Does anyone else find it funny...?

Question

that atheists abuse those with a faith when atheism is no more provable than the existence of God?

What are they on?....

So misterman's answer isn't abuse?

Why did so many people assume I have a faith?...I don't! Yet I have managed to attract a deal of hatred and venom!...very interesting!

So Reverend...not a victim!..sorry!

As for the psuedo intellectuals...Try harder next time!....Nice try?!...PMSL at you!

Well...al I can say is, I'll try and find a reasonable response somewhere in here on either side of the argument...but there don't seem to be many. I am amazed at the responses, but I have to say many of them read as well rehearsed rants rather than serious attempts to answer!

I repeat...I do NOT have a faith, though neither am I convinced by atheism...which IS an article of faith!

I will remember though that should I fall into a religious belief of some sort...I am likely to be abused and defiled by bigots....but that's life.

Answer 1

no i find fools and horses do it for me

Answer 2

I consider myself an atheist, but you are right, you can neither prove or disprove the existence of God. Which is why it is called faith. I think everyone needs something to believe in. But the best thing to believe in, whether you believe in god or not is kindness and respect for everyone. Therefore we should all respect those of other faiths or lack thereof.

I guess I should consider myself more of an agnostic. I don't know for sure that there is no god and frankly it's scary to think that there isn't. But I don't live my life as a good person to serve a higher being. I do it to make the world a little better because it's the right thing to do. Anything that makes another human being smile is an act of good, which can be interpreted as an act of God. So if you choose to believe that there is a higher power that watches over us and teaches us to be good, then more power to you. I respect that, but I think that as long as you are promoting love and respect for everyone, regardless of color or belief, you are right. My fellow atheists seem to be focused on discrediting other faiths and showing them what is false about other beliefs when they should be focusing on what is right about other beliefs. What if there is no God or heaven? At least in the end you can be happy that you were a good person during the short time you had on earth. If there is? Then maybe he'll just be happy knowing that we were good people and made others smile regardless of whether or not we belived in a higher power. I would really like there to be a God, but frankly I find it hard to swallow that there is an omniscient all powerfull being that just sits back and does nothing about all the evil in the world and is so loving but is so quick to cast his children into hell for the mistakes they make. I'd rather believe that there is no God, and we can only hold ourselves responsible for bringing good and love to the world.
I swear I'm not on anything...although I would like to be.

Edit: Tyesa, although you have a different view than I do, I respect that you are Christian and I appreciate the fact that you think we should agree to dissagree. I give you a thumbs up and I think you should focus on the thumbs up that you get rather than the thumbs down.

Answer 3

Atheism has nothing to prove. It's about not believing in any gods because there's no proof, or even evidence, that any exist. In the absence of proof, atheism is the default position.

* * *
Lion: "In order to state that there is no proof for God's existence, the atheist would have to know all alleged proofs that exist in order to then state that there is no proof for God's existence. But, since he cannot know all things, he cannot logically state there is no proof for God's existence."

One could use that same argument for the existence of leprechauns, garden fairies, Zeus, or even the Flying Spaghetti Monster. In fact, there's no end to the imaginary things which could be "proved" to exist using that "logic."

You can twist things any way you want, but the fact remains that there is *no* proof for the existence of any god. If there were, there would be no atheists.

I know, some of you like to make up cute little stories about how atheists actually do believe -- not just in a god or gods, but yours, specifically -- but are too (fill in the blank) to admit it. This kind of thinking is just too silly for words. An atheist would have nothing to gain by taking such a position. If we did believe in a god, but didn't want to worship it or follow its rules, we could do so without saying it doesn't exist. If we believed it existed, we wouldn't be so stupid as to think that saying we didn't would benefit us in any way if there were a god that was omniscient.

I'm an atheist because I questioned my beliefs when I was a theist. Maybe that's why some theists see atheists as a "threat." They're afraid to question their own beliefs. They're too comfortable in their smugness, their "specialness." They can't accept that things don't exist "for us," that we humans are merely one of a great many life forms that inhabit planet Earth.

[Edit]

"...atheism...which IS an article of faith!"

Wrong. Faith is belief without evidence, or despite evidence to the contrary. Atheism is lack of belief, a position which is subject to change should evidence ever be provided.

