How Can Atheists Remain Atheists?

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AntiTheist said:
Provide evidence that something exists beyond the physical realm.

I don’t have to, because you cant prove that there is not a supernatural realm. However rational thinking folks would acknowledge that if there is a natural realm, there must be supernatural realm.

crazzeto: No, I don’t. This demonstrates that you did not read my post carefully at all.

I don’t accept the existence of anything for which there is no evidence. I don’t accept Cthulhu, Vishnu, your god, the Zoroastrian gods, fairies, leprechauns, pixies, or the Loch Ness Monster. In none of those cases is their an act of faith on my part.

MrZetterlund: No, that’s precisely not what I said. Go back and read again carefully: I’m glad that there is not any evidence for a god. My gladess comes after the observation that there is no evidence.

My point is that no sensible person would believe in fairies on the basis of testimony and photographs, just as no sensible person believes in aliens, despite the photographs of UFOs and the testimony of people – sometimes multiple people at once! – who claim to have been abducted by aliens.

I’m afraid that it sounds like you have nothing terribly miraculous to report. Now come on. Do you seriously think that a person who has spent time rationally thinking through his beliefs is going to suddenly change his mind because a bunch of people claim to have seen a ghost?
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I know there is one thing that will not happen. Nobody will be convinced of the existence of God through “proofs” . Prayer is the only thing that will get our non-believing friends there.
 
AndrewJaffery said:
Well…I’ll try to clear it up, if AntiTheist’s explaination didn’t.

Take monarchy for an example. The french throne has a few claiments, Bonapardists, Legitimists, and Orléamists. These people would be called Monarchists. Now, another person believes that their should be no king of France, they would be republicans. Trying to say that Republicans are Monarchists, I think anyways, is silly. They have a bgeliefe who should be king (No one) but that doesn’t make them Monarchists. Same with atheism…they have a position on which God exists (None), but that doesn’t make them religious.

It’s like that, but explained better and more clearly…and makes sense :o
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The problems are this:
  1. He can’t even stay consitant, right now he’s trying to claim that he is essentially agnostic (his UN doesn’t fit then does it)?
  2. He claims that because there is not reproduceable scientific experimentation, that God doesn’t exist. As I have said, this is a weak shallow answer which is no better than “i’m christian only because my parents were”.
  3. I’ve offered an oppertunity for him to try and prove that some accepted miricles are in fact naturally explainable. All he’s offered in response are rehashes of 1 & 2.
The subject matter of this thread is an oppertunity… For people like AntiThiest to come out and give good well thought out answers as to why they’re still Athiests. And yes, I am challenging, and yes I’m making it a difficult challege because quite frankly, I want him thinking about his position. Quite honestly I beleive once he does it’ll be the first step on his road to conversion (but hey, I could be wrong). Based upon what he’s posted so far, as far as I can tell he hasn’t given a good response to the challenge of this thread.

“I’m an athiest, because I’m not on your team” isn’t a very good answer, that’s an axiom.

Edit
BTW, Athiesm is very much a religion 😉
 
wmscott said:
I don’t have to, because you cant prove that there is not a supernatural realm.
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There’s a lot that I can’t prove. I don’t believe in things just because I can’t disprove them.
However rational thinking folks would acknowledge that if there is a natural realm, there must be supernatural realm.
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There must be, really? Could you explain this?

crazzeto:
why aren’t you “Agnostic”, rather than an “antithiest”.
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“agnostic” and “atheist” aren’t mutually exclusive terms. An agnostic is one who claims not to know whether there’s a god; an atheist is one who claims not to have a belief in a god. I don’t know whether a god exists and I also don’t hold a belief in a god. I’m an agnostic atheist.

I also happen to be an “antitheist” because I’m glad that the situation is such that there is no evidence for the existence of any gods and because I think that faith is, in general, a very bad thing.
The subject matter of this thread is an oppertunity… For people like AntiThiest to come out and give good well thought out answers as to why they’re still Athiests.
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For the same reason that I still don’t believe in the Hindu gods: no evidence.
 
AntiTheist said:
There’s a lot that I can’t prove. I don’t believe in things just because I can’t disprove them.

There must be, really? Could you explain this?

Since you are a Carl Sagan fan, it’s like matter and antimatter. One can not exist without the other. 😃

crazzeto: “agnostic” and “atheist” aren’t mutually exclusive terms. An agnostic is one who claims not to know whether there’s a god; an atheist is one who claims not to have a belief in a god. I don’t know whether a god exists and I also don’t hold a belief in a god. I’m an agnostic atheist.

I also happen to be an “antitheist” because I’m glad that the situation is such that there is no evidence for the existence of any gods and because I think that faith is, in general, a very bad thing.

For the same reason that I still don’t believe in the Hindu gods: no evidence.
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spn82756 said:
OMG…a Yankee fan!!! Just like my misguided father! 😃

Check out the 1 pic album I have!
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But of course I’m a New Yorker (so it would be, as you guys say, “wicked retarded” to be a Sox fan). I’m obligated to be a Sox hater.
 
I’m pretty sure that watching a scary movie would not be enough for a skeptic to rethink his position. Usually, it takes more than that.
 
