Ask an Atheist

[hopefully_wild]

Hello,

I have a question for you. Many times when talking with atheists, they seem to argue that there just isn’t any evidence of God - no matter what.

My question to you is: as an atheist, what sort of evidence for the existence of God are you looking for and would accept? And why is that your standard of proof?

This is another really good question.
There are many many things I would take as acceptable evidence for the existence of God. One would be God just coming out and showing himself to everyone. Sounds easy enough for a being who can do anything. Another example would be any sort of verifiable biblical type miracle.
And for the second part of your question, I’d like to borrow a quote from the late Carl Sagan,
“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”

 

[stringbeanduck]

I explain it by chance. I know that isn’t the poetic answer that people are wanting, but I think that all this wonder and beauty simply coming about by chance makes it more wondrous and more beautiful.

Hello,

What type of proof were you looking for in the exsistance of a God?

 

[hopefully_wild]

Salaam/peace

many sinners escape punishment in this world. If there is no God , no hereafter , then it means they will go unpunished . How do u explain justice then ?

Well justice is something we humans try to use to assign blame, but also to set examples and to discourage others.

 

[stringbeanduck]

This is another really good question.
There are many many things I would take as acceptable evidence for the existence of God. One would be God just coming out and showing himself to everyone.

Well that has been done. Thourgh his son Jesus. Now unfortunetly we can’t go further yet becaue I’m sure you just believe in Jesus as human, with no divine powers; am I correct?

Sounds easy enough for a being who can do anything.
Another example would be any sort of verifiable biblical type miracle.

I’m a afraid that is vague. There is a lot of biblical text that supports miracles. We have four canonical gospels that verify the existence God and His son Jesus. Most biblical scholars date these gospels to around early 50’s to early 100. These folks who wrote the gospels knew Jesus and/or knew those who were around Jesus.

And for the second part of your question, I’d like to borrow a quote from the late Carl Sagan,
“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”

I’m sorry but we are on two different levels of reasoning then there is no use from this discussion you and the other member of the forum are having. Though Mr. Sagan did have a great passion for exploring the unknown I must say his well used phrase is vague. With that in mind let me ask what are the criteria for extraordinary evidence? Just we can be on the same page.

 

[cyberwolf001]

You’ve masked at least five questions into “two”! The first I have already answered, I am an atheist, and I “know” or believe that there is no God for the same reasons you “know” or believe there is no Zeus…

YOU DENY ZEUS!?

Okay now that I did the joke response, let me get serious.

How do you feel about militant Atheist who attack anyone for believing in anything spiritual in any way shape or form?

The ones that actively try to push all forms of spirituality out of the public place.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Hi hopefully wild:

I have not a question but a recommendation for you, based on your answer about reading “The Magician’s Nephew” but finding it difficult to get past the “youth style.”

I would like you to read C.S. Lewis’ mature work, which is actually considered a science fiction trilogy.

In order the books are: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength.

I think you would find them extremely interesting. The first two are relatively short reads, the third is somewhat longer but ties in things from the first two.

Finally, I suggest you finish with another fairly short read from Lewis called “The Screwtape Letters” which again brings up some really pertinent points.

Even if you don’t believe, I hope you won’t mind if I close with asking God to bless and keep you. It’s the ‘Mom’ in me!

 

[CalCatholic]

This is another really good question.
There are many many things I would take as acceptable evidence for the existence of God. One would be God just coming out and showing himself to everyone. Sounds easy enough for a being who can do anything. Another example would be any sort of verifiable biblical type miracle.
And for the second part of your question, I’d like to borrow a quote from the late Carl Sagan,
“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”

Well I cant provide the evidence for the first part of your statement, the Holy Spirit will have to work on that one. But for the second part of your request for evidence just ponder a couple of things. One we have already mentioned, this planet, our place on it and we being the only creatures to ponder our existence and where we come from. But what do you think that the odds are that a Galilean carpenter and some fisherman from Israel could overtake the Mighty Roman Empire with their belief in the Son of God (Jesus) risen from the dead, within less than three hundred years. And what do you think the odds are that that belief would last 2000 years, and that there would be 2.2 billion Christians on the face of this planet. I don’t know what the odds in Las Vegas would be on that one. It was one of the things I thought about before I came to Cathoicism. We can’t give you the hard evidence that you feel you need just as you or any other atheist can’t prove that there isn’t a God. But for me it was the preponderance of the evidence.

 

[Lance]

I believe that I am a ‘true’ atheist. I lack a belief in any God or Gods.

