Why are Atheists Atheists?

List one or more reasons. I will list three:

1) Atheists have different thought patterns: rarely does God enter their mind for the cause and effect of any event.

2) Atheists have different vocabularies: frequently they score a little above average on "standardized tests" but these tests frequently have little to do with Sacred, Spiritual, and religious texts. They are more concerned with knowledge rather than wisdom. They frequently take part in the "selling of the soul syndrome."

3) Atheists' mind's eyes are underdeveloped: they frequently cannot associate the Creation of something as magnificent as the Universe to anything but a human or an atom of hydrogen.

Personally, I believe in God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When God approaches you, it is filled with love and power!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

well, i know there are the scientific atheists that don't see god as being proven

that would be me

i was brought up a christian
spent 14 years of my life being an unquestioning religious person
then i started to question
i've been an atheist since age 15
and i'll continue to be one until someone proves the existence of any deity scientifically or i die
whichever comes first

Originally posted by madnessinmysoul
well, i know there are the scientific atheists that don't see god as being proven

that would be me

i was brought up a christian
spent 14 years of my life being an unquestioning religious person
then i started to question
i've been an atheist since age 15
and i'll continue to be one until someone proves the existence of any deity scientifically or i die
whichever comes first

madnessinmysoul, is your goal in earthlife to win a Nobel Prize in one of the sciences? There are more lofty goals in the Eternal Perspective.

One possible answer:


God's will be done PLUS Free Will EQUALS =


Althiests are God, and providing God with first hand experience of "NEW"

Perhaps an all knowing God would like to experience things that are percieved as "NEW"????


Not sure if my reply lives up to expectations or not, but it seems possible to me.

Edit to add:

If God does not reside in Athiests, then an omni-present God who resides in all things great and small and is all knowing does not exist.

[edit on 19-2-2007 by Esoteric Teacher]

Scientific proof of a diety = The undoing of free will.

not exactly, you could deny God even though God had been scientificly proven, but chances are you'd end up in hellfire. So naturally everyone would believe, and thus there would be no free will, and no workers of deception. The deceiver would be hard pressed to do a damn thing now wouldn't he?

For the same reasons that you're not. It's all about beliefs. You believe that their is a god and I don't. I've yet to see any undeniable proof that a god exists. I don't believe a word of the bible. I've seen too much distort from those who live by it, past and present. Believe it or not I'm a loving and caring person and don't believe or care in a god or his teachings. I don't need them to be this way. I don't wish to be a part of a huge problem that getting bigger.

Originally posted by GreatTech
madnessinmysoul, is your goal in earthlife to win a Nobel Prize in one of the sciences? There are more lofty goals in the Eternal Perspective.

my goal is to simply do what i can to help out humanity
i don't care if i win a prize or gain recognition of any sort
ideally i'll end up doing something that has some sort of perpetual benefit to the world

tech, don't eternal perspective goals tend to be more... self centered?
the only one i can think of is a positive eternal afterlife

Originally posted by runetang
Scientific proof of a diety = The undoing of free will.

see lucifer...

not exactly, you could deny God even though God had been scientificly proven, but chances are you'd end up in hellfire. So naturally everyone would believe, and thus there would be no free will, and no workers of deception. The deceiver would be hard pressed to do a damn thing now wouldn't he?

well, even if you did have scientific proof, finding it would be an excersise in free will
heliocentrisim has been proven
yet there are still geocentrists
get it?

and also, not all christians believe in free will
there is quite the ample argument that christianity is anti-free will
but that's a topic for another thread

Quite simply a lot of people can not fathom the idea that this life is all you have. So I would say yes, atheists do have a different thought pattern. Some people have such a hard time believing that they will cease to exist (period) when they die that they will hold on to any thing that gives them the glimmer of hope in immortality. They will strive so much for this immortality that they will believe something with all of their hearts that can not be proven (outside of dying) and say "well I have faith."

