Atheists. What are your reasons for not believing in god?

[NightFall]

Many atheists I talk to say that there could not be a god in a world as bad as this. Is this the reasoning behind y'all? If not, what other reasons do you have?

that was a terrible example that doesn't really apply to your question at all. but i think other people have already covered that.

Well what about death, and salvation?

this is another exmple of your ignorance. "salvation" is part of your religion, not part of real life. therefor we don't acknowledge it, require it, or have a need for it.


i don't like speaking for anyone but myself, so this isn't an atheist opinion, its just my opinion/response.

I wasn't raised religious. sure i went to the little Sunday school summer camps with my friends etc. but i wasn't forced to practice anything at home. when i was in 10th grade biology we had to write a paper on the differences of creationism vs evolutionism, and our opinion (that would be graded pass/fail and wouldn't be shared with the class of course). I thought it was a silly assignment, until turn in day when a lot of other kids brought in papers about creationism. I had always regarded bible studies etc to be about morals and life lessons, not real people. "god" was never any different to me than Santa clause or the tooth fairy. I couldn't believe that people really thought these things were real!! (which is probably why i regard Christians as people of lesser intelligence). So there was never a time when i said "the world is bad, there is no god" or "i don't care about my salvation, there is no god". the world is what it is, salvation is a scare tactic. maybe if people didn't think that happiness was to come in the afterlife, they would be a little more motivated to care about what happens on earth than to blame it on a being that doesn't exist.


simplified answer: i never thought god was real to begin with and was shocked when i learned that there were people out there who actually thought it was real.

 

[Tnerb]

So you are comfortable knowing that you will no longer exist after death? This idea does not scare you or bother you?

This has been discussed already.

The beliefe in God is justified.

---------
Saint Anslem to the rescue.

 

[clusteringflux]

that was a terrible example that doesn't really apply to your question at all. but i think other people have already covered that.


this is another exmple of your ignorance. "salvation" is part of your religion, not part of real life. therefor we don't acknowledge it, require it, or have a need for it.


i don't like speaking for anyone but myself, so this isn't an atheist opinion, its just my opinion/response.

I wasn't raised religious. sure i went to the little Sunday school summer camps with my friends etc. but i wasn't forced to practice anything at home. when i was in 10th grade biology we had to write a paper on the differences of creationism vs evolutionism, and our opinion (that would be graded pass/fail and wouldn't be shared with the class of course). I thought it was a silly assignment, until turn in day when a lot of other kids brought in papers about creationism. I had always regarded bible studies etc to be about morals and life lessons, not real people. "god" was never any different to me than Santa clause or the tooth fairy. I couldn't believe that people really thought these things were real!! (which is probably why i regard Christians as people of lesser intelligence). So there was never a time when i said "the world is bad, there is no god" or "i don't care about my salvation, there is no god". the world is what it is, salvation is a scare tactic. maybe if people didn't think that happiness was to come in the afterlife, they would be a little more motivated to care about what happens on earth than to blame it on a being that doesn't exist.


simplified answer: i never thought god was real to begin with and was shocked when i learned that there were people out there who actually thought it was real.

If it's all your opinion, why do you feel the need to call others ignorant and less intelligent?

If you had confidence in your own "opinion" you shouldn't need cut others down.

 

[redwards]

This has been discussed already.

The beliefe in God is justified.

Well that's a rather interesting proclamation. I'd have to beg to differ, there, Chief.

---------
Saint Anslem to the rescue.

Wow, even your sig is misspelled. It's Anselm.

 

[NightFall]

i didn't call anyone less intelligent. i said i view them less intelligent.
like when you automatically use smaller words when speaking to a child and pat them on the head when they get the right answer.


assuming that people who dont beleive in something spend all of their time concerned with the individual peices of that something is an example of ignorance. therefor, the word applies.

If you had confidence in your own "opinion" you shouldn't need cut others down.

="omg i have nothing else to say so im going to attack the fact the you used negative words to express your opinion which means im a better person and omgomg i win the god thing".
grats.

