A Question for Atheists

[Nutz]

Was there a point in your life where you determined/ decided there is not God? No flaming please, I am sincerely interested. Do you have thoughts on a afterlife? Do you hold a belief in anything else besides science?

Again, no flaming. Can you define your belief system and how it was developed?

 

[Steven_R]

It wasn't a moment in my life when I came to the conclusion that the Judeo-Christian God doesn't exist, but rather a slow realization that there simply isn't any objective evidence to support it. The historical and scientific record don't support the story and there are huge logical problems in the Bible, specifically about God's actions and the role of Jesus. I just came to the conclusion that the Bible is just another creation myth and is no more real than the Greek myths about Zeus or the Norse myths about Odin.

I won't rule out the existence of some supernatural force, but if it does exist, I suspect it is something akin to the Deist conceptualization of God, as a prime mover who starts the universe and then promptly does nothing with it. Or something like the Force is which everything is interconnected. Or maybe something no human can even wrap his brain around. However, I don't think that version of a god is a personality like Jehovah. Again, I have no data either way for the existence of the supernatural.

As far as death, who knows. I suspect that as I lose consciousness and my brain dies it's like falling asleep. I just fade out and that's that. However, I may be entirely wrong. If something akin to the Force does exist and we're all interconnected on some level, then I guess I would join with that. I just have no belief in the Judeo-Christian-Islamic version of heaven or reincarnation or going to Valhalla.

My belief system comes down to three tenents:

1) You get one shot at live, so make the most of it. Live, learn, love.
2) Don't be a dick.
3) Aspire to be more than you are. Don't settle and don't stop.

 

[Nutz]

It wasn't a moment in my life when I came to the conclusion that the Judeo-Christian God doesn't exist, but rather a slow realization that there simply isn't any objective evidence to support it. The historical and scientific record don't support the story and there are huge logical problems in the Bible, specifically about God's actions and the role of Jesus. I just came to the conclusion that the Bible is just another creation myth and is no more real than the Greek myths about Zeus or the Norse myths about Odin.

I won't rule out the existence of some supernatural force, but if it does exist, I suspect it is something akin to the Deist conceptualization of God, as a prime mover who starts the universe and then promptly does nothing with it. Or something like the Force is which everything is interconnected. Or maybe something no human can even wrap his brain around. However, I don't think that version of a god is a personality like Jehovah. Again, I have no data either way for the existence of the supernatural.

As far as death, who knows. I suspect that as I lose consciousness and my brain dies it's like falling asleep. I just fade out and that's that. However, I may be entirely wrong. If something akin to the Force does exist and we're all interconnected on some level, then I guess I would join with that. I just have no belief in the Judeo-Christian-Islamic version of heaven or reincarnation or going to Valhalla.

My belief system comes down to three tenents:

1) You get one shot at live, so make the most of it. Live, learn, love.
2) Don't be a dick.
3) Aspire to be more than you are. Don't settle and don't stop.

Thank you for that response. So are you more of an agnostic or a flat out Atheist?
Do you have an issue with people of faith, or think less of them?

 

[PaintMyHouse]

Was there a point in your life where you determined/ decided there is not God? No flaming please, I am sincerely interested. Do you have thoughts on a afterlife? Do you hold a belief in anything else besides science?

Again, no flaming. Can you define your belief system and how it was developed?

God is unknown, probably unknowable, and dead is dead. What comes from the source returns to the source. In the case of humans the source is nothingness, the same after death as before you were conceived. No Heaven, No Hell, except on earth, nothing.

 

[Nutz]

Was there a point in your life where you determined/ decided there is not God? No flaming please, I am sincerely interested. Do you have thoughts on a afterlife? Do you hold a belief in anything else besides science?

Again, no flaming. Can you define your belief system and how it was developed?

God is unknown, probably unknowable, and dead is dead. What comes from the source returns to the source. In the case of humans the source is nothingness, the same after death as before you were conceived. No Heaven, No Hell, except on earth, nothing.