Atheists have the live it to the fullest mentality and want to make hay while the sun shines. They are eager to learn but do require some sort of proof prior to taking it as true. I would also point out that generally atheists would do equally as good as Christians even if the bible scripture was a part of the test as most a quite knowledgeable about it.

The ability to live your own life without your beliefs impacting society as a whole would probably be another reason for atheists. It's hard not to look at things in an unbiased way when your "afterlife & eternity" hangs in the balance. The extreems some people take as Christians can have a great impact on other peoples life but play them as a trump card as if to say god said it, if I do it I can do no wrong. Thats how wars get started.

I know the argument that , If I believe in the lord and I am wrong, there is no problem. But if you don't and you are wrong it's a problem. Well if your beliefs in the lord didn't effect people in a negative way while you are living on this earth, that would be a true statement. Here is something on the lighter side.

Originally posted by GreatTech
List one or more reasons. I will list three:

1) Atheists have different thought patterns: rarely does God enter their mind for the cause and effect of any event.

2) Atheists have different vocabularies: frequently they score a little above average on "standardized tests" but these tests frequently have little to do with Sacred, Spiritual, and religious texts. They are more concerned with knowledge rather than wisdom. They frequently take part in the "selling of the soul syndrome."

3) Atheists' mind's eyes are underdeveloped: they frequently cannot associate the Creation of something as magnificent as the Universe to anything but a human or an atom of hydrogen.

Personally, I believe in God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When God approaches you, it is filled with love and power!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This conveys a little propaganda imo

An athiests mindset seems to be a mind which stands by knowledge (what is known to be.)

Athiests are deemed skeptics but this is not the case, imo they are merly logicians (logical mindset) the majority also couple this with reason.

This is a great and valid thought system.



[edit on 19-2-2007 by Selmer2]

Originally posted by GreatTech
List one or more reasons. I will list three:

1) Atheists have different thought patterns: rarely does God enter their mind for the cause and effect of any event.

2) Atheists have different vocabularies: frequently they score a little above average on "standardized tests" but these tests frequently have little to do with Sacred, Spiritual, and religious texts. They are more concerned with knowledge rather than wisdom. They frequently take part in the "selling of the soul syndrome."

3) Atheists' mind's eyes are underdeveloped: they frequently cannot associate the Creation of something as magnificent as the Universe to anything but a human or an atom of hydrogen.

So basically your saying that because i dont believe in a God that i'm.

1. Unable to have any influence on any cause or effect in my life.

2. I'm stupid.

3. I'm unable to appreciate the majesty or beauty of nature.

Hmmm thats an enlightened christian view of another human being, i think i'd prefer to hold my beliefs true, than to feel the way you do towards others different to yourself.

The reason i'm an atheist,
i have never felt the need to believe that anyone or anything has or can influence anything i do, for good or bad.
My mistakes are my own, as are my triumphs.

I believe that life is beatiful and sacred, its just a huge evolutionary accident. That doesnt devalue it at all, its still precious.

Lastly i believe in atheism because i have been given no good reason to believe otherwise.
And i wouldnt go around telling people who dont believe as i do that they are any less worthwhile than myself or my beliefs.

That seems as anti-christian to me as atheism does to you. imo.

peace
m4s.

Originally posted by shizzle5150
Quite simply a lot of people can not fathom the idea that this life is all you have. So I would say yes, atheists do have a different thought pattern. Some people have such a hard time believing that they will cease to exist (period) when they die that they will hold on to any thing that gives them the glimmer of hope in immortality. They will strive so much for this immortality that they will believe something with all of their hearts that can not be proven (outside of dying) and say "well I have faith."

that is not true, it is not about selfishness, wanting immortality at all costs.

take me for example, im the most non cookie cutter christian youll meet. I used to be an atheist in high school. I think praying before the cross and directing your prayers to Jesus is IDOLATRY, and not Christianity. I think Jesus was not the son of God, he was a messenger of God, but not God incarnate, not God himself. God would not come to dwell in a man's flesh wholly, and limit himself to that man's fleshyness and humanity. Rather he will send a creation to do that; Jesus.

