Rise Of Atheism

[geeser]

I don't think it does anything for the cause of theism to call atheists idiots. If anything, it only reinforces whatever prejudices they may already have.

it really matters not to the atheist, being called a idiot, it goes straight over our heads. As it's coming from an irrational mind set. the mind set of blind faith in a invislble sky daddy.
and as such is just laughable.
incidently we have no prejudices, we just dont want our world run by that very same irrationality.

 

[The_Omniscient]

Dear fellows;

What is the basic reason that we should deny the existence of God? What harm it has caused to us to deny his existence? Does not the presence of God guarantee the observance of moral-laws, at least ?

Regards
A well wisher

 

[geeser]

to be able to deny something, it must first exist.
we had morals long before we had any religion, the biblical god, or any imaginary god is certainly not moral.
are you reading the same religious books.

 

[(Q)]

What is the basic reason that we should deny the existence of God?

The same reason we deny the existence of flying pink dragons.

What harm it has caused to us to deny his existence?

None. The harm has been caused by claiming his existence.

Does not the presence of God guarantee the observance of moral-laws, at least ?

Morality has nothing to do with gods, it is part of evolution.

 

[phlogistician]

. There have always been atheists because there have always been people who have been spared certain human experiences.

Who spared us those experiences, and why? Does God need atheists?

If God made us, and if God is all powerful as he is described, why does he not give us all the same experiences, and let us decide with our suposedly 'god given' 'free will'?

Seems he's deliberately spitting some sheep from the flock, and that's not what a loving God would do, is it?

 

[Sarkus]

There have always been atheists because there have always been people who have been spared certain human experiences.

Please can you give some examples of these "certain human experiences" that we are seemingly fortunate enough to have been spared???

 

[Confutatis]

Who spared us those experiences, and why?

I don't get the point of your question. You could as well ask why some people are deaf or blind, why some people are spared the experiences of sound or vision. The answer is the same and, to a good extent, understood by everyone.

Does God need atheists?

A theologian would say that God doesn't need anything.

If God made us, and if God is all powerful as he is described, why does he not give us all the same experiences, and let us decide with our suposedly 'god given' 'free will'?

What makes you think that is not exactly what is happening? Have you lived long enough that there is no new experience you can possibly go through?

Seems he's deliberately spitting some sheep from the flock, and that's not what a loving God would do, is it?

I don't know what a loving God would do anymore than, as a child, I knew why my parents did things I didn't like despite the fact that they loved me. Anyone knows that good things only come through personal sacrifice. Nothing worth making has ever been made that didn't take blood, sweat, and tears. Why should heaven be an exception?

*********************

Please can you give some examples of these "certain human experiences" that we are seemingly fortunate enough to have been spared?

Death.

 

[Sarkus]

Please can you give some examples of these "certain human experiences" that we are seemingly fortunate enough to have been spared???

Death.

So are you saying atheists are spared DEATH, whereas theists aren't?
Afterall, you did say "There have always been atheists because there have always been people who have been spared certain human experiences."

Please explain your thoughts on this?

In your opinion, do only theists die?

If so, what happens to us atheists?

 

[phlogistician]

Confutatis, it seems you don't grasp the point. You stated;

There have always been atheists because there have always been people who have been spared certain human experiences.

That implies that _someone_ spared them, and I am assuming God. That begs the question why God would deny some people the opportunity of knowing him, what would his motivation be?

Or, your statement could be false, that God does not spare people the experiences necessary to know him.

So, which is it?

 

[Confutatis]

That implies that _someone_ spared them, and I am assuming God.

Your assumption is wrong, perhaps because I didn't make a good choice of words. The important point is that not all of us go through the same experiences in life. I'm sure you won't disagree with that.

That begs the question why God would deny some people the opportunity of knowing him, what would his motivation be?

It also begs the question of why God would deny some people the opportunity to know about music, colours, orgasm, or the Great Wall of China. How should I know? I'm just stating a fact.

Or, your statement could be false, that God does not spare people the experiences necessary to know him.

I don't know what God is up to. Certainly if He exists, it's a mystery why not everyone knows about Him. But it's no more of a mystery than blindness is a mystery. We cannot know why God created people who cannot see Him, if we don't even know why He created people who cannot see anything at all.

Of course if God does not exist, then blindness is not a mystery, it is just an accident like everything else. But then it is vision itself that becomes a mystery, because vision can be anything but an accident.

 

[(Q)]

Of course if God does not exist, then blindness is not a mystery, it is just an accident like everything else. But then it is vision itself that becomes a mystery, because vision can be anything but an accident.

I get the impression you don't know anything about evolution?

 

[phlogistician]

Your assumption is wrong, perhaps because I didn't make a good choice of words. The important point is that not all of us go through the same experiences in life. I'm sure you won't disagree with that.

This being a web forum, your ideas are judged on the words you use to describe them. Use the wrong words, and you may convey the wrong idea. Spend a little time thinking before writing, therefore.

It also begs the question of why God would deny some people the opportunity to know about music, colours, orgasm, or the Great Wall of China. How should I know? I'm just stating a fact.

It's a fact is it? No, it's a claim, as first you have to prove God exists before you can establish it as a fact. Again you are writing without thinking.

I don't know what God is up to. Certainly if He exists, it's a mystery why not everyone knows about Him. But it's no more of a mystery than blindness is a mystery. We cannot know why God created people who cannot see Him, if we don't even know why He created people who cannot see anything at all.

If he exists, yes, it a pretty big mystery. Well, actually, there's no mystery. Believers are more likely to have a certain gene, VMAT2;

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...14.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/11/14/ixnewstop.html

So people who don't believe, are likely to not have this genetic imperfection. We'll probably be able to screen for it or cure it soon.