Questions for Atheists

[Eudaimonist]

I have a question for atheists

Am i intelligant ?

When you ask a question like that, you really should spell "intelligent" correctly.

But, sure, you're a human being, and so you are an intelligent being.

 

[Peris]

1)What are some primary reasons for your lack of belief?

The fact that i cannot find a single reason to believe. I cannot feel, hear, see,.. any sort of supernatural deity so i have no reason to believe in it. Religious texts are extremely unconvincing to me.

2)Does the academic nature of science & evolution play a role?

Partly, with a deist interpretation of god it does not play a role. With more literal views on religious texts it does.

3)What are some other factors that lead to your conclusions?

the way the human brain works. people need an explanation for everything, eventhough this explanation is obviously forged. The existence of many religions and the many more that have gone extinct only support this idea

4)And what is your favorite god in the system of gods/mythology to use as an example?

flying spagetti monster, io

 

[nitesco]

I think I am one of the few peoples on this forum who thinks science does play a role.

 

[Dr.GH]

I think I am one of the few peoples on this forum who thinks science does play a role.

What role in what frame?

 

[HairlessSimian]

1)What are some primary reasons for your lack of belief?

• I can't stomach the OT god: destructive, jealous, vengeful, tyranical, sadistic - not much love there at all. Very anti-christian.
  
  
  
  
• NT: Heaven through Jesus alone: shortchanges most of Creation.
• Hell & Satan: godly creations to threaten & intimidate.
• Original Sin: I never got the logic in that & I don't like it.
  
  
  
  
• Miracles happened only in biblical times.
• The fact that God picked a "chosen people".
• The fact that religion doesn't seem to prevent evil in church-going people.
• The evil perpetrated in the name of the christian god: witch-burnings, Crusades (and, more recently Jihad for Allah), Inquisition, the oppression of "heathens" like Amerindians.
• The sudden appearance of the Holy Ghost.
• No good reason to look to other religions if there's supposed to be only one god.
• In Catholicism: transmutation ("this is the body and blood of Christ"); virgin birth; hierarchies among the mortal (the proliferation of "saints"); hierarchies among angels (Archangels vs. ordinary ones) - what's an angel anyway?; prayers to "buy" days off purgatory; stands on contraception, ordination of women & celibacy for priests; the fact that women had to wear hats in church but men had to take hats off in church; the fact that some bishops and popes became bishops and popes because of their blue blood, yet married or had lovers and carried out wars while the common folk were preached to behave differently
• I never got the ark and covenant thing. I was too suspicious to care at that point.
  
  
  
  
• Noah's Ark housing two of every creature (right!).
  
  
  
  

Need I go on? All this stuff was apparent when I was 11 y.o. despite being immersed head to toe in Catholicism (going to a catholic boarding school run by priests, serving Mass twice a week, very religious grandparents, etc.)

2)Does the academic nature of science & evolution play a role?

This question is badly phrased. I didn't know science & evolution had "academic natures". If you mean simply "Does science & evolution play a role?", I'd answer "not when I was eleven and knew nothing about science & evolution ". Since then, these have only strengthened my disbelief.

3)What are some other factors that lead to your conclusions?

• The stupidity and dogmatism of people like Usher and neo-Usherites.
  
  
  
  
• Jim Bakker and bible-thumpers in general.
• Mormons - the fact that a bona fide religion can pop up outta nowhere - and some of the other crazy sects like Jehovah's Witnesses.
• The fact that Christians can't agree on what the bible says or means.
• The absolute stupidity of Islam and Judaism and the notions that centuries-old laws still apply.
• The troubles in Israel (the very creation of the state jewish state of Israel!) based on millennia-old claims to land!
• My learning that some Gospels and apocryphal texts were not included in the NT because old men with beards decided so.
• My learning that the divinity of Jesus and the virginity of Mary was voted on centuries after the supposed facts.
• The almost complete lack of information on Jesus between birth and his "ministry".
• The fact that Jesus was almost never direct.

Need I continue?

4)And what is your favorite god in the system of gods/mythology to use as an example?

Eris, because she was good-looking and had Michelle Pfeiffer's voice in Disney's Sinbad. She (as with other Greek gods) at least was authentic in being openly human in her foibles.

 

[tocis]

I want to interview the atheist/infidel crowd and discover the fundamental basics in your belief or lack of belief(s).

I will assume that "infidel" includes heathens like the Asatruar I am...

1)What are some primary reasons for your lack of belief?

Interpreting this as lack of belief in christianity, the answer is that I never had the impression that christianity is more than just a book and many people who believe this book tells the truth.
With Asatru, it's another thing altogether. It's a bit poetic, but not too far from the truth, when I say "I feel the presence of the High Gods".

2)Does the academic nature of science & evolution play a role?

No. Frankly, no. Evolution is a fact I never questioned as a christian, and I still don't question it now as an Asatruar.

3)What are some other factors that lead to your conclusions?

For my deconversion as such I have already said all that is to be said above.
After my deconversion, when I kind of stumbled over what I perceive as the "dark side" of christianity (fundamentalism/literalism/creationism), my decision got reinforced very much... but the deconversion as such was as simple as "christianity feels like dead doctrine to me, Asatru doesn't".

4)And what is your favorite god in the system of gods/mythology to use as an example?

Umm... example for what exactly?