Hi I'm Atheist

[dredgtone]

scm218:

dredgtone,

I could be wrong here, but, you say that you’re happy as an atheist. I think that the very fact that you’re here and on these forums is evidence to the fact that you feel that you are missing something, and are in search for it. You might be “happy,” but it doesn’t seem like you’re satisfied. I would say that you’re search (whether it be for education, debate, or spiritual fulfillment) is the grace of God guiding you to “truth,” in Christian terms.

Nah i’m not missing anything. I’m not asking how to attain faith or where to find God’s love. I simply want to argue some points with Christians because religion is a topic that intruiges me. Don’t be presumptious in your conclusions, i assure you I am not in search for my “missing link” in life =)

Nope I’m atheist there’s no doubt about it. Granted I’m open for whatever, i believe what i believe but i know that could change. As for now, my beliefs sound the most plausible, I’m through with my phase of questioning my beliefs, now I’m in the phase of just being open to whatever.

 

[dredgtone]

For the sake of those that don’t believe, quite frankly, I’d rather be wrong.

See how can i believe in something if my heart isn’t in to it? I simply can’t just choose to believe because “i might as well”.

 

[dredgtone]

How can anyone see what a perfect system we have (although we have damaged it greatly and continue to do so) and say that it was created randomly?

Who says it’s perfect? It works, so the value of perfection is applied. Who says it couldn’t be better, who says it couldn’t be worse? Who says it couldn’t be random?

 

[dredgtone]

NO! Whether atheism requires some kind of “faith” is open to discussion, but clearly atheism is NOT a choice. It is realisation, cognition, awareness.
It is not like you’re in the religion supermarket and you choose between christianity, islam, atheism, hinduism, [thousands of other offers]. At one point in your life you realise, that there is no god. It has nothing to do with a decision.
E.g. you do not decide, that things fall down due to gravity, that rain exists, …
Despite of what Paul has written in Romans, atheists do not deep in their heart know, that your god exists, and they do not stubbornly refuse, reject, or decide to ignore him. You cannot refuse a non-existing thing, is that so hard to grasp?

well said. Yeah i’ve been told that deep down inside i believe in god. Nope trust me, I don’t, haha.

 

[dredgtone]

john654:

dredgtone,

Why?

John

Because it is like the lukewarm Christian who does not question his faith. When worse comes to worse, his faith falters and he’s left in the dark asking how “God could do this to him”. Stand for nothing and you will fall for anything.

 

[Sheen]

AnAtheist:

If you insist, that everything needs a cause (classic 1st cause argument), then what caused whatever was the cause for the big bang?

Conceding the “Big Bang” theory for a moment – of course the answer is God.

Science can never prove that nothing comes from nothing – simply because there is no way to ever test this theory since we now exist in creation-- however you choose to belief that was arrived at; i.e., there is no “nothing.” Any test or theory designed to prove otherwise presupposes the use of “something.” Nothing from nothing is scientific wishful thinking; it is an impossibility. Even nothing itself is non-existent for it presupposes “something” to measure itself against.

And dredgtone – as to your initial statement about religious belief being a choice, I reference my God: “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life that you and your descendants may live” (Deut. 30:19)

The idea that a child could be born of a virgin is something I choose to believe – there is no amount of science or human explanation that can convince me this can happen, but I believe that it did in the conception and birth of my Lord, Jesus Christ. I choose to believe what to me is unbelievable.

 

[Keith_Barrett]

My two cents worth.:tiphat:

Some people question and lose their faith. Some people question and gain their faith. Contrary to what some people may believe (judging by the arguments I’ve seen on these forums), I don’t think that anyone was ever browbeaten into belief by the strength of their neighbour’s arguments. Belief may not be a choice in the conventional sense, but it does start with a choice. The choice to seek, the choice to open yourself to the possibility, these are all steps on the way to knowing God.

Most of the conversion stories I have heard tell of some transcendant moment, event, insight, etc. which gave the convert a knew outlook on life, as if he were seeing everything around him in a new light. This seeing things in a new light is what faith is all about and it is why I believe it is a gift from God. Who else could do this? Where else could it come from? It could not have come from the person experiencing the conversion himself, because his own doubts or complacency or inertia would have prevented it. For a person to do this would be the equivalent of someone trying to pick themselves up off the ground. Without some extraneous aid, it is impossible.

In my case, I have always wondered what it is that is missing in death? This may sound like a stupid question, but it seems to me that there is more to death than merely a machine that has malfunctioned or the body’s batteries that have run dead. There is a certain spark that is missing, that stays gone no matter how many machines are attached to the body to keep it functioning. The only answer I could come up with is: it is our soul, the divine image in every one of us, the Holy Spirit breathed into our bodies to give us life.

My conclusions about the soul could easily be attacked, but that brings me to my last point about faith. Faith is the belief in something where there is a lack of empirical data to confirm the veracity of that belief. In fact, it is sometimes belief despite empirical data which may confirm that belief to be false.

So, debate and logical support for or refutation of the existence of God is, IMHO, fun but inconsequential to the subject . Keep seeking, remain open and who knows what might happen!

 

[Oolon_Colluphid]

dredgtone:

However if you want to get technical, my potentiality existed in electricity that was probably scattered around the planet somewhere.

You appear to be talking about potential difference . I’m intrigued as to how someone might use a voltmeter to discern where souls come from…

 

[Trinitatem]

Well, something brought you here, did it not? You are involved in these religion-based forums, so I ask, what brought you here? What do YOU want to know?

 

[Oolon_Colluphid]

chemcatholic:

Please explain to me how something coming from nothing doesn’t break the laws of physics, ie the Law of Conservation of Matter.

“Conservation of Matter”? That’s a new one on me… but never mind. Of course, you’re aware that the ‘laws’ of physics break down at singularities…?

 

[Anne_Carmel]

Thank you for your participation and charity on this thread.