An Athiest's Questions

[chloeobrien]

I am an athiest, and I was wondering

1. How do you know there is a God?
2. Why do people belive so strongly in someone/something(God) that they cannot see?
3. Why do people belive in someone/somthing (God) that has made this world so cruel?

Just some questions I've always had, and would like to see what kind of replies I get back, so then maybe I can understand those who beilve in some kind of God better.

 

[Robinsegg]

I am an athiest, and I was wondering

1. How do you know there is a God?

1. A specific god or the Christian God? Scripture is clear that He manifests Himself in nature (as in you can tell there's a design and look for a designer).

   [*]Why do people belive so strongly in someone/something(God) that they cannot see?

   Well, I believe in the wind. I believe in air. I can't really see them, but I believe they're present. Can you see the effects of God in Christians around you? Or in some Christians on these boards?

   [*]Why do people belive in someone/somthing (God) that has made this world so cruel?

   Christians believe that God made this world perfect and without hardship. It was our (humankind, Adam & Eve) disobedience to Him that brought about the cruelty of the world.

Just some questions I've always had, and would like to see what kind of replies I get back, so then maybe I can understand those who beilve in some kind of God better.

No problem Keep asking us!

Rachel

 

[Calminian]

I am an athiest, and I was wondering

1. How do you know there is a God?
2. Why do people belive so strongly in someone/something(God) that they cannot see?
3. Why do people belive in someone/somthing (God) that has made this world so cruel?

Just some questions I've always had, and would like to see what kind of replies I get back, so then maybe I can understand those who beilve in some kind of God better.

Belief in God seems to be a natural inference. Atheists are very rare and usually have to be converted to atheism. The reason probably so many believe in God, is the alternative seems absurd. The thought of everything popping into existence for no reason without a cause strains the imagination. The philosopher Aristotle formalized the cosmological argument, but I think it's a natural understand most have at least on some level. It's not so much why we believe in a God, as why would anyone not? The God explanation for our existence just makes logical sense.

Seeing really doesn't tell us much about anything anyway. I've never seen electricity nor George Washington. Seeing is one small part of knowing things.

The problem if evil is solved by freewill. God has given man freedom for a limited time. He saw freedom as more important than preventing all evil and suffering. Personally I'm glad I'm not a robot, even if I have to suffer at the hands of other free agents.

 

[JTLauder]

1. How do you know there is a God?

Because life, the world, and the universe is too complex for it to all be random. If you look under the hood of a car and how all the parts has to be in just the right place and all work together in just the right way, you know that someone had to design, manufacture, and assemble it all together. A car doesn't just run like magic with nothing under the hood or all the parts just coming together to come alive.

2. Why do people belive so strongly in someone/something(God) that they cannot see?

Like the other poster said, it's like how you cannot see the wind, yet you believe it exists. You can prove the existance of wind by the things it effects. Same with God and how he affects the how universe.

3. Why do people belive in someone/somthing (God) that has made this world so cruel?

God made the world. People and the devil made it cruel. To use the car example again, a car manufacturer can make a high performance vehicle that runs really well--excellent in all ways that a car is suppose to run. But you take in through the swamps, and mud, and crank up the engine and shred it all up. You abuse your car instead of caring for it, and then blame the manufacturer for giving you a beat up car.

 

[japhy]

Consider reading Five Proofs of God, by St. Thomas Aquinas.

 

[Rafael]

I am an athiest, and I was wondering

1. How do you know there is a God?
2. Why do people belive so strongly in someone/something(God) that they cannot see?
3. Why do people belive in someone/somthing (God) that has made this world so cruel?

Just some questions I've always had, and would like to see what kind of replies I get back, so then maybe I can understand those who beilve in some kind of God better.

1. Because we exist as conscious beings and see everyday the works of God that surround us. God speaks to all men with the most sophisticated language there is - life.
2. Everything we see with our eyes is made of molecules that reflect light - the unseen. All things are made of the unseen, so then why not know that God can be like all other things in that regard?
3. God did not make the world cruel. It the responsibility of man that made it so as is it man that makes it so today. Mankind follows after the sin nature that leads to death, inheriting it by blood from Adam when God gave man a choice between good and evil. No, it is God that is the "Father of lights" and all good things. He gives life and light while the darkness is for those that hide from the light and rebell against that truth. One of God's most powerful creations, Lucifer, also fell and led one third of heavens angels in a war against God, and it is satan that took control of the earth from mankind when Adam forfeited that control. Jesus, the manifestation of God in the flesh of man, came to undo the works of the devil and one day establish His throne of peace above all others. We see those prophecies coming alive today as we view the events in the Middle East and Israel.

