Atheists: Why aren't you theists?

[Suat]

Gareth and Cpayne demonstrate this beautifully by deciding to mock it instead. My final guess is that they just don’t like Christians and would rather not associate themselves, also beautifully demonstrated by Gareth and Cpayne.

Cpayne is religious…

As for the rest of the nonsense, MerryAtheist has more than adequately summed up my thoughts.

Whenever I look out over the world, I am filled with wonder. But I am also very aware of just what a small piece of this universe we occupy and of how insignificant our galaxy is in the vastness of space, let alone our solar system or our planet. There are billions of other galaxies our there, each with billions of stars. I have a difficult time believing that our planet, out of all the billions upon billions that exist, is important enough for a supernatural entity to be personally involved with the lives of the beings on it.

 

[MerryAtheist]

Do you have evidence for this unhappy belief that you are professing?

Unhappy? Belief? Talk about poisoning the well…

Why don’t you just ask me if I’m still beating my wife?

Though I don’t agree with either of the terms you employ, here’s some evidence for the views I hold nevertheless.

• I can only see a small slice of the universe: The universe is 156 billion light years wide.
• I am a mere speck of animate matter: The mass of our sun is 1.9891 x 1030, that’s 332,946 Earths. The sun is only one of trillions of stars. In comparison, you, me and all life on Earth amounts to very little.
• a brief glimmer of consciousness: Our lifespan is brief compared to the age of the universe.
• that is of no account: An opinion based on both our size and lifespan in comparison to the universe.
• I am only alive because of some cosmic accident: an opinion based on current cosmological theory as well as astronomical and biological evidence as presented by Hawking, Sagan, Dawkins, Stenger, et al.

 

[Gareth]

They don’t want to deal with the fact that they, although human in species, aren’t the highest, most intellectual beings, and that they are looked down upon.

We’re animals with no souls. Possibly not the most intelligent animal on earth either. There may well be vastly more intelligent life in the universe, of a material nature. We are sacks full of chemicals. When we die we will rot into the ground like compost… until we are gone forever.

My final guess is that they just don’t like Christians and would rather not associate themselves…

My wife whom I love very much, is a very evangelical christian. I enjoy the company of christians, (generally) they are people after all I enjoy reading these boards, and digesting the opinions of people like yourself. I am actively choosing to spend time with you through this forum. I don’t hate you you know.

In the real world, no system of thought religion or science is ever truly complete. Perhaps it’s easy to come accross two dimensionally in here, but the world is not really as simple as all that, the world is full of gray things. I bet if we talked about something else that we shared a common interest in, we could almost certainly be friends.

Unless you hate atheists that is.

 

[cpayne]

Brothers and sisters in Christ: I give you atheists (well, minus the one very unsure, quite sensitive agnostic). Could I just leave it there with a “'nuff said?” Sure. But they demonstrate a great point here worth noting. Believing in a Creator is not something atheists CANNOT do, but rather, something they don’t WANT to do. This is a matter of will, not intellect.

Actually, as Suat pointed out, I am a Christian. I was poking fun at Gareth, and he responded in kind. How about a group hug, everyone?
:grouphug:

 

[I_Leatherman]

Unhappy? Belief? Talk about poisoning the well…

Why don’t you just ask me if I’m still beating my wife?

Though I don’t agree with either of the terms you employ, here’s some evidence for the views I hold nevertheless.

• I can only see a small slice of the universe: The universe is 156 billion light years wide.
• I am a mere speck of animate matter: The mass of our sun is 1.9891 x 1030, that’s 332,946 Earths. The sun is only one of trillions of stars. In comparison, you, me and all life on Earth amounts to very little.
• a brief glimmer of consciousness: Our lifespan is brief compared to the age of the universe.
• that is of no account: An opinion based on both our size and lifespan in comparison to the universe.
• I am only alive because of some cosmic accident: an opinion based on current cosmological theory as well as astronomical and biological evidence as presented by Hawking, Sagan, Dawkins, Stenger, et al.

The universe is big - and we are small.
So, I don’t believe anything at all !!
But Christianity is the biggest of them all, -
contained within God’s eternity, the universe sure does look small.
But, that doesnt stop 1,000,000,000 (billion) Catholics believing at all.

 

[MerryAtheist]

The universe is big - and we are small.
So, I don’t believe anything at all !!
But Christianity is the biggest of them all, -
contained within God’s eternity, the universe sure does look small.
But, that doesnt stop 1,000,000,000 (billion) Catholics believing at all.

Nice!

I must point out, however, it’s simply not the case that “I don’t believe anything at all”. I believe in lots of stuff. I just lack belief in a supernatural entity.

