Something i know about. Before i begin let me say that all people are dishonest. No one is blameless. I myself considered atheists dishonest and have said so and i was wrong. I can't say how many are dishonest so for me to say all or many are dishonest wouldn't necessarily be true. Now the reason i think some are dishonest is because i have talked to quite a few of them and think they would try anything to win the argument including lying. in other areas i cant say if they are dishonest. No offense intended because I'm guilty also.
However to not believe in god when most of the world does is to think yourself smarter than most people, ever.
At one point in time most of the world thought that the entirety of existence was on the Earth. Most people were wrong. At one point in time most people thought the sun rotated around the Earth. Most people were wrong. At one point in time most people thought the Earth was the centre of the universe. Most people were wrong. My point is that just because
most people believe something, does not necessarily make it true. Popular belief is merely popular, it isn't necessarily right. If we assume we already know everything then we won't learn anything.
It's not that I believe myself to be smarter than most people. Frankly, it should be obvious that intelligence and belief are somewhat unrelated (one need not be a genius to believe, nor are geniuses necessarily unbelievers). I just assume that I must be, for some reason, more skeptical of what people tell me than most people. Everyone is skeptical of things, I just think I'm more consistent.
However, knowing what I know about the various types of intelligence, how we exercise intelligence, and the law of averages, I can humbly say, that I am almost assuredly smarter than at least 50% of the population. That is to say that I
am probably smarter than most people. I fail to see why that should be considered some sort of character flaw, why that would somehow make me dishonest, or why my being intelligent necessarily makes your position the right one. Realistically speaking, almost half of the people who post on Christianforums are necessarily smarter than most of the people who post on Christianforums.
And lastly, while most people may believe in "God," there is no agreement on what God is. There is no common definition. In fact, there is no universally approach to the limits of what "God" is. Some concepts are so far removed from each other, that it is pointless to even agree to call all of them "God." Frankly, there are more people who don't believe Jesus to be the son of God, than people who do.
It takes more "faith" to not believe in god than to believe in him.
It takes faith
not to believe something? That contradicts the very concept of faith. How would that actually work?
I too am guilty, i do not judge, I only bring a light into a dark room. Look around you friends. Doesn't creation look like it was designed?
Not really. We have an appendix that we don't actually use for anything, but commonly becomes infected and can quickly kill us. We share our food passage with our air passage which, relatively speaking, frequently leads to death by choking. Our bodies are questionably fragile, and prone to bacteria, viruses, and things like cancer (all of which were uselessly introduced to our environment), as well as heart, kidney, and liver disease, all of which can cause premature death. Our eyes are frequently misconstructed (nearsightedness/farsightedness/colour-blindness). Our sound perception is absurdly limited. And although the human brain is the most incredible piece of "machinery" we have ever seen, it could still be far more effecient than it is. And that's just the human body! If creation was designed, the creator could have done a much better job. Even in our limited experience, all of us can see ways in which, given the unlimited power and knowledge of a perfect creator, we could probably have improved upon creation. I guess ultimately I just don't see what you see.
Man made Global warming was a cruel lie.
That might very well be true. How is that pertinent? Oh, did you assume that because I'm an atheist I must also be an environmental nut?
Darwin was a sexist Neanderthal, if he was alive today i think he wouldn't believe his own theory.
Darwin was not only sexist, he was also racist. Most upper-class British people at the time were. He was not a neanderthal though, that's pretty evident. Whether he would believe his theory today is certainly not clear, but I don't see any reason why anyone would assume that he wouldn't. However, I don't really see how that's pertinent either. Oh wait, did you assume that because I'm an atheist I must also revere Charles Darwin as the pinnacle of humanity?
Something created all this. If it wasn't god who was it?
Firstly, why assume it was a "who?" Maybe it was a "what."
And how about this, what in all creation came first? Something was the beginning and yet something had to also not have a beginning. What could not have a beginning except God?
An infinite number of possibilities we cannot imagine, or comprehend? In the years before Robert Koch introduced germ theory, it was pretty difficult for people to imagine that organisms far smaller than we could see were the cause of illness and disease. Before that, people defaulted on the idea that illness was the result of divine punishment, or curses because they lacked the knowledge or imagination to consider other possibilities. Had Koch, and everyone who followed him all simply accepted that illnesses were caused by magic, we wouldn't have modern medicine.
What's important is that I am not actually required to answer any of these questions to not believe in God. I can simply say "I don't know."
It takes more faith to believe in atheism than God. Seriously God is real. He will prove it to you if you ask him to.
Firstly, one does not "believe in" atheism. It is a philosophical position, not a system of belief. It actually doesn't require any faith. You might even say it requires no faith.
Secondly, I did ask God to prove His existence to me. Several times. Obviously, He did not. Hence, I no longer have faith, and it would seem justifiably so by your proposition.
Lastly, I will point out that I'm sure most Christians will tell me that God will not prove His existence, nor even provide evidence of it, as that would undermine "faith." I'm curious as to whether you think I should believe you or them.