30 day Challenge to Atheists - Confirm your Skepticism

Originally posted by xDeadcowx
Why does everything have to be credited to God? Every bad thing that happens, oh, that's just god testing you. Every good thing that happens, oh, that's just a gift from god.

You even say these "test" are a gift from God? So if God "tests" you by setting your house on fire, that is a gift?

How about people stop relying on this invisible person. Take ownership of yourself, give credit to yourself, or whoever deserves it for the good in your life. Take the blame for the bad and learn from it like a freakin ADULT.

When bad stuff happens, its just bad stuff, either you did something that caused it, or it just happened. That's it!

When good stuff happens, you either did something to aid in the fortune, or it just happened, That's it!

Also: Please stop using the bible and scripture as evidence to support what you are saying. Until you can prove the bible is anything more than made up stories written by man, you are just beating a dead horse.

DC

edit on 5/11/2013 by xDeadcowx because: (no reason given)

Exactly !
We all need to take responsibility for the shape our lives and any suffering within.
I refuse to embrace suffering as all we are here for .I refuse to accept that suffering is a good thing that I should be thankful for.

We can take care of eachother.
We can do better than suffering I think.

This was a great idea I am sure you helped someone, I want to personally congratulation's you it takes guts in this era to stand up for something that refuses our acknowledgement from anyone and you actually got a few responses, that will no doubt, be life-changers for them! 'It's that test, you also speak of that some very special people, are forced to take' because they have been chosen from the very deity you speak of and people, one day revere its name whatever that is, 'As it's true power' is far beyond anything of ours or even than others, who may look a little different; After all I am sure we are not the only ones in this unlimited universe and 'I also believe that it made others like us! Before man and woman or even animals, or earth even!
'Your my first reply on above top secret

So many sceptics and disbelievers...

Don't you realise that God manipulates your experiments?

Her noodly appendages blind your eyes from the truth.

Ye claim to know it all, yet can only describe the mundane.

Earthly elements, yes. Chemicals and atoms, yes.

All the rest is spooky, flavored, dark and mysterious.

Religon holds the key to understanding the true nature of reality.

How?

It's simple.

God wrote the bible.

Why can't you believe that?

Anyone who quotes the bible is right.

God said so.

Where?

In the Bible, of course.

Why is that so hard to understand?

Look, just do it and you will see.


Feed the birds for 30 days....

Allah will take all your worries away as a test.

And then you will know that she is real.

For ye shall be touched by her noodly appendages.

And she makes a lovely cup of tea.

Tfw.

reply to post by EnochWasRight


Open 30 day challenge to all religious enthusiasts, provide evidence that god is real... I smell another thread coming.

I recently read a philosophical/theological paper that concluded synchronicity occurs through spiritual grace. There is more to it than that, but these strange events could be a by-product of a more powerful force at work not in a person's life, but within that person. I do not know if your idea will work, as I admit I do not know everything when it comes to God, but I suppose it could not hurt.

What really irritates me is the fact that people are actually conceited enough to state that God does not exist, and some even say "cannot" exist. Our understanding of the universe and how it works is highly limited, and anyone who would turn to science for all the answers is just as fanatical as some who believe in God. Science fails to even address spiritual and paranormal claims, and it is obvious to anyone who has had strange experiences, or anyone who is remotely rational, that science cannot test these things at the moment because there is no way to test them.

It would be one thing if we could and have tested these ideas and found them to be false, but we have not. So how can someone be so certain that God does not exist, or that spiritual things do not occur? I wish that every skeptic in the world could have some of the experiences that myself and other people have had over the course of their lives, because I know that most of these individuals would change their beliefs in a heartbeat. But you are correct OP in stating that it is up to the person to turn to God. God is not going to come and "prove" his existence to someone just because they do not have faith enough to accept His reality. This was addressed in the New Testament as well. And it makes sense. It states that God is a loving and forgiving God, but you have to take the first step.

I wish everyone was a Christian, and actually practiced the tenets of the faith, because our world would be almost a paradise to live in. This is because basically Christianity teaches to turn the other cheek, harm no one, etc., and all of these ideas are the same ideas that any moral person would follow. There are so many examples of occurrences that cannot be explained, people who have gone to heaven even, to suggest that something happens after we die. This cannot be explained by traditional science, because what makes a person a person is their brain. After death the brain dies shortly afterward, therefore continuing on being the same person more or less does not agree with science. But from all of the accounts of something more after death, it seems highly probable that this is actually what happens. And this would imply God by itself in a sense.

