I'm an atheist. Ask me anything!

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Zac1121

Guest
#21
I'm afraid that most people have to have faith. They depend on it. They live for it. If it were to be undeniably proven that heaven nor hell exist (which I think has already been done), then people that live only on faith would probably kill themselves.

For me, I choose not to live with incentive to live ethically and morally. Love exists outside of a 'god' or a religion. You shouldn't have to be threatened with hell or a promise of reward to learn how to love.
 

allaboutlove

Senior Member
Jun 11, 2013
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#22
allaboutlove,

I'm doing well! Thanks!

How are you?
A bit tired from a day of work but other than that just great :)...... so how about a bit about yourself besides the fact tht your an athiest..
 

AAAPlus

Senior Member
Aug 2, 2011
601
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#23
CNikki,

I was raised Baptist. I went to Christian school growing up and took many courses in the Bible and apologetics, etc. When I went to college, I majored in biology and found out that a lot of the stuff I had learned about science was demonstrably incorrect. At that point, I still believed in god but became skeptical of the Christian community's take on science. I began to pursue a more rigorous understanding of the philosophical underpinnings of nature vs. the supernatural, belief vs. knowledge, faith vs. certainty, etc. That ultimately led me to the conclusion that, in terms of reproducibility, supernatural explanations of the universe seemed to have built in mechanisms for dealing with situations where a particular event did not achieve a desired outcome. By comparison, science has nailed things down to the point where, if we launch a satellite or use GPS triangulation or whatever, science can give a consistent, reproducible, quantifiable, measurable answer that is correct 99% of the time. Of course, as time goes on and science becomes further refined, the answers on a particular question become more accurate and more accurate. Faith never seemed to have the same reproducibility. When things went wrong, it was part of God's plan. When things went right, to God be the glory. The randomness and lack of producibility seemed, to me, to indicate that the underlying philosophy did not accurately describe the universe. After that, I "came out of it" as you say.
Just a little comment on the God vs Science thing here. God is a lot less like a machine and more like a person. Consider it like asking your friend for something. Sometimes the friend will give you what you're asking for, and sometimes they won't. Sometimes you can do something and it will upset them, and sometimes you can do the same thing and they won't react. There is no scientific way to determine what is going to happen. Would you tell your friend that your friendship is not real because it's not reproducible or measurable? It's not science, it's a relationship with an actual, real being. =)
 
Jul 10, 2013
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#24
I would first have to rule out natural explanations. Schizophrenia is a real disease. I wouldn't immediately assume that it's god talking to me if a simpler natural phenomenon explained the situation. The ancient Greeks thought lightning was Zeus being angry. I would want to explore (and rule out) natural options before going with supernatural explanations. I don't think that's unreasonable...
Queequeg, I'll start with three miracles and let you explain to me what are the natural explanations. First - our Lady of Fatima Portugal. Three Children predicted the end of World War I, the beginning of World War II and that a miracle was going to take place on October 13th, 1917 a month prior. They also predicted the fall of Communism in the 80's. On Oct 13th 1917 between 70,000 and 100,000 people saw the sun spin off it's axis for ten minutes than look like it was going to crash to the ground. After the panic, everything including the ground was dry even though it had been raining all day. The newspapers that reported it in Portugal were much like today, anti-Christian. Everyone that witnessed it thought it to be unexplainable. What is your explanation. Next will be Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of Lourdes.
 

yac11

Senior Member
Mar 24, 2013
580
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#25
If you had a sister who was completely normal, never did drugs, never lied, straight as an arrow, loved each other to death, the only thing in between you.....was her claim that God came to her twice in her 54 years of life. She saw his power one night and 30 years later she was blessed and heard his voice. Would you not believe her, and why?
 
W

Water1944

Guest
#26
I do not intend this to be rude in any way. How is this possible? How is the sun still shining? I ask this in all honesty. I can't remember a time when I was not aware of God. Life just does not make sense to me without my faith in Him.
 
T

Tintin

Guest
#27
Queequeg, you have a god and his name is Science.

Critical thinking is great and very useful but not everything comes down to logic and reason. What happens when logic and reason fail to provide answers? Then you're stuffed.
 
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Bryancampbell

Guest
#28
I do not intend this to be rude in any way. How is this possible? How is the sun still shining? I ask this in all honesty. I can't remember a time when I was not aware of God. Life just does not make sense to me without my faith in Him.
I agree, think about like this. A woman is going to be pregnant with a child, and within her is the embryo. Now explain why would this being start to grow limbs, arms and legs? Why would it start to grow eyes and a mouth? Because it's preparing itself for a greater life. Isn't that just like Christians and their faith? We are awaiting for that day when we leave this world, and be brought unto a bigger and greater place, so we prepare ourselves just as a child prepares itself for the future life to come.
 
