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  • Oct 31, 2007, 07:16 AM
    beatlejuice
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NeedKarma
    This reasoning method has been tried before and failed. I suggest not going down that route. ;)

    I think the "athiests" failed to because from the looks of it you all did not have anything to say when that tatertot person made him/her point. You ended up blocking her and getting HiM/her removed from the site just because you could not prove her point wrong. Sore losers;) So I am not going to argue with closed minded people because it is a waist of time. Unless you can give me scientific proof/evendence of the non exsistance of God, then Atheism is just a religious belief like any other religion because you have faith in theory that there is no god despite the lack of scientific evidence.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 07:35 AM
    beatlejuice
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NeedKarma
    What about the burning bush? The snake that talks?

    Exactly, the God spoke through the burning bush and sent Moses to free the isrealite from Egymptian captivity. God did not just show up himself to rescue the Isrealites He sent moses to do it. Just like the devil used the snakes body to talk to adam and eve, he didn't just show up with his red suit and trident.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 07:48 AM
    jillianleab
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by beatlejuice
    I think the "athiests" failed to because from the looks of it you all did not have anything to say when that tatertot person made him/her point. You ended up blocking her and geting HiM/her removed from the site just because you could not prove her point wrong. Sore losers;) So i am not going to argue with closed minded people because it is a waist of time. Unless you can give me scientific proof/evendence of the non exsistance of God, then Atheism is just a religious belief like any other religion because you have faith in theory that there is no god despite the lack of scientific evidence.

    tatertot was a troll and no one got him/her blocked, he/she did that on their own for being abusive and intolerant.

    Think atheism is a religious belief. You're wrong, but you may think what you wish.

    And it's "waste" not "waist"; so if you have decided not to waste your time anymore discussing such things with us, there's a handy feature in your profile where you may unsubscribe from this thread.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 08:00 AM
    beatlejuice
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jillianleab
    tatertot was a troll and no one got him/her blocked, he/she did that on their own for being abusive and intolerant.

    Go ahead and think atheism is a religious belief. You're wrong, but you may think what you wish.

    And it's "waste" not "waist"; so if you have decided not to waste your time anymore discussing such things with us, there's a handy feature in your profile where you may unsubscribe from this thread.


    Okey... My bad, I seem to have offended some people here. My sincere apologies. Can I ask you a question with out you getting over emotional? Just answer the question interlectually please I am just curious. How do you KNOW for a fact, there is no god?
  • Oct 31, 2007, 08:15 AM
    Capuchin
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by beatlejuice
    Okey..... My bad, i seem to have offended some people here. My sincere apologies. Can i ask you a question with out you getting over emotional? Just answer the question interlectually please i am just curious. How do you KNOW for a fact, there is no god?

    Nobody ever knows anything for a fact. If there is no evidence for something, we must take that as evidence of it not existing.

    We have no evidence of the tooth fairy or of a teapot in orbit around the Earth. Do you believe that these exist? Or do you have proof that they do not exist?
  • Oct 31, 2007, 08:22 AM
    jillianleab
    Of course you may ask me a question without me getting over emotional.

    I KNOW there is no god in the same sense you KNOW there is no tooth fairy, Santa, Easter Bunny, Greek god, Aztec god, etc, etc. I think you get the point.

    There is, in my opinion, no evidence for a god. Theists sometimes will point to the beauty of the sunrise, the birth of a child and so on as evidence, but I see those things differently. I also have found no reason to believe in a god; my life is happy, full of love, laughter, satisfaction and completeness without the belief in a supernatural being. So what's the point in believing in a being who will watch my every move, who insists I worship him and will condemn me to hell for things I do if I don't repent? I don't need that kind of mess in my life, it doesn't make me happy. I believe on the first page of this thread I made reference to how I think some people are born with the CAPACITY for religious faith and others are not. Try to think of it in that sense.

    But, you can ask the same question of yourself - how do you KNOW there is a god? Where is your hard evidence? It's not the sunrise - that's the rotation of the earth. It's not the birth of a child, that's biology. Perhaps "god" saved you from a horrible situation, but maybe you saved yourself from that situation; no god, just you and your determination. Maybe you point to the existence of the universe as evidence for god; OK, but then why is it YOUR god? What makes YOUR god, the Christian god, the "right" god? Where's the evidence for that? There is none, aside from that religion and it's morals and teachings fitting in line with the type of person you want to be.