But the truth is that a person cannot convince someone to believe in God through logic. When I first was drawn to Christianity I found many faults in the Bible, and said there were many teachings that were just crap. But after I made the effort to actually understand what was being said, by reading commentaries and talking to theologians, I came to realize that I was not accurately interpreting or understanding many of these things. I see this all the time on ATS with various members attempting to contradict a statement in the Bible, and it is obvious they are like I used to be, which is ignorant.

For instance someone on ATS was arguing against Jesus and laughed at the fact that Jesus had to try multiple times to make the blind man see, where he rubbed his eyes. At first glance I can see why this may seem strange, but once you understand that it was a metaphorical reference for Jesus' disciples, and was done to show their own defects, it actually makes sense. And there are a ton of things like this in the Bible. I recommend to anyone who wants to study the New Testament, get multiple translations. That is the best thing to do short of learning Greek and reading the original Greek texts. And get online and find yourself good commentaries. Commentaries from the translators are really good, because they can explain certain things that do not seem to transfer over to English very well. And academic commentary is good because these people have an understanding of the literature of the time, and can offer great insights into certain portions of these texts. There are many Bibles nowadays with excellent commentary on the pages themselves as well.

Originally posted by JiggyPotamus

I wish everyone was a Christian, and actually practiced the tenets of the faith, because our world would be almost a paradise to live in. This is because basically Christianity teaches to turn the other cheek, harm no one, etc., and all of these ideas are the same ideas that any moral person would follow.

Correction: CHRIST teaches to turn the other cheek, harm no one etc. Christians teach separation, guilt and fear through dogmas, doctrines and severe editing of ancient literature.

Sorry but most Atheists I know are actually more moral and Christ-like than most Christians . Can't you see Christianity has replaced Christ? . It's like they "know" him so well he's become obsolete and they don't need him anymore.

reply to post by EnochWasRight


You are so fixated on what you think this "God" even is, it leaves no room for the infinite at all !

All religions pretty much are of the same fate, they teach that they know what God is, how he thinks and what his goal may be.

And yet none of this could EVER be true, the proof is in the pudding.

LOL@ not being able to fix a problem yourself, when you are asking God super hard in a certain way the answer DOES come sometimes, KUNDALINI energy can prove this.

Too bad that you so badly limit yourself sir, you have much potential, but it looks like you want to insist on finding out the hard way, that you have been badly deceived.

Boy, lots of open minded replies to your challenge, EnochWasRight. You'd think that you asked people to send you money or confess to Christ or something. If I was a hardened skeptic, I'd take up the challenge, exactly as outlined, because I'd have enough hubris to know that I'd come back in 30 days to say nothing happened.

Instead, you have a bunch of anti-theists who not only refuse to take such a challenge, but ridicule you for suggesting it. If they're open minded, why not do it, just for the opportunity of proving you wrong?

Kudos to the one guy who said that he'd do it.


Benevolent Heretic -- point taken, but if I look back at MY last 30 days, no, I see absolutely nothing that could be construed to being a miracle.

reply to post by EnochWasRight

I don't think 'God' is what the vast majority of people (of various cultures and religions) assume 'Him' to be. It is a higher power which no one understands but which you find through your heart. I think Atheists understand 'God' about as well as Theists do. Your logic is all based on doctrine which, although perhaps based on actual events, were written by men and then re-written many times by men seeking to control the minds of the populace.

I doubt that most of God's real shepherds wear those clerical collars, as I have known men and women touched by 'God' to be poor or otherwise struggling, sometimes recovered alcoholics or PTSD survivors, many of which were from working class backgrounds and all of whom had a natural revolution towards institutional education and no interest in attending church. Words can inspire but only The Light can enlighten.

Originally posted by adjensen
Boy, lots of open minded replies to your challenge, EnochWasRight. You'd think that you asked people to send you money or confess to Christ or something. If I was a hardened skeptic, I'd take up the challenge, exactly as outlined, because I'd have enough hubris to know that I'd come back in 30 days to say nothing happened.

