Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Well anyone who considers you such whether they are christian or not is in darkness.
To answer you question why should you believe ?
Because a life without God in your life is no life at all , in fact it's death.
Without God in your life we are alienated from what life really is .
What is this life we are alienated from ?
3And this is eternal life: [it means] to know (to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand) You, the only true and real God, and [likewise] to know Him, Jesus [as the] Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), Whom You have sent.
This does not make the believer exempt from the issues of this life , but we have Gods peace in them knowing that any weapon that is formed against us cannot stand.
ps He's not going to fry you eternally if you do not believe.
Why do you believe that a belief in god is necessary to live a good life? All of the atheists/agnostics I know live happy and fulfilled lives. It seems to be a common misconception among a lot of believers that without a belief in god someone is destined to live a life of gloom and despair. What they fail to recognize is that god isn't necessary to live a good life. The belief in god may be necessary for a believer to live a good life, that doesn't necessarily mean that a belief in god is necessary for everyone to live such a life. For example, many children hold a cherished belief in Santa Claus, although they are still able to live life after they stop believing in Santa Claus. The difference between atheists and religious folk is that religious folk tend to place an emphasis on living to get to an afterlife whereas atheists/agnostics tend to put an emphasis on living the here and now life. While there isn't anything wrong with living a religious life, that doesn't mean that someone is devoid of life, or is unable to live a life because they don't follow the religious life.
no sense in it at all until someone shoves a 38 down your throat. then all that prayer nonsense just kicks in, amazing.
As a firefighter I have been is some tough situations, where the reality that I could be seriously injured, burned or killed was high on my list of possible outcomes., knowing I was in a bad place and things were bad.
I could have prayed, screamed for some imaginary friend to save me, but instead I chose to rely on the only person that could help me, me. I kept my head, relied on my training and got myself and fellow firefighters to safety. Imaginary friends didn't have a damn thing to do with it, training, training, training and keeping my wits is saw me through, and only slightly singed in one instance.
Why do you believe that a belief in god is necessary to live a good life? All of the atheists/agnostics I know live happy and fulfilled lives. It seems to be a common misconception among a lot of believers that without a belief in god someone is destined to live a life of gloom and despair. What they fail to recognize is that god isn't necessary to live a good life. The belief in god may be necessary for a believer to live a good life, that doesn't necessarily mean that a belief in god is necessary for everyone to live such a life. For example, many children hold a cherished belief in Santa Claus, although they are still able to live life after they stop believing in Santa Claus. The difference between atheists and religious folk is that religious folk tend to place an emphasis on living to get to an afterlife whereas atheists/agnostics tend to put an emphasis on living the here and now life. While there isn't anything wrong with living a religious life, that doesn't mean that someone is devoid of life, or is unable to live a life because they don't follow the religious life.
Well you have finally met a believer who is not living to get an after life . 47I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, he who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, relies on, and has faith in Me] has (now possesses) eternal life.
I already have it , i do not have to earn my way into the afterlife as you call it.
I also believe in living in the here and now . The only difference with the here and now life as you would agree is that's all it is .
Jesus offered me eternal life and i accepted , pie in the sky stuff ?????????? to you yes, to me reality
But have you bothered to go looking at the evidence, or, have you made up your Mind before coming to the table that Atheism is where you want to be ?
WHAT evidence? The bible, a book written by man, then rewritten and rewritten, and translated and translated again and again? Regardless of what the 'original' said, does today's edition bear any resemblance?
Or the beliefs of the many cults that meet on Sundays and yet another man stands before the flock and rants and raves about HIS interpretation of this magic book that is in fact just interpretations of many men before him? How different are the 'messages' that could be heard at any cult meetings on Sunday morning.
But sadly the over all theme is fear, fear of the devil, fear of god himself (for not kowtowing) and intolerance of those that don't kowtow.
WHAT evidence? The bible, a book written by man, then rewritten and rewritten, and translated and translated again and again? Regardless of what the 'original' said, does today's edition bear any resemblance?
Or the beliefs of the many cults that meet on Sundays and yet another man stands before the flock and rants and raves about HIS interpretation of this magic book that is in fact just interpretations of many men before him? How different are the 'messages' that could be heard at any cult meetings on Sunday morning.
But sadly the over all theme is fear, fear of the devil, fear of god himself (for not kowtowing) and intolerance of those that don't kowtow.
I understand why you think this way.
And though you may think the last paragraph is how all believers think you could not be further from the truth.
