It's not a choice to be logical and reasonable.
I could pray all day long, but that wouldn't make me believe in god.
2007-11-26 12:20:20
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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It's not that I don't believe in anything, it's that I don't believe in fairies, dragons, magic, and voodoo. In the end, that's all any religion is...magic. Ask a pastor? Pray to a god? Why not some wanderer in the wild? Why not the crazy guy holding "The End is Near" sign? Why not the shaman or monk? Who's god should I pray to? I have stated before, and I shall state again: I shall bow down to no fairy being, nor accept the word of men no better than myself, and in some cases worse. As for being ashamed of me, if I don't care what some supposed higher power thinks, why would I care what you think? Hope this helps!
As for Turbo above: It seems to me that all of these evangelicals, with their mega churches, television channels, and private jets, are the real worshipers of money. As for being at peace, I have no problems that I can think of. My life is actually pretty good right now. Good job, a child, good woman, enough to eat, etc etc. For someone that doesn't believe in your god, I'm pretty damn blessed.
Wow, you're right about the 20 or so minutes in hell. Now I believe for sure. Read Dante's Inferno, at least that's more entertaining, even if it is Catholic based.
2007-11-26 12:27:35
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answer #2
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answered by voidedlives 3
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Wow. Look at all the anti-Christian stuff you kicked up--and only one answer was on the net when I started to write my answer! I suppose now you'll try to give us that you're being persecuted for your faith. Anyway, here is my answer.
I'm a Christian myself. Your question has no real answer, and it is nothing more than an exhortation to non-believers to pray.
I have news for you. People aren't going to pray, just because you think they should. They are not going to become Christian, just because you and I are Christians and you think they should convert. Your input has nothing whatsoever to do with people becoming Christians, and in fact actively encourages people to stay away from us.
I don't think non-believers are encouraging Christians to forsake our faith--I think they're just fed up with Christians saying to them "I'm so right and you're so wrong that I don't understand how you could possibly not share my faith." Imagine how you would feel if a Buddhist or a Muslim talked to you that way. You would be insulted and offended--and so are the atheists who are God's creations and have feelings too.
There is no logic or proof in your statement exhorting people to ask a pastor or pray if they want proof. For a start, they don't want proof. They are not, at this point in their lives, interested--and your comments will tend to keep them that way.
What would your reaction be if I said to you, "If you want proof of the existence of the Greek Gods, ask a priest at the Delphic Oracle or better yet ask a temple priest"? I would not persuade you. You will not persuade atheists, and you do harm by trying.
2007-11-26 12:29:54
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answer #3
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answered by Pagan Dan 6
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I didn't CHOOSE to be an atheist. I do not CHOOSE not to believe. The truth of the matter is that I can't FORCE myself to believe in something. I could go through the motions and tell myself I believe, but in the back of my mind, I'd know I couldn't fool myself.
I did a lot of soul-searching before I got to this point, and it was a very long, painful journey. It always gets my hackles up when people assume that atheists can just say "you know what, I DO believe!" as if they're deciding to order a cup of coffee instead of their usual tea.
Being an atheist was the LAST thing I wanted to be. I finally accepted it, because it's what I am.
EDIT: TURBO: Re "Unfortunately, I had never seen an Atheist happy or in Peace with himself." Evidently we've never met. I am quite happy and more at peace than I ever was when I was a theist. Nice generalization. I'm sure your god is proud if he exists.
2007-11-26 12:25:45
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answer #4
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answered by War Games AM 5
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I believe in many, many thing. Why do you generalize like that? I believe in democracy, freedom, rights, retribution, emotions, love, equality, and many, many other things.
Yet I don't believe in God, and you automatically assume that I believe in nothing. Why is that?
I've never encouraged a Christian to abandon God. I've attacked people for being Christian, but that's only because I was attacked first for being Atheist. It's always been in defense of my own beliefs, which I have a right to protect.
As long as you don't try and force your beliefs on anyone else, I don't care what you believe. Do whatever you want, as long as it has nothing to do with me.
