Yet many times it all just boils down to the fact that [atheists] don't like the idea of God holding them accountable for their own sins.
megaman125 said:
It hurts their pride too much, so they try to bury the truth in search of an explaination that tickles their ears more. When they don't find it and are left with the reality that they have to answer for their own sins, sometimes their pride gets in the way and as a result they turn from God and lash out against Him and His followers.
There is a song by the Blood Sweat & Tears where the lyric runs: "I know there ain't no Heaven, but I pray their ain't no Hell." It's important to this discussion because it highlights the way many atheists feel, and it reflects the way I once felt. I no longer believed in God, but I was very apprehensive over the possibility I might be wrong. I was afraid of going to Hell. The fear of Hell is so drilled into us that it is often hard to shake. It may be that some atheists never get past the fear. Peter Hitchens, brother of the infamous Christopher Hitchens, returned to the Christian fold for that very reason (it's detailed in his book, The Rage Against God). Others have done the same. So, far from becoming atheists so they could sin freely, many atheist are in fact fearful Hell might be real. Such people don't give up their faith so they can sin.
If you have any interest in reading hundreds of atheist testimonies you can visit the Dawkins website. I read quite a few of them, and was struck by the great diversity of accounts. What I did notice is that evolution was only cited a few times as an important factor in loss of faith.
megaman125 said:
Tell that to all the atheists who say the Bible is false because it was written by man. If you get to use that nonsensical arguement, you can't cry foul when it's used against you.
Here's the catch: lots of religious folk think the whole Bible passes critical examination. Atheists on the other hand, taking the view there is no God, can't possibly think the pages are inspired. So what do we do? We go the route of critical examination. We do the same thing with the pages of scripture that we do with evolution. We examine both calmly. A response followed by a rebuttal, a tit-for-tat, a back and for until a conclusion is reached, or until a stalemate is offered.