Why are there atheists?

[Valiant Champion]

You didn't insult people by calling them names, you insulted their intelligence by making it seem like everybody but yourself is wrong.

:hmmm:Isnt that the goal of a debate?

 

[Garrigan]

And which part of the bible supports the theory that "Atheist brain waves aint right" ?

And so you are saying people have no right to post scientific evidence in this sub-forum?

 

[Il Duce]

:hmmm:Isnt that the goal of a debate?

Your excessive use of smileys has led me to believe you are ~10 years old, so maybe arguing with you isn't such a good idea. I think we're all wasting our time with you.

 

[Chukada1]

@OP and people who responded to it...

You have to choose between Christianity and Atheism, why not just choose Christian, and not risk the eternal hell that awaits you. And by the way, those are your only two options.



@OP

God is forgiving yes? God loves all his children yes? Christianity is not the first religion yes? Do the people before Jesus get the shaft for not turning to the one true God, when Christianity had yet be concieved? Why didn't Christianity appear in the Far East, where the majority of man lives? Oh right, because Asians are pagan worshipping non-believers who shall burn for a thousands years in eternal hell.

 

[Il Duce]

God is forgiving yes? God loves all his children yes? Christianity is not the first religion yes? Do the people before Jesus get the shaft for not turning to the one true God, when Christianity had yet be concieved? Why didn't Christianity appear in the Far East, where the majority of man lives? Oh right, because Asians are pagan worshipping non-believers who shall burn for a thousands years in eternal hell.

But don't worry, God still loves all his children.

 

[gambit]

This thread is an amusing portrait of trolls and flames.

Keep up the good work guys.

 

[Chukada1]

But don't worry, God still loves all his children.

I should hope so. None of this Mother Terresa about suffering either. Suffering is only glamarious in fairy tales and hollywood war movies.

God isn't a confused 17 year old drop out.

 

[Il Duce]

This thread is an amusing portrait of trolls and flames.

Keep up the good work guys.

This is a good example of trolling.

Keep up the good work.

 

[LegionnaireX]

Everybody is born atheist. Yet people are indoctrinated at birth by their parents and peers to believe something they read in a book.

I challenge you to find proof that everyone was born atheist. How do you know that people aren't born with an innate sense of God? You don't. And neither do I. So keep your opinions out of the debate.

As for being indoctrinated, that is entirely true. Most people follow the religion that they were raised to follow. This does not, however, mean there is not mobility. There are always people converting to and from religions throughout the world. They are obviously using their freedom of choice and their brain to make such decisions.

 

[Templar Hospitaller]

@OP and people who responded to it...

You have to choose between Christianity and Atheism, why not just choose Christian, and not risk the eternal hell that awaits you. And by the way, those are your only two options.



@OP

God is forgiving yes? God loves all his children yes? Christianity is not the first religion yes? Do the people before Jesus get the shaft for not turning to the one true God, when Christianity had yet be concieved? Why didn't Christianity appear in the Far East, where the majority of man lives? Oh right, because Asians are pagan worshipping non-believers who shall burn for a thousands years in eternal hell.

Guess where most conversions to Christianity are taking place... You got it! ASIA! http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/24/holiday-naysayers/

It also states in that article how 1 third of humanity considers itself Christian. I'm 20 years old and I like using smiley faces.

 

[Il Duce]

I challenge you to find proof that everyone was born atheist. How do you know that people aren't born with an innate sense of God? You don't. And neither do I. So keep your opinions out of the debate.

You're kidding, right? God and the bible is man-made, not genetic. It's simply not possible for a baby to be born with a sense of God... they don't even have memory.

Guess where most conversions to Christianity are taking place... You got it! ASIA! http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/24/holiday-naysayers/

You still leave out those who were before Christ was even alive.

 

[gambit]

This is a good example of trolling.

Keep up the good work.

I like to please, and I like not giving effort of providing a decent contribution to any argument.

Besides, I dont think it's really necessary. Everyone here has made up their minds.

 

[Il Duce]

I like to please, and I like not giving effort of providing a decent contribution to any argument.

Besides, I dont think it's really necessary. Everyone here has made up their minds.

If that's the case, what purpose are you serving by posting useless spam?

 

[LegionnaireX]

You're kidding, right? God and the bible is man-made, not genetic. It's simply not possible for a baby to be born with a sense of God... they don't even have memory.

The idea that God is man made is your opinion, not a fact. Get that straight. Next, I'm not saying that a baby comes out of the birth canal with the ability to sight Biblical scripture. I'm saying that it could be possible for an infant to have a basic desire to believe in a "Supreme Being." I have no way of proving that, but neither do you have a way of proving that all people begin life as atheists.

