Jump to content
Goodbye Jesus

Knott's question thread:


nivek

Recommended Posts

From Testimonies @LogicalFallacy request. LF It is not quite probable moving individual posts from one subforum to another. what has been done is a c'n'p to here where you may engage Knott away from Testimonies.

 

Quote


 

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

I have a question, I'm curious about how atheists come to believe in no god. I'm not real versed on atheism. Is it science, study, Christians being so damn goofy, all the above, ect.

 

  On 5/25/2018 at 4:46 AM, Knott said:

I have a question, I'm curious about how atheists come to believe in no god. I'm not real versed on atheism. Is it science, study, Christians being so damn goofy, all the above, ect.

 

Knott, this is a question best put in the Lions Den. This section is reserved for de converting people to seek help not face questions.

 

But to get a start with your question read this thread: 

 

Also your profile should have that "believe in God badge".

 

Whose in charge of Introductions?

 

@buffettphan @SkipNChurch Pretty please can one of you shift the post above of Knotts and mine to the Lion's den in a new thread. Thanks.

 

(Unlike God, when you call on the Mods something actually happens ;) )

 
  •  
  •  

 

"Knowledge is preferable to ignorance. Better by far to embrace the hard truth, than a reassuring fable." - Carl Sagan

"It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence." - W K Clifford

"Some very intelligent and educated people fall for this crap because believing it is not an intellectual decision, but rather an emotional hook." - florduh

 

.....apologies for crappy formatting. Engage at will!

 

  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderator

@Knott So your question above is specifically:

 

Quote

"I have a question, I'm curious about how atheists come to believe in no god. I'm not real versed on atheism. Is it science, study, Christians being so damn goofy, all the above, ect."

 

My answers can only pertain to me, there are many and varied reasons atheists (Or ex-Christians as the discussion is properly framed) leave Christianity, and come to believe in no God.

 

The first thing I like to do is define what I mean when I say I am atheist. I am an agnostic atheist. Gnosticism is to do with knowledge and theism is to do with belief (Specifically in a God). When you put an "A" in front of either of those words it is the negation of that word. So Agnosticism is to do with not knowing, or a lack of knowledge, and Atheism is to do with not believing, or a lack of belief. There are strong atheists - those who take the position they believe there is no God, and weak atheist who take the position that they lack belief in any Gods. This is a rather important distinction.

 

So I'm an agnostic atheist. I do not know if there are any Gods but I don't have any belief there is. I m fairly strong on there not being the Christian God, but weak on there not being any Gods at all.

 

So how did I get to this rather convoluted position? Well it's probably a combination of all of what you said above, except instead of "Christians being goofy" I'd say my personal experience has lead me to conclude Christians have just as much knowledge about an actual God as anyone - that is they don't... but they proclaim great knowledge... but cannot back up the claim. That has been my personal experience.

 

Science certainly blows apart any literal translation of much of the bible, and archaeology reveals that not all that is claimed in the bible is true. What archaeology and related ancient history research also does is to take the bible out of its isolated context and put it into the world in which it was written. When you do this you find that the bible is not this great inspired work, but rather very similar to other Near East cultures of the time, and in fact shamelessly rips of several stories. (Noah's ark for example) Then of course the bible scholarship which shows up the many problems with this 'inspired' book. Once you take off the rose tinted glasses you can see its a human book written but humans - and it shows that.

 

Other reasons include logical problems (Why does an all powerful God need to sacrifice himself to himself to save the mortals he planned to need saving in the first place?), moral problems etc (God specifically condones the slaughter of captives, and the keeping of teen girls to be raped.Read Numbers 31:1-18). The condemning of people for actions they had no control over (Example bastards are not allowed in the congregation of the lord until the 4th or 10th generation depending on what verse you read) . I classify these as internal problems with the bible and theology.

 

So that's a brief 'reasons why' I'm an atheist.

 

Cheers

LF

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

     Long story short: I'm atheist because I decided to examine why I was a xian.

 

          mwc

 

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderator
3 minutes ago, mwc said:

     Long story short: I'm atheist because I decided to examine why I was a xian.

 

          mwc

 

 

Well someone had to be briefer than I was didn't they? :P 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, LogicalFallacy said:

 

Well someone had to be briefer than I was didn't they? :P 

     🙃  I've just had more practice is all.  It's not like everyone who drives-by doesn't ask this same question.

 

          mwc

 

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Currently Knott is only lurking.  Some of us ask intimidating questions.

 

 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderator
7 hours ago, mymistake said:

Currently Knott is only lurking.  Some of us ask intimidating questions.

 

 

 

Yeah I know how he feels. Takes a lot to really get in and question your beliefs and have them challenged.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be an atheist is simply to not have a belief in a God. There are many reasons why one might be an atheist. These reasons do indeed include science, study, Christians being so damn goofy, all of the above, etc.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I have a question, I'm curious about how atheists come to believe in no god."

 

Many Christians think that atheism is a belief system and what I see in the question is a presumption that being an atheist is a belief, or somehow requires belief. That's different from not believing. The lack of evidence to support the existence of gods doesn't require belief. Rather, it's an analysis of fact.

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Super Moderator

There is a difference between "innocent" and "not guilty".  Innocent means the defendant did not commit the crime; not guilty means the evidence doesn't support the defendant's guilt.  The defendant could be guilty as hell; but if the prosecution does not provide sufficient evidence, then the default position is "not guilty."

 

The evidence currently at my disposal does not support the claim that a god or god's exist.  Therefore I have no choice but to accept the default position.  god might exist; but the case has not been sufficiently proven.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

^ ^ ^ 

 

That's a great way to put it, Redneck. I'll remember that.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

One can't "believe" there is no god any more than one can "believe" there is no giant purple-/green-/orange-striped elephant on the front lawn of the municipal building in Oneonta, NY.

All I have to do is look. The elephant simply is not there - never mind that the other criteria have never been fulfilled ANYWHERE in nature, let alone in Oneonta, i.e. there is no such thing as the above-described creature ever recorded as having existed - not even close.

See where I'm going with this? Your religion says very specific things about your god's attributes and doings. I have already determined, as have millions of other people, that your god does not respond in any way different than any other literary/fictional/mythical figure does when tested by the same standards.

Beyond that, there are things that have never been demonstrated to have been done AT ALL, by ANY deity, so the chances that the ONE deity which does these things is "your" chosen deity are nil.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Super Moderator

Atheism is not a religion or a belief.  It is a conclusion based on (lack of) evidence.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.