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Yes, I was absolutely asking you. Thanks for the clarification. I can understand why, given your background, that you have not completely walked away from the idea of a "god".
Thanks!
You've made me curious ... why does my background preclude me from completely walking away from the idea of God in your opinion?
You've made me curious ... why does my background preclude me from completely walking away from the idea of God in your opinion?
It's tough to walk away from the idea of "God" altogether when you've been raised your whole life to believe one (or more) exist. No?
My wife is a former Jehova's Whitness and was raised as such. I know she still feels guilt for "leaving the church", even though she disagrees with their beliefs from a logical standpoint. Emotion is a powerful thing. Wouldn't you agree?
It's tough to walk away from the idea of "God" altogether when you've been raised your whole life to believe one (or more) exist. No?
My wife is a former Jehova's Whitness and was raised as such. I know she still feels guilt for "leaving the church", even though she disagrees with their beliefs from a logical standpoint. Emotion is a powerful thing. Wouldn't you agree?
I would agree, and I keep that very much in mind and do my best to be as objective as humanly/personally possible. I suspect that many people of a religious background who vehemently deny even the possibility of the existence of a god perhaps discount the impact of the negative emotional response they have to god which is tied to their former relgious beliefs. Some (not all) seem unable or unwilling to consider that the beliefs they once had ABOUT god could be keeping them from keeping an open mind and exploring the idea that a god exists.
Agreed, 100%, Pleroo. At this point, I haven't seen enough "evidence" to convince me of an intelligent creator, but I certainly don't claim to be certain there is NOT one.
At the end of the day, if your religion/spirituality is a help to you living your life, what's the harm? That's my $.02, at least.
I would agree, and I keep that very much in mind and do my best to be as objective as humanly/personally possible. I suspect that many people of a religious background who vehemently deny even the possibility of the existence of a god perhaps discount the impact of the negative emotional response they have to god which is tied to their former relgious beliefs. Some (not all) seem unable or unwilling to consider that the beliefs they once had ABOUT god could be keeping them from keeping an open mind and exploring the idea that a god exists.
This is a template for a weak rationalization argument from religious people who are essentially claiming that people only resort to atheism out of anger.
It's simply not true. Atheists come from all walks of life: The formerly religious, and the never-religious.
It all comes down to this: just because something has not been disproven, doesn't mean it deserves the credit of being mentioned. The idea of a creator is so insanely remote and ridiculous (yet statistically possible, I suppose), that it's simply not worth mentioning. The only reason religious people make a big deal about atheists is because religious people are religious.
Say you're standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the middle of a row of 100 people. 99 of them take a step forward. You don't move. The 99 turn to you and say "hey, why'd you take a step backward?".
You didn't. Everyone else moved. The atheists are the people who didn't take that step. Sure, some of us stepped forward with our parents, then came back to the place where we were born (no awareness/belief in God).
Atheism is a natural state. It's not some angry rebellion.
Furthermore (as an aside) how do you "explore" the idea of a creator existing? There is no evidence; no data to explore. None.
It's one or the other, and I suspect it's the former, since no evidence of a creator exists.
That's your opinion and you are obviously welcome to it. But the point of the thread as I understand it is simply to define what we personally think "god" is, not debate what someone else accepts as evidence. One obviously has to have a concept in their mind of what "god" might be in order to say that there is no evidence for that god.
So everyone here saying god is love - what about the vikings and their one eyed warrior "god?" Are you calling the god many of them died believing 100% they where on their way to see, wrong? And you (obviously), right?
My way of thinking is not as arrogant, as i understand the need for these different views of god, consider them all valid, just the point where it connects to an afterlife is where i think it ends.
The need for odin makes just as much sense, and is just as valid as your god of love today.
This is a template for a weak rationalization argument from religious people who are essentially claiming that people only resort to atheism out of anger.
It's simply not true. Atheists come from all walks of life: The formerly religious, and the never-religious.
That's why I was careful to word my post in such a way that did not generalize about atheists as a group.
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Furthermore (as an aside) how do you "explore" the idea of a creator existing? There is no evidence; no data to explore. None.
Since this is your conviction and I have no need to try to persuade you otherwise, I have no desire to explain to you how I explore the idea.
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... why does my background preclude me from completely walking away from the idea of God in your opinion?