 

[Il Duce]

The idea that God is man made is your opinion, not a fact. Get that straight. Next, I'm not saying that a baby comes out of the birth canal with the ability to sight Biblical scripture. I'm saying that it could be possible for an infant to have a basic desire to believe in a "Supreme Being." I have no way of proving that, but neither do you have a way of proving that all people begin life as atheists.

Well you can't prove much in life. You're drifting into major semantics land right now and your argument doesn't really hold much water consider you're not actually arguing a point

 

[LegionnaireX]

Well you can't prove much in life. You're drifting into major semantics land right now and your argument doesn't really hold much water consider you're not actually arguing a point

Your right, I'm not tring to prove a point. I'm simply illustrating that you can prove the point you made.

Anyway, I find two scenarios the more likely:

1. People are born with an innate concept of God. Evident by the concept of deity in every culture of every age across the globe.

2. People are born with what John Locke called a tabula rasa, a blank slate. People are not born with any concepts of anything at all. Every personality trait is a direct result of life experiences.

You can't prove either one. Philosophy is, after all, a bunch of opinions. Such things are fun to ponder but never get you anywhere.

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

This thread is an amusing portrait of trolls and flames.

Keep up the good work guys.

Yeah guys, about that, stop it.

I for one think Jesus, is very cool. As is J.R.R. Tolkien, Richard the Lionheart, Alexander the Great, Saladin, Albert Einstein, Blaise Pascal (thanks Tigrul), Moses, most of the players in the NFL, etc. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Are you saying that all those people loved God? Or that you like all of these people? Either way it makes absolutely no sense.

P.S. I don't think Scientology counts, because that is way too ridiculous to believe, right?

Any religion is ridiculous to believe, its just that some are more widely eccepted based on tradition. If I told you my father was god and that I would raise from the dead after being executed by lethal injection, and I would ascend into heaven where I would be eternally worshiped, admit it, you would look at me funny.

 

[gambit]

If that's the case, what purpose are you serving by posting useless spam?

Absolutely and entirely none, other than my own amusement.

 

[Valiant Champion]

You're kidding, right? God and the bible is man-made, not genetic. It's simply not possible for a baby to be born with a sense of God... they don't even have memory.

:hmmm:A baby doesnt have a memory?

 

[Il Duce]

:hmmm:A baby doesnt have a memory?

No long-term memory, I should say. That doesn't develop until a little before toddler age. And you can only pull memory from about age 6

 

[Valiant Champion]

Not so! My daughter is 7 and because I refreshed her memory from time to time she still remembers things that happened when she was 2 years old.

I myself remember a time when I thought my parents and family had left me and I was sitting on a quilt on the living room floor. I couldnt have been more than 2 years old and more than likely even younger. I remember them coming in there and picking me up off the sheet to comfort me.

Maybe it runs in the family.

 

[Il Duce]

Not so! My daughter is 7 and because I refreshed her memory from time to time she still remembers things that happened when she was 2 years old.

I myself remember a time when I thought my parents and family had left me and I was sitting on a quilt on the living room floor. I couldnt have been more than 2 years old and more than likely even younger. I remember them coming in there and picking me up off the sheet to comfort me.

Maybe it runs in the family.

No, I'm pretty sure you're lying. Unless you're a race of super god, you can't remember anything from two years old.

 

[Nutsack]

I would go as far as to say that atheists are smarter than theists.

Because we don't lie to ourselves. The cold hard truth is that we become soil after death (which there is evidence for of course).

 

[Il Duce]

I would go as far as to say that atheists are smarter than theists.

Because we don't lie to ourselves. The cold hard truth is that we become soil after death (which there is evidence for of course).

All thinking men are atheists. — Ernest Hemingway

 

[Don in the North]

I challenge you to find proof that everyone was born atheist. How do you know that people aren't born with an innate sense of God? You don't. And neither do I. So keep your opinions out of the debate.

