Atheists, serious question?

Question

When you say that you don't believe in a god, do you think that you still have to have an image or paradigm of that god in order to disbelieve it's existence? Can you "decribe" what it is that you don't believe in? Just wondered, I'd be interested to hear your honest opinions on this. I am neither atheist nor non-atheist. Hoping for some interesting answers.

Stefan, atheist/non-atheist, it means whatever you think it means.

Answer 1

It's good question. How do I describe something that I don't think exists? I could describe a 10 foot tall purple feathered dragon with 17 eyes, little man arms and webbed feet, but I don't necessarily think that thing exists, although by describing it I just created its existence. I suppose when I think about a god, my thoughts would vary as much as a person who does believe in a god, or their God. I imagine many people who believe in God see that god as a man, probably old, with a beard. Many would describe god as a female. Many would describe something in our likeness (human) but possibly an animal of some sort.

It really is a good question. I guess I don't necessarily visualize a god, but would expect God to exist in the form of an energy force with a voice. Not exactly something you could take a picture of. Quite honestly, I don't even know if a voice is necessary.

Good question!

Answer 2

What atheists do not believe in is religion; because their minds are so small they can't differentiate between god and religion.

Most modern atheists are not even "free-thinkers", as they like to call themselves. They believe in no god for various reasons that rarely have anything to do with science and logic. For example, they don't believe in god to piss off Christians. Or they don't believe in god because that makes them part of the "intelligentsia". It all comes down to a very childish attitude of my tribe is better than your tribe.

It's rather funny. I was watching the National Geographic channel the other day. It was a program about the development of the universe. It went something like this. "In the beginning...there was nothing. Then, a small speck of light formed."

In two sentences, the atheists that wrote that show proved they were anti-Christian and completely unscientific. They could not explain how the universe just appeared out of nothing. Quite amusing and sad.

Answer 3

i cant believe in & live my life according to abook written by regular men who claim to have been inspired by god. there were many books that were left out of the bible & they are a number of contradictions in the bible. if god can see everything & can do anything than why create ppl who are going to sin??? and i dont mean liars & thieves mean pedophiles & child abusers,serial murderers etc etc. i was a christian until recently i made my own decision to be baptised at 16 but the more u read into the bible the more u realize its a myth simply a fairytale. how can a god judge every1 for every decision i dont want to live like that im a good person i work a full time job i dont drink or do drugs & im a mother to a 1 yr old. i cant imagine id be sent to hell( if there is one) just because i didnt believe in a book written by man.

Answer 4

No, not really.

Basically, it's just that I hold no belief in anything that I have no reason to believe in. It's not like I think to myself, "I don't believe in the Christian God, I don't believe in the Hindu gods, etc."
It's like, you don't go around thinking about how you don't believe that there are invisible dancing turtles in your backyard, or how you don't believe that there are teapots growing on trees in Zimbabwe. You don't need to picture the specific thing in order to not believe in it. You just don't assume the existence of anything unless you have reason to. I just think that if something exists, then there WILL be evidence of it, somehow, somewhere. Maybe God does exist, and we just haven't found the evidence for Him yet. (But then again, maybe the invisible turtles exist, too!) When I am given a reason to change my mind, then I will change it.
Hope this helps you understand a little better.

Answer 5

I am an atheist in two ways.

I am an "A"theist with respect to every god that has been proffered to me as an option. Allah, Jesus, Zeus, etc. I have rejected the claims that they exist based on reason and lack of evidence, and see no reason to believe in those.

I am an "a"theist with respect to everything else that may possibly exist. While I do no reject any god out of hand, I have no reason to assert believe in any deity. Therefore, lacking belief in anything specific (or even general) I am, by definition, a-theistic.

However, I can conceive of a "god" of sorts similar to the deistic model, which created this universe. I see no reason to specifically state that I believe this is true, nor do I see the harm in saying I don't believe that. However, I can certainly comprehend how such a "god" could exist, and be fully compatible with the natural universe we observe. I cannot believe, however, that any such god would "tinker" with the world and with us, as there is no good reason to believe this may be true.

For example, if in 20 years, science sells kids "universe in a box" where you can create your own universe in your room, and you can watch it, but you cannot affect it, what would the inhabitants of that universe call you if they couldn't see you or sense you? In my mind, it is equally rational for them to be deists (which is technically more correct) as it is for them to be atheists (which is more correct from their point of view, since they have no evidence of you). However, it really doesn't matter either way.

While an interesting academic discussion, I find discussions regarding possible gods about as important as discussions of possible unicorns on Europa. It is moot absent more information upon which to have the conversation.

Modern theistic claims have none.

Answer 6

We have to have some idea of what "God" refers to to not believe in it. The general definition of a god is a supernatural and immortal being with special powers. Since it's usually the Christian God whose existence is most often discussed in the western world, we usually think of an omnipotent, omniscient, and immortal being who created the universe.

What do you mean by "neither atheist nor non-atheist?" Do you mean agnostic? Unsure?

Answer 7

That's why I sometimes wrestle with the term "atheist". It denotes a lack of belief in a concept that is so poorly defined that we might as well not even discuss it.

I'd actually prefer to identify as a "theological noncognitivist", but people would give me funny looks if that's how I described my non-religious persuasion... so I just say that I'm an "atheist" insofar as the so-called "god concept" is logically impossible to the point of absurdity and nonsensicalness, and I acknowledge and accept this fact.

Answer 8

My disbelief in god is based not only on what I know of every major and/or minor religion, but also upon every conceivable idea of a god/deity that I could possibly fathom. Even in my wildest dreams of the most improbable circumstances, I can't imagine any such creature. All of my ponderings have led me to the same conclusion..."god" was invented by man as a way of explaining the unexplainable. How that idea has lasted this long boggles my mind.

Nice twist on the same old question. =)

Namaste

Answer 9

I don't believe in a all-powerful "benevolent" being that creates a universe where people are tortured for all eternity because they don't believe some silly detail about the afterlife. I don't believe in a God that thinks Gandhi deserves to be tortured for all eternity.

Further, I don't believe that an omnipotent being would clone himself, send his clone to Earth to die, and then punish people who don't accept mainstream Christianity's interpretation of the allegorical nature of the event with eternal damnation two thousand years after the fact.

It isn't a slam-dunk case. If it were, everybody would be Christians. Christians call this quality of being more sure of yourself than the evidence warrants "faith". I call it at best naivete and at worst delusional thinking.

Answer 10

Here are the main things I disagree with:
- Many parts of the Bible that don't fit the description of an all loving God or is just impossible, people tend to just disregard as "not literal". Some examples
Creationism in 7 days, 2 of millions of species can fit on an ark and actually repopulate, Passages of God striking down 1st borns in Egypt, stating it's ok to sell daughters into slavery, you're allowed to stone people who work on Sabbath

I don't think you can try to tell other people that this book is "the truth" but disregard the stuff that doesn't make sense. You can't play it both ways and just believe in whatever is convenient.

Concepts of hell have been exaggerated GREATLY. Most of the descriptions we know of come from Milton's poems and Dante's Inferno (book). However, the many doomsayers who try to scare people into believing have neglected to tell us this. I disagree with any religion that tries to scare people with the intangible to try to scare you straight.