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Location: The world, where will fate take me this time?
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I decided to start this thread because I've seen other similar threads asking people why do they believe in a God, so I decided to ask atheists or agnostics about their reasons for not believing or doubting.
This post is not intended to convert anyone, or to offend anyone either, it's just a way to understand better your reasons.
Love and Light
Last edited by Travelling fella; 11-13-2007 at 09:00 PM..
For the same reason that you are an atheist or agnostic in regards to all other Gods. I don't mean that to be offensive, but it is true. The argument to claim that only one God exists, and that all other Gods are non-existent is really no different. We, as atheists, take it one God further.
Also, I don't think this was the original intent of the post, but isn't this question sort of like asking why someone does not belong to a religion? I can believe there is a God if I am agnostic. However classifying my God as a "specific" type of God is what religion does. As I brought up in another post, as most people believe, the mere belief that a God exists doesn't matter in terms of eternal salvation. It is actually picking the "correct" God that matters and accepting him as a part of your life that apparently matters. One way or the other, to concede that there is a possibility of God does nothing for one's eternal salvation. At least, that's what religion will tell you.
Same with Troop. It's a little arrogant, even if you don't realize it, to assume that we should give some kind of special preference to the Abrahamic God over any Egyptian, Hindu, or Nordic Gods.
Same with Troop. It's a little arrogant, even if you don't realize it, to assume that we should give some kind of special preference to the Abrahamic God over any Egyptian, Hindu, or Nordic Gods.
So by that rationale, anyone who stakes out an opinion on a metaphysical or religious issue is being arrogant (?). For some reason that doesn't make any sense to me. Arrogance is more in the attitude a person takes towards other people, not towards other belief systems--or am I missing something?
In any case, I think this is a good thread question.
I decided to start this thread because I've seen other similar threads asking people why do they believe in a God, so I decided to ask atheists or agnostics about their reasons for not believing or doubting.
This post is not intended to convert anyone, or to offend anyone either, it's just a way to understand better your reasons.
Love and Light
I just don't think i need religion... it just makes more sense to me.
The following quote from Stephen F. Roberts sums up the situation very nicely:
"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."
There is no logical reason that I can see for believing that deities exist and that's why I've been atheist/anti theist all my life. If the proof of gods was there, I'd be first in the queue when the church doors open. Until that happens (and I don't believe it ever will) I shall remain rabidly anti-religion.
Location: The world, where will fate take me this time?
3,162 posts, read 11,437,580 times
Reputation: 1463
Thank you people, your replies are very interesting, keep them coming please
imho not all religions dismiss other Gods, some people believe that those Gods are just abstract concepts to explain characteristics of spirit, as spirit is infinite (imho) it is easier to create a concept to explain one particular quality of it.
imho is wrong to believe that only one religion, or one particular belief system is the way to God or salvation, it is also wrong (again imho) to view people who chose to believe in something else or not to believe at all as a mistake, the same with thinking that they aren't capable of being good persons,
imho that's the beauty of life everybody can make a choice and that's perfectly ok, there is no right or wrong choice, just free choice, and you can know from right and wrong because of what your consciousness dictates you.
but let's continue with the point of the thread.
your replies are very interesting, thank you and keep them coming please
No religion is consistent when it comes to doctrines, ideas, and history. Every ideology, philosophy, and cultural tradition has inconsistencies and contradictions, but other ideologies and traditions aren't alleged to be divinely created or divinely sanctioned systems for following the wishes of a god. The state of religion in the world today is more consistent with the premise that they are man-made institutions.
In most religions, gods are supposed to be the source of all morality. For most believers, their religion represents an institution for promoting perfect morality. In reality, though, religions are responsible for widespread immorality and gods have characteristics or histories which make them worse than the most vile human serial killer.
Closely associated with taking action that should be considered immoral is the fact that there is so much evil in the world today. If there are any gods, why don't they act to eliminate it? The absence of substantive action against evil would be consistent with the existence of evil or at least indifferent gods.
A common characteristic of both theism and religion is their reliance on faith: belief in the existence of god and in the truth of religious doctrines is neither founded upon nor defended by logic, reason, evidence, or science. Instead, people are supposed to have faith — a position they wouldn’t consciously adopt with just about any other issue. Faith, though, is an unreliable guide to reality or means for acquiring knowledge.
Religion also contradicts our understanding of the world around us. Why is it accepteable for a museum to provide examples of dinosuars and humans living together? Why is it accepteable to negate evolution when the same people would never even attempt to question relativity, gravity, or quantum mechanics? Why is it accepteable to teach that the earth is 6k years old? Why is it Ok to teach abstenance, or question motives of abortion with religious doctrine????
Religion is not only unfounded on nothing but "faith", but it creates a society that is accepting of ideas and opinions that would be hugely marginalized in any other area of our lives. Atheist is a label for people who reject the current ideas about gods and religions, that is not to say that no god could ever exist, just a rejection of what is currently believed.
It is for all of the above, that I am an atheist.
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