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I occassionally have feelings of things one might associate with God. These emotions come and go, and I don't make it a point to remember them, so I can't explain any further. This has no effect on my rational mind, and the resulting conclusion I hold is that if there is a God, I'm not going to be punished for being the only thing I can be, which is me.
My lack of belief is not something I doubt. I wouldn't even say the non/existence of God is something I wonder about. It simply plays no part in my life. I am at peace with myself, and this is something I attribute mostly to wisdom - 100%, unequivocal human wisdom.
In my very late teens until my very early 20's, I questioned and tossed things around in my head and at times felt confused - but did not debate or question His existence. I wanted to know how to have a more solid and secure relationship with Him.
If I ever experience 'question' today it is usually by my *own* actions in what *I* am doing (or lack thereof) - like am I being too rigid and narrow-minded, or maybe I felt I was being or saying something selfish and feel I need to spiritually re-align myself and exercise more understanding, kindness and empathy - or what not. Kind of like a tune-up for a car - but for my mind and spirit in how I can better myself through serving Christ.
For people that are so sure (I would love to see answers from both atheists and religious people), how can you be so sure since there is no irrefutable proof either way?
It is faith as urbanlemur and others have stated. But I can also tell you that as a charismatic Christian, I have had many moments in worship when the presence of God was manifest in such a heavy way that I could physically feel it on my body. I have also had incidences of healing that I could only explain as coming from God. There are other things as well. I know that that some will scoff at this subjective "evidence" but you asked and these are some of the things that are very real to me beyond intellectual "proof" which I also believe exists for Christianity.
I think I was conditioned to believe. I was sent to Sunday School and Church. I was surrounded by peers and community that outwardly accepted and believed. I guess I believed by default. I was certainly afraid of burning in hell, if I didn't believe. Then in my twenties I joined some radical hand-raising, tongue-speaking churches that seemed to be on fire for the Lord. Ultimately, it was an illusion. I stopped believing for years. Then, my soon-to-be-wife wanted me to join her Church. I went through Catechism. It seemed like I had found the Lord, again (or, "He" found me). I attended Church for years, loved singing the hymns, but again it was just an exercise. I don't believe, anymore. I think I held onto a relic (or, it held on to me). It was an odd transition jumping from "I don't know" to "Atheist." Even, if I were to allow agnosticism, or Deism into the equation; I still don't believe in a living god or any of the superstitious stuff that I once accepted on "blind faith."
This is my story (this is my song). I will refrain from discussing the responses from others. Robert.
i cannot possibly restrict "faith" to "religion" as both terms appear to be used as justification for terribly unethical behavior.
i do not wish to see faith and religion being done away with altogether since a world without them would seem empty and cold, and possibly utterly dehumanizing.
i can see religious teachings as great thought-inspiring mental exercises, but never hate-inducing devices to surrender mind and "soul" to ulterior motives.
I said I wasn't going to respond to other posters, but I feel I must.
I don't see a world without faith or religion as being "utterly dehumanizing", "empty" or, "cold."
As far as I am concerned I consider the opposite to be true. Perhaps you have an idealistic concept of religious teachings as being "thought-inspiring mental exercises" but to me they are all about convincing people they have holes in them that need to be filled with their "product." It's human nature to be insecure. Religious institutions prey upon our insecurities. I don't think they all employ it in a diabolical way (no, I don't believe in a devil, either). In addition, all the so-called beauty of religion (art, churches, cathedrals, etc...) has been paid for with blood.
No, not really. I went though the whole Christian upbringing thing; I've been sure of my atheist beliefs since about 16ish. I guess before that there was a time I may have wondered "what if" this is true on an occasion, but I never was a hardcore fundy and those days of even considering it for a microsecond are loooooong gone.
The only thing I'll admit to is that it's not possible to be 100 percent certain as to what happens to us after we die. That does not mean, however, that I accept any man-made myths as the truth. Not for a second.
I'm always questioning, looking for someone with something to upset some ideas of mine. Theists have run many arguments past me and,if anything, they have tended to convince me that their arguments don't hold water.
The only honest rationale they have is Faith. Any attempt to argue from evidence much less science, is doomed. So, oddly, those who say 'It's faith, i can't prove it, but I believe it' are more intellectually honest than those who pretend that their faith is supported by history and science, which it isn't. Nowhere near.
It's a bit like the 'science has often been wrong' argument. What the situation is, is that we find out more, reconsider ideas, and move on, but we never have to junk Copernicus, Newton or Einstein and go back to Ptolemy, much less Genesis. Similarly, the more that ideas, arguments and apologetics are put to me by believers, the more I move on. But none of it does anything to really question the basic conclusion that there is no more reason to believe a divine and resurrected Jesus any more than a geocentric solar system or a flat earth.
I have never doubted my atheism. I was born atheist and lived as an atheist for 59 years. Not once in that time have I ever thought, 'what if'. I've had a thoroughly fulfilling life without the need for supernatural deities to look after me. The future?? Well, who knows! I have had friends who have been evangelical atheists who have woken up one morning believing that they were wrong and become Christians and I have had Christian friends that have had the same experience but in the opposite direction.
As the saying goes, 'Never say never'.... but as far as I can see, left to my own devices there will be no change here.
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