Also, while the number you give is impressive, it is not without precedent that 1 billion people can be wrong. In fact, if your religious beliefs are right, then it follows that 1.2 billion muslims are wrong right now. On the other hand, if they are right, then 1 billion catholics are wrong.

 

[whatever]

In fact, if your religious beliefs are right, then it follows that 1.2 billion muslims are wrong right now. On the other hand, if they are right, then 1 billion catholics are wrong.

The argument from numbers never impressed me and as far as I’m concerned, 2.2 billion Catholics and Muslims are all wrong.

 

[Nepenthe]

And to some of us, it doesn’t matter who is right or wrong. We really do have more pressing matters to attend to.

 

[I_Leatherman]

Nice!

I must point out, however, it’s simply not the case that “I don’t believe anything at all”. I believe in lots of stuff. I just lack belief in a supernatural entity.

“I just lack belief in a supernatural entity.” - does not rhyme…

Also, while the number you give is impressive, it is not without precedent that 1 billion people can be wrong. In fact, if your religious beliefs are right, then it follows that 1.2 billion muslims are wrong right now. On the other hand, if they are right, then 1 billion catholics are wrong.

The point, in case you missed it, is that your argument is ham-fisted -
You lack belief you say because the universe is too big - is that objective.
One billion people see no such objection,
and their universe has an infinitely larger projection.

 

[Mirdath]

The point, in case you missed it, is that your argument is ham-fisted -
You lack belief you say because the universe is too big - is that objective.
One billion people see no such objection,
and their universe has an infinitely larger projection.

A billion people may be right;
if so, billions more have no hope in sight.
Right or wrong, it does not much matter –
The universe is filled with such blither and chatter.

 

[MerryAtheist]

You lack belief you say because the universe is too big.

I think you are misreading my posts.

 

[I_Leatherman]

A billion people may be right;
if so, billions more have no hope in sight.
Right or wrong, it does not much matter –
The universe is filled with such blither and chatter.

Without anyone who knows right, who knows who may get it right;
In that case alone it would not matter,
the universe, truly, is mere blither and chatter…

 

[I_Leatherman]

I think you are misreading my posts.

You’re views are based on the evidence that the universe is really, really, really big?

But I think its even bigger than you think.

So, why doesnt the BIG argument work on me.

 

[Mirdath]

Without anyone who knows right, who knows who may get it right;
In that case alone it would not matter,
the universe, truly, is mere blither and chatter…

To claim one has Truth is all well and good;
It makes quite the conversation in our neighborhood.
But to say it is so, yet without verification
Shows a lack of humility regarding one’s station.
And if the Truth is proven only from your own books,
Well, that’s dandy – a logical circle, if only one looks.

 

[Dancelittleewok]

To claim one has Truth is all well and good;
It makes quite the conversation in our neighborhood.
But to say it is so, yet without verification
Shows a lack of humility regarding one’s station.
And if the Truth is proven only from your own books,
Well, that’s dandy – a logical circle, if only one looks.

Are you implying that theists are narrow minded and arrogant?!?

 

[I_Leatherman]

Mirdath:

To claim one has Truth is all well and good;
It makes quite the conversation in our neighborhood.
But to say it is so, yet without verification
Shows a lack of humility regarding one’s station.
And if the Truth is proven only from your own books,
Well, that’s dandy – a logical circle, if only one looks.

For every problem there is a solution;
“What Is Truth?”
Now do I make my ablution?

 

[MerryAtheist]

You’re views are based on the evidence that the universe is really, really, really big?

No.

 

[Gareth]

For every problem there is a solution;
“What Is Truth?”
Now do I make my ablution?

LOL, that is talent in my opinion, and wisdom.

 

[freesoulhope]

I have a difficult time believing that our planet, out of all the billions upon billions that exist, is important enough for a supernatural entity to be personally involved with the lives of the beings on it.

If that were true, i doubt that we would exist. If one creates something, nomatter how small, and on top of that, give us awarness above mere animals to such an extent that we can concieve of a concept such as God, I would think that we would have at least some importance to God, since we are more then just mere matter; we have “person”. Thats just common sense.

 

[Hellisreal]

To claim one has Truth is all well and good;
It makes quite the conversation in our neighborhood.
But to say it is so, yet without verification
Shows a lack of humility regarding one’s station.
And if the Truth is proven only from your own books,
Well, that’s dandy – a logical circle, if only one looks.

I try to be humble, but I do fail often.

My desire is not to prove God to anyone, its to be the best Christian I can be so I can hope that at the very least, people dont think badly of Christianity.