- Arthur McQueen
- London
- United Kingdom
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Atheism: why do people don't believe in God?
My question to all atheists is that, why don't they believe in God? Can't they see His signs and can everything that happens on Earth happen by chance? If I don't believe in Allah, Jesus, Buddha or any other God, how can I live? I'll have no direction or paths.
Ok. I agree. There are somethings that we don't know about God, i.e. where did he came from but I believe there is a difference between the knowledge he possesses and we possess. If we'll get all that knowledge, what will be the difference between Him and us? There are numerous points where his knowledge is way better than ours.
If I don't believe in any God, then (I suppose) we are saying that everything that happens, happens by chance. What will be the purpose of living then? Other than living for the betterment of the people, is there any other reason for living? We already live in such chaotic conditions, so isn't it better to die in this case?
Now, I am not trying to hurt anyone's feelings (and if I have done that, I apologize from the depths of my heart) nor am I saying that atheists should die or have no reasons to live but I still find it difficult to NOT believe in God. Thank you.
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Mark Kurtz 20+
The only real proof of God's existence is an individual's personal experience. These varied widely since the beginning of human beings and some people developed false beliefs, largely on ignorance. These false beliefs, be they obvious or subtle, I believe have driven some people to greatly distrust all religion. But, we people need true light! Humanity will emerge from great confusion. It will take patience and faith.
My understanding is the original person who was planetary prince, a non-human invisible to human eyes, defaulted and went into rebellion against higher authority and took this planet into spiritual darkness. Adam and Eve defaulted and even more confusion developed. We have a long way to go to right things and we will be helped. Great spiritual growth will someday be evident.
It is the errors of the past that caused spiritual disarray and we have problems including confusing religious position and prognostication.
I hope this addresses your question.
Peace,
MK
Obey No1kinobe 50+
I would just suggest that as an atheist I do not deny religious or spiritual experiences. I tend to think they are just neurological events, however I do not deny the possibility of spirit.
However, I would also suggest to the religious that spiritual experience could very easy be just brain/mind processes. I would suggest these are not evidence of spirit or god.
In fact they seem so subjective in interpretation to not be a reliable indicator of any particular view point. Personal experience could simply be a trick of the mind, like imaginary friends for adults. And I'm not aware of any belief system based on revelation, scripture or authority standing out.
Mark Kurtz 20+
I question the doubting of such stories; maybe some details are missing but how can we honestly dismiss them. Also, this Jesus appeared 19 times to nearly 1,500 people in different places after his death. He talked to them and then disappeared from their view. These 1,500 people surely were not kooks or psychos, nor were they experiencing hallucinations, were they?
What other evidence of spiritual exists that is worthy of your time and honest examination?
Regarding neurological, I suggest no human being can separate spiritual from neurological life forces in mind. Yes, I do believe some mortals have experienced strong psychic events, but a balanced, truth seeking mind need not suffer fanatical results.
If you want to discuss more privately, then send me an email.,
In kindness intended.
Obey No1kinobe 50+
Gabriel apparently quoted the Koran to the prophet Muhammad over decades. The founder of the Church of Latter day saints and Swedenborgs and Christian Scientists also claim visions.
Shamans and figures from different religions have had conflicting visions and revelation, divine dreams.
Gurus is India today are performing miricales similar to those claimed by Christians or the bible. One guru even claims to be born a virgin and there are thousands alive today that attest to his miracles.
Some of these visions and belief in miracles may be genuine. Some contrived.
If genuine - people hallucinate or unconsciously subjectively misinterpreting or selectively filter and interpret sensory data all the time. You probably give legitimacy to the proposed visions that fit your world view.
If an old holy book of another religion states something miraculous and that there were 1,501 eye witnesses, would you believe. Do you believe the living witnesses in India? Do you believe in the Koran quoted by Gabriel?
I agree that the supernatural may be acting through our bodies and brains. I don't know how we could tell either way for sure because the proposed spirit is not detectable in normal means. So when someone prays or drops acid and experiences something we will never know if they touched this mysterious realm or not.
What we know of the new testament is that the oldest texts estimated at 30 to 90 years after Jesus is supposed to have died. We don't know who the authors were of the gospels. The gospels may have developed as oral traditions for decades. Who knows. I see no reason not to be sceptical of anything written in the bible or Koran etc. Especially the supernatural claims. We don't know if 1500 people saw something, or someone just made it up.
Appreciate the discussion. I guess we have different views on what counts as compelling evidence and whether it is appropriate selectively decriminate
John Moonstroller 20+
In a way I'm like Obey, I do believe in some type of spiritual part of our material machinery, a life force if you will allow it. Something, perhaps, not detectible with the tools we have in science today. Many of us are aware of super human qualities of the brain, the body and the brain over the body and have seen demonstrations in the laboratory, but the life force that causes a rock to become animated and have self interest has yet to be detected. There have been adequate and possible explanations about how DNA arose in the primordial soup but no real laboratory reproductions of this process. The code of Life which is nothing more than an arrangement of atoms so to cause a perpetuating motion within a system of molecules and whence it came from is still a mystery.
I notice that we humans categorizes ourselves in levels of mind strength and talent for discovering new and meaningful knowledge. These abilities are well and above the animal kingdom on this planet. Isn't it strange that we bear so much resemblance to a chimpanzee?
Yet we are so far removed in brain strength.
Sometimes I think that DNA is a manufactured product and cannot be invented by random chance in sufficient quantities to explain for the abundance of life on our planet. Science has demonstrated the possibility of us being able to manufacture it, even though we haven't done so yet.
What many call evolution I say has more to do with environmental influences, until we discover life on another planet that is chemically different from ours.
Do you sometimes get the feeling in TED that you are in a room with first graders all the way to 12 graders and beyond with only one teacher? The question swings from total ignorance of the nature of the conversation to the level where it is adequately being examined by confident intellectuals, interspersed with crackpots and smirking little children. :)
So, I wonder and keep an open mind.