    There is a quote which has been referenced here a few times:

    “I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.” [Stephen F Roberts]

    And I especially like this one in regards to the people who ask for proof that god DOES NOT exist:

    "If my interlocutor desires to convince me that Jupiter has inhabitants, and that his description of them is accurate, it is for him to bring forward evidence in support of his contention. The burden of proof evidently lies on him; it is not for me to prove that no such beings exist before my non-belief is justified, but for him to prove that they do exist before my belief can be fairly claimed. Similarly, it is for the affirmer of God's existence to bring evidence in support of his affirmation; the burden of proof lies on him."

    — Annie Besant, Why I Do Not Believe in God (London, 1887)
  • Oct 31, 2007, 08:50 AM
    beatlejuice
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Capuchin
    Nobody ever knows anything for a fact. If there is no evidence for something, we must take that as evidence of it not existing.

    We have no evidence of the tooth fairy or of a teapot in orbit around the Earth. Do you believe that these exist? Or do you have proof that they do not exist?

    "Nobody ever knows anything for a fact" Your first statement despite its flaws proves my point. You don't know for a fact that there is no god which makes you an agnostic. Just because you have not found any evidence of something in your limited knowledge does not mean its existence is not a possibility. Its just like saying aliens don't exist. I know There is no evidence that they do but just because man has limited knowledge of the Univeserse does not mean their existence is not possible.The farthest man has been able to explore in this universe is the moon and remotely Mars and that small area is like a speck of dust compared to the Grandeur of the universe and the millions galaxies in it. So for someone who probably has never even left the US to tell me there is no god is ridiculous and absurd. Really lets be serious. So Because no one can say for a FACT there is no god, there is no such thing as an atheist. If one professes to be an atheist it is a religious belief because you choose to have faith in that belief despite the lack of evidence.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 08:54 AM
    startover22
    beatlejuice... it is pretty plain and simple, you have faith in God so your faith helps you believe in him. Others do not, so they do not believe in him! Have you truly read this whole post? Just wondering honestly... things are repeating themselves here...
  • Oct 31, 2007, 09:05 AM
    NeedKarma
    I agree with startover22. We accept that you believe in a god, good for you if that brings you comfort. No one is trying to divert you from that so please stop pestering those that do not believe the same as you.

    You obviously do not know the definition of the words 'agnostic' and 'atheist' so please educate yourself on that point. An agnostic person does not believe that we could ever prove that there is a god but allows for its possible existence. An atheist does believe that any gods exist nor is there a need for one.

    No one wants to prove your faith so please allow others theirs.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 09:05 AM
    jillianleab
    beatle - editing posts on this board, especially after they have been responded to is frowned upon, unless you make a notation in your post that you made an edit.

    Further, in your response to Cap, I think it is important you understand the definitions of "atheist" and "agnostic"

    atheist - Definitions from Dictionary.com

    agnostic - Definitions from Dictionary.com

    An agnostic thinks there is no way to know if there is or is not a god. An atheist denies or disbelieves the existence of supernatural beings. Thus, if I say, "There is no such thing as god" I am an atheist - I am denying the existence of god. By definition,t hat makes me an atheist. An agnostic would say, "I don't know if there is a god". They are very different things. Beyond that, by your line of reasoning, we must all be agnostic, because you cannot say for a FACT there is a god.

    And we've already discussed in this thread why atheism isn't a religion, there's no need to do it again.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 09:14 AM
    firmbeliever
    I have forgotten if I asked this before on this thread,but I do not think I did, if I have and you had answered, please ignore this question.

