Why do you ask questions about Christianity if you don't believe in God? Why does His existence bother you so much? Are you really afraid he is real and will hold you responsible for your iniquities if you acknowledge Him? So you just say He doesn't exist so you can go about your merry way and not have to answer to the Higher Power? If you really believe He doesn't exist, why do you spend so much time trying to convince the rest of us that He doesn't?
a message to Brandon13: Sorry I do not have IM, I want you to know I do not wish harm on anyone, and nothing in my question indicated that I do.
Amd to MIkey, where are you going?
To Batgirl:
How does religion promote hatred, racism, genocide, violence, persecution?
Weemaryanne, thank you for answering my questions. I appreciate your time and input for I really do want to understand why atheists believe or should I say disbelieve? In any case, perhaps I should have made it clear that I am asking the questions of those who seem to be on the defensive. Those who are really NOT certain of what they believe, but profess a disgust of those who do know God.
No, I believe everyone has a right to express their views on this board, I never said they did?t. I will add, that just as God allows you the freedom to do as you please and believe what you please, I cannot force you to believe anything or take away your right to choose to believe or not believe. So, yes, I just grin when someone starts screaming about their rights.
So then your god?s name is Practicality?
You claim to have no belief in ?my? god, yet, you feel that you have the right to tell me what to believe about what He might do? Come on?
No evidence? Your eyes are closed.
Ok, Maryann,Nou are right, there are nonbelievers everywhere. Now another question for you, if you have NO religious belief in God, then who are you to suggest that my comprehension of my religion is deficient? If you don?t believe in God, why would you suggest I study His Word? And why do you fear my presence ?on the streets??
BluueNikki,
Thank you for your response. I truly do appreciate it. I have another question for you, who or what gave you a conscience? By what standards do you live by, your own?
the only thing that bothers me is when people try to ram religion down my throat. I'm happy for you to feel you need religion so please give me the same courtesy to not require it / believe.
thank you
I don't bother anyone else with my views not like you do goo ding religious fr eeks what about the state of the world could it be because of your different religious views HM me thinks so
1. I don't ask such questions.
2. The existence of god doesn't bother me one way or the other.
3. No, I feel no fear.
4. No. I answer to my own self.
5. I have never tried to convince anybody of anything except that voting Republican is against their best interest....
Atheists are like little children, trying to delay the inevitable. When their mothers and fathers told them to do something, like get ready for dinner or go to bed, they would ask 'why?' so they could put it off as long as possible. I think it must be something like that, only they are asking Christians instead of their parents.
The same reason that you cant sit there and say 'OK, if that's what you believe'. You cant leave it alone, threes someone that doesn't believe in your god and all you can think is how happy you AR that they will burn in hell. Tell me something, if your god wants everyone to be decent to other Pol how do you think he will look upon you for wishing harm on to another person? I'm not getting into it any more, you wanna talk more feel free to IM me
The reason why I spend so much time questioning the religious views of Christians is NOT because I am afraid of a higher power. I DON'T BELIEVE IN ONE! I do it because I think religion is dangerous and the root of many terrible things occurring in our world.
Religion promotes hatred, racism, genocide, violence, persecution...the list is endless. I, along with many other atheists feel the need to rid the world of such a negative movement, and by questioning the numerous faults of your religions many people begin to question their beliefs themselves.
There are so many inaccuracies and negative factors about religion that it seem ridiculous to me that Christian's can still hold their beliefs, the way I see it helping them to question allows them to see from an outside perspective how unrealistic their claims of a higher power are.
Sorry, but you won't find me asking questions about Christianity.
I reached my unbelief by my own thought process and you have reached where you are by your own. That is fine by me.
The only people that I will try to convert to atheism are those that try to convert me to their religion. So why do Christians spend so much time trying to convert me? I'm not lost - I know exactly where I am, how I got here, and where I am going. Healers, heal thy selves.
This is just an odd question. It's as if you'd never heard of Evangelical Christianity. Zealots in the U.S. alone spend hundreds of millions each year trying to convert people, not to mention buying congressmen. Do you see any organizations that exist as the atheist counterpart to Pat Robertson's 700 Club? Is anyone dumping pot loads of money in an effort to convert people to atheism?
Tell you what: mind your own business, stop trying to convert us, and stop trying to turn our government into a theocracy based on your personal interpretation of religion. In return, you can believe that the universe was created by magic 6,000 years ago, or that the moon is made of green cheese, or whatever damned fool ideas you want, without any argument.
Five questions, I'll address the last one first: Why try to convince believers of the nonexistence of god?
First: This is a very broad generalization, presented with no evidence to back it up -- not a good way to ask such a question! In any case, not all atheists do that, and the ones who do aren't necessarily spending a lot of time on it. Most people will never be convinced of anything except whatever they already believe. But every now and then, you may get some body's attention; I've seen at least one person on this board go from reluctant agnostic to convinced atheist, over a period of about two weeks. Anything can happen.