I have read the first book in the Narnia series (The Magician’s Nephew?), however I was in already in my twenties and had a hard time seeing past the style written for youth. I do however have the movie and I love it! And it was not until I was informed later that I became aware that there was religious significance to it. So how do you like that? I honestly didn’t know until someone pointed certain things out to me. I know, I’m blind as a bat!

I was thinking more about his Screwtape Letters, The Abolition of Man, The Problem Of Pain, Miracles, and A Grief Observed. I agree that I did not see the religious connection in Narnia until I read about it. I think you would enjoy some of the above writtings. In Mere Christianity he is not trying to convert anyone just explain how and why he converted. I really think you would enjoy the Screwtape Letters. In them Screwtape, a senior demon, is writting advice to his nephew Wormwood. Thanks for you answers and keep coming back.

 

[cathopologist]

Hi hopefully wild:

I have not a question but a recommendation for you, based on your answer about reading “The Magician’s Nephew” but finding it difficult to get past the “youth style.”

I would like you to read C.S. Lewis’ mature work, which is actually considered a science fiction trilogy.

In order the books are: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength.

I think you would find them extremely interesting. The first two are relatively short reads, the third is somewhat longer but ties in things from the first two.

Finally, I suggest you finish with another fairly short read from Lewis called “The Screwtape Letters” which again brings up some really pertinent points.

Even if you don’t believe, I hope you won’t mind if I close with asking God to bless and keep you. It’s the ‘Mom’ in me!

Don’t forget to read IMO his masterpiece: The Great Divorce
It’ll be an eye-opener for you. Read that book 3 times over - i did before i fully understood everything he wrote about. You won’t be disappointed, hopefully wild.

 

[JMJ_coder]

This is another really good question.
There are many many things I would take as acceptable evidence for the existence of God. One would be God just coming out and showing himself to everyone. Sounds easy enough for a being who can do anything. Another example would be any sort of verifiable biblical type miracle.
And for the second part of your question, I’d like to borrow a quote from the late Carl Sagan,
“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”

This seems quite vague - almost to the point of being meaningless. Are you looking for ‘independently verified’ empirical evidence - a sort of measurement of God? Are you looking for God to suddenly appear in Times Square demanding homage or else!? Please try to be precise as to what evidence you are looking for.

God did come and reveal Himself to mankind. We have numerous documents testifying to His incarnation, passion and resurrection. The most authoritative have been compiled in a single work - the New Testament. There is also the Sacred Tradition.

As for a biblical type event, one of the most recent was at Fatima. There, on October 13, 1917, in the presence of approx. 70,000 people - including many atheists who were there for the expressed purpose of disproving everything - God made the sun dance and rain drenched clothes and ground to instantly dry. This has been testified to by all present - even the atheists.

 

[hamba2han]

This is another really good question.
There are many many things I would take as acceptable evidence for the existence of God. One would be God just coming out and showing himself to everyone. Sounds easy enough for a being who can do anything. Another example would be any sort of verifiable biblical type miracle.
And for the second part of your question, I’d like to borrow a quote from the late Carl Sagan,
“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”

Since you have quoted Carl Sagan:

In a March 1996 profile by Jim Dawson in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Sagan talked about his then-new book The Demon Haunted World and was asked about his personal spiritual views: “My view is that if there is no evidence for it, then forget about it,” he said. “An agnostic is somebody who doesn’t believe in something until there is evidence for it, so I’m agnostic.”

In a 1996 interview, Sagan told Joel Achenbach: “An atheist has to know more than I know. An atheist is someone who knows there is no God.”

Unlike Carl Sagan, do you know for sure that there is no God?

If not, then why are you calling yourself an atheist?

 

[hopefully_wild]

Since you have quoted Carl Sagan:

In a March 1996 profile by Jim Dawson in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Sagan talked about his then-new book The Demon Haunted World and was asked about his personal spiritual views: “My view is that if there is no evidence for it, then forget about it,” he said. "An agnostic is somebody who doesn’t believe in something until there is evidence for it, so I’m agnostic."

In a 1996 interview, Sagan told Joel Achenbach: "An atheist has to know more than I know. An atheist is someone who knows there is no God."

Unlike Carl Sagan, do you know for sure that there is no God?

If not, then why are you calling yourself an atheist?

This is because no one is 100% atheist, just as no one is 100% sure that God exists. While you might say that, yes, you are certain that God exists, it is with the same conviction that I do not believe that God exists. I would argue that we are both agnostic in that respect. Good point.

