Why are there atheists?

[Dayman]

I remember like four things before I was 5.

 

[Valiant Champion]

So that means the girl that can name off all the presidents in the US at age 2 will never remember her feat.

Right?

I guess I am a cyborg then because I know I had a memory of being left alone on a quilt in my mom and dads house. If I was too young to walk than I had to be pretty young.

I remember my mother taking me to a Houchens Market in a particular building. The only thing is that the business moved when I was about 2 and a half.

The memories are mostly there.

Hypnotism has shown that people can remember things that they never thought possible. This was demonstrated on Mythbusters a few years back. Some people have better memories than others.

This doesnt mean I have a high IQ. Mine may be around 25 for all I know

Elephants can remember where waterholes are 20 years after they had last visited them.

There is no biological law that says a person cannot have memories from 2 or 3 years. I guarantee you there is not a scientific law that forbids it.

If its biologically impossible to have memories under age 3 please give me a credible source? I bet there isnt one that cant be easily countered.

 

[Playfishpaste]

It is definitely biologically possible for infants to have memories by age 1. This doesn't make it so that it's very well developed. If you remember more than two or three things from ages like that then you are indeed quite a select case, champion.

 

[Manco]

Yes, I should have specified coherent memories, the kind you have of your adult life.
The memories you describe might very well never have happened, being left alone is hardly very specific. It's of course very difficult to determine whether or not a specific memory is real, but at such young ages it's very rare to have a coherent one. Most will be vague feelings, single images and so on.

My source is my Psychology book (simply called Psychology, by Roediger, Capaldi, Paris, Polivy and Herman, the Dutch translation by Brysbaert), the chapter about cognitive development.

 

[Gogf]

There are atheists because there is no god .

1. If you are right, nobody cares, because you cease to exist.

My existence is not predicted on the existence of a god. See Descartes.

2. If you are wrong, you burn in a torturous, never ending hell.

The same goes for you if your religion of choice is not the right one.

3. Why would you not take a precaution, and just believe something? Anything would be preferable to nothing.

Pascal's wager doesn't work. You can't choose to believe in something, and even if you could, the chances that you chose the truth are astronomically low.

 

[basics]

Templar Hospitaller,

Many, perhaps more, on these threads that are atheists don't seem able to forget to tell us that they were once Roman Catholics something that should have bothered them about what they once were and how they were allowed to fall away from it.

There obviously is some strange goings-on that people from what is called, by itself mark you, the original given by authority, to rule, are found here to have turned to not believing that their is a God. They were baptised into that organisation, regenerated to belong not to God but the church, and yet what is inescapable is that they turn away having, in their own words, become wiser.

And they call Protestants nutters. Well can I say that I know many on both sides of the divide, some atheists and some religious, yet not one that has been born agan in Scriptural fashion as laid down for us to know. And that is the problem, there is no bonding to God without regeneration as described in Scripture, so when religion errs and people spot the errors, rather than seeking the truth they take the easy path into Godlessness.

Roman Catholicism has more holes in it than a strainer but it is not alone. Where there is a " church " that claims world authority over what Scripture clearly states that in it's beginning is sandy soil. It has no foundation and what follows is a house the larger it gets the more it sinks into the abyss of being another gospel that is no Gospel at all.

And when it's followers realise there is no Godly power behind it then the pews begin to empty. It is the lack of God in them that makes them be what they are, in many cases atheists. That is why their banner is always proof. They have none so there is no God. Yet surprisingly to argue they do it in the knowledge, little as it is, of what they remember the Bible to be about.

To any who read this post may I wish all my friends and all my opponents a very happy Christmas and an even better New Year.

 

[The Dude]

And when it's followers realise there is no Godly power behind it then the pews begin to empty. It is the lack of God in them that makes them be what they are, in many cases atheists. That is why their banner is always proof. They have none so there is no God. Yet surprisingly to argue they do it in the knowledge, little as it is, of what they remember the Bible to be about.

This paragraph is disturbing in the sense that it completely (intentionally?) ignores all the countless reasons for why one might be atheistic that have been posted all over this forum even during the relatively short amount of time that I have spent here.

You look at the whole situation in a completely one sided manner and you do so comfortably. Such indulgence in short-sightedness is unforgivable.

 

[Nutsack]

The fact that so many believers think that their own religion is the one and only true belief is quite arrogant.

That means they think everybody else is wasting time.

 

[Valiant Champion]

Yes Christianity such as Roman Catholic etc. are deemed as ritualistic and heavily organized.

Christianity with spontaneous worship i.e. Pentecostal are called nutters, Holy Rollers.

Most other protestants are termed as the Hypocritical religions.

An atheist has an excuse for each. But if logic is used wouldnt his excuse cover all? Nope

Therefore his argument loses its validity and uncovers that it is not his Logic that determines there is no God but prejudice.

 

[Copperknickers II]

1. If you are right, nobody cares, because you cease to exist.
2. If you are wrong, you burn in a torturous, never ending hell.
3. Why would you not take a precaution, and just believe something? Anything would be preferable to nothing.

1. No, that is not Atheism at all, and lots of people care.

2. Only if the estimated 5 million fundamentalist Christians are right, in which case i will gladly take my chances that the 6 billion 500 million others who do not believe in that are right to do so.

3. If one religion is right and it is not yours, then you have wasted your life following it. Why not take the logical path, and live a virtuous and honest life with no belief in any one thing, and get the best chance. If you die and Buddha says: 'Sorry mate, i'm afraid that i don't like your Catholic belief of alienating homosexuals, so u will be reincarnated as a slug' then you are wrong for being a Christian. However, if he says 'Well, you didn't actually believe in me but you lived a good live and now you know i exist, you can be a nice comfortable demi god' then you were right to be Atheist (or agnostic if you are an indecisive sheep).

