Is there such a thing as an atheist?

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paulsfam4

Guest
no such thing as atheist just people in denial..
 
Dec 9, 2013
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no such thing as atheist just people in denial..
this makes me laugh :)

you are confusing "individuals who reject a belief" with "the actual truth of the belief"

Lets say God is real, then people who reject His existence would be in denial .... however they would still be athiests.

So no matter whether or not God exist, the fact that there are people who reject the belief in a God is undoubtedly true.
 

mustaphadrink

Senior Member
Dec 13, 2013
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I don't personally know a single atheist who has returned to religious belief. So while you claim the vast majority of atheists return to the faith, I don't know of a single instance of this happening. I suspect the claim is greatly overstated.
Here we go again...'I' don't personally know.....Once again evidence is NEVER PREMISED ON 'I'.
 

mustaphadrink

Senior Member
Dec 13, 2013
1,987
372
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Lets say God is real, then people who reject His existence would be in denial .... however they would still be athiests.
Lets say God is real, then people who reject His existence would be in denial .... however they would still be atheists...IN DENIAL.
 

mustaphadrink

Senior Member
Dec 13, 2013
1,987
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What if you could demonstrate that it is impossible to be at all places at all times, then you could conclude the "God" having that attribute can not exist.
Demonstrate!! What ARE you talking about? If I am out shopping, that is all the proof I need that I am not at home. Nothing to demonstrate.

As for concluding that God having that attribute cannot exist is utter hogwash and straight from the blarney stone. When are you atheists going to learn that God is infinite, not finite and he does not have a finite mind and to try and level him to your finite way of thinking is to say the least pathetic and shows that you are living in a one dimensional world that sadly lacks anything of consequence.
 
A

AgeofKnowledge

Guest
I will be the first to admit that genetics does play a role in a person's propensity for fearfulness or fearlessness as does nurture (e.g. how they are raised) and other factors such as conscience (whether they feel guilty or not for example); however, the experience itself is the agent.

In other words, a person may or may not have a fear of death and when the time approaches become afraid or face it bravely regardless of whether they are an atheist or not BUT (and this is a really big but): what happens as they die trumps all of this.

A brave atheist can find coming face to face with damnation causes them to lose all that courage as they begin to die physically and enter a dimension of judgment.

[video=youtube_share;FeuguDgC6tQ]http://youtu.be/FeuguDgC6tQ[/video]
 

nl

Senior Member
Jun 26, 2011
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...according to biblical scholars the book of John was most likely written after 100AD...
That's a vague generalization that implies unanimity among the experts for a late date.

Not all "biblical scholars" would agree with statement.

Over the weekend, I saw an expert quoted to say that the Apostle John died around the year 100 AD.

The Book of Revelation is a unique Book and widely accepted as being written by the Apostle John.

Revelation bears internal witness that John was the author.

I John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 1:9)

Christian people suffered tribulation and persecution in the first century. They knew whereof they believed.
 
A

AgeofKnowledge

Guest
Though John's authorship is not explicitly stated anywhere in the Gospel of John, the text itself points to his authorship.

The latest possible date for the writing of John's Gospel is between A.D. 110 and 120 because there is an early papyrus fragment of John (P52) dated to this period. Another papyrus fragment of an unknown Gospel known as Egerton Papyrus 2, which was largely based on John's Gospel, is dated around A.D. 130-150.

These copies give evidence of the existence of John's Gospel in at least the beginning of the second century, if not earlier. The earliest possible date for Johns Gospel is probably the late A.D. 60s. Most biblical archeologists assign a date of A.D. 80 to A.D. 90 because of John 21:23, which probably was penned while was near the end of his life.

And, it's important to note that there are more extant early manuscripts for the Gospel of John than for any other book of the New Testament.

I can name fourteen manuscripts dating from the second and third centuries. Their accuracy is confirmed by manuscripts from the fourth and fifth centuries.


That's a vague generalization that implies unanimity among the experts for a late date.

Not all "biblical scholars" would agree with statement.

Over the weekend, I saw an expert quoted to say that the Apostle John died around the year 100 AD.

The Book of Revelation is a unique Book and widely accepted as being written by the Apostle John.

Revelation bears internal witness that John was the author.

I John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 1:9)

Christian people suffered tribulation and persecution in the first century. They knew whereof they believed.
 
Sep 14, 2013
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You believe quantum fluctuations produced a beautifully ordered Universe and that mindless chemicals formed every living thing around us, fruits, trees, birds, people etc... Talking animals shouldn't be to much of a stretch for you.
Where have I ever stated that I believed that?
 