I dont believe in the holy trinity. I think the Catholic Church is inherintly evil, and not the true Christianity. I thnk pious Jews and Muslims will goto heaven. I think pious moral people who believe in one God but are not a member of any denomination or Church will goto heaven. Hell, even non-believers.

All men will be judged by their works, it was said. So naturally, if an Atheist lives a good, moral life, and doesn't go around blaspheming at every opportunity, and doesn't become consumed by greed, I think if his works are sufficient, at Judgement the Atheist will simply be told "YOU WERE WRONG", while still allowing them into heaven. Because its all about what you DO, how you ACT, the purity of your thoughts, the purity of your mind and soul.

You can be unawares of God, and your own soul, and wander like a sheep with no shepard. But when you die, even you will meet your maker.

Allow me to pose a question or 3 to the Atheists reading. I'd like to see their opinions on these questions.

1) What existed before the big bang? (Nothing is not an answer. If you want to say nothing, simply say 'dark matter')

2) What caused the big bang to explode?

3) Where did the molecules within the big bang which exploded outwards in all directions come from? How did they come to be? Did they appear out of thin air? (Not being rhetorical..)

4) How did the laws of physics, such as gravity and motion, come to be? Why does a heavy object pull things toward it in space, ala gravity? Why don't they push things away instead, like two positive magnets? Where did the 'order of the cosmos' come from..

5) Where did the first strand of DNA come from? How did it form spontaineously into existance?

6) What is beyond the universe, which contains every star and solar system in existance? Certainly the universe cannot be never-ending, certainly it must have boundaries, because it is expanding at an ever increasing rate. If the universe is getting larger in other words, moving outward in all directions, what is it contained within? It must have boundaries if it is getting bigger. Something with no boundaries cannot become larger or smaller, because boundaries define size.

I could keep going, but these should keep you busy. I have answers of opinion to most of those questions. I think there is an intelligent design to reality, to existance and all that exists and has ever existed. I think the big bang was the effect, not the cause. I think before the big bang, something had to exist FOR the big bang to happen "within". I think there had to be molecules to form the contents which exploded during the big bang. I think that men did not evolve directly from monkey; rather that monkey evolved into neanderthal as well as homo-erectus and cro-magnon. I think from that point, something other than evolution was involved in making modern human beings as they are. Despite our relation to primates, there is the missing link, and I think it's because intelligent, modern man came to be in a sudden event. a creation.

"in our likeness" .. well, they'd still need a base mammal to start with. they chose homo erectus/cro magnon .. and made him beautiful, intelligent, and moral. they gave him free will, the ability to think and perceive, all of this is unique to us, no other mammals come close. thats because only we are in the likeness of God..

Originally posted by mojo4sale

Originally posted by GreatTech
List one or more reasons. I will list three:

1) Atheists have different thought patterns: rarely does God enter their mind for the cause and effect of any event.

2) Atheists have different vocabularies: frequently they score a little above average on "standardized tests" but these tests frequently have little to do with Sacred, Spiritual, and religious texts. They are more concerned with knowledge rather than wisdom. They frequently take part in the "selling of the soul syndrome."

3) Atheists' mind's eyes are underdeveloped: they frequently cannot associate the Creation of something as magnificent as the Universe to anything but a human or an atom of hydrogen.

So basically your saying that because i dont believe in a God that i'm.

1. Unable to have any influence on any cause or effect in my life.

2. I'm stupid.

3. I'm unable to appreciate the majesty or beauty of nature.

mojo4sale, I am not saying that you are anything like the things you stated. I am a former atheist (my six-year period of atheism ended 11 years ago) myself. When I compare my periods of being a believer versus being an atheist I find that when I was a nonbeliever I was headed for self-destruction. Because of my experience with atheism, I sometimes try to, no matter how weakly, to inspire others to have faith. Most of my "soap-box preaching" is done through prayer (I may write a brief story of my life on ATS, but only if I can find the words to inspire others to have faith or to increase their faith). I love and care about all of humanity, including atheists, and I want the best for all.

God Bless!!!