As for being indoctrinated, that is entirely true. Most people follow the religion that they were raised to follow. This does not, however, mean there is not mobility. There are always people converting to and from religions throughout the world. They are obviously using their freedom of choice and their brain to make such decisions.

i have the proof you seek.
find a child, any child, specificly one that has learned how to speak in the last few weeks. able to construct sentances without gibberish.

ask this child, 'do you know about god/jesus/allah/geisha/buddha'

if that child says 'who is that' then obviously, that child is born without the concept of god/jesus/allah/geisha/buddha therefor is atheist/infidel/heretic/godless-unbeliever unless it has some notion of a 'higher being'. which hasnt yet happened , at all .
i guess this might work if the child was born with a memory of a past life (ie died as a christian and was reincarnated into said baby, but KEEP IN MIND THAT MEANS BUDDISM/HINDU WINS IF THAT HAPPENS LOL) and thus this in turn would cast out the 3 of the 5 top religions of the world.

note, this doesnt work if the child lives with overly religious parents because they will flood that poor kids head with gibberish from a gibberish book before it even knows how to say 'please' and 'thank you'.

you can disagree with that if you like, but based on my experience with crazy couples as the aforementioned, its a sad inevitable and undeniable fact.
because when you think about it, all it takes is for one of those parents to delve far too deeply into religion, become the 'dominant' side and in turn convince their partner to either follow suit or seperate. thats usally always how it starts.
thats not generalization, thats fact.

Anyway, I find two scenarios the more likely:

1. People are born with an innate concept of God. Evident by the concept of deity in every culture of every age across the globe.this is wrong. i had no idea what god was untill the sister who visited my primary (elementry) school told us how we are living/born in sin and should repent or face eternity in hell. i was what, 4-5 years old maybe?

2. People are born with what John Locke called a tabula rasa, a blank slate. People are not born with any concepts of anything at all. Every personality trait is a direct result of life experiences.this would actually mean that all children are born infidels/heretics according to your religion right?
does your religion not also say that children are born as gods image?
do then you agree that if your god is indeed real then he is infact a infidel/heretic?

You can't prove either one. Philosophy is, after all, a bunch of opinions. Such things are fun to ponder but never get you anywhere.

and not to poke holes against my own 'side', but i actually remember alot of stuff from when i was 2-3 (and i do mean alot. not day to day everyday but i can remember learning how to read and count, for a minor example[full memories btw not just exerpts, but i do have exerpt memories from 1.25-2yrs of age]) onwards to about 15. it gets alot fuzzy after that, i dont know why
but im 25 now and ive since discovered alot(maybe an overstatement, but a fair number) of people can remember such timeframes as i can.
but then i also have a good memory almost photographic but the image just doesnt last that long in my mind, it appears to be a genetic trait passed on, as my dad has great memory, however my sisters is just average if anything. also i think you may have to work on from a young age which i did , whether this wouldve had an exact same effect had i not worked on it, i guess ill never really know.

 

[Thanatos]

All thinking men are atheists. — Ernest Hemingway

Just because a famous guy says something doesn't mean it's true.

 

[Manco]

About the memories, you should always account for the fact that a very large part of your memories never actually happened. Memories are not like a recording device that play them back at will, it's more like your brain reconstructs everything every time you try to recall it. Quite often however these reconstructions are very flawed, or worse, they're not based on anything at all. They just didn't happen.

And some posters here should remember that claimants have the burden of proof, not the other way around.

 

[Templar Hospitaller]

atheists aren't smarter than theists because there is no way life could exist on earth without a higher being. The chances of life just beginning on earth is like unfathomable, and the chances of humans evolving from primordial soup is even unfathomabler. So if you think about it, atheists are really the ones who's percentage of being right are less than theists.

 

[Manco]

Please show me how a divine being is more likely than any other theory of abiogenesis. O wait, it isn't.

 

[Tigrul]

atheists aren't smarter than theists because there is no way life could exist on earth without a higher being. The chances of life just beginning on earth is like unfathomable

I'm sorry if I sound rude, but I've heard this bs before, have you thought about it before posting it?

There are billions of solar systems, with even more billions of planets in the whole universe. The chances of life existing on one of these planets is very very high, I'd reckon. We fall under one of those chances, there was life on Earth. It's not a coincidence, i.e. one can't say, god made life on earth, because just look at how our planet is close enough to the sun, but not too close, and how its orbit is just right to support this type of life and so on.

Point 1 If ANY of these parametres were different, then there's a big chance life would have still existed, but not as we know it, i.e., if we were farther from the sun, we might have all been dark animals, to capture as much energy as possible.

Point 2 If Earth's parametres weren't good for life, then we would have not existed, but maybe some other beings would have existed on another planet, and they'd be having the same thoughts as you about "oh, how our planet is just right to support life, and therefore there must be a god".

Now, unfortunately, I am terrible with words, but if any of the readers of this thread has understood what I mean here, I'd be very grateful if you rephrased this in a way which might be more convincing.