So you believe, you die, you die...no conscience, no after life, no soul?

 

[PaintMyHouse]

Was there a point in your life where you determined/ decided there is not God? No flaming please, I am sincerely interested. Do you have thoughts on a afterlife? Do you hold a belief in anything else besides science?

Again, no flaming. Can you define your belief system and how it was developed?

God is unknown, probably unknowable, and dead is dead. What comes from the source returns to the source. In the case of humans the source is nothingness, the same after death as before you were conceived. No Heaven, No Hell, except on earth, nothing.

So you believe, you die, you die...no conscience, no after life, no soul?

Exactly. No Wind, if you know what that means. It's Buddhist.

 

[Nutz]

Was there a point in your life where you determined/ decided there is not God? No flaming please, I am sincerely interested. Do you have thoughts on a afterlife? Do you hold a belief in anything else besides science?

Again, no flaming. Can you define your belief system and how it was developed?

God is unknown, probably unknowable, and dead is dead. What comes from the source returns to the source. In the case of humans the source is nothingness, the same after death as before you were conceived. No Heaven, No Hell, except on earth, nothing.

So you believe, you die, you die...no conscience, no after life, no soul?

Exactly. No Wind, if you know what that means. It's Buddhist.

Honestly, I am not all that familiar with Buddhism. Are you a Buddhist?

 

[Nutz]

PaintMyHouse Not to be offensive...but you are pretty much anti-Christian (or any faith), right? Do you think less of people of faith?

 

[Steven_R]

Thank you for that response. So are you more of an agnostic or a flat out Atheist?

Depends. I'm more agnostic in the I allow for the possibility of some supernatural prime mover that started existence, but I also see no proof to back it up. However, I flat out dismiss the whole Biblical and Koran stories, as well as those of every other religion.

Do you have an issue with people of faith, or think less of them?

I have no problem with anyone's beliefs. I do have problems when organized religion goes from just telling their stories to entering into politics and preaching about helping the poor while building solid gold buildings. I do have problems when critical thinking stops in favor of blindly going with faith and twisting science to fit the religion. I have problems with people in churches trying to on-up one another. I also have problems with people using their faith to justify inhumane actions.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I don't remember a time when I believed in a god. I do remember sitting in the cold, dank church and in my mind's nose, I can even still smell it. That combination of old hymnals, wood, stale air from having been closed up all week and the smell of the wood burning stove. And Sunday school in the basement, metal folding chairs, the felt-covered easel with little cut outs on it. The smell of mimeograph ink and the teacher spanking me because my dog followed me.

A very strong memory I have is of learning John 3:16. In my kid mind, I just could not forgive "god" for killing his own son. It wasn't until later that I realized the bible is fictional stories.

I was raised at a time when kids were taught to "respect their elders" and do as we were told so it wasn't until I was 14yo that I refused to go back.

When I was young, I think I tried to believe in a god but the more I read and studied, the crazier all of it was.

That's what strikes me about the various religions and gods now. How crazy it is. We're just so accustomed to people believing in invisible super beings, we accept it.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Was there a point in your life where you determined/ decided there is not God? No flaming please, I am sincerely interested. Do you have thoughts on a afterlife? Do you hold a belief in anything else besides science?

Again, no flaming. Can you define your belief system and how it was developed?

God is unknown, probably unknowable, and dead is dead. What comes from the source returns to the source. In the case of humans the source is nothingness, the same after death as before you were conceived. No Heaven, No Hell, except on earth, nothing.

So you believe, you die, you die...no conscience, no after life, no soul?

No, it's not a 'belief,' it's a fact – the 'after-life' and 'souls' are human inventions.

 

[Nutz]

Was there a point in your life where you determined/ decided there is not God? No flaming please, I am sincerely interested. Do you have thoughts on a afterlife? Do you hold a belief in anything else besides science?

Again, no flaming. Can you define your belief system and how it was developed?

