Does God Love the Atheist?

[icehorse]

I'm not putting any words in your mouth, you literally said:

Hence:

once again, I DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD !!!

therefore, my comments were directed at believers

 

[Father Heathen]

I think God knows what he has put into one's heart and soul regarding his existence. He knows if someone rejects him, why they are doing it. He knows how people think. He can make a perfect judgment, with all factors considered, into how we should have lived and could have lived, should have believed and could have believed. He also knows who is rejecting based on pride, unwillingness to be humble. He knows how we were raised. He knows who and what has influenced us. In the end, only God is qualified to make a righteous judgment. He cannot be fooled. He knows all of us better than we know ourselves.

He sees you when you're sleeping
And he knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake

 

[Father Heathen]

You'd have to believe he exists in order to accept him. Many children don't accept their parents, which is unfortunate. However, we would never say that they didn't accept their parents if that child has not seen the parent in order to know whether to accept them or not. The same logic is with god. Children who have not met their parents cannot deny they exist.

The process of human procreation can be observed and experienced, so not an apt comparison.

 

[Aupmanyav]

OP: Mercy! Knowing what God or Allah does to test the believers, atheist like me will like to keep a far distance from him. I am better untested.

 

[Trailblazer]

Even though the atheist has either chosen not to believe or outright reject God.

Yes, according to my religion God loves atheists as much as He loves believers.

"How ignorant therefore the thought that God who created man, educated and nurtured him, surrounded him with all blessings, made the sun and all phenomenal existence for his benefit, bestowed upon him tenderness and kindness, and then did not love him. This is palpable ignorance, for no matter to what religion a man belongs even though he be an atheist or materialist nevertheless God nurtures him, bestows His kindness and sheds upon him His light."

('Abdu'l-Baha, Star of the West, Vol. 8, issue 7, p. 78)

 

[Trailblazer]

OP: Mercy! Knowing what God or Allah does to test the believers, atheist like me will like to keep a far distance from him. I am better untested.

No worries, God reserves the tests for believers.

55. O Son of Being!
Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold, and with gold We test Our servants.

The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah

 

[joelr]

Even though the atheist has either chosen not to believe or outright reject God.

I have not "chosen" to believe anything. Unless you want to say I choose to believe in a round Earth or I choose to believe the world-serpent is a mythic creature.
This is what evidence demonstrates. Believing what is shown to be most likely true is not much of a choice.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

The process of human procreation can be observed and experienced, so not an apt comparison.

I'm not sure how this fits. To accept god you'd have to believe he exists. To accept your biological mother with whom hasn't raised you, you'd have to believe she exists.

The nature of god's existence and whether one can find evidence for him or not isn't the point above.

 

[Audie]

Even though the atheist has either chosen not to believe or outright reject God.

What makes you think " god" exists, has emotions, or wants toadies to worship it?

FTM, what in earth makes you think
atheists "reject" god?

 

[Audie]

I have not "chosen" to believe anything. Unless you want to say I choose to believe in a round Earth or I choose to believe the world-serpent is a mythic creature.
This is what evidence demonstrates. Believing what is shown to be most likely true is not much of a choice.

Um, what is it you are finding to be most likely true?

 

[Audie]

Let's see. Many atheists spend a lot of time reading various scriptures in order to debunk them. They think of God quite a bit and what God would do if He actually existed. These atheists could even be said to meditate on God's non-existence. They often think of God more than the one who says he believes but only does superficially.

What does scripture have to say? The Bible is pretty clear who God has a problem with: What Does the Bible Say About Hypocrisy? assuming you believe in the Bible, of course.

That's not my personal view which is that God's love is not affected by His children's misdeeds although there are consequences to actions.

You seem to know a lot about people you don't know.

 

[Aupmanyav]

No worries, God reserves the tests for believers.
"O Son of Being!Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold, and with gold We test Our servants."

That is what I meant. I do not want to be tested with fire for no reason of mine. Why should I humor God or Allah?

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

Children who have not met their parents cannot deny they exist.

But they also can't deny the overwhelming evidence that everyone born into this world has done so by the action of parents. There is no such evidence for our having been created by God. In fact, the whole idea that we have Earthly parents as our ultimate creators sort of relegates God's necessity of involvement in the process to absolute ZERO.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

But they also can't deny the overwhelming evidence that everyone born into this world has done so by the action of parents. There is no such evidence for our having been created by God. In fact, the whole idea that we have Earthly parents as our ultimate creators sort of relegates God's necessity of involvement in the process to absolute ZERO.

You'd have to believe he exists in order to accept him. Many children don't accept their parents, which is unfortunate. However, we would never say that they didn't accept their parents if that child has not seen the parent in order to know whether to accept them or not. The same logic is with god. Children who have not met their parents cannot deny they exist.

I had to read the context since you singled out what I was saying. You have to believe god exists in order to accept him. Many children do not accept their parents. However, we would never say that they didn't accept their parents; they haven't met them to accept or deny or reject them. It's not in their brains they have a biological parent just the one that raised them in this scenario. The same logic is with god.

The evidence of god's existence is irrelevant.

 

[Goddess Kit]

Any believer can make any claim of how any deity is loving me.

It's rather insulting, actually, to make the claim that god loves me even though I disbelieve in him.

Just one of the reason's why theists aren't so loving.

 

[Nakosis]

What makes you think " god" exists, has emotions, or wants toadies to worship it?

I'm asking folks who through their religious beliefs believe they have some knowledge of this.

FTM, what in earth makes you think
atheists "reject" god?

Because I have come across some who have stated so. However, mostly I'm asking from the POV of the religious position. I'm curious about the tenets specified by the various religions regards atheists.

 

[Audie]

I'm asking folks who through their religious beliefs believe they have some knowledge of this.



Because I have come across some who have stated so. However, mostly I'm asking from the POV of the religious position. I'm curious about the tenets specified by the various religions regards atheists.

Ah, ok. But an actual atheist rejects the idea of God, as one cannot reject the nonexistent.

Semantics maybe, but its a trick theos use to claim atheists do believe but are in rebellion.

 

[Nakosis]

I have not "chosen" to believe anything. Unless you want to say I choose to believe in a round Earth or I choose to believe the world-serpent is a mythic creature.
This is what evidence demonstrates. Believing what is shown to be most likely true is not much of a choice.

Well, you have more certainty than I do. There is IMO a limit to the reducibility of the universe. Which means that anything we accept as knowledge requires some basis of belief. So maybe you haven't chosen but this is more likely due to being unaware of the choices available.

 

[Scott C.]

He sees you when you're sleeping
And he knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake

Yeah, just like Santa!

 

[Father Heathen]

Yeah, just like Santa!

Except one gives you a lump of coal, the other gives you eternal damnation.