 

[HannahAnna]

We have free will, if you choose to be cruel, thats a choice you make.

 

[czach8]

I am an athiest, and I was wondering

1. How do you know there is a God?
2. Why do people belive so strongly in someone/something(God) that they cannot see?
3. Why do people belive in someone/somthing (God) that has made this world so cruel?

Just some questions I've always had, and would like to see what kind of replies I get back, so then maybe I can understand those who beilve in some kind of God better.

The question we must also ask ourselve is how do we know there is no God? God is in our hearts, and I can prove to you there is God by explaining religious scripture, and most importantly I have experiences with God. If you would like to read more, then let me know?

The question we must ask ourselves is why do we believe in other things we do not see? For instance, we cannot see gravity nor can we see love, but we feel it tremendously. You must apply God in the same manner.

The question we must ask ouselves is what causes the world to be cruel? It s true we live in a cruel world, but God has allowed man to exercise his freewill. If there was no such thing as free will, then we would be nothing but robots.

I can explain more about God, but I do not wnt to infringe my beliefs on you, so if you are interested, please let me know? Peace be with you.

 

[Dena200]

I am an athiest, and I was wondering

1. How do you know there is a God?
2. Why do people belive so strongly in someone/something(God) that they cannot see?
3. Why do people belive in someone/somthing (God) that has made this world so cruel?

Just some questions I've always had, and would like to see what kind of replies I get back, so then maybe I can understand those who beilve in some kind of God better.

I know that their is a God because I'm comforted when their is no one around. I become filled with Joy for no reason at all. I have seen him do wonderful things in my life that no human could ever do.

We believe because we have faith. It gives me comfort to know that their is a higher power, their that loves me and takes care of me.

God did not make the world cruel. God gave man a freedom of choice. Man chose to make the world cruel. It hurts God so much to know that his world has become corrupt, but God loves us so much he doesn't want us to be mindless puppets.

 

[HannahAnna]

1. He is spiritual and infinite, God is not physical or material God cannot exist as part of this universe, cannot be composed of matter, and cannot even exist in time.

2. If you do not want to believe in God then you never will.

3. It is doctrine of the Church that faith does not come to us through reason alone, but by the grace of God. If a person opposes even the possibility of God's existence, then any arguments or evidence can be rationalized away.

 

[unpardoned1]

I am an athiest, and I was wondering

1. How do you know there is a God?
2. Why do people belive so strongly in someone/something(God) that they cannot see?
3. Why do people belive in someone/somthing (God) that has made this world so cruel?

Just some questions I've always had, and would like to see what kind of replies I get back, so then maybe I can understand those who beilve in some kind of God better.

If you go to creationmoments.net and look to the right, there will be an option to listen to radio archives...they are very interesting and may answer some of your questions about creation. ---I always find them very cool to listen to. Have a great day!

 

[BelindaP]

I am an athiest, and I was wondering

1. How do you know there is a God?
2. Why do people belive so strongly in someone/something(God) that they cannot see?
3. Why do people belive in someone/somthing (God) that has made this world so cruel?

Just some questions I've always had, and would like to see what kind of replies I get back, so then maybe I can understand those who beilve in some kind of God better.

Boy, you have asked some of the hardest questions there are to answer. Please allow me to do my best to address them.

1. How do I know there is a God?
Well, for one thing, I have experienced a lot of things that would be difficult to explain if there were no God. In addition, I see quite a bit of evidence that points to a Higher Power of some kind. Here are the two most compelling to me.

A. As a scientist, I have studied the theories of physics and chemistry. One of the key ones is the law of entropy which states that any system tends to go to disorder. This would fly in the face of some random event causing molecules to join together to form living cells and such. In my view, it would require some outside intervention.
B. The human race seems programmed to seek out the Divine. While one finds the sporadic athiest [no offense intended ], every culture has historically believed in some form of Diety. I see no evolutionary compulsion for a Higher Power to exist, so from where does the drive come?