Sadly, though, there are few Christians in the United States that feel as though they can keep their mouth shut about Jesus and being saved and all that jazz, so I frequently find myself having to defend my right to be a non-believer.
If only you people understood that there is no coming back from this path we've gone done. We didn't choose to go down it; we did it for many reasons, but they all lead to the fact that we just didn't believe. It's not something we can reverse on just because you ask us to. It's never going to work, so why waste your time? Why waste time trying to convert someone else when you can spend your time praying or doing charity? Something useful? I
2007-11-26 12:24:22
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answer #5
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answered by Kemp the Mad African 4
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I didn't choose to not believe. I simply don't believe. None of the religions seem to me like they could possibly be real. They never have and they only seem more unreal the more I learn about them because I spot all sorts of claims they make that don't really make sense. Learning about religion is like watching a poorly constructed movie and noticing all the plot holes.
Why would I encourage people to not believe in their religions? Because the religions seem so ridiculous and false to me and I don't like it when people believe wrong things. Just like if someone believed in white-supremacy... you'd want to convince them that their wrong, right? Sure, white supremacy is more directly bad than believing in a religion. But suppose you met a grown adult that seriously believed in the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. Wouldn't you feel the least bit compelled to bring them down to reality? or if someone thought that China was a country in Europe... wouldn't you want to educate them about what is true? That is how I feel about religions.
2007-11-26 12:31:05
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answer #6
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answered by egn18s 5
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As an ex-Christian I've done a lot of prayer, and I've actually been in a position where I was asked to teach pastors.
But now I'm an atheist.
Sorry, neither of your routes offer proof. Nor, in my case, adequate evidence, once I started to realise that the bible was not what it was held out to be, what it claimed itself to be.
The broad question is that of truth. What is fundamentally true is not settled, in the area of theism/atheism, (except, variously, in the minds on different individuals) so debate, discussion and investigation is required.
Theists have the additional difficulty, of course, in deciding *which* account of God is the true one, if one is.
2007-11-26 12:26:51
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answer #7
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answered by Pedestal 42 7
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If proof is needed, ask someone who gets paid to
spread it? A lot of sense that makes.
We don't encourage religious folks not to believe,
we're just hoping one day they will snap out of the
spell they are under and live the only life they will
get.
I'll own up to rudeness. But the church has to own
up to murder, molestation and mayhem. Did we
forget to mention child abuse?
2007-11-26 12:28:06
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answer #8
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answered by wuvie 3
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1. Atheism isn't a belief in nothing. I believe in lots of things, but I choose to believe in things I can see, feel, touch, and that I know exists because there is proof.
2. Praying does nothing for someone who doesn't believe in a deity. That would be like praying to Zeus or Mickey Mouse.
3. If someone asks my opinion I'm going to share my opinion.
4. I don't care if you're ashamed of me.
2007-11-26 12:23:13
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answer #9
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answered by AngFlowr 4
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Believing what one wants to believe is unwise. Likes and dislikes, choosing, etc. are illogical. I make no choices in such matters. I just look carefully at all of the available evidence and think much about it. I see many, many contradictions and scientific errors in the Bible. I have talked to many pastors. Mom's father was and her nephew is two of them. One of my good pals in college becme a pastor and tied to get me to go to a seminary with him, but i just did not believe such stuff. I saw errors in the bible at age 7. i had read much of it then, so I knew it well. I never saw any use for prayer, and it is foolish to try to talk to imaginary gods, ghosts, Bigfoot, etc. As far as i am concerned, you can if you like worship Apis whose statue Aaron made while Moses was getting his 15 commandments.(Mel Brooks said he dropped one tablet and broke it, so only 10 remain.) Just don't pester me with it.
2007-11-26 12:37:30
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answer #10
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answered by miyuki & kyojin 7
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I dont try to convince anyone of anything and
I believe in MANY MANY things .. thank you
theres more then just 2 beliefs you know.. there are 100s more then just believing in a god.. or not .. I'm sorry if you only know of those 2
and u also dont have to believe in any god to be spiritual.
look up the word
2007-11-26 12:22:59
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answer #11
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answered by nola_cajun 6
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