Instead, you have a bunch of anti-theists who not only refuse to take such a challenge, but ridicule you for suggesting it. If they're open minded, why not do it, just for the opportunity of proving you wrong?

Kudos to the one guy who said that he'd do it.

 

Benevolent Heretic -- point taken, but if I look back at MY last 30 days, no, I see absolutely nothing that could be construed to being a miracle.

\\

Open minded people enjoy discussion and debate actually.
I would certainly be open to take a challenge if it wasn't flawed and weighted for a result from the outset.
The problem is with this experiment at the end of 30 days the OP will feel himself proved right and any atheists will feel themselves proved right.
This is christian doctrine and not a search for truth.
I attempted to clarify things about the experiment and was met with biblical references (You must understand that this will not sway people who don't believe that the bible is the true word of God.)
I currently don't believe there are any persons on this earth who have all the answers.

reply to post by EnochWasRight


God knows all the desires of your heart right? So by asking HIM to test you, is this not tempting HIM?

YOU are in charge of YOUR own destiny. Take responsibility.

The end.

I see many bold claims from god believers in these forums, claims
which have no justification other than i say so, my book says so or
my imaginary friend says so, this entire "debate" if you could call it
that is just getting ridiculous, the arguments from and for religion
have never changed, they continue down this path which is a dead
end, time and again we see this, flat earth, earth center of universe
and on and on, this is no debate, this is a bunch of hard headed
people refusing to acknowledge they have been bested and need
to rethink their position...... refusal to give up does not always work
out for the better, history already remembers religion for its crimes
and its refusal to just let people be, seems like those chapters will
continue until the horse has been beaten into dust......

This is why i dont fall into religions. IMO they disrespect and in many ways belittle any kind of higher power.

Do you really think the higher power in this universe (the thing you call God) exists for people to ask it to test them just to prove itself to them?

Maybe asking for a test to actually test oneself i can let slide but this? nah sorry i think its a mockery.

God? I assume you mean the christian god? So if I perform your test but I instead speak to Allah for one month, and report results, attributing anything challenging as proof of this test, you're going to have to accept that your God isn't the one true god, because I've just submitted proof to your standards of another deity testing me?

So in other words, when I was in third grade and got my first concussion because a nun beat my head against a slate blackboard until I lost consciousness, what your telling me was that was just some nebulous deity trying to get my attention? What about the other two times it happened before I left that school? What about breaking 3 fingers in my cousins hand with a metal ruler because the skirt on her uniform was about a NANOMETER to short? Of course, they broke the fingers in her non-writing hand so she could still do her homework? Is it slapping a human being in the face so hard that blood spatters on the window, of a sixth grade classroom? Is that the kind of 'sign' I'm supposed to be getting. No thanks. I've already had my ass kicked by Jesus, and he doesn't fight fair!

You don't need a test to see the existence of God. Just look around at what is going on in the world. Especially here in the USA. The bible says that in the last days things will be getting worse and worse. Anyone can see there is a war going on between good and evil.

reply to post by EnochWasRight


If God exists, then He already knows everything we need and what is best for us.

If God wills for an atheist to become receptive to a belief in Him, then it will happen in an instant, when God wills, not when anyone else wills.

Posing a test for atheists underestimates God's omniscience and omnipotence by projecting our own limitations on the Unknowable. It suggests we know better than God how we may come to acknowledge His possible existence.

here's a challenge for you. Get over the fact that 50% + of the world population is not religious / does not believe in your god.

Here's a much better test that is double blind, and cannot fail due to confirmation bias.

Every day for a week I will ask one of the alleged gods to test the OP. At the end of the week, the OP should be able to tell me on which particular day I asked Yhwh (the Christian God) to test him, as that will be the day he receives his test, seeing as all the other gods are false.

The gods I will ask to test you are:

Yhwh
Allah
Zeus
Thor
Odin
Helios
Apollo

Do you accept my challenge, OP?

reply to post by EnochWasRight

if someone is after a truth then it works. but remember many people would call Jesus a magician, even with all it's miracles by the permission of God. he was so alone that no one helped him to save him from corrupted clerics and corrupted leaders of Israel tribe. but he was from themselves, his miracles was in front of their eyes !
if you expect that this may have an effect like a miracle. well it is a high expectation. but I think logic and wisdom is more effective. no one can deny wisdom unless everyone would recognize him as an ignorant person.