2. Why do people belive so strongly in someone/something(God) that they cannot see?
The smart alec response would be to say why not? You can't believe everything you see, so you may as well believe in what you don't see.
Place your mouse on the X below and drag to the O.
X Even though you can't see Him, GOD is there! O
However, to be serious, I think it goes back to humans being programmed to believe in the Divine. We want to believe in something more powerful than ourselves, and we cannot see what is pulling the strings. Therefore, we believe in the invisible.

3. Why do people believe in someone/something (God) that has made this world so cruel?
The fact of the matter is that He/It/Whatever did not make the world cruel. Humans do a fine job of that themselves. The next question, of course, is why God made humans. Different religions address that differently. Even different Christian sects argue over that one. All I can do is to give my opinion two perspectives--logic and the Christian perspective.

First, logic based on the physical world
A. Scientifically, there is no such thing as cold, just the absence of heat.
B. Scientifically, there is no such thing as dark, just the absence of light.
C. Metaphysically, there is no such thing as evil, just the absence of God.
D. OK, this one is lame, but I like it. Just because there are lots of people out there with really bad hairdos, doesn't mean that barbers and hairdressers don't exist.

Second, Christianity (please note that I am not trying to convert you; this is just my argument)
The Bible teaches that Satan led a rebellion against God before the Earth was populated with humans, and that God cast him from heaven. Satan took with him 1/3 of the angels, which left believing that once the creation was complete, God was no longer necessary. I believe that God created Mankind to demonstrate that no creature with free will could find their way without God.
With Adam and Eve, He demonstrated that innocence would not prevent evil. Before the flood, He demonstrated that conscience was not enough. During the time of Abraham, he showed that government would not do it. With the Jews, he showed that the LAW could not help. Time after time, humans have settled into depravity and evil. With the coming of Christ, He demonstrated that only through Him could perfection be achieved, as Jesus was human and never sinned.
Now we Christians still cannot claim perfection, although we strive for it. However, our hope is that through Christ we some day may.

 

[EyezOFire]

Someone can sit in school and have things taught to them and never learn anything, just like someone can sit in a church, be taught the scriptures, know the scriptures and never be a Christian.

But to have a personal encounter with Jesus Christ is something different altogether. It's something that cannot quite be articulated because it runs so deep down in your heart. You really cannot explain it, you move from a sense of speculation to a sense of knowing
that he is real, not only real, but alive.

 

[Im_A]

I am an athiest, and I was wondering

1. How do you know there is a God?
2. Why do people belive so strongly in someone/something(God) that they cannot see?
3. Why do people belive in someone/somthing (God) that has made this world so cruel?

1. we don't know. faith is the evidence of things unseen. without faith, one will not believe in the existence of God, (faith whether it be defined by a religion one holds to, or even a "i don't know" cause that "i don't know" is not a "i don't believe God exists.") i believe scientific reasoning is pointless in this area, cause it's kind of like theory of deduction. because there is no other option, then it "must be" type of view. i believe that is cancerous for the faith. i do believe there is plenty of reasons to have speculation that leads to having faith that there is a Divine Being that exists, but as for proof, or emperical evidence, i have none. all i can say is what i repeated, faith is the evidence of things unseen, but one must have faith to believe that is true, and it's a long road to try to "prove" and i think it is pointless to try to prove that statement true...because we are talking about faith.

2. i think many reasons can be given for that. a believe of purpose, maybe something that the person can define as a reason to believe, whether it be personal, emotional, philosophical, logic and reason. i dont' think there is one base of reasoning to make a blanket statement on why people believe. it's a very personal matter.