Second: You seem to think nonbelievers have no right to be heard on this board. I'm an atheist and it's true that I don't pay rent here; then again, I'm not paying any less than you are, honey. We both have the same right to be here. So grin and bear it.
Now for Question #4: You claim god doesn't exist so that you don't have to answer to a higher power.
Answer: This is the old and despicable claim that "atheists have no morality" and it's utterly false, not to mention slanderous. There is indeed a higher power in human affairs: Practicality. Atheists behave morally because it works, because it's practical to treat people well and to insist that you be treated in the same manner, not because some silly story about a guy-in-the-sky scared them into acting properly.
Time for Question #3: Are you afraid of god's wrath if you acknowledge him?
Answer: First, you don't understand your own religion very well if you can honestly suggest that your god will punish those who bring their sins to him. (My suggested remedy below.) Second: No, I'm not "afraid" of that which doesn't exist: god, ghosts, malicious aliens or imminent bird flu pandemics, I'm equally unafraid of all of them.
Question #2: Why does god's existence bother you?
Answer: I am convinced there is no such thing as a deity or prime mover since I've seen no evidence of any; therefore by definition I cannot be bothered by your claim that it exists. I simply disagree with you and this board provides a place to say so.
Question #1: Why ask questions about Christianity?
Answer: Well, why the hell not?!?! I repeat, I have a right to be here, it's a public board and anyone can ask anything. And I repeat, you will just have to put up with nonbelievers here, and in the supermarket, and in the parking lot, and everywhere you go. That's life.
Disclaimer: Not All Atheists Are Like What You Just Said. I am a spiritual atheist. In the past I asked a few queries on Christianity just to better understand it, and to understand how Christians think, feel and operate internally.
To others who believe, "god" does exist. That does not bother me at all, as I don't believe in "god". To each his her own. :-) I do answer to something just as good for myself: My Inner Conscience. My Concscience SCREAMS at me when I do something wrong or do something against what I was taught by parents, peers, teachers and my elders growing up. I have learned over the years to listen to my Conscience so I can AVOID doing the improper actions that will make my poor Conscience yell at me.
I have no fear of calm, spiritually secure and level-headed Christians. It is the extremist and fundamentalist Christians I have a distrust of (not fear, just distrust). I am here CZ I like to learn about the various religions, philosophies and spirituality's of the world---not just Christianity.
EDIT: I have been asked those questions countless times by theists. :-) Yes, I live by my own standards, no one Else's. I live by ethics and morals taught to me growing up from parents, teachers, peers, elders and from reading countless mystery novels and non-fiction growing up. Imho, mystery novels can teach a lot about how to think critically. I came to build my ethics by thinking and analyzing how I feel about each issue at hand (religious, political or philosophical). I am 33, so I have more than my share of thinking issues through and taking a "stand" on whatever issue that is important to me.
No one "gave" me my conscience. I had to "grow my own". See ethics above. My conscience is a cumulation of a lifetime of experiences, learned behaviors from elders and peers. When I started to build my ethical system, my Conscience grew. The more it grew, the more I was able to tune in and listen to my Inner Conscience. No one "gave" me my conscience---I had to grow my own from my environment.
If I may answer a question you asked someone else---how do religions invite violence, persecution, hatred? Religions tend to be more divisive than inclusive. Religions tend to teach followers to "stick with their own kind". (However, I do agree that not all of the followers listen to this type of teachings) So in turn, some of the followers get fearful of those who are not one of their own kind cuz followers do not bother to understand the "outsiders" better----how they live, think, believe, act and the reasons behind those things. Sometimes the religious teachings actually teach not to learn about the "outsiders" for fear of "backsliding"(?). Yes, some christians believe in that.
Sometimes people's fear and misunderstandings, if left unchecked, can create hatred. That hatred, if left unchecked, can turn into insults and then turns into baseball bats and bombs. I am not saying this is the case ALL the time. I am just saying that ALL people have to acknowledge that there are extremists in their religion that they may not agree with, that the radicals are using the SAME religion as a reason to push such deplorable acts. That is how I view that religions COULD incite violence.
I doubt you will get much answer further than this from the others, but I sincerely hope in my heart that you are willing to TRY to understand that some people are just either "wired differently", or chose rationally after much inner meditation and introspection to be atheist. I, and some other atheists, have nothing aganist level-headed christians or their religion. I learned much from christians here at YA and elsewhere. I do appreciate some of Jesus' teachings. I just reject Jesus' title as "savior/lord". After all this meditating and learning, I still choose my spiritual atheism. :-) Not all atheists "blindly" choose their atheism. They choose it after much introspection.
Some questions for the atheists only...?
Simple
