Atheists/Agnostics: Why don't you believe?

[James R]

The above poll is part of a three-part survey of posters to the Religion forum.

If you believe in God, please reply to the poll in the following thread:

Theists poll

Regardless of your beliefs, please reply to the poll in the following thread:

Poll: Why other people believe in God

If you're an atheist and you answered "other" to the poll here, or you have any relevant comments on why you don't believe in God, please post them in this thread.

I will comment on the overall results once we get a significant number of votes.

 

[ConsequentAtheist]

I chose

• There is no proof that God exists.

I prefer

• I know of no evidence warranting the belief in God.

The concept of "proof" is, in my opinion, more appropriate to math, logic, and liquor.

 

[everneo]

CA,
why liquor..?

 

[one_raven]

Originally posted by everneo
CA,
why liquor..?

Clever play on words.

50% alchohol is called "100 proof".

 

[DJSupreme23]

Originally posted by one_raven
Clever play on words.

50% alchohol is called "100 proof".

Good one =)

Anyway, there should have been more than one choice. I agree with more than one of the available answers.

Remember, that up to the reformation, the Christian faith was a huge power structure in its own right! So I'd say that "war-causing" and "social control" are both valid choices as well.

 

[James R]

Fair comment, ConsequentAtheist. That's really what I was trying to get at with that option, anyway.

 

[fadingCaptain]

I chose the "absurd" option and will clarify here.

I feel it is "absurd" to believe something based on a process other than logical thought. Some theists believe in god based on evidences and such...but the large majority subscribe to blind faith and arguments from authority.

I think it is absurd to believe in god because I see a lack of evidence warranting that particular belief.

 

[Cris]

James,

How about making these polls sticky?

 

[doom]

Science=god,its a self working system that dont need consciousness to work on its own or exist,it exists in every state,we are in this state.

These things are just a matter of definition,if you define god as a concious creator that watches us and does his thing then NO i think thats idiotic.

If you define god as the underpinning system of quantum mechanics that is not self aware and dont know/dont care,cant know of our existence,but is the creator of this universe then YES i can go with that,but its not a god as many define it or any of the religions define it,not supernatural more of a infinite underpinning for maybe a multiverse,the underpinning could be seen as a dice roller.

 

[whitewolf]

philosophers aren't allowed a religion

 

[atheroy]

for me it is that religion is social control. you only have to look at the elizabethan period to find that this is the case (or any period for that matter). however, it is a grouping of all those things for me- social control was just the clincher that pretty much pulled all my thoughts on religion together. under that idea i found everything- the behavioural patterns and thought patterns it forces people to think through, the contradictions, the wars, the fallacies- fitted. hard choice though.

 

[doom]

Originally posted by atheroy
for me it is that religion is social control. you only have to look at the elizabethan period to find that this is the case (or any period for that matter). however, it is a grouping of all those things for me- social control was just the clincher that pretty much pulled all my thoughts on religion together. under that idea i found everything- the behavioural patterns and thought patterns it forces people to think through, the contradictions, the wars, the fallacies- fitted. hard choice though.

Erm this isnt exactly about religion's,its about god,theres nothing to say you cant believe in god without actually having a religion,in fact im all for that,im just anti-religous,not anti-god.
Ive met people who conform to no faith,they dont pray or any of that bullshit they just think there is a god but get on with there lives like as if they were atheists

Throw the religion away and you can make up your own philosophy on god or maybe come up with an idea why god dont exist and/or reasons why god can exist,nobody will really scold you for it cos youre thinking,but religous people seem incapable of thinking.

The problem is,once you actually 100% believe in god you can be caught in the insane virus that is religion.

Personally and this is my own opinion i cannot support it but i think religous people are pre genetically disposed to become religous,i mean its in there genes,dna whatever its there from birth,or maybe they damaged there brain coming out of the birth canal or something or the mum smoked/drank too much,whatever the fuck it is it dont occur in everyone permenently but some it does which leads me to think its a physiological and neurological condition esp in some of the head cases we get on here,i hate to say it.

 

[Jan Ardena]

Why don't I believe......... in what?

Your question is very vague. Religion (as we know it) and God are different.
If i said, i don't believe in education because the school i went to caused alot of trouble, what would you think?

Love

Jan Ardena.

 

[DJSupreme23]

God is but a word.

 

[Medicine*Woman]

100% proof

Originally posted by one_raven
Clever play on words.

50% alchohol is called "100 proof".

Liquor has more proof than Xianity.

 

[yayacatfight]

Please clarify God

god ( P ) Pronunciation Key (gd)
n.
God
A being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and ruler of the universe, the principal object of faith and worship in monotheistic religions.
The force, effect, or a manifestation or aspect of this being.


This is important. God with a capital G. Ruler of the universe.

 

[yayacatfight]

Originally posted by ConsequentAtheist
I chose

• There is no proof that God exists.

I prefer

• I know of no evidence warranting the belief in God.

The concept of "proof" is, in my opinion, more appropriate to math, logic, and liquor.

So then you are actually the ConsequentAgnostic.

 

[ConsequentAtheist]

Originally posted by yayacatfight
So then you are actually the ConsequentAgnostic.

Please don't presume to tell me what I am.

 

[ConsequentAtheist]

Re: Please clarify God

Originally posted by yayacatfight
God A being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and ruler of the universe, ... This is important.

No, it's simply simplistic. None of these attributes apply, for example, to Marduk, Mithras, or Maat.

 

[James R]

Jan:

<i>Your question is very vague. Religion (as we know it) and God are different.</i>

I believe my question specifically asks about God, not religion.