Timeline

Senior Member
Mar 20, 2014
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I do understand how someone that examines the two possibilities (Evolution and Creation) can find it just as difficult to believe that God has always existed created the universe as it is to believe that it just happened on its own. Both seem impossible, but we are here so it happened. I have decided to believe that it was God that created everything and that He loves every one of us. I cannot do anything to make you change your mind. We both know that. That is between you and God whether you believe in Him or not.
 

nl

Senior Member
Jun 26, 2011
933
22
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...The latest possible date for the writing of John's Gospel is between A.D. 110 and 120 because there is an early papyrus fragment of John (P52) dated to this period. Another papyrus fragment of an unknown Gospel known as Egerton Papyrus 2, which was largely based on John's Gospel, is dated around A.D. 130-150.

These copies give evidence of the existence of John's Gospel in at least the beginning of the second century, if not earlier. The earliest possible date for Johns Gospel is probably the late A.D. 60s. Most biblical archeologists assign a date of A.D. 80 to A.D. 90 because of John 21:23, which probably was penned while was near the end of his life.

And, it's important to note that there are more extant early manuscripts for the Gospel of John than for any other book of the New Testament...
There is a helpful web page here that analyzes count and date information for relevant ancient manuscript copies: Manuscript evidence for superior New Testament reliability

The New Testament was being translated and communicated early. There are also many thousands of ancient manuscripts in the Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Aramaic languages.

Compare the information for ancient writers like Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Caesar and Livy to the New Testament. The New Testament manuscripts provide a superior record for reliability.
 

homwardbound

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2012
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Bible doesn't say that.
Is God Love in the purest form? And what is the greatest, Charity, Love and God?

[h=3]1 Corinthians 13:13[/h]New International Version (NIV)

[SUP]13 [/SUP]And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Maybe not in you opinion does God (love) go on forever, but it does and Love is God
 

homwardbound

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2012
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Bible doesn't say that.
Jude 1:21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.


Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
 

homwardbound

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2012
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Here's what the bible tells me..

Snakes and donkeys can talk.

Light can exist and the day/night cycle can pass without the sun.

There are magic trees

Dead people can come back to life.

People can turn into salt.

Fire breathing sea monsters!

Flaming Swords!

Virgin women can give birth.

Hell is below the surface of the earth.

Angels, demons, devils and giants!

To name but a few...
Only for yuo to come to realization, that there is more to earth Heratio, than meets the eye
 

homwardbound

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2012
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this is why
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

And it does take a lot of hard work to seek out this truth to come to rest in, most do not go the distance as in running a foot race. I plainly see you have just puttered out, personally I did not and have been through the quisenart, strung through it. And I plain ans simply have stood the Faith as Job did in the book of Job
 

homwardbound

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2012
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Run the race and stick with it, take breaks, but stay on the road to: trust this God is real
 

homwardbound

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2012
16,382
433
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no such thing as atheist just people in denial..
Atheist is denial right that there is a God, so yeah. Yet I do not see the air that I breath that keeps me alive physically, as the same is with God the creator of all
Without the air no one lives
 

homwardbound

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2012
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So no God, no life after death and 100% of us die and so far no escaping that, but all hope to right?
Who wants to die, does anyone? Yet through death one sees life, what is up with that?
Of all the evidence presented over the Centuries, what sticks out on top?

If there is nothing after death, why are we all here?
 
Sep 14, 2013
915
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I do understand how someone that examines the two possibilities (Evolution and Creation) can find it just as difficult to believe that God has always existed created the universe as it is to believe that it just happened on its own. Both seem impossible, but we are here so it happened. I have decided to believe that it was God that created everything and that He loves every one of us. I cannot do anything to make you change your mind. We both know that. That is between you and God whether you believe in Him or not.
I'm quite happy to say that I don't know how it all strarted. But I certainly can't subscribe to tales of fantasy about talking animals and magic trees etc.

That may have been an acceptable answer a few thousand years ago but it certainly isn't an acceptable answer now.
 

nl

Senior Member
Jun 26, 2011
933
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I'm quite happy to say that I don't know how it all strarted. But I certainly can't subscribe to tales of fantasy about talking animals and magic trees etc.

That may have been an acceptable answer a few thousand years ago but it certainly isn't an acceptable answer now.
Faith in AFARM seems like an unacceptable fantasy to me...accidental evolutionary advancement from
amoeba to fish to amphibian to reptile to mammal (AFARM).

Books have authors. Buildings have architects. Motor vehicles have engineers. Software has developers. Does the universe really have no one? I think not.