3. one thing to think about is, if a being requires faith to believe in the existence of, how can one blame the evil and cruelity that is in the world today? how can an unseen force be blamed? what reasoning proves that it is to blame? all-powerfulness, all knowing? on that same token, the other definitions as infinite and eternal breaks any kind of accusation upon God because we are not infinite, we are not eternal and we are the ones giving theh blame, or trying to take the blame away.

the reason why i believe God even tho of the cruelty in this world is because God is too abstract to be defined as a human being. the simple adjectives we put on as the definition of God's characteristics define God as something non-human. we can't judge something that we aren't, and i am sure this means either to be blamed, or not to be blamed. the only reason why i don't throw the verdict as guilty is because i believe in the teachings of Jesus, and i also don't throw the verdict of guilty or innocent, because i am not a judge. and i do believe that Jesus was living to fulfill the will of the Father, so that will is what? i think we see the will of God in the cross. no matter what theological view we hold as whether or not all will be saved, eternal torment, annihilations, or whatever, i think all three of those opposing views show one truth that they may be able to agree on at least some level, the will of God was/is about reconciliation. and with evil, since i don't see God walking around, i figure the blame is what i do see...that is human beings (note i'm not saying some view of original sin or the such. if a human beings' action cause a negative or evil reaction, that human being is to blame for making the choice, not some invisible force, whether it be God, or Lucifer/Satan.) so the point is, if a will of a being can be defined by a human being, or many human beings to be of reconciliation, the t hings that my human capacity cannot understand is rather pointless, cause reconciliation is the most important idea expressed to Christianity...imho at least.

Just some questions I've always had, and would like to see what kind of replies I get back, so then maybe I can understand those who beilve in some kind of God better.

thank you for asking. i hope i have stayed on topic with you questions and if i haven't please direct me otherwhise so i dont' derail your thread.

 

[chloeobrien]

thanks everyone who has replied, and I still encourage anyone else to reply too. Its helped me out some and I'll check out the sites when I get some time on my hands.

 

[chloeobrien]

I was talking to a friend and well maybe I'm not athiest but I wouldn't say I'm any particular religion right now either... been questioning a lot today... I've done that a lot since my life got crapalicious.

I claimed athisim because I usually end in not beliving in god or anything... but I just dont really know... all the posts have helped though.

 

[Cole2026]

How do you know there is a God?

We don't know, if you've been noticing we have faith in a God. The reason that a God is shunned by many athiests is because we've never seen him where it clearly says in the Bible that faith is nessesary as our God will only appear to us if we seek.

Why do people belive so strongly in someone/something(God) that they cannot see?

Again, I don't think you really need to see something to believe it. God's like love to a point. It's wonderful, you can't see it and know it's there, and you can feel it's wrath.

Why do people belive in someone/somthing (God) that has made this world so cruel?

The same reason that there are athiests in the world. If God cannot and wants to abolish evil, he is incompetant. If God can and doesn't want to abolish evil, he is wicked. But how do we explain a God that can and wants to abolish evil? Eventually the evil of the human spirit will be cast aside, God's just giving those a chance to choose whether they want to be near him or not.

 

[Gentle]

God can be found within as He cannot exist otherwise; Grace helps.
I feel it, always have but some do see, I believe.
I think we as human have made the world for good or ill depending on your perspective.
God bless and peace to you

 

[revmalone]

Greetings
I used to be a wild man rocker dude, I love to party, girls and loud music, my parents were Christians and that was how I heard about God and his son.

But I was playing in bands drinking like a fish, people knew me and I felt on top of the world, doing my own thing but there was a heavyness in my heart, somthing was missing but I didn't know what.

Week went by and man I felt so heavy like the world was on a chain and I was draging it behind me, my heart seemed to speed up and jump and one day I just knew it was Jesus knocking at my heart asking if he could come in.

I said yes, from that very second I stopped everything I did.This is why I know Jesus is the truth and everything in Scripture is true, he changed me and inside screams out when it hears truth. Truth is the ear by which Christians hear the instructions of God.

I can say with 1 million percent Jesus is all he said he was.

Come to him and see for you self.
Rev Malone

 

[swee]

Hey Chloe

How do you know there is a God?

I've felt the Holy Spirit and heard Him talk to me. I only became a Christian in August, and it was the wind of the Holy Spirit blowing on and around me that literally floored me (in more ways than one ). I have woken up with the smell of flowers and humming praise songs. And the other night I began to rejoice in another (heaven's?) language. Too many things have happened to me lately for me to continue to deny my Dad.

Why do people belive so strongly in someone/something(God) that they cannot see?

For the reasons above. I have felt the love of God and seen the enemy.

Why do people belive in someone/somthing (God) that has made this world so cruel?

I truly believe God made this world perfect and with our own free will we have destroyed it.

xxx