    Do you personally believe in spirits or ghosts or other supernatural things even if you do not believe in God?
  • Oct 31, 2007, 09:15 AM
    startover22
    Good question Firmy, I wonder...
  • Oct 31, 2007, 09:17 AM
    jillianleab
    Nope. No ghosts, goblins, spirits; nothing which is considered supernatural.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 09:19 AM
    NeedKarma
    Same here, no ghosts, spirits etc. My kids aren't scared of that stuff either :D
  • Oct 31, 2007, 09:20 AM
    startover22
    I don't find them scarey, I do believe in such though!
  • Oct 31, 2007, 09:36 AM
    beatlejuice
    "I KNOW there is no god in the same sense you KNOW there is no tooth fairy, Santa, Easter Bunny, Greek god, Aztec god, etc, etc. I think you get the point.

    I am sorry to disappoint you but I cannot say for a fact that KNOW that there is no tooth fairy, santa clause etc I think you get the point. I don't know. We as human have such limited knowledge and for you to say there is no god is basically saying you know everything. But I am sorry to be the one to tell you but you know nothing. Not just you we as humans know NOTHING. And man think just because he has acquired a little knowledge of science of the few things they see around him, (the earth and the moon) now he knows everything. Here are a few quotes from people who were not even christains about the amount of knowledge man has. We know nothing.

    “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." By socrates

    "sixty year ago I knew everything:now I know nothing; eduactation is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance" By Will Durant

    The only thing that we know is that we know nothing and that is the highest flight of human wisdom.” Leo Nikoievich

    "You know nothing for sure... except the fact that you know nothing." JF Kenedy

    “We don’t know a millionth of one percent about anything.” Thomas A. Edison



    I have enough evidence for myself to know that God does exist and no one can tell me other wise. I may not have scientific evidence for you but I suppose that is why it is called a belief. I believe because I have faith in that God exists because of the evidence of what he has done in my personal life. In that same token your beliefs are not scientical fact and therefore a religious belief because you have nothing to prove you statement.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 09:46 AM
    NeedKarma
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by beatlejuice
    I am sorry to disappoint you but i cannot say for a fact that KNOW that there is no tooth fairy, santa clause ect

    But aren't YOU the one that takes the tooth put puts money under the pillow? Aren't YOU the one that puts presents under the tree Christmas eve? Yet you don't know for sure that there isn't a Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus? Interesting...
  • Oct 31, 2007, 09:50 AM
    jillianleab
    beatle, no one here is trying to get you to turn your back on your faith or your beliefs. Remember you joined this thread and have decided to continue participating in it. I'm not trying to tell you god doesn't exist, I'm telling you I don't believe in god. You are free and welcome to believe in anything you choose. And as I said before, I'm not going to debate with you over atheism being a religious belief; so please leave it alone.

    PS: you might want to read and think about the definition of agnostic - I think you are closer to being one than you might think, since you feel one cannot KNOW anything for certain.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 09:52 AM
    startover22
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jillianleab
    beatle, no one here is trying to get you to turn your back on your faith or your beliefs. Remember you joined this thread and have decided to continue participating in it. I'm not trying to tell you god doesn't exist, I'm telling you I don't believe in god. You are free and welcome to believe in anything you choose. And as I said before, I'm not going to debate with you over atheism being a religious belief; so please leave it alone.

    PS: you might want to read and think about the definition of agnostic - I think you are closer to being one than you might think, since you feel one cannot KNOW anything for certain.

    Mmmm, I think a lot of people are closer to being one than we may think... I agree!
  • Oct 31, 2007, 10:29 AM
    beatlejuice
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NeedKarma
    I agree with startover22. We accept that you believe in a god, good for you if that brings you comfort. No one is trying to divert you from that so please stop pestering those that do not believe the same as you.

    You obviously do not know the definition of the words 'agnostic' and 'atheist' so please educate yourself on that point. An agnostic person does not believe that we could ever prove that there is a god but allows for its possible existence. An atheist does believe that any gods exist nor is there a need for one.

    No one wants to prove your faith so please allow others theirs.

    Why do you get so defensive and think that I am trying to get you to believe in God. I totally respect your religious beliefs. I was not in anyway trying to get you to believe in what I believe. I just thought we were having an interlectual discussion like adults about Atheism in which all parties were voicing their opinions. I don't remember asking anyone to believe in God. In the same token I can also say YOU are also trying to make me believe there is no god and therefore I can also say you are pestering me with your beliefs. It just seems like when you people feel defeated and have nothing more to say in defense of your beliefs you just revert to saying "dont force your beliefs on others" which is really funny.. :D But that's fine... and Just for the record, I don't agree with your beliefs but by no means am I trying to get you to believe in mine, I respect yours.