God is unknown, probably unknowable, and dead is dead. What comes from the source returns to the source. In the case of humans the source is nothingness, the same after death as before you were conceived. No Heaven, No Hell, except on earth, nothing.

So you believe, you die, you die...no conscience, no after life, no soul?

No, it's not a 'belief,' it's a fact – the 'after-life' and 'souls' are human inventions.

And you are sure of that out of personal experience?

 

[Coloradomtnman]

I've never believed in a god or supreme being, however one may call it. You would most likely categorize me as an agnostic. I have never chosen to believe anything - to believe is to be convinced of something one doesn't know and I find substituting belief for knowledge to be making a decision without sufficient evidence or reason.

I don't know if there is an afterlife. I don't believe in science. Science isn't about believing, or even knowing; it's about aligning one's models of thinking as accurately as possible to common reality. With our current knowledge, Truth can not be known. That may change in the future and it may change when we die and find that consciousness does continue after brain death, if that is the case.

I try not to have beliefs about things for which I have insufficient information, no knowledge, or am unable to know (such as an afterlife). I think faith in such things is an indication of biased and uncritical analysis. Faith in itself isn't bad, until applied to things for which we do not know in terms of common reality. Faith in yourself is in fact a good thing. Faith in others should be a good thing, if well placed.

When religious people attempt to force others to live by their beliefs is when I have an issue with others' beliefs. Claiming belief as knowledge irks me.

So, do I have a system of beliefs? Yes, but it is very limited in its scope and mostly deals with the mundane.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

“I don't know if there is an afterlife.”

There isn't.

It's a notion contrived by humans to assuage man's fear of death.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

“I don't know if there is an afterlife.”

There isn't.

It's a notion contrived by humans to assuage man's fear of death.

I think there probably isn't, but there isn't enough information to rule it out.

 

[PaintMyHouse]

PaintMyHouse Not to be offensive...but you are pretty much anti-Christian (or any faith), right? Do you think less of people of faith?

Always...

 

[Two Thumbs]

Was there a point in your life where you determined/ decided there is not God? No flaming please, I am sincerely interested. Do you have thoughts on a afterlife? Do you hold a belief in anything else besides science?

Again, no flaming. Can you define your belief system and how it was developed?

The bible and other holy books, don't line up with reality.

that said, I believe there is something, the idea that we are the result of a LOT of coincidences that require me to make assumptions that that is what got us here, is so absurd my vocabulary is to limited to properly describe.

 

[Agit8r]

I don't believe in anything supernatural. I suppose that it is possible that there is some higher power, but I have no faith that there is. There are certain god(s) that I specifically disbelieve in, having given such consideration in the past, and having found that--far from being perfect beings--the morality ascribed to them in their own traditions is beneath even imperfect human beings.

Philosophically, I believe in the ethic of reciprocity, and that one should contribute to the common good of mankind as best one can, given human weakness and the circumstances of life.

 

[Disir]

Was there a point in your life where you determined/ decided there is not God? No flaming please, I am sincerely interested. Do you have thoughts on a afterlife? Do you hold a belief in anything else besides science?

Again, no flaming. Can you define your belief system and how it was developed?

Looking back, it was gradual. I don't think about an afterlife. My life is based in the here and now. If I trusted you then I would be more than happy to explain the process but we don't have that type of relationship. I hope you understand.

Treat people with the dignity of being human until they give you no reason to. Sometimes the kindest act is to shut someone down or off.

 

[Nutz]

Was there a point in your life where you determined/ decided there is not God? No flaming please, I am sincerely interested. Do you have thoughts on a afterlife? Do you hold a belief in anything else besides science?

Again, no flaming. Can you define your belief system and how it was developed?

Looking back, it was gradual. I don't think about an afterlife. My life is based in the here and now. If I trusted you then I would be more than happy to explain the process but we don't have that type of relationship. I hope you understand.

Treat people with the dignity of being human until they give you no reason to. Sometimes the kindest act is to shut someone down or off.

Fair enough.