Why I am an atheist.

[`mud]

hey Seeking,
About that view of 'science' you have, water before a creation of same, man from sand, woman from a rib, talking snakes, angels on pin points,
and on and on.....pure malarky....below mythology.....smoke and mirrors I call it !!
Enough with this...bunch of crap.
Nuff Stuff
~
'mud

 

[Revoltingest]

Is that anything like the true meaning of Christmas?

I don't know the true meaning of either, so I'm the wrong one to ask

 

[Yerda]

Is that anything like the true meaning of Christmas?

Insofar as both are about ignoring Jesus...

 

[Quintessence]

It is fascinating how strongly the stories of atheists parallel my own rejection of "theism."

(in quotes, because my rejection of "theism" was actually rejection of classical monotheism)

 

[nazz]

Hey Teabag! Long time no see! Remember me?

 

[fantome profane]

Is that anything like the true meaning of Christmas?

It is exactly the same except Atheists don't worship Santa Claus, and we put more rum in the eggnog.

 

[Guy Threepwood]

Pascal's Wager

works equally well for atheism, just switch God for 'C.H.A.N.C.E' Creation of the Heavens by an Automated Naturalistic Entity

"chance is, or chance is not"

Wager, then, without hesitation that chance is. There is here a happy life to gain, freedom from ultimate eternal judgment, and so freedom to indulge your desires as you see fit without any risk of ultimate consequence

But some cannot believe. They should then 'at least learn your inability to believe...' and 'Endeavour then to convince' themselves.

The nature of the universe

nature is the executor of God's laws (Galileo), does finding an automated watch factory decrease or increase the need for creative intelligence to account for the watch?

Problem of evil/contradictory nature of God

Can good exist as a concept without evil? you cannot have one without the other, any more than you can have left without right.

You can know neither, know no hate, fear, grieving- just like a Jellyfish, and hence no love, joy, glory either- would you trade?

 

[Koldo]

Can good exist as a concept without evil? you cannot have one without the other, any more than you can have left without right.

You can know neither, know no hate, fear, grieving- just like a Jellyfish, and hence no love, joy, glory either- would you trade?

Except it can exist without being a concept. And that would be just fine.

 

[johnpeter1970]

I joined these forums a couple of weeks back but due to having a couple of really busy weeks I haven't really had a chance to post anything. Fortunately things have calmed down a bit now so I thought that I would post something detailing the main reasons as to why I am an atheist. This is by no means a complete list of all the reasons but I've tried to summerise the main reasons and I've tried to put them in the same order as I encountered them through my life.

A little background:

I was born in the late 70s and raised in the UK as a Church of England Christian. Of the children and teenagers in the small town in which I lived I was one of the very few kids that was active in the local church. I attended Church every Sunday with my family and by the time I was in my mid teens I was confirmed and a very active member of the church. I did reading and talks in the Church and helped my Mum out for the few years that she ran the Sunday School. It was said on a couple of occasions by my fellow church goers that if I wasn't so completely tone deaf I could have made a good vicar.

My de-conversion began when I left home to go to University where I read Physics...

Pascal's Wager

I remember either reading (or possibly figuring out) Pascal's Wager a couple of years before I went to University. At first I thought that it was a very powerful reason for believing in God. It sat well with my mathematical mind. Then, at University I encountered people of different faiths (Muslims, Jews etc) and found that they could make exactly the same argument for their Gods. This rather undermined the entire wager. This additional understanding started to create real doubts about my faith.

The nature of the universe

As I continued my study of physics at university I started to gain a much deeper understanding of the nature of the universe. Lots of things that I believed about the nature of things started to be unravelled as they just didn't match up with the evidence. I tried to reconcile these differences but no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't. And I couldn't deny the evidence as it was right in front of my face.

Problem of evil/contradictory nature of God

I remember a friend at University bringing up the “Problem of Evil” in a late night discussion over a couple of drinks in the Students Union. While I tried to argue against it I found it really blew my concept of a perfectly good God out of the water. It also led on to other contradictions in the nature of God that I just couldn't reconcile with the world around me. The traditional facets assigned to God (all knowing, all powerful, all loving) actually contradict each other when compared to observation of things around us.

When I left University I still considered myself a Christian and I still went to Church but I had many, many questions and my faith wasn't as strong as it once was. I had many long conversations with other Christians at my church but none of them were able to counter the arguments I had encountered and quite often they would just chose to ignore things or “hand wave” things away.

