Most of us know good from bad. Some are better than others and a few are really the best.
The better and best of us should be doing enough for any bonuses. If not then God or whomever isn’t a good communicator.
there were only two possibilities, so the odds were 50/50,
Awesome, the odds of me balling Kate Upton just improved to 50/50.
Not really.
I’ve said this to Rob (ESM) before.
If you don’t believe there is an invisible lion standing behind you, you aren’t really concerned with the consequences of being wrong. “What if the invisible lion eats me?” doesn’t really enter our thoughts because, well, you don’t believe it exists in the first place.
Crap, now you have me all worried about the invisible lion. What’s really worrying is the invisible tiger that is waiting to pounce right as you look over your shoulder for the invisible lion!
Your jest brings up an interesting point. If you make like Pascal and try to appease the invisible lion of Christianity by worshipping the Christian “God” and Jesus, then don’t you thereby run the risk of angering the invisible tiger known as Allah? And vice versa?
Brillant post! You have pointed out exactly why they fight endless idiot wars in the middle east! The invisible lion was worried about the invisible tiger! Why can’t they just be friends?
And what if Pascal is just offering a countably aleph-naught infinite happiness and Allah offers aleph-one infinite happiness? I’m going to have to do some work on the odds to recompute my religion…
Methinks you’re giving a bit too much non-mathematical meaning to Cantor’s method of comparing infinities. 
I am an atheist. I have always wondered if I was wrong.
I don’t get my fellow atheists who claim otherwise. Did you just stop thinking entirely when you became an atheist?
Of course maybe I am just paranoid… .
ding ding ding
Hey just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean there not out to get me.
Without trying to sound sarcastic or condescending, how do Christians (or you, if you don’t want to speak on other’s behalf) explain god never making his presence known?
I feel like it would be like having a pen pal who never writes back. Putting your thoughts and beliefs down on paper may be cathartic and spiritual for you, but your lazy pen pal seems to be receiving all the credit for your happiness and goodwill.
Again, I don’t mean to sound like an a-hole, I just believe that most people are inherently good and should give themselves more credit.
I would if I encountered some evidence that I was incorrect. Otherwise I’m just wasting time rehashing things I’ve already thought about. Do you habitually reconsider decisions you’ve already made without any new evidence? More importantly does it ever prove productive?
Christianity believes neither of these things. You aren’t saved by worshiping God, and you are also not saved by being a good person. No one is that good we all sin against each other and God.
A related, but important question is if you are wrong, why do you want to go through life on your own when you could have a relationship with God? Life is better with God. When you live according to God’s will, life is much better and you avoid many of the heartaches of living according to your own will.
First, responding to the above post: I honestly have no idea what it means to ‘have a relationship with God’. I was a Christian through high school, I prayed before going to bed, I attended Sunday school, went to mass every week, yada yada. In all those years, however, I never had a ‘relationship’ with God…did he answer my prayers? Did he make my life better, or easier, or more fulfilling? Nothing of substance ever came of my faith, ‘rejoicing in the glory of the lord’ didn’t do anything for me and the weakness of those who turned to God when life was too tough ultimately soured me from the religion…I can be strong and live a fulfilling life without singing praise and putting my faith in something that has never shown itself to actually be present.
Now that aside, to the OP: I’ve thought about the question you pose, and ultimately I’ve come to the same conclusion: if this omnipotent, omnipresent being does exist, which ‘faith’ most accurately represents his views on morality and sacrifice and spirituality? I like the idea of just being a good person, living by basic tenets of morality and letting the cards fall where they may when my earthly body is decaying six feet underground.
I agree with this 100%.
It bothers me to no end when people give up responsibility for their lives and claim “It is God’s will.” No, it is your (in the collective sense) responsibility. If you are so worried about being alone, get a cat. Stop relying on someone other than yourself to determine how your life turns out.
I don’t worry about my athiesm. I think about it occasionally, usually read the threads about it on here, and have yet had a convincing argument presented to me that there is a God.
I would hope those who do believe in God also go through that check.
I am an atheist. I have always wondered if I was wrong.
I don’t get my fellow atheists who claim otherwise. Did you just stop thinking entirely when you became an atheist?