    P.S "An atheist doesnt believe that any gods exist nor is there a need for one." This is a religious belief and I respect that.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 10:36 AM
    NeedKarma
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by beatlejuice
    This is a religious belief and i respect that.

    How can it be a religious belief when there are no sacred texts, no gods, no worshipping involved, no rituals, etc?

    Also you missed my question to you about the tooth fairy and santa claus.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 10:42 AM
    beatlejuice
    Comment on jillianleab's post
    Okey fine, so I am right! There is no such thing as an atheist. An agnostic, yes. You just admitted I am right. You don't KNOW there is a god. Good. That's all I was trying to prove.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 11:05 AM
    beatlejuice
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NeedKarma
    How can it be a religious belief when there are no sacred texts, no gods, no worshipping involved, no rituals, etc?

    Also you missed my question to you about the tooth fairy and santa claus.

    I was just trying to emphasize that we don't know anything beyond the things we are familiar with. There could be a creature called a tooth fairy out there in the universe and you can not prove to me that there isn't so that's the point I am trying to make. I KNOW for a fact that santa did not put the gifts on the christmas tree because I put them there. But I know God changed my life and instantly cured my adictions and changed my life and my desires. That alone was a miracle because I was just as skeptical and non believing as all the atheist on here. But when I humbled myself and stopped pretending I know everything God showed me his power and that is all the evidence I need to know he exists. I can sit here and eat this apple and tell you it tastes good and you can sit where ever you are and tell me it doesn't, but until you actually taste it for yourself you are not in a position to tell me it doesn't taste good.

    A Religious belief does not have to have worship sacret text etc.
    Religion can be defined as "A cause, principle, belief or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion" So because it is not a belief based on Scientific evidence it is a religious belief and athiests are just as zelous and devout to their beliefs.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 11:15 AM
    jillianleab
    Quote:

    beatlejuice : Okey fine, so I am right! There is no such thing as an atheist. An agnostic, yes. You just admitted I am right. You don't KNOW there is a god. Good. That's all I was trying to prove.
    Wrong. By definition, I am an atheist if I say, "There is no god". I have said, "There is no god" therefore I am an atheist. YOU have said, "I don't know if there is a god, but I THINK there is one. That makes you an agnostic. I affirm there is no god, I, personally, am certain there is no god. You, on the other hand, are not willing to affirm, only to say you believe. You have a problem with someone affirming the existence/nonexistence of god, santa, the tooth fairy, unicorns, etc. I do not. You are an agnostic, I am an atheist. You are the only one who as a problem with affirming the existence or nonexistence of god, santa, the tooth fairy, unicorns, etc.

    You have proved nothing other than you are an agnostic. Now, if you would like to say, "There is a god" then you are not an agnostic, but your little rant about how little we know, how it is your belief, etc kinda makes you look foolish then. I'll be willing to look over that however, if you would like to say you know for certain there is a god, instead of saying you BELIEVE there is a god. Do you see the difference between the two? Saying "I believe there is a god" is quite different than saying "I know there is a god".
  • Oct 31, 2007, 11:20 AM
    NeedKarma
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by beatlejuice
    A Religious belief does not have to have worship sacret text etc.
    Religion can be defined as "A cause, principle, belief or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion" So because it is not a belief based on Scientific evidence it is a religious belief and athiests are just as zelous and devout to their beliefs.

    You don't seem to grasp that for atheists there is no 'activity pursued' with any "zeal or conscientious devotion". They don't believe there is a god and get along their lives without even thinking about it. They don't congregate to talk about science. Scientific evidence is not a belief, it's evidence that you or I could see. Why are you so fixated on giving everyone a label defined by you?
  • Oct 31, 2007, 11:22 AM
    Synnen
    I think the problem here is that "belief" and "religion" are being interchanged here.

