Convert me :)

Uber Genius · Oct 1, 2016

zg14 said:
Hi everyone,

I would really appreciate if you took the time to read this!

I was a Catholic; now I'm an atheist. The transition was slow, and it began when certain parts of Christianity began to shake my faith. For example, if non-believers end up in hell, as I had been taught in catechism class, how is that fair to people who have never even had the opportunity to be exposed religion? Why do people suffer so much if a Christian god actually exists? And what's the deal with the homophobia? I have been told god loves all his creations - if he does, his actions don't always show it.

Anyway, these questions troubled me so much that I went on to pursue the truth. My faith disappeared pretty quickly after I began to do some research online. At first, I was uncomfortable with the idea that there may not be a god, now, I am uncomfortable with the idea of there being one. In my eyes, the idea of nothingness after death makes life infinitely more precious. Conversely, the idea of my fate being in the hands of a god who watches me constantly and dictates how I live my life lest I spend the afterlife in eternal suffering - that is not so appealing.

You identify as Christians because you came upon Christianity or because you were raised in it. Had you been born elsewhere, you might be a Muslim or a Buddhist. What grounds do you have for asserting that Christianity is the "correct" religion?

Furthermore, I do think that belief is not a choice. My beliefs are shaped by my environment, and of course by the subconscious functions of my mind. I can't just decide to believe in god if I don't actually believe. Can you "just decide" to believe in unicorns? My beliefs would shift only if I were offered evidence or a compelling argument.
SO, can anyone offer a non-believer any compelling arguments/evidence for God or for religion?
I've heard all the compelling atheist arguments, now I think it is only fair I hear the Christian side of things too.
I look forward to reading what anyone has to say!

Your challenge is that you chose to do your research, "On the internet."

The amount of rhetoric and fallacy that passes for legitimate defeaters is absurd. There are good reasons to believe, but one needs to acquire them over time, through study. If I said prove to me that the Bohmian model of Quantum Mechanics is wrong, you might have to do some serious study about QM in general, and then look at the alternative inferences.

Now enter the new atheists. Unlike the old one, fallacy and rhetorical attacks are encouraged by the New Atheists. If you have had some college philosophy you will find their arguments laughable, else you may struggle.

The problem of hell and the problem of evil/suffering are serious challenges to theism. But don't be bowled over by a Gish-gallop by the atheist. Take one argument at a time. We have had them for a couple thousand years and are still standing.

Here is a reliable, high-quality, scholarly approach to a host of apologetic issues.

Reasonablefaith.org

-57 · Oct 1, 2016

zg14 said:
Hi everyone,

I would really appreciate if you took the time to read this!

I was a Catholic; now I'm an atheist. The transition was slow, and it began when certain parts of Christianity began to shake my faith. For example, if non-believers end up in hell, as I had been taught in catechism class, how is that fair to people who have never even had the opportunity to be exposed religion? Why do people suffer so much if a Christian god actually exists? And what's the deal with the homophobia? I have been told god loves all his creations - if he does, his actions don't always show it.

Anyway, these questions troubled me so much that I went on to pursue the truth. My faith disappeared pretty quickly after I began to do some research online. At first, I was uncomfortable with the idea that there may not be a god, now, I am uncomfortable with the idea of there being one. In my eyes, the idea of nothingness after death makes life infinitely more precious. Conversely, the idea of my fate being in the hands of a god who watches me constantly and dictates how I live my life lest I spend the afterlife in eternal suffering - that is not so appealing.

You identify as Christians because you came upon Christianity or because you were raised in it. Had you been born elsewhere, you might be a Muslim or a Buddhist. What grounds do you have for asserting that Christianity is the "correct" religion?

Furthermore, I do think that belief is not a choice. My beliefs are shaped by my environment, and of course by the subconscious functions of my mind. I can't just decide to believe in god if I don't actually believe. Can you "just decide" to believe in unicorns? My beliefs would shift only if I were offered evidence or a compelling argument.
SO, can anyone offer a non-believer any compelling arguments/evidence for God or for religion?
I've heard all the compelling atheist arguments, now I think it is only fair I hear the Christian side of things too.
I look forward to reading what anyone has to say!

You do understand that what you presented isn't christianity.....which means you never had a christian faith to shake.
To answer this question..."can anyone offer a non-believer any compelling arguments/evidence for God or for religion?"....it's actually prety easy. Considering the stuff of the universe can't self create from nothing, something had to create it. We call Him God.

Convert me :)

Uber Genius

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