 

[Orleander]

So you are comfortable knowing that you will no longer exist after death? This idea does not scare you or bother you?

I've never understood that. If I was a believer I'd be more afraid. What if I went to hell???
As an atheist, I don't worry about it. What is there to be afraid of?

 

[Enmos]

Not in the least. Think about it, if you can. Try to imagine not waking up from a deep, sound sleep. Will you be afraid? Experience regret? Sorrow? Anything?

No.

What frightens me is the process. A prolonged suffering before oblivion. That would suck.

Yup, exactly my thoughts.

No offense Skaught, but I'm getting really tired of hearing that question

 

[clusteringflux]

i didn't call anyone less intelligent. i said i view them less intelligent.
like when you automatically use smaller words when speaking to a child and pat them on the head when they get the right answer.


assuming that people who dont beleive in something spend all of their time concerned with the individual peices of that something is an example of ignorance. therefor, the word applies.

="omg i have nothing else to say so im going to attack the fact the you used negative words to express your opinion which means im a better person and omgomg i win the god thing".
grats.

You're funny. I like you.

It's pretty common around here to hear people say that anyone who believes in god is stupid and crazy.It's old and tired. Excuse me for grouping you in with them.

 

[iceaura]

It's pretty common around here to hear people say that anyone who believes in god is stupid and crazy

It's even more common to hear a God botherer lead off a discussion by claiming to have been called names and abused by atheists routinely, and to be a victim of others' arrogance and presumption, and have there be no evidence or plausibility for the claim - which is nevertheless used as basis for argument ad hominum.

Projection, I think it's called.

 

[glaucon]

But that's because you have already accepted some Taoist premisses, no?

Not at all.

To think otherwise would be to accept a contradiction.

"Exist" and "after death" are mutually exclusive.

 

[clusteringflux]

It's even more common to hear a God botherer lead off a discussion by claiming to have been called names and abused by atheists routinely, and to be a victim of others' arrogance and presumption, and have there be no evidence or plausibility for the claim - which is nevertheless used as basis for argument ad hominum.

Projection, I think it's called.

Hey, Ice. How's it going?

 

[spidergoat]

What's my reason for not believing in Santa Clause? It's obviously just made up.

 

[skaught]

I never said I was a believer. But I am also not a non-believer. I don't consider myself to be either. Please do not assume that I am a believer just because I posted this thread.

 

[greenberg]

"Exist" and "after death" are mutually exclusive.

That depends on what is meant by "exist" and "death".

 

[Medicine*Woman]

I've never understood that. If I was a believer I'd be more afraid. What if I went to hell???
As an atheist, I don't worry about it. What is there to be afraid of?

*************
M*W: That's what I think. I don't have to worry about hell anymore. Hell is what you make it. Even when I was a christian, I didn't worry that much about hell. It just seemed like a bad fairy tale.

 

[i.bel]

As I said in another string on this..

And since the Moderators have allowed Multiple topics on the same issue posted by people who just want their own headline to say the SAME thing.....

As I was saying, just because there are two sides.. doesn't make them equal in weight logically.

This is fallacious logic at it's most eggregious and laughable.
Just as the string title is an oxymoron and fallacy.

There is every evidence that man created Gods.. thousands, and No evidence God/s created man.

If one were to grow up on a desert Island with inately intelligent people without anyone ever having known about any Jesus or Mohammed Myths.. there would be no Chrsitianity nor Islam.. just Rational explanations for physical phenomenon.

You don't have to be "Indoctrinated" with Atheism, that Is the Natural UNindoctrinated state.

[Unintelligent or defensive] Religionists, especially the unsecular pious types, try to foist this idiocy of equivalence of reason of the two positions where there is None.

Here we have the moderator of the Science section - arguing for the Supernatural! (Not to mention herself a Pious Muslim believer.)

Great Stuff sci-f!

And it's a Logical Fallacy to assume someone should believe something Not in evidence.
Your question should be- "why do Some People belive in a God".

 

[glaucon]

That depends on what is meant by "exist" and "death".

True enough. From that, you can easily see that my definitions would have to differ from those of skaught......