Have you known anyone who was an atheist because they didn't want to obey god?

[Altfish]

Presumption precludes contrition. Contrition is a prerequisite of repentance. Without repentance, there is no forgiveness.

Of course, there is no depth from which God will not pull a genuine penitent. With grace even a presumptuous heart can change. Repentance is key.

You are just endorsing what I said in the first place. Christians and other religions have it easy - be horrible, rob, steal, rape and pillage and then confess and repent. And all is good.
Non religious people have to face up to wrong doing and apologise to those affected not a third party in the form of a priest.

 

[Glaurung]

You are just endorsing what I said in the first place. Christians and other religions have it easy - be horrible, rob, steal, rape and pillage and then confess and repent. And all is good.

A lifestyle of deliberate, habitual sin isn't forgiven by the motions. In order to make a good confession you must:

1. Express sincere contrition.
2. Desire (as far as possible) to make amends for the wrong done.
3. Make a firm resolution to reform.

Non religious people have to face up to wrong doing and apologise to those affected not a third party in the form of a priest.

So do Catholics. Absolution absolves the guilt due to sin. Nonetheless you still have to deal with the outside consequences of your actions. Confession doesn't get you out of having to repair damaged relationships, or out of having to face legal repercussions in the case of a crime.

 

[Trailblazer]

As everyone knows, there are more false notions of why atheists become atheists than their are exaggerated tales of sexual prowess in a high school boy's locker room.

Seems to me one of those ideas -- an idea that is popular in some quarters -- is to believe that people become atheists to escape any demands a god might put upon them.

But the idea strikes me as flawed. For one thing, it seems to contradict itself: How could someone both not believe in a god, and also feel a need to escape from that god? So far as I can see, that's a "locker room idea".

That doesn't mean it could not happen, but I wonder whether someone who was that slow running of a faucet could properly be said to comprehend well enough what atheism is to actually be called an atheist?

That probably is not the main reason why atheists are atheists, but I doubt that they would want to follow the Laws of my religion. They would have to really believe in God.

 

[Trailblazer]

As everyone knows, there are more false notions of why atheists become atheists than their are exaggerated tales of sexual prowess in a high school boy's locker room.

Seems to me one of those ideas -- an idea that is popular in some quarters -- is to believe that people become atheists to escape any demands a god might put upon them.

But the idea strikes me as flawed. For one thing, it seems to contradict itself: How could someone both not believe in a god, and also feel a need to escape from that god? So far as I can see, that's a "locker room idea".

That doesn't mean it could not happen, but I wonder whether someone who was that slow running of a faucet could properly be said to comprehend well enough what atheism is to actually be called an atheist?

That probably is not the main reason why atheists are atheists, but I doubt that they would want to follow the Laws of my religion. They would have to really believe in God.

 

[danieldemol]

I met a self described “Maltheist” online once, who described himself as believing in a god and that all the problems in the world were God’s fault and therefore he was opposed to God. But I couldn’t decide if it was all meant to be satirical or if he genuinely believed in a malicious God.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Confession without contrition would fall under the sin of presumption.
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Presumption

I’m sure there are plenty of Catholics who have missed that nuance.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

That probably is not the main reason why atheists are atheists, but I doubt that they would want to follow the Laws of my religion. They would have to really believe in God.

There was a period of my life when I wanted nothing more than to believe in God. Still couldn’t do it.

 

[Trailblazer]

I met a self described “Maltheist” online once, who described himself as believing in a god and that all the problems in the world were God’s fault and therefore he was opposed to God. But I couldn’t decide if it was all meant to be satirical or if he genuinely believed in a malicious God.

That is not uncommon. There are a lot of atheists who believe that God is to blame for everything because God is omnipotent so God could prevent ALL suffering in the world. They think this is logical and that beleivers are illogical.

I have only run across one such poster on this forum, but I have run across that frequently on other forums. Many atheists blame God for the Holocaust, for example.

There is one man who consistently calls God a malevolent megalomaniac who enjoys watching humans suffer. He has said this numerous times and I know he is not joking or being satirical. He REALLY believes it.

I do not buy the theory that God is to blame for all suffering, but I have to admit I do wonder why an omnipotent/omnibenevolent God would allow so much suffering. Of course we Baha'is have "explanations" for that in the Writings, but admittedly I still wonder. All suffering is not caused by free will decisions people make and many innocent people suffer at the hands of others' choices or from natural disasters that are not human doings.

Moreover, suffering cannot always be alleviated by "doing something." This idea that there will be recompense in an afterlife doesn't cut it for me either, because there is no proof of an afterlife and there is no way to know if or how that recompense will take place. Even if we accept that there is an afterlife where there will be recompense, what about having to suffer for 80 years before getting that recompense? I cannot make that "fit" with an omnibenevolent God. Too many questions, too few answers, for this skeptical Baha'i.

Then there is the suffering of animals owing to what humans do to them and the suffering of animals in the wild. There is no explanation for this in the Bahai Writings or in the Bible. As believers, we are just supposed to brush it off and have faith. I find this very difficult to do. I believe God exists, but I cannot believe God is omnibenevolent simply because of the logical inconsistencies.

 

[Trailblazer]

There was a period of my life when I wanted nothing more than to believe in God. Still couldn’t do it.

There are many times in my life even now when I want nothing more than not to believe in God. Still can't do it.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

That is not uncommon. There are a lot of atheists who believe that God is to blame for everything...

Yep, it's really common...except you can't provide any actual citations, just an observation that you've seen it...

Can you provide links to some of these that you've encountered who don't believe in God, but blame God for everything that's wrong in the world?

You are absolutely right that that is illogical...but that does not represent what most atheists will say...as has been repeatedly pointed out here.

So, are there some people who claim to be atheists, but who hate God...I'm sure there are, and that they are confused...

I've also encountered a number of individual (and I've seen numbers in surveys that indicate that roughly 1-2 percent) Christians don't believe in God...seems like they might also be confused...but by no means does that indicate that all theists are confused...

 

[Trailblazer]

Yep, it's really common...except you can't provide any actual citations, just an observation that you've seen it...

I did not say it is common. I said that it is not uncommon, meaning it is not unheard of. There are many atheists who believe that god is to blame for everything bad because god does not prevent everything bad that happens in the world. Where have you been?

Can you provide links to some of these that you've encountered who don't believe in God, but blame God for everything that's wrong in the world?

Do you really want to go there? I left that forum and I never plan to go back. Those people are insane.
They say that God is responsible to prevent all the suffering in the world because God is omnipotent so He can do anything, like Superman... It is so inane and childish. They also want direct communication from god... They say that if god exists, god is obligated to communicate with everyone directly, all of 7.44 billion people in the world, just because a paltry number of people do not like Messengers of God... Telling an Almighty God what God should do, it is so inane and childish. It is also highly illogical and arrogant for them to think that they can know more than God about how God should communicate.
I think I am done now.

You are absolutely right that that is illogical...but that does not represent what most atheists will say...as has been repeatedly pointed out here.

No, not on this forum, and it certainly does not represents most atheists, but it is not uncommon on the other forums I have posted on.

So, are there some people who claim to be atheists, but who hate God...I'm sure there are, and that they are confused...

You are sure right about that, they are confused. But that does not mean most atheists are confused.

I've also encountered a number of individual (and I've seen numbers in surveys that indicate that roughly 1-2 percent) Christians don't believe in God...seems like they might also be confused...but by no means does that indicate that all theists are confused...

I also know a Bahai who is confused because he does not believe God exists, but that by no means indicates that all Baha'is are confused.