I happen to be one of those atheists who says, not that I believe in no gods, but that there *are* no gods. That, still, is not faith. My position is based on the fact that there is nothing that is known that supports the existence of any god, just as there is nothing known that supports the existence of little green men living on the dark side of our moon. I doubt very much that any theist would say that my belief that there are no little green men living on the dark side of our moon is unreasonable.

"I will remember though that should I fall into a religious belief of some sort...I am likely to be abused and defiled by bigots..."

If you believed that 1+1=3, and someone told you that's incorrect -- that 1+1=2 -- would you consider that abuse and defilement? Would you think that the person who corrected you is a bigot? Surely, you must see how silly you sound, even if you don't agree with the math.
.

Answer 4

Since when did it become mandatory (compulsory) that we all MUST have a faith?

The point of keeping religion and state separate is that people should be free to choose their own religion, or to NOT choose a religion if that is their choice.

Doesnt matter whether or not the religion or lack of religion is provable.

Besides you just shot down the christian mantra - God is real because the Bible says he is.

So God cannot be proved, and he cannot be disproved - then it really should not matter if we do or if we dont beleive in him.

Thats where christians do so much damage, because they keep telling the rest of us that God is real, and they can pray to him, and talk to him, and he will answer. Never mind that the existance of God has NOT been proved.

Answer 5

Nice try.

Atheism is far more reasoned than faith based belief.

One only has to look at history and compare religious practice and belief to notice that all deities require the same ingredients for existence.

If leprechauns require faith to exist but have no tangible measureable evidence, and Zeus requires faith to exist but has no tangible measurable evidence, and Neptune etc....

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the pattern of belief and recognize that any deity that is made of the same stuff must be lumped in with the rest....

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, smells like a duck, and quacks like a duck, its a duck. Thats just observance doing its job.

If it looks like a myth, acts like a myth, requires the same ingredient as myth, and cannot be proven like a myth, Guess what?

Answer 6

Atheists do not say that there is proof that god does not exist, only that there is no proof that god does exist. Since atheism is simply a lack of belief, it can certainly be proven. As an atheist if he or she believes in god, and they'll tell you no. There's your proof of atheism.

As to Lion of Judah's assertion that we would have to know all available proofs, as of now, no proof has ever been presented to show the existence of god. To say that there may be some proof that is yet unthought of or unimaginable, and that it would be incorrect to not wait for that proof before deciding, is poor reasoning. If that line of thinking is followed, then nothing could ever been determined, as there might always be another proof out there that could prove or disprove what has been shown.

Answer 7

It's unfortunate that some atheists are a little too militant.

The burden of proof is on the theist. You cannot prove a negative. I cannot prove, nor have to, something isn't. The theist's claim is there is a god, often a specific god, that does certain things, created the universe, etc. It is up to the theist to prove that the invisible exists.

If I claimed the sky is green and not blue it is up to me to prove it, not for another to prove me wrong.

In order for the logical person to believe in the invisible one must start with no evidence and then search for evidence.

Answer 8

I am an atheist. I do not abuse anyone with a faith, I respect them for that faith. To be honest, I am usually a little jealous of them for that faith. I think believing in God and following one's faith must be a very secure and comforting thing to have in one's life and I wish sometimes I had that security.

Answer 9

Atheists don't believe a god exists. They have nothing to prove. Do you go around trying to prove Poseidon doesn't exist? How do you propose they prove the non-existence of something. The only way you can come to the conclusion that something doesn't exist is the non-existence of evidence that the something does exist. If you have evidence to the contrary, provide it and any rational atheist will believe. Given the 2000 years you have been trying to prove a god exists, and your total failure, I would have to say the atheists have a point.

Answer 10

I have found that atheists on this site are very rigid and have no respect for people who believe in G-d. They are probably very superficial and live dull and unfullfilling lives. By throwing away a whole system of beliefs, they have the rationale to live the way they want without fear of punishment or need for a conscience. To me, it's fine to be an atheist as long as you've studied and tried to find the truth. It's another thing to be an atheist because your friend is one or because it is fashionable in some circles. This is the easy way, and as we all know, the easy way is usually the wrong way.

Answer 11

if you think that having someone question your faith is abuse, how strong is your faith? disagreement is not abuse. people don't hate you just because they don't believe in your god. pointing out the fallacies in your theology is not repression.

if your faith is really right for you, then what other people say about it shouldn't bother you.

edit: mister man hardly typifies atheists. very few are so childish. name-calling isn't really abuse, it's just juvenile.

oh, haha, you have no faith, so you're an atheist... what are YOU on?