 

[hamba2han]

This is because no one is 100% atheist, just as no one is 100% sure that God exists. While you might say that, yes, you are certain that God exists, it is with the same conviction that I do not believe that God exists. I would argue that we are both agnostic in that respect. Good point.

If you consider the incredible complexity of the DNA molecule… and then consider further the virtually unimaginable structural and functional intricacies of just a single living cell… you will then begin to understand why I say that there is a 99.999999999999999999% chance (at the very least!) that a Creator does indeed exist for all of the creations that we see in this world and beyond.

Suppose that there are just 2 possibilities to choose from i.e. either that there is a Creator OR there is not → why on earth then should anyone in his right mind choose the one that has a 0.000000000000000001% chance (at the very most!) of being true?

 

[hopefully_wild]

If you consider the incredible complexity of the DNA molecule… and then consider further the virtually unimaginable structural and functional intricacies of just a single living cell… you will then begin to understand why I say that there is a 99.999999999999999999% chance (at the very least!) that a Creator does indeed exist for all of the creations that we see in this world and beyond.

Suppose that there are just 2 possibilities to choose from i.e. either that there is a Creator OR there is not → why on earth then should anyone in his right mind choose the one that has a 0.000000000000000001% chance (at the very most!) of being true?

I have no idea where you’re getting these numbers from and I don’t believe they are correct.

 

[CatsAndDogs]

I saw some others had made threads for questions about their various religions and I thought I would offer myself up to any questions on atheism or my personal beliefs.
But please only for the sake of discussion, no fanatics ranting!

Why are you “hopefully wild”?

What do you actually “hope” for?

What do you mean by “wild”?

 

[hamba2han]

I have no idea where you’re getting these numbers from and I don’t believe they are correct.

A renowned molecular biologist, Michael Denton, makes the following analogy to describe what kind of a structure the cell has:

To grasp the reality of life as it has been revealed by molecular biology, we must magnify a cell a thousand million times until it is twenty kilometers in diameter and resembles a giant airship large enough to cover a great city like London or New York. What we would then see would be an object of unparalleled complexity and adaptive design. On the surface of the cell we would see millions of openings, like the port holes of a vast space ship, opening and closing to allow a continual stream of materials to flow in and out. If we were to enter one of these openings we would find ourselves in a world of supreme technology and bewildering complexity. (Michael Denton, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis. London: Burnett Books, 1986, p. 328)

If you really wish to know about the miracle of design in the living cell, then I would urge you to watch a documentary of it here.

It is free viewing and the video is only 38 minutes long.

 

[hopefully_wild]

A renowned molecular biologist, Michael Denton, makes the following analogy to describe what kind of a structure the cell has:

To grasp the reality of life as it has been revealed by molecular biology, we must magnify a cell a thousand million times until it is twenty kilometers in diameter and resembles a giant airship large enough to cover a great city like London or New York. What we would then see would be an object of unparalleled complexity and adaptive design. On the surface of the cell we would see millions of openings, like the port holes of a vast space ship, opening and closing to allow a continual stream of materials to flow in and out. If we were to enter one of these openings we would find ourselves in a world of supreme technology and bewildering complexity. (Michael Denton, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis. London: Burnett Books, 1986, p. 328)

If you really wish to know about the miracle of design in the living cell, then I would urge you to watch a documentary of it here.

It is free viewing and the video is only 38 minutes long.

None of this is evidence of a creator.

 

[hopefully_wild]

Why are you “hopefully wild”?

What do you actually “hope” for?

What do you mean by “wild”?

It’s from a song.

 

[hamba2han]

None of this is evidence of a creator.

Like I have pointed out before, suppose that there are just 2 possibilities to choose from i.e. either that there is a Creator OR there is not → why on earth then should anyone in his right mind reject the possibilty that has (to make it much easier to grasp) 99.99% chance of being true but instead choose to believe the one that has merely a 0.01% chance of being the truth?

 

[CatsAndDogs]

Quote:
Originally Posted by CatsAndDogs View Post
Why are you “hopefully wild”?

What do you actually “hope” for?

What do you mean by “wild”?

It’s from a song.

Yes, by why did you choose it as your ID as it pertains to “who you are”, where one aspect of “you” is your atheism?

(( This is a religious oriented site. You are here to speak with religious oriented people. Your religion is pertinent to EVERYTHING you do here. ))

Since you asked for questions, I’d appreciate answers to my questions, which DO in fact have something to do with your being, supposedly, an atheist.

So, please answer my questions in a way related to your atheism. Thanks bunches!
(the questions are repeated above)