    Atheists (to my knowledge--please correct me if I'm wrong) don't have a religion--how could they, when religion is a group of beliefs shared by a group of people, with pretty good guidelines as to what actually is believed.

    They also don't believe in a god. ANY god. That doesn't mean they only believe in science! Why that keeps getting thrown in there is beyond me--as if science is a substitute for a god! They believe in themselves, and that the sun is going to rise tomorrow, and that someday there will be a cure for cancer, and that the unexplainable is just that--unexplainable! Well... unexplainable so far, anyway!

    The problem arises when people who DO believe try to understand it. To them, it's like there should be a hole in atheists, where god should be (any god, not just the Christian god). That's not true! To an atheist, they are just as whole as any believer!

    Beatle--you DO come across as trying to sell your religion, if only because you argue the beliefs (or lack of them) of the atheists in this thread. Could you REALLY explain your god to someone who had NEVER heard of Him before, and NOT have them scoff at you? Heck, I grew up with Christianity, and I scoff at it!

    This may just be the "tone" of your words as read by others, and not what you mean, but you come across as preachy simply because you seem to question the beliefs of those to whom the original questions were asked.

    Really--if questioned why you believe in something so fantastical as a virgin giving birth to a kid who grew up, walked on water, changed water into wine, and died like a criminal--and that kid is a GOD? --would you be able to come up with anything other than faith that founds your beliefs in something so fantastical?

    (before I get it from the Christians--remember that every religion has its fantastic side--that's part of what makes it awe-inspiring).

    Well, atheists have faith that there is no god. You believe in Christ, I believe in the Lady, and they believe that we all have the ability to change the world.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 11:28 AM
    firmbeliever
    Beatle,
    I think you could start a new thread and ask the questions you wish to ask to atheist/agnostics or other faiths.

    This thread has been alive for a while and I would like to keep it that way.

    Hopefully it will last a bit longer too.

    Thank you.:)
  • Oct 31, 2007, 11:50 AM
    beatlejuice
    Comment on Synnen's post
    I am too lazy to read all this. But what I get from skimming through I don't agree
  • Oct 31, 2007, 12:16 PM
    ordinaryguy
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by firmbeliever
    Beatle,
    I think you could start a new thread and ask the questions you wish to ask to atheist/agnostics or other faiths.

    I agree. All this foolishness about atheism being a religion is getting repetitive and tiresome. Please, BJ, take it elsewhere.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 12:44 PM
    retsoksirhc
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Synnen
    Really--if questioned why you believe in something so fantastical as a virgin giving birth to a kid who grew up, walked on water, changed water into wine, and died like a criminal--and that kid is a GOD? --would you be able to come up with anything other than faith that founds your beliefs in something so fantastical?

    Very nice way of putting it. I might also like to add that a common response to this type of questioning is that 'The bible says so,' to which most Christians would expect atheists to be concrete evidence. If someone doesn't believe in the bible, it can hardly be offered as proof to them that something paranormal or supernatural has happened. I've read a good part of the bible, but I don't believe that what it says is true. I've also read Needful Things, by Stephen King, the Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle, and seen a few Harry Potter movies, and I don't believe that they're true either.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 01:05 PM
    beatlejuice
    Like I said for someone who has probably not ever left the North American continent let alone the world to tell me "there is no god" sound absurd and ridiculous. I am not denying that you are an atheist by a dictionary definition, I am just saying to for you to make that statement, it is a belief that has no evidence to back it up because technically speaking, an atheist does not know for a fact that there is no god because he/she can not prove it. No one on this earth can say for a fact there is no god because you don't know that. So you can say till you are blue in the face that there is no god, which is fine, but that is what you choose to have faith in despite the fact that you can not prove it. That just means you refuse to acknowlege possible existence of anything that is beyond your scope of knowledge. And that is why I said athiests are closed minded, I wasn't trying to be rude but it is quite apparent and that is fine there is nothing wrong with it. That is what you have chosen to believe, But there is nothing scientific or logical about being an atheist. It is a BELIEF, a religious belief because it is not based on evidence or science. Atheist are zelous and "consciously devoted" to their beliefs(as you have all shown), congragating is not a qualification for it to be a religion. So the bottom line is, unless you all can give me hard evidence that there is no god, I will say you are Agnostic or part of the athiestic Religious movement which is based on the refusal to acknowlege the possible existence of anything beyong their individual scope of knowledge. So I am not going to split anymore hairs with you all, it is what it is. Peace, I'm out!
  • Oct 31, 2007, 01:11 PM
    NeedKarma
    Yea, I'm just going to put you on my Ignore list now.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 01:13 PM
    Synnen
    Omg... for YOU to throw "close-minded" out there is... well, the irony kills me.