I have no fear of the devil , fear of burning in the myth called eternal torment and whatever those who do not believe get up to is none of my business in the sense who am i to judge.
Im sorry to have to invalidate your claim, but, you are not an atheist ... but I am quite sure you do live in deep NC ; You may be interested to know that it is impossible to be an atheist for a variety of reasons :
1. In order to know there is no God, you would have to fly all over this Universe and look behind every planet, star, meteor to make sure God is not there . Have you done this lately ?
2. In order to know there is no God, you would have to have complete knowledge of everything ; that would make yourself God.
3. No one has the sort of FAITH required to be an atheist . If you dont want to believe in a personal theistic Creator for all we have, then you are left with Natural causes as an explanation....which is akin to a far lesser degree of you thinking it would be possible for the faces of Mt. Rushmore to be made 'naturally' from the raw materials of soil erosion, rain, sun, time, and chance . Is your FAITH that great ?! If not, then, you dont have what it takes to be a bonified atheist.
4. If the worlds foremost atheist Biologist and co founder of the DNA structure, Dr. Francis Crick, in his own book affirms Sir Fred Hoyles calculation that first life on earth arose spontaneously without intelligent intervention at an astounding 10x40,000 th power probability , then you should have no doubt that it is utterly impossible .... thereby rendering your assertion of being a real atheist totally null and void . This means youre in fact, a Believer ! (its not such a bad thing now is it ?!)
5. Have you as 'an atheist' devised a cogent explanation where the scientifically confirmed 250 razor precise Physics Constants (anthropics) of our Cosmos came from , which are ALL required simultaneously , so Earth can be here so we can live on this planet ? Since a tenet of atheism/humanism is Naturalism, could you explain how Naturalism brought these into existence all at one time then continues to allow them to operate flawlessly for thier own sustanence as well as Ours ? Since you are sure there is no intelligence behind the Universe and its construction (atheism) , Im sure you must have some reasonable and plausible explanation as to why this does NOT represent willful Design for a specific goal (?) .
I could go on with a few more examples, but, Id like to hear how you enjoy living in NC and if your property taxes are reasonable.
Best regards.
You do realize that you are posting this stuff on the atheist/agnostic forum. I also am an atheist and your logic ain't hittin on much! Kinda what I have learned to expect from a christer. I suspect a lot of atheists are more ethical than you, we don't post in the christer forum much, I don't believe I have ever posted there, might have though, I'm human and have been known to make small mistakes. Belief in geezus or gawd has not been one of my mistakes. I gave up mythology a long time ago.
You do realize that you are posting this stuff on the atheist/agnostic forum. I also am an atheist and your logic ain't hittin on much! Kinda what I have learned to expect from a christer. I suspect a lot of atheists are more ethical than you, we don't post in the christer forum much, I don't believe I have ever posted there, might have though, I'm human and have been known to make small mistakes. Belief in geezus or gawd has not been one of my mistakes. I gave up mythology a long time ago.
You guys don't much like being challenged on your philosophy much, do you?
You guys don't much like being challenged on your philosophy much, do you?
I like it, but it just seems kind of ignorant.
Here is a response to RVlovers last post, if it makes you happy:
Theism and Atheism are about what you believe, not what you know. If you believe in a God, you are a theist. If you don't believe a God exist, you are an Atheist.
There's nor requirement that a person "Know" anything.
Really, how do you argue with a person who thinks its impossible to be an Atheist?!? Does he not know that some people don't believe a God exist?
I normally wouldn't responde to such a foolish post, but I didnt want you to think we didn't like being challanged.
I can't rep you just yet Agnostic, however, I believe the same way you do. Although I'm a Divine Love Christian, we have been told many times that it isn't necessary in this earth life to believe in God. Living life to the fullest is all that is necessary. God wants to experience and He does that through us. You don't have to believe in God to do that. And no one goes to hell (correcting place;darkness) for their disbelief.
But have you bothered to go looking at the evidence, or, have you made up your Mind before coming to the table that Atheism is where you want to be ?
Well, it's kinda by default, the church of the orgasmic parsnip makes more sence to me than does christerism, I didn't start out being an atheist, it is a simple case of the more I looked into christerism and various other theological expressions, the more sense atheism made to me. It is a personal choice thing and walking away from churches was amazingly liberating. I don't recommend this path to anyone, mostly because it is none of my business what anyone else believes, if asked, I explain, briefly. I dislike coercion, ergo I do not coerce.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