Originally posted by runetang
Allow me to pose a question or 3 to the Atheists reading. I'd like to see their opinions on these questions.

1) What existed before the big bang? (Nothing is not an answer. If you want to say nothing, simply say 'dark matter')

You obviously do not understand the theory's behind what dark matter is. If nothing existed before the big bang then dark matter did not exist before the big band either. Dark matter and visible matter both make up what the universe is today they are both required for the universe to work and if you were to go outside the universe visible matter and dark matter should not exist.

Nothing existed before the big bang except for a possibly infinantly small speck of matter which eventually blew up when it reached critical mass. People tend not to be able to comprehend that there may have been nothing because you cant visualize it, to even say nothing is there is a false representation of what was before the big bang because your trying to describe something thats non-existent.

Originally posted by runetang
2) What caused the big bang to explode?

All the matter in the universe being compressed into a tiny tiny spec size of less than an atom until eventually it reaches a critical mass where it can no longer sustain its size and explodes.

Thats one theory anyway, you have to keep in mind that although we have come far in explaining the origins of the universe theres a long way to go until we can fairly conclusively explain it all.

Originally posted by runetang
3) Where did the molecules within the big bang which exploded outwards in all directions come from? How did they come to be? Did they appear out of thin air? (Not being rhetorical..)

As with the explanations above, one theory (and the theory i tend be believe is quite likely) is that everything we see today was always here, its here now, its was here before the big band and will be here when the universe possibly collapses in on itself(although if the universe doesn't slow down that theory is out the window). Matter and energy cant just appear out of thin air as with everything else in the universe for something to appear something else has to disappear because the only way to make matter or energy is with existing matter or energy.

Originally posted by runetang
4) How did the laws of physics, such as gravity and motion, come to be? Why does a heavy object pull things toward it in space, ala gravity? Why don't they push things away instead, like two positive magnets? Where did the 'order of the cosmos' come from..

I've no idea, you can always look up the wikipedia.

Originally posted by runetang
5) Where did the first strand of DNA come from? How did it form spontaineously into existance?

The same way the first star or planet was created and the same way galaxy's are created all be it life is a little more complicated the basics are almost exactly the same.

Originally posted by runetang
6) What is beyond the universe, which contains every star and solar system in existance? Certainly the universe cannot be never-ending, certainly it must have boundaries, because it is expanding at an ever increasing rate. If the universe is getting larger in other words, moving outward in all directions, what is it contained within? It must have boundaries if it is getting bigger. Something with no boundaries cannot become larger or smaller, because boundaries define size.

Nothing, or possibly another universe billions of quad trillions of light years away from the outer edge of our universe, or after trillions of nothingness a glass wall making up one side of a glass box because were all just an experiment. :p

btw, just to be clear im not Atheist.

[edit on 19-2-2007 by Edn]

Lets pose a scenario...

Suppose God showed up on the planet...
200 Feet tall Gladiator but nice as pie and loving.
Says that he exists and that we should do as his son asked and he jets taking care of universe duty.

How are you going to live differently if at all?
Does knowing God exist change you?

Or does a 200 Foot tall ultimate power who will put the fear of God in you if you dont do what he asks scare the living crap out of humanity and we finally get it right!!

Did it ever occur to you that God may want to live with us?

You see...to me it isnt believing in God..although I do..
It was believing in Christ and his message of Love for all and for us to embrace that as an ideal. Life on Earth changes when mankind disarms and accepts one another and the struggle of life. That sharing and caring is more important then Bombing and national agendas.

Until we all realize that this is our one lump of clay till we get it right..
That when we get it as humanity , that the Lord God will make an appearance realizing that our hard headed ways were futile.

Peace on Earth and good will towards all of Humanity is the only way it was supposed to be.....

Or you can be an Atheist and do whatever you want too...