Thank you. This thread seems to be a good example for why there is a dislike for atheists, so much of what has been written is just pompous know it all garbage. Where as, if you were really that smart you would realize that there is so much to the universe that we will never know, yet you keep spouting this stuff about what you KNOW doesn’t exist.
Thank you. This thread seems to be a good example for why there is a dislike for atheists, so much of what has been written is just pompous know it all garbage. Where as, if you were really that smart you would realize that there is so much to the universe that we will never know, yet you keep spouting this stuff about what you KNOW doesn’t exist.
Hey Dan, what I find most amusing about these discussions is that we have covered the underlined statement like a bagillion times, and it just will never sink into your fat head that that is not what we claim.
Likewise, we have have given a bagillion examples of things that you don’t believe exsists, and yet it will never sink into your fat head that our belief in God is no different than your belief in gremlins and santa clause.
Now either you are really dumb, or really dishonest, but either way, I expect that if we do another bagillion rounds and it won’t make the slightest difference with you.
I am an atheist. I have always wondered if I was wrong.
I don’t get my fellow atheists who claim otherwise. Did you just stop thinking entirely when you became an atheist?
Thank you. This thread seems to be a good example for why there is a dislike for atheists, so much of what has been written is just pompous know it all garbage. Where as, if you were really that smart you would realize that there is so much to the universe that we will never know, yet you keep spouting this stuff about what you KNOW doesn’t exist.
Naw- bad example. Very few atheists would claim that they know for sure that there is no deity of some sort. Lack of belief in a diety is not the same as belief there is no deity. A subtle but important distinction.
Bertran Russell’s teapot.
So- there must be some other reason why people dislike atheists. hmmmm. whatever could it be.
I am an atheist. I have always wondered if I was wrong.
I don’t get my fellow atheists who claim otherwise. Did you just stop thinking entirely when you became an atheist?
Just because I don’t spend much time wondering if I’m wrong doesn’t mean that I just mindlessly walk through life without thinking. Since there’s like a billion other made up stories out there, maybe I’m just spreading myself really thin wondering about if all the other myths and legends are real and don’t really have a lot of time left over for God.
I went to church all through my childhood until high school when I rebelled and knew I didn’t believe in God. I don’t feel comfortable saying “Well, I don’t know for sure that there is no God so what the heck, I’ll believe in him.” I look at what I was taught, what I read and come to the conclusion there isn’t one. Until someone can show me something that tells me I am wrong, I’m not going to believe in God. That doesn’t mean I refuse to look at counter-arguments, it’s just that they are always the same and generally go back to a book saying it is so. I see things we don’t understand and have decided that our lack of understanding has nothing to do with God, it is because we haven’t learned the reason scientifically yet. I see God used as a shortcut that I won’t use.
If you believe in God, you have a book that seemingly explains everything. If you don’t believe in God, there is no single book that conveniently answers all the questions. Maybe we’d be accepted if we did. Perhaps a pamphlet we can leave on people’s doors.
Hey Dan, what I find most amusing about these discussions is that we have covered the underlined statement like a bagillion times, and it just will never sink into your fat head that that is not what we claim.
Likewise, we have have given a bagillion examples of things that you don’t believe exsists, and yet it will never sink into your fat head that our belief in God is no different than your belief in gremlins and santa clause.
Now either you are really dumb, or really dishonest, but either way, I expect that if we do another bagillion rounds and it won’t make the slightest difference with you.
WOW !
Such anger, hatred and name calling directed at ME, whom you have NEVER had this discussion with.
Yes, YOU have problems*. * I hope you are able to deal with your issues before they cause you trouble.
“I suppose there is a scenario where I’d believe there was an invisible lion behind me, but there would have to be a series of compelling reasons to believe that.”
I suppose if I saw the invisible lion eat someone else I might get a tad concerned.
The rage filled hate that BarryP just spewed says more than needs to be said.
I am comfortable with this thread showing the pompousness of the atheists here, with just one or two posts by proclaimed atheists showing true intelligent open mindedness.
Don’t lump us all together please. It is just as offensive to us as it is to you when we lump all Christians together.
I was including you in the one or two, I should have said a couple. 