Over the course of many years I thought a lot about things and by the time I was in my mid-twenties I discovered that I no longer believed in the Christian God. For a while I was a deist but eventually I had to own up (to myself and others) that I really just didn't believe in God...hence I am an atheist.

I haven't gone into a lot of detail on things and this certainly isn't a complete list of the reasons why I lost my faith but I think that it covers the major points. I'd love to hear what other people have to say and to discuss any of the points I have raised.


Kindest Regards,

TeabagSalad

Hi! If you claim to be an x-Christian, please explain 1 Corinthians 1:18

 

[lewisnotmiller]

"Most men over time have had vastly different creation stories from one another, but the fact that most had them indicates I should pick one? Seems a strange logical twist."

Not that you should pick a story but wonder why there has always been a story - however it may be interpreted.

Well, that I agree with.
*nods*

But my resolution would be different to yours, I suspect.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Hi! If you claim to be an x-Christian, please explain 1 Corinthians 1:18

What would THAT prove? *blinks*

 

[johnpeter1970]

What would THAT prove? *blinks*

That he/she was really a Christian.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

That he/she was really a Christian.

Naw...I mean, I was raised Church of England, and attended Church. Read bible, said prayers. As an atheist, I've also read bible (less prayers though...ahem...)

1) I was never a Christian, despite attending church and doing bible studies. I wouldn't be dismissive enough of true belief to ever describe myself as a former Christian. At best, I was agnostic, I suppose.
2) I'm quite capable of giving a summary of Corinthians
3) Even if I wasn't, I'm quite capable of googling it

*shrugs*

 

[johnpeter1970]

Naw...I mean, I was raised Church of England, and attended Church. Read bible, said prayers. As an atheist, I've also read bible (less prayers though...ahem...)

1) I was never a Christian, despite attending church and doing bible studies. I wouldn't be dismissive enough of true belief to ever describe myself as a former Christian. At best, I was agnostic, I suppose.
2) I'm quite capable of giving a summary of Corinthians
3) Even if I wasn't, I'm quite capable of googling it

*shrugs*

Thanks for your honesty!

 

[Ingledsva]

Hi! If you claim to be an x-Christian, please explain 1 Corinthians 1:18

LOL!

1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

I would say that the foolishness is just the opposite. The Messiah was supposed to make things happen - then - not later. Two thousand plus years later, we are still being told the time is nigh! Yeah right!

A few verses before this we have another example of Early Christian groups NOT agreeing with the things Saul/Paul the persecutor, was teaching.

1Co 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

1Co 1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

1Co 1:12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

These differences continued to the Nicene Councils, and beyond.

There were differences from the very beginning.

A major one being that Jesus was HUMAN!


*

 

[Desert Snake]

Hi teabag.

I read your OP, and the only questions that come to mind are, are you applying the same amount of scrutiny to theism etc. as you do to other subjects, or more?

Are you sure?

And, there are different 'types' of Xianity, as in different types of Xian belief, did you explore those before going to atheism?

thanks, have a good day.

 

[johnpeter1970]

LOL!

1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

I would say that the foolishness is just the opposite. The Messiah was supposed to make things happen - then - not later. Two thousand plus years later, we are still being told the time is nigh! Yeah right!

A few verses before this we have another example of Early Christian groups NOT agreeing with the things Saul/Paul the persecutor, was teaching.

1Co 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

1Co 1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

1Co 1:12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

These differences continued to the Nicene Councils, and beyond.

There were differences from the very beginning.

A major one being that Jesus was HUMAN!


*

LOL it is!

 

[Ingledsva]

LOL it is!

What kind of debate rebuttal is that? What do you mean - so we can debate it?

*

 

[Cephus]

Hi teabag.

I read your OP, and the only questions that come to mind are, are you applying the same amount of scrutiny to theism etc. as you do to other subjects, or more?

Are you sure?

And, there are different 'types' of Xianity, as in different types of Xian belief, did you explore those before going to atheism?

thanks, have a good day.

I know I did. Not only Christianity but other religions too. They all suffer from the same general problems.

 

[joshua3886]

I'm an atheist because God isn't real. Something has to be proven before it can be real. God doesn't exist because I say he doesn't. And if God doesn't like what I'm saying then he will blast me down.