Should atheists believe in the God of christianity if...

[the iconoclast]

Your question has it the wrong way round.
None of the observations of facts or events that I have made suggest the existence of a God - so I do not believe there is one.

Wow hello quatona my dear. yah we get another chance to converse

How would i make my question the right way round?

Cheers my delicious friend

 

[Allandavid]

Oh good grief...

 

[the iconoclast]

Oh good grief...

Hey hey sir.

What wrong buddy, everything ok? Is your head itchy again?

 

[quatona]

Wow hello quatona my dear. yah we get another chance to converse

How would i make my question the right way round?

Try to understand that me lacking a belief is due to my lack of any experiences (observations of facts, events) that would point to the existence of the thing I lack belief in.

 

[ImAllLikeOkWaitWat]

Try to understand that me lacking a belief is due to my lack of any experiences (observations of facts, events) that would point to the existence of the thing I lack belief in.

Why do you think others here have had experiences they found compelling, but you haven't?

 

[DogmaHunter]

Why do you think others here have had experiences they found compelling, but you haven't?

I don't know.

Why do you think that alien abductees had their experiences while you didn't?
And why don't you believe them?

 

[jayem]

Why do you think others here have had experiences they found compelling, but you haven't?

Why do some people have musical talent, or artistic vision, athletic ability, a knack for foreign languages, or math skills, or manual dexterity? Why are some people outgoing and social, while others are introverted? It's a combination of how their brains are wired, and what they have learned and been exposed to in their environments. I've never had anything that I'd call a spiritual experience in my life. And, as I've said, I'm sure a big part of that is how my brain works. So if there is a creator God, that's how I was made. But if this God exists, and it's his will that I become a believer, then he will arrange events so that it happens. How could I resist? Right?

 

[ImAllLikeOkWaitWat]

Yeah I've read some peoples brains are wired for atheism. The question becomes how much of that is influenced by your behavior. Because behavior shapes the brain as well. So who knows how much of your atheism is genetic and your life experience.

 

[Allandavid]

Why do you think others here have had experiences they found compelling, but you haven't?

There are those who claim to have had “compelling experiences” with Bigfoot, Nessie, ghosts, lizard people, leprechauns, witches, demons, etc...

I missed out on those too...

 

[jayem]

Yeah I've read some peoples brains are wired for atheism. The question becomes how much of that is influenced by your behavior. Because behavior shapes the brain as well. So who knows how much of your atheism is genetic and your life experience.

Does it matter? If I can't sincerely and honestly believe in God, then I'd be lying if I said I believed. And it's not just the Bible God, it's all gods and all things supernatural.

 

[quatona]

Why do you think others here have had experiences they found compelling, but you haven't?

I can only speak for myself. As to those who had compelling experiences with one the various Gods that were the point of discussion - you would have to ask them.

 

[quatona]

Yeah I've read some peoples brains are wired for atheism. The question becomes how much of that is influenced by your behavior. Because behavior shapes the brain as well. So who knows how much of your atheism is genetic and your life experience.

The same, of course, goes for theism.
But: What is the question helping with?
What would you conclude from theism/atheism being mainly genetic?
What would you conclude from theism/atheism being mainly due to experience (or lack thereof)?

 

[the iconoclast]

There are those who claim to have had “compelling experiences” with Bigfoot, Nessie, ghosts, lizard people, leprechauns, witches, demons, etc...

I missed out on those too...

Hey sir.

Do you think you missed out on God?

Dont be shy, im not going to bite - well not in any place that will show

Cheers

 

[the iconoclast]

Try to understand that me lacking a belief is due to my lack of any experiences (observations of facts, events) that would point to the existence of the thing I lack belief in.

Hey hey


What experience would you need to have a belief in God?


Do you want to be convinced?


Why is the notion of God so unappealing to you?

@Allandavid posed a similiar style question, how does he make his statement the right way round? Is his logic flawed?

Why is it important to you that there is no God?

Lets get into it and dont be shy. You have my undivided attention.

Cheers

 

[Tayla]

Should atheists believe in the God of christianity if...

It's not possible to believe in something you don't believe in. You can pretend. I hope we don't try making people pretend to believe in Christianity again.

 

[Allandavid]

Hey sir.

Do you think you missed out on God?

Dont be shy, im not going to bite - well not in any place that will show

Cheers

All of them...

Well, to be fair, there may have been a god that man has invented, for which there has been produced some evidence. But I am unaware of it, if such a thing exists...

 

[jayem]

What experience would you need to have a belief in God?

The question wasn't addressed to me. But here's an honest answer: I have no idea what experience would induce me to believe. But God would know. If there is a God. And if God wants me as a believer.

Do you want to be convinced?

Again--to be totally honest--I'm happy the way I am. I've never felt my life lacked anything because I didn't believe in any kind of god, and didn't follow any kind of religion.

Why is the notion of God so unappealing to you?

It's not an issue of unappealing. It's one of implausibility. To me, all gods are illusory. Unreal. Products of the imagination. It's how you would react to the notion of Zeus, or Thor, or Operating Thetan Level 8 in Scientology.

Why is it important to you that there is no God?

Odd question. It's like asking why is it important that the Earth isn't flat. I'm just stating reality as I see it. I'm a naturalist. I believe everything in the universe is a function of matter/energy and the fundamental forces of nature. Meaning I reject the existence of anything supernatural. Which would be any entity claimed to be beyond or outside the realm of matter/energy, but still has the power to affect events in the natural world. I know I can't prove it. And I know it's not a belief many others share. But that's ok. Each to his own. I have no intention of converting anyone to my way of thinking, and no expectation that anyone would convert.

 

[ImAllLikeOkWaitWat]

if God wants me as a believer.

Is it possible God doesn't want you because you don't want him? I am under no impression any atheist wants to actually believe. So if atheists don't want God why should he want them?

 

[quatona]

What experience would you need to have a belief in God?

I don´t know, I can´t make predictions like that.

Do you want to be convinced?

This isn´t a thing of what I want or don´t want.

Why is the notion of God so unappealing to you?

What makes you think it is unappealing to me?

@Allandavid posed a similiar style question, how does he make his statement the right way round? Is his logic flawed?

It´s loaded with incorrect assumptions.

Lets get into it and dont be shy. You have my undivided attention.

I guess you didn´t notice, but you ignored the actual points, then changed the subject to something else, now claiming I have your undivided attention if I answer your off-topic and loaded questions.

But...feel free to tell me about those experiences that convinced you, and of which you feel they should convince everyone once they have them.

 

[Eudaimonist]

What experience would you need to have a belief in God?

I doubt that a single experience would be enough. There would have to be a pattern of experiences that are best explained in a theistic context. It's a tall order when my entire life to date parsimoniously leads to a non-theistic and naturalistic viewpoint.

Do you want to be convinced?

That's an odd question. I would have to have a strong bias in order to want to be convinced of a particular position before actually being presented with the stronger case. It's a kind of dishonesty.

Why is the notion of God so unappealing to you?

Which concept of God? There are relatively appealing and unappealing conceptions of God. But appeal isn't important to me as far as belief goes. If astronomers were to discover than a large asteroid was hurtling towards the Earth and that all life on Earth could be destroyed, the news would be very unappealing. However, if the evidence was sufficient, I would believe anyway.

Why is it important to you that there is no God?

It isn't. What's important to me is understanding the world for what it is, not what I might want it to be. Honesty and rationality are important.


eudaimonia,

Mark