    To me, it is Christians like you that are close-minded. Your little brain just can't wrap around the idea that there is a difference in believing in something and having it be a religion, can it?

    Let's make it nice and easy.

    Christianity is a BELIEF.
    Lutheranism is a RELIGION.

    Believing in something doesn't make it a religion. I believe in gravity, Mars, government conspiracies, the Lady, the Lord, the Ancients, Karma and reincarnation. NONE of those is my religion, though parts of my religion are in those beliefs. Just because you believe something that has no evidence or scientific background doesn't make it a religion.

    You can't prove there IS a god, either, Beatle. Proof or lack of it has really nothing to do with this conversation. Belief, however, does.

    Open your mind--you might realize that people everywhere believe different things, and that
  • Oct 31, 2007, 02:16 PM
    jillianleab
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by beatlejuice
    Like i said for someone who has probably not ever left the North American continent let alone the world to tell me "there is no god" sound absurd and ridiculous. I am not denying that you are an athiest by a dictionary defintion, i am just saying to for you to make that statement, it is a belief that has no evidence to back it up because technically speaking, an athiest does not know for a fact that there is no god because he/she can not prove it. No one on this earth can say for a fact there is no god because you dont know that. So you can say till you are blue in the face that there is no god, which is fine, but that is what you choose to have faith in despite the fact that you can not prove it. That just means you refuse to acknowlege possible existance of anything that is beyond your scope of knowlege. And that is why i said athiests are closed minded, i wasnt trying to be rude but it is quite apparent and that is fine there is nothing wrong with it. That is what you have chosen to believe, But there is nothing scientific or logical about being an athiest. It is a BELIEF, a religious belief because it is not based on evidence or science. Athiest are zelous and "consciously devoted" to their beliefs(as you have all shown), congragating is not a qualification for it to be a religion. So the bottom line is, unless you all can give me hard evidence that there is no god, i will say you are Agnostic or part of the athiestic Religious movement which is based on the refusal to acknowlege the possible existance of anything beyong their individual scope of knowlege. So i am not going to split anymore hairs with you all, it is what it is. Peace, im out!

    For the last time:

    "If my interlocutor desires to convince me that Jupiter has inhabitants, and that his description of them is accurate, it is for him to bring forward evidence in support of his contention. The burden of proof evidently lies on him; it is not for me to prove that no such beings exist before my non-belief is justified, but for him to prove that they do exist before my belief can be fairly claimed. Similarly, it is for the affirmer of God’s existence to bring evidence in support of his affirmation; the burden of proof lies on him."

    — Annie Besant, Why I Do Not Believe in God (London, 1887)

    The onus of proof is on you, not me.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 02:25 PM
    mountain_man
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jillianleab
    For the last time:

    "If my interlocutor desires to convince me that Jupiter has inhabitants, and that his description of them is accurate, it is for him to bring forward evidence in support of his contention. The burden of proof evidently lies on him; it is not for me to prove that no such beings exist before my non-belief is justified, but for him to prove that they do exist before my belief can be fairly claimed. Similarly, it is for the affirmer of God’s existence to bring evidence in support of his affirmation; the burden of proof lies on him."

    — Annie Besant, Why I Do Not Believe in God (London, 1887)

    The onus of proof is on you, not me.


    I present to you that EVERYDAY there is eveidence that GOD exists and it comes in the form of medical miracles, birth of a baby, the sun and moon, the intricacies of a cell, etc
    I could go on and on.

    The question isn't if there is evidence of God but are you looking for it and/or are you blind to the reality of these supernatural occurrences?
  • Oct 31, 2007, 02:25 PM
    retsoksirhc
    For anyone who argues that people who don't believe god exists without any proof MUST be atheist or agnostic, I have another word for you:

    Skeptic.