 

[Panzerbear]

there are atheists because there are some people who were not brainwashed into believing in XYZ since they were a baby .

your question sounds like "why are there people who do not passionately believe in reality of Magic the Gathering". because some people just dont give a and do not even think in these terms.

 

[Il Duce]

An atheist has an excuse for each. But if logic is used wouldnt his excuse cover all? Nope

Therefore his argument loses its validity and uncovers that it is not his Logic that determines there is no God but prejudice.

This post is the one without logic

 

[MaximiIian]

Why are there atheists?

One could ask the same question in regards to agnostics, to Christians, to Jews, to pagans, to Hindus, to any and every group with a particular belief concept.

People think in different ways. Everyone sees things differently than others do. It's that simple, Templar guy.

 

[Helm]

We atheists are only generally concerned with the making the most and appreciating of the one life we have. Rather than what could possibly happen to us after we die, which could well be nothing at all so no real reason to dwell on it. A God who sends people to hell for what they believe isn't a God I'd want to worship anyway.

 

[Valiant Champion]

If there isnt a God to answer to and most crimes are never solved why arent you guys going out and victimizing society?

Deep down you realize you will have to answer to something for your actions.

Its instinctive to the point that its almost inseperable for the normal person to delight in the sufferings of others even though it would be of great advantage to him.

Of course Sociopaths are not so constricted and do literally prey on people with a true Atheistic belief that they will not have to answer for their crimes to anyone and they feel no guilt.

A knowledge of right and wrong is a really unique mechanism in the human. No other creature shows this characteristic on the face of the Earth.

 

[Il Duce]

If there isnt a God to answer to and most crimes are never solved why arent you guys going out and victimizing society?

Deep down you realize you will have to answer to something for your actions.

Yes, and that "something" is called Law Enforcement. Most violent crimes aren't solved? Where, in Brazil? Keep on making things up.

Your arguments are middle school at best. No logic in them whatsoever and you've made it clear you're ignorantly bound to your faith and will not even take a look at what we have to say to you.

 

[Gogf]

If there isnt a God to answer to and most crimes are never solved why arent you guys going out and victimizing society?

The fact that people are fundamentally moral is not predicated on the existence of a god.

Also, Helm, great posts!

 

[Manco]

If there isnt a God to answer to and most crimes are never solved why arent you guys going out and victimizing society?

Deep down you realize you will have to answer to something for your actions.

Its instinctive to the point that its almost inseperable for the normal person to delight in the sufferings of others even though it would be of great advantage to him.

Of course Sociopaths are not so constricted and do literally prey on people with a true Atheistic belief that they will not have to answer for their crimes to anyone and they feel no guilt.

A knowledge of right and wrong is a really unique mechanism in the human. No other creature shows this characteristic on the face of the Earth.

Ah, the old atheists have no morals argument. It's only been debunked like a gazillion times before.

If we look at it evolutionary, sociopathic species would become extinct quite rapidly. It is therefore a safe bet that somehow we have evolved a behavioural system to ensure the survival of our species. The end result could be described as a subconscious instinct similar to the ethic of reciprocity or Golden Rule, and our entire ethos is extrapolation of that instinct.
This is only one of many ways how humans could have ethics and morals without religion.

 

[Nutsack]

A knowledge of right and wrong is a really unique mechanism in the human. No other creature shows this characteristic on the face of the Earth.

Every animal does.

I win.

The only reason you think us humans are anything better then lets say, a dog, is because you believe we were made separately by God.

 

[Helm]

When you believe that you and everyone else only ever gets one life then it makes sense not to want to try and ruin it for anyone. And besides sociopaths don't have an atheistic belief, they just have something wrong with them, they're basically incapable of certain emotions such as guilt and remorse. Something most atheists will still have regardless of whether or not God exists, it's just the way humans evolved.

 

[Taiji]

Nice idea, religion is good for sociopaths.

 

[Valiant Champion]

How do explain this if there is no God?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRsLTMSQy2U

Is there any science that can explain this away?

 

[Helm]

Well sometimes people just get better for no apparent reason, and that was probably some klnd of trick of the light, particularly as it only appeared at around the same time of day. If it started appearing at night and or moving around that would be harder to explain.

 

[Taiji]

Technically you're just not allowed to sight god as the cause for anything if you're a scientist. It's considered a cop out.

 

[Copperknickers II]

How do explain this if there is no God?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRsLTMSQy2U

Is there any science that can explain this away?

What has that got to do with God? A bright light means there is a big invisible man in the sky? Say that to yourself 100 times, then come back and tell me what it sounds like.

 

[Valiant Champion]

What has that got to do with God? A bright light means there is a big invisible man in the sky? Say that to yourself 100 times, then come back and tell me what it sounds like.

It sounds wonderful!!

 

[Taiji]

It does make ya wonder.... lol

 

[Copperknickers II]

It sounds wonderful!!

To me it sounds like someone overdosed on LSD.

 

[Il Duce]

How do explain this if there is no God?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRsLTMSQy2U

Is there any science that can explain this away?

A photograph? A PHOTOGRAPH? That's almost as bad as the banana argument

 

[Valiant Champion]

Three different cameras - same event

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yET2tmCHDsw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVxJzppfn3Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lEwW15pn04

also multiple witnesses testify to the event as well.