Seems to me we have that now

Its your choice

Peace


[edit on 19-2-2007 by HIFIGUY]

Originally posted by HIFIGUY
Or you can be an Atheist and do whatever you want too...

that's actually wrong
i'd really like to go back in time to the moment where religion hijacked morality just to stop it from happening

atheists have morality
but it's a more personal morality
one where their faults are their own, as are their triumphs
we might actually be harder on ourselves for our moral failings because we believe that we are the only ones who can forgive ourselves for them

atheists don't just do whatever they want
if they did, prison statistics would reflect that, but they don't
according to a 1997 federal bureau of prisons report atheists made up 10% of the nation's population and only 0.2% of the prison population
christians made up 75% of both

where do people keep getting this idea that atheists just do what they want?

An Atheist has no guide. They are their own Guide.

The political climate, the social climate, Fear and or gain, and culture determine their right and wrong for the most part.

Christianity has made its own bed based on its actions through history and was warned in scripture.

There have been equally as bad Godless acts in humanity.

Christ said love each other. If you do that, all the Phrophets Laws are fullfilled. Atheist or Not.

So love really is a win win isnt it...

Kind of a Catch all..

Wink Wink...

Peace

[edit on 19-2-2007 by HIFIGUY]

Originally posted by HIFIGUY
Christianity has made its own bed based on its actions through history and was warned in scripture.

You could say the same thing except worse with the Jews. I mean, everything prophesied in the old testament about the Jewish people has come to pass, except for their Messiah. But even that came to pass IMO, they just rejected him and fell out of favor as the 'special people' and are now just equal to all other nations in the eyes of God. Once upon a time, when rampant Idolatry and Sin ruled the simple people of the Earth, this was not the case, as the Jews were the only ones living in a 'godly manner', ie; following the dietary laws, the other laws, the laws of moses, passover laws, etc.

I think you should replace the word Christianity in your sentence I quoted above to Catholicism, because it was Catholicism which has done every single bad thing in Christianity's name since it has existed. All the blood is on their hands, even the blood of the martyrs and saints of the Roman persecution. They are direct successors to Rome, and still use the language. They were the ones who lied about Mary of Magdala turning her into a whore through clever editing and interpretation of the Bible's text, when in reality she was one of the first Christian Church leaders and took a higher place than all the disciples. Before Catholicism came to be, women held high ranks in the Church, even Deacon, or the highest position.

It says in the Apocalypse of John (Revelation) that the head of the beast which devours two other heads and grows their horns upon it's head will have the face of Jesus but the mouth of the Devil. Think about that for a sec..

[edit on 2/20/2007 by runetang]

Originally posted by GreatTech

Originally posted by mojo4sale
So basically your saying that because i dont believe in a God that i'm.

1. Unable to have any influence on any cause or effect in my life.

2. I'm stupid.

3. I'm unable to appreciate the majesty or beauty of nature.

mojo4sale, I am not saying that you are anything like the things you stated.

But mojo4sale is telling you how you come across. And I totally agree. You don't come across as trying to help anyone. Not to me, anyway. You come across as trying to put down people who don't believe the same as you do.

And then you end it all by saying "God Bless"!

So, basically, what I see when I read your posts is:

"Here's what's wrong with you. You should be more like me because I'm right. But I love you and God Bless"!

Not the most moving of messages, in my opinion.

Great Tech, do you believe in more than one God? If not, read this, from my signature:

"I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours." -Stephen F. Roberts


[edit on 20-2-2007 by Benevolent Heretic]

They lack faith, and the courage to believe in something bigger than themselves. It real easy to say I don't believe, its alot harder to have faith.

Originally posted by Royal76
They lack faith, and the courage to believe in something bigger than themselves. It real easy to say I don't believe, its alot harder to have faith.

what's so courageous about the reassuring belief that there is a rewarding afterlife for the good and an afterlife of punishment for the wicked?

did pat tillman lack courage?
he went to fight in a war instead of going into a lucrative football carreer right away
and he was an atheist

did lance armstrong lack courage when he went through his difficulties with cancer?
he's an atheist

atheists actually have the courage to believe that we only get 1 life

what's more difficult to believe:
that the lights just go out when you die?
or that you get a perfect afterlife for being a good person?