    You know, the people who don't believe things until they are shown to be true? It's called skepticism, and it's not a religion. It's a noun.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 02:34 PM
    Synnen
    Why must miracles of nature be proof of a god?

    In the 18th century, the Bible was used as "proof" that the black man was inferior.

    Weather phenomena such as hurricanes, droughts, floods, and storms have been used as "proof" that god is punishing someone.

    An eclipse was once considered "proof" that god was unhappy or happy or whatever the followers wanted at that point.

    I admit that there are many things I can't explain, and I'm willing to be open-minded about it--which means that it could be a natural phenomena (such as biology, for birth) or it could be more. I believe, personally, that the Lady touches all of us every day, even if you don't believe in her, especially in the form of Karma.

    Those things you listed are YOUR proof... not absolute proof. For all you know, MY Goddess is in charge of all those things you listed, not your God. And as far as atheists are concerned... what nature does, what happens naturally in the world, even if we can't explain it, doesn't mean that there's a god causing it.
  • Oct 31, 2007, 02:41 PM
    mountain_man
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Synnen
    Why must miracles of nature be proof of a god?

    in the 18th century, the Bible was used as "proof" that the black man was inferior.

    Weather phenomena such as hurricanes, droughts, floods, and storms have been used as "proof" that god is punishing someone.

    An eclipse was once considered "proof" that god was unhappy or happy or whatever the followers wanted at that point.

    I admit that there are many things I can't explain, and I'm willing to be open-minded about it--which means that it could be a natural phenomena (such as biology, for birth) or it could be more. I believe, personally, that the Lady touches all of us every day, even if you don't believe in her, especially in the form of Karma.

    Those things you listed are YOUR proof...not absolute proof. For all you know, MY Goddess is in charge of all those things you listed, not your God. And as far as atheists are concerned....what nature does, what happens naturally in the world, even if we can't explain it, doesn't mean that there's a god causing it.

    Of course that is MY proof and you have the right and freedom to believe whatever you want to... remember we all have free will!

    I know that the concept of God not being angry and out to get us is hard for many to believe but in MY opinion it is true... God is good, just, fair, loving...
  • Oct 31, 2007, 02:42 PM
    albear
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by retsoksirhc
    For anyone who argues that people who don't believe god exists without any proof MUST be atheist or agnostic, I have another word for you:

    Skeptic.

    You know, the people who don't believe things until they are shown to be true? It's called skepticism, and it's not a religion. It's a noun.

    And...
  • Oct 31, 2007, 02:46 PM
    jillianleab
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mountain_man
    I present to you that EVERYDAY there is eveidence that GOD exists and it comes in the form of medical miracles, birth of a baby, the sun and moon, the intricacies of a cell, etc
    I could go on and on.

    The question isn't if there is evidence of God but are you looking for it and/or are you blind to the reality of these supernatural occurances?

    As Synnen pointed out, those things are "proof" to you, not to me. The things you say are "proof" can be explained in other ways, though, for the sake of this thread, I'm not interested in debating that. Think of it this way: I can say there is proof of evolution. The evidence presented to me causes me to believe in evolution. You (the collective you), deny evolution. I can say a million times, "but look at the proof!" and you don't care, it's not proof to you. Same thing.

    Look, mountain_man, all other theists reading this thread - you have "found" god. You have your beliefs, and that's great, good for you. Really, I mean that, good for you. If the belief in god and the "proof" in his existence is shown to you, and that makes you happy, then that's wonderful. But why must you be so insistent everyone else see it the same way as you? The birth of a child is not a godly miracle to me, neither is the sunrise. They are things than happen in the natural world which can be otherwise explained. The only thing, and I mean ONLY thing that will turn me into a believer is if god himself/herself appears before me, says "Hey! I EXIST dangit!" and then is gone. Until that happens, I'm not going to believe, no matter how many babies are born.

    And sorry, but the question IS if there is evidence for god - you believe in god because you have what you consider evidence, not "just because". I have seen no evidence, therefore, I don't believe.

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