AJTheMan said:
I’m pretty sure that watching a scary movie would not be enough for a skeptic to rethink his position. Usually, it takes more than that.
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When I watch one of those TV shows on paranormal stuff (like house hauntings), and I see videotape of noises coming from the closet or the mattress shaking around; I’m the guy wondering why the heck they just don’t simply open the closet or turn over the freakin mattress (since the most logical thing to think is it’s some sort of scam) :confused:
 
bridgeforsale said:
When I watch one of those TV shows on paranormal stuff (like house hauntings), and I see videotape of noises coming from the closet or the mattress shaking around; I’m the guy wondering why the heck they just don’t simply open the closet or turn over the freakin mattress (since the most logical thing to think is it’s some sort of scam) :confused:
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Well yeah, I’m like that too, and even roll my eyes and ridicule it. But there’s a fine line between a broom or a door moving and a girl getting dragged out of the bed or getting posessed and killing her boyfriend for the police to find his body and that she went missing two years later.
 
MrZetterlund said:
Well yeah, I’m like that too, and even roll my eyes and ridicule it. But there’s a fine line between a broom or a door moving and a girl getting dragged out of the bed or getting posessed and killing her boyfriend for the police to find his body and that she went missing two years later.
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I’m sure there’s a logical explanation (probably along the lines of her being a psycho lunatic killer who needs to be tucked away in a prison somewhere for a really long time).
 
Ultraviolet light wasn’t detected until 1801. That doesn’t mean it didn’t exist before 1801.

I might be skeptical of an invisible purple dragon but I wouldn’t refuse to investigate the room, look under the bed, or examine the singed sheets. Or, I could just say that flames shooting out from under a bed is weird stuff.

There are a great many Eucharistic miracles where Consecrated Hosts (the Holy Communion wafers) bleed or turn into human flesh. The blood type is the same for all of these miracles, AB.

jesustheanswer.org/jta/eucharistic_miracles/lanciano.asp

ewtn.com/library/CHISTORY/ZLANCIAN.HTM

therealpresence.org/eucharst/a.html

Just my two cents.
 
Can’t say I have seen this entire thread. I do want to clear something up. When I said atheists “know it all” I meant in the sense about what is real and what is not.
However, I need no “Proofs”. My mind tells me I am right about God. I choose to believe the written accounts of Jesus, his life, death and resurrection. I choose to believe that Paul really did have his experience on the road to Damascus, etc, etc. I do not need to prove to the non-believer and could not anyway because their minds are closed, they “Know it all”.
As far as believing things not seen or provable in a traditional sense, religious folks are not alone. Many scientists believe that there are as many as 12+ dimensions in this universe. Some believe that ours is one of many “Universes”. Can they prove it? No. Can they measure it? No. Can they detect it? No. Do they believe it? Yes. I guess you’d call it faith in a way that they are right in their thoughtful conclusions although they are totally unprovable and there is no physical evidence. BTW: I believe they are likely to be right, but I am not a scientist.

Anyway, the real thing that mystifies me is why atheists would even frequent a place like this? For Who? For What? If I was an atheist this would probably be the least place I’d think to visit and be active in. As an RC, I don’t frequent Hindu sites etc. I don’t get it.
 
AntiTheist said:
crazzeto: “agnostic” and “atheist” aren’t mutually exclusive terms. An agnostic is one who claims not to know whether there’s a god; an atheist is one who claims not to have a belief in a god. I don’t know whether a god exists and I also don’t hold a belief in a god. I’m an agnostic atheist.

I also happen to be an “antitheist” because I’m glad that the situation is such that there is no evidence for the existence of any gods and because I think that faith is, in general, a very bad thing.

For the same reason that I still don’t believe in the Hindu gods: no evidence.
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An agnostic however would have more sense than to describe them selves as an “antithiest”. I’m sorry but this is another lame explanation, agnostics allow for the possibility of God. You describe your self as outright opposing the very idea, this is the contradiction.

And in all this conversation, you still refurse to really think through the issues. I find it interesting the lengths your going through, to avoid actually considering God.
 
You know, I can understand this statement. “I’m glad that the situation is such that there is no evidence for the existence of any gods and because I think that faith is, in general, a very bad thing.” This is just my opinion and if offends an atheist, I am sorry. I understand it simple because there are those in this world who have to believe that there is no God to justify their existence of “I am the Best that it gets”. By being an atheist, it relieves them of any responsibility and obligation to their fellow man and to be held accountable to a supreme authority, which is God. It is an existence of total apathy that leads to disintegration and a gradual falling into an inferior existence. There is order and there is chaos, God = order, absence of God = chaos.

Look at what has happened since we took God out of the schools, chaos. Students now days are disrespectful, there is drugs, kids toting guns, sex, and violence. It is a progressive decline and decay in today’s society. Why? Because there is no accountability, there is no God, absence of God = chaos.

Look at the direction this country has taken in the last few years since we took God out of our political decision making process. We can’t have the Ten Commandments in a court house, we can’t have a cross of federal lands to dedicated to fallen solders because an atheist might see it and get offended. We can’t have a nativity scene in the town square because it might offend and atheist. And heaven forbid we have a prayer service in the town square to pray for a worthy cause. The list goes on and on.

Just look at the statement “I’m glad that the situation is such that there is no evidence for the existence of any gods and because I think that faith is, in general, a very bad thing.” This validates what I have just said. How sad that a person cannot recognize that they have a soul and a spirit that God loves and wants to offer salvation and order to their existence. It is a shame that they use God’s gift of free will to fast track themselves to eternal damnation. These folks really need our prayers that they discover the truth of Gods existence and redeeming quality.

"O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy."
 
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