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Bluecomet

Guest
#29
ARE YOU GOING TO HEAVEN?
 
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MattW

Guest
#30
Hi there,

Just one to tickle your mind I hope. As a former Atheist I do believe I had a very strict belief system, i.e. :
Filling in all the gaps in the theories of evolution, cosmology, micro/macrobiology, and other areas required me to believe that

One day science would come up with the answers.

Do you hold these same beliefs? If you do, then don't you extend a bit of faith in what you support?
We could get into the semantics of the differences in 'our' different concepts of faith, but if we truly stick to the meaning of the word "FAITH" we are forced to accept that we believe in things there is little or no proof for.

Just saying,



 
A

AgeofKnowledge

Guest
#31
I'm thinking of a number. Which number is it?

Lol... just kidding.

Ok, how would you reply to this assertion?

'All meaning is relative' is a meaningful statement intended to apply to all meaningful statements; it is a nonconventional statement claiming that all statements are conventional. As such, it self-destructs, for in the very process of expressing itself it implies a theory of meaning that is contrary to the one it claims is true of all meaningful statements. The usages of symbols and words do change, but the meaning properly expressed by them does not."


I will try to respond promptly. I apologize if I do not. I'm open to any question provided it is thoughtful, polite, and not too personal.
 
B

Bryancampbell

Guest
#33
I'm learning more about atheism....


atheism.jpg
 
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megaman125

Guest
#34
I'm a soft (negative) atheist. If god suddenly began appearing to me in visions every day, I would first do my best to rule out schizophrenia, hallucinations, someone drugging me, etc. and then I would begin to test what I saw/heard in the visions with the natural world. If god told me who was going to win the world series and it happened. I would find that to be very compelling evidence. Even then, however, parsing out whether then entity in question were physical or metaphysical would be a very difficult task, in my opinion.
In other words, you value skepticism higher than anything else (in relation to finding God). You expect to put god in a little box and have god meet your every demand until you deem yourself to be "satisfied" that this god actually exists. No wonder why you can't find God.

I'm afraid that most people have to have faith. They depend on it. They live for it. If it were to be undeniably proven that heaven nor hell exist (which I think has already been done), then people that live only on faith would probably kill themselves.
So is that why atheists have the highest rate of suicide compared to any religion?

For me, I choose not to live with incentive to live ethically and morally. Love exists outside of a 'god' or a religion. You shouldn't have to be threatened with hell or a promise of reward to learn how to love.
I don't know any Christian that says they love God because they're threated by hell. That's just nonsense from a nonsensical perspective. The fact is, God loves people and gives everyone an opportunity to have what they don't deserve. God's mercy is availible to all, so if you choose to reject it, why should you go to heaven, when you obviously don't want to anyways?
 
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Nuns_n_roses

Guest
#36
Have you read the book "God Doesn't Believe in Atheists?" :D (just poking some fun at you. Welcome to CC!)
 
Oct 31, 2011
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#37
As an atheist what is your belief about the different realms in our world? Do you believe there is a spiritual realm?

We see much order in the physical. Tides, how the stars operate, time, etc. What is your explanation?

Scripture says God is with the Jews. Their history shows that race operates differently than other races. What is your explanation?

The USA started as a nation under God, as the main concept of the nation even though there was much opposed to that. Plymouth prospered (Christian), Jamestown (secular) fell. Christian nations seem to be blessed. How do you explain that?
 
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MattW

Guest
#38
Bryan,

I am amazed by your insight. Having been an atheist in the past, how come I never saw that, I would have had to agree with you then whole-heartedly.

Unfortunately, being a believer now, I have a slightly better and clearer perspective on things.

Lets Just say there is only so much manure a man can stand in and still have a smile on his face.

Love you bro.

Matt
 

T_Laurich

Senior Member
Mar 24, 2013
3,356
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#39
I will try to respond promptly. I apologize if I do not. I'm open to any question provided it is thoughtful, polite, and not too personal.
Can you find my keys.. I have lost 3-4 sets or car keys in this room... They are no where to be found, Hence the mess :rolleyes:.


Picture 121.jpg Picture 122.jpg Picture 123.jpg
 
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levi85

Senior Member
Jul 2, 2013
8,578
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#40
God made you without your help, he will not save you without your help. Saint Catherine of Sienna - patron Saint of Europe

1 question- do you believe this line?
2- is saint catherine of sienna -patron saint of europe, above God knowing more about the work of God and us how will we be saved?
 
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