansing, torture chambers, rape rooms....are all just tools of being the king of beasts.

By which law of the "law of the jungle" can an atheist say another person did something was wrong? Where did this idea evolve from since I don't think even an Atheist would maintain the idea that a virus or bacteria or fungus was moral. COME ON ATHEISTS. For God's sake PROVE YOUR RELIGION. Don't think that because you believe something it is therefore intelligent and beyond question.

If you spent more time studying you own religion instead of cramming it down others throats, you would recognize that along with not have a right and wrong, peace, hope and love are also un-evolutionist ideas.

So as Atheists came into the world as a mass of tissue and only gained legal status after their birth, so will they be just as meaningless after the cold fingers of death clamp down on their throats. And grasping their last breathe, alone, they can say to themselves:

"Logically, my entire life had no purpose so everything I did was just a waste of time!"

Edit: Tricia R said ***We believe in humanity - we believe in helping humanity achieve its goal of truth and knowledge. We believe that we are all equal and as such have the innate knowledge that we should all take care of each other - based upon - just plain having respect - for humanity as a whole.***

Is this evidence of drug use or of someone who has been home schooled and completely sheltered? PLEASE!

When did Atheists get together, take a vote and EVER practice this??? for such an outrageous statement like this to be made???

Take a look at College Humor.Com once in a while under the tab, "shaming" or "owned" or "pwned" let alone venture into life on the street or take a look at world history.

Answer 4

I accept totally that humans are not the highest point on the totem pole. If you have ever worked with dolphins or Orcas you would realize that. They may not have an opposing thumb but they are mentally superior to humans. As for god??? He might very well exist and to believe simply because some else told you that you are supposed to is idiocy. If anything in my world could not be explained by natural phenomenon then I would believe in a higher power, but at this time it is all explained. Unless ther is something you know about that i don't.

Answer 5

As soon as you start not requiring proof or evidence to believe in something, it really becomes a free-for-all.

I know you tried to dismiss the 'goblins and unicorns' arguement, but it's entirely right and relevant - there are many, many things that we have no proof of whatsoever and it seems a bit silly to be picking and choosing between a group of equally unprovable things.

Answer 6

Lets begin with - Maybe humans aren't the highest on the totem pole? That is quite true, and all the religions believe that they are the only ones on that pole. Christianity, and Islam have no use for anyone who does not believe in their specific brand of religion. Religion makes it a point that this world has been specifically created with only them in mind. All your personal prayers and more are all about your personal desires, like you are the only one on this planet. With all those selfish prayers (and please do not tell me how you pray for others, that is only so you can get kudos's in some heavenly place, that does not exist)

Proof! How does your creator act toward humanity as a whole? I dare say - It shows all over this world. Let this creator do something for someone - Somebody, somewhere!

_______
As atheists:

We believe in humanity - we believe in helping humanity achieve its goal of truth and knowledge. We believe that we are all equal and as such have the innate knowledge that we should all take care of each other - based upon - just plain having respect - for humanity as a whole.

Answer 7

Actually atheists require no proof whatsoever - they simply don't believe in a deity. I'm not an atheist, but I believe that "god" is the natural universe, and is NOT supernatural at all, which I think makes more sense. Even if the universe was created through entirely natural processes (which I believe) it is still miraculous that we are here at all, and that we can talk to each other, thousands of miles away, in fractions of a second's time.

Answer 8

Actually there is evidence of unicorns and goblins are probably a warped version of demons. But anyways, atheists do have beliefs, such as in evolution or something else stupid like that.

Also the Bible does not teach to believe in something based on proof, but evidence. The difference is that proof is evidence which convinces, but just because the evidence doesn't convince you doesn't mean it isn't true. Atheists love to say "prove it" because they already have their mind made up on what they will allow themselves to be convinced about. But if you say "Here is evidence (and it really is evidence)", they sometimes shut up, run away, or insult you because you aren't saying, "here is proof (meaning 'evidence which will convince you')" but are presenting to them the truth as truth, not "truth which will convince you).

Also, the Bible does not say, "Believe in something for the hell of it and you don't need evidence". It repeatedly teaches to believe BECAUSE of the evidence:

"On the mouth of two witnesses or of three witnesses..." - Deuteronomy 17:6

Do you think what verse means "witnesses who believe whatever and say whatever?" God obviously said there must be witnesses (for whatever he is talking about in that verse) because there must be someone who saw a real thing happened, not who just made up something and believe it. God isn't saying there must be "people who believe whatever they want and say whatever they believe" but people who will say what really happened.

Answer 9

I believe!

I believe that E=MC square. I can't do the math but others who can have verified the theory and it passes every test of its predictions so, I take it on faith, therefore I have faith.

I believe that the solar system is about 4.5 billions of years old. I can't do the math but others can and their verifications work for me.

I believe that Hydrogen is the lightest element on the periodic table. I can't do the experiments but others can and have and their work is verified by peer rveiew.

What I cannot believe is the metaphysics of Mesopotamia. They do not satisfy peer review and are therefore unfounded.

Answer 10

Actually, if I remember correctly it's the lowest figure on the totem pole that's the most important. That said, I reject your linear mentality.

Answer 11

I can't just believe in something because it is a foolish thing to do. Humanity should have been rid of this silly tradition by now.

Do you believe we should kill people for swimming ?

Like Christians did because any person who can swim is a witch right? Why can't you just believe this?