Atheists and gods

[Curious George]

Why should atheists be receptive to the possibility of gods?

A question of ethics and morals?

I am not sure this is answerable without a plea to values. So we ought to be receptive to the possibility of gods iff it promotes our values.

 

[jeager106]

Thank you for sharing that, I hope all works out for you no matter what you want to believe, if it helps then that's great. I myself don't blame the alcohol, or anything that one becomes addicted to, you need an additive nature in the first place. This could be anything, it could be a period in our life when we were subjected to whatever, a bad parent, sexual abuse, raped, post traumatic stress, whatever, some of us are very fragile and therefore are effected much worse than the average person. We then self medicate our selves with whatever, as long as it pushed our pain away, and of course it doesn't, the only way I believe is to deal with it, to realize the past is no longer there, its all in our head. Because its in our heads or should I say the brain, the brain then need its fix, the receptors are continually wanting to be feed, so we become slave to our brain more or less.

Again I believe we need to deal with our underlying problem which really isn't the alcohol, which is secondary to that, find the problem and like a weed, pull it out, well that's what helped me, all the best.

And here is me singing One Day At a Time just for you.

Wow! How special; thank you.

 

[Underhill]

Possibility means that a basis exists to support something.

There is no such basis on which possibilities can be made.

So no. Athiests cannot be receptive.

The point is if they were a basis...

I don't believe Aliens have visited us. That doesn't mean it isn't possible, just that with the evidence at hand I don't believe it.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Anyone who seeks the Real Truth must be open to all possibilities. Sometimes the Real Truth can be what we least expect or something that we don't want.
With your question in mind, perhaps you should ask if atheists seek the Real Truth or are they like some religious people content with their beliefs and not actively searching for the Real Truth?

I'm sure with the diversity of people there are lots of variables and much diversity.

Consider a possible state of things: three doors down from you, the people who live their don't spend their nights sleeping; instead, they spend their nights making butter scupltures. They have night vision goggles to do this in the dark. They're very self-conscious about their work; that's why they never exhibit it.

If you never bother to investigate whether your neighbours really are doing this (maybe by tracking how much butter they bring in, or by getting your own night vision goggles and peering in their window at night), are you "not actively searching for the Real Truth"?

 

[BilliardsBall]

Why should atheists be receptive to the possibility of gods?

Because genetics has proven we all have a religious gene. And atheists shouldn't long to be genetically defective (abnormal). Mwa-ha-ha . . .

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Because genetics has proven we all have a religious gene. And atheists shouldn't long to be genetically defective (abnormal). Mwa-ha-ha . . .

So we should give belief in gods the same sort of status we give to cravings for salt and sugar?

 

[Willamena]

Why should atheists be receptive to the possibility of gods?

Because of what "believe" means. There is a large section of the population that affords "gods" belief, which implies credibility, understanding, and of course acceptance. That is significant.

 

[Willamena]

It seems to me logic imposes a burden to admit the possibility of deity in much the same manner as it imposes a burden to admit the possibility that there is an undetectable elf farting invisible rainbows beneath my window at the moment.

I think you're right: logic imposes the same exact burden on each possibility, which is none.

 

[Willamena]

Anyone who wishes to learn something should be receptive the possibility of practically anything.

They lock up people who are open to the possibility that they are Napoleon Bonaparte, and with good reason.

See? I was open, but wound up saying, “nope.” Not definitively, you understand, but a big enough “nope” that I now dismiss the proposition. And I do the same thing with gods – or at least those gods that have been explained to me.

Your testing doesn't indicate openness, but reasonable doubt.

 

[Soundwave99]

Pretty wise for such a young person.
I mean that.
Let me say that IF we had evidence we'd probably ALL believe.
Faith requires no evidence.
Blind faith is another matter and to me kinda dumb.

Thank you. Faith is hard, but maybe someday I'll be able to have it. I hope so, but I don't know...

 

[Cephus]

Thank you. Faith is hard, but maybe someday I'll be able to have it. I hope so, but I don't know...

Why in the world would anyone wish to be delusional?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Why in the world would anyone wish to be delusional?

For certain personality types it can result in less anxiety and fear, and an overall more comforting existence. It's not the worst way to go if one is capable of pulling it off.

 

[David T]

We probably should not. At least not before a clear understanding of what those gods would be is presented.

Until then, it is essentially giving a name to a placeholder that may well fit no place whatsoever.

That's probably good approach. Leave open that God cosmos nature Re probably three notes of a single string

 

[David T]

Why should atheists be receptive to the possibility of gods?

Because they have emperical proof religion is probably the worst at defining the term God. I might say atheists if you are counting on religion to be clear on the term uh not good.

 

[Jeremiahcp]

Thank you. Faith is hard, but maybe someday I'll be able to have it. I hope so, but I don't know...

"Faith is hard,"

Truth is harder.

 

[Cephus]

For certain personality types it can result in less anxiety and fear, and an overall more comforting existence. It's not the worst way to go if one is capable of pulling it off.

So... damaged people? Instead of just fixing their mental damage, they'd rather just go with something that makes them feel good?

 

[Soundwave99]

Why in the world would anyone wish to be delusional?

If I found out religion was true, then I would want to believe in it. I hope one day that I'll be proven wrong and find out that God exists. I doubt this will happen, but I would like it to.

 

[Soundwave99]

For certain personality types it can result in less anxiety and fear, and an overall more comforting existence. It's not the worst way to go if one is capable of pulling it off.

"Faith is hard,"

Truth is harder.

It's not that I can't deal with not having a belief in God, it's just that I would feel better if I knew God existed. I would have easy answers, I would know what to do, etc. I can still get those things without theistic belief, it's just harder in most cases.

 

[Cephus]

If I found out religion was true, then I would want to believe in it. I hope one day that I'll be proven wrong and find out that God exists. I doubt this will happen, but I would like it to.

I would too, *IF* I found out that it were true. However, it is not. There is no evidence that it is so and it is extremely unlikely that there ever will be. So why wish for something that isn't going to be so?

 

[Soundwave99]

I would too, *IF* I found out that it were true. However, it is not. There is no evidence that it is so and it is extremely unlikely that there ever will be. So why wish for something that isn't going to be so?

I don't know. I think it's just because I've always been religious and am so exposed to religion, so because of that I'm always hearing about how religion fills a hole in people's lives and gives them answers and comfort and all that good stuff. I have a lot of anxiety sometimes and I miss being able to pray to relieve it. I miss being able to consult the Bible for answers.

Also, I live in the US where atheists are the second most disliked group. I don't like being part of a disliked group (I'm already half middle eastern, so I have to deal with that too-being a part of two despised groups is harder than just one. When I was a Christian, I was just part of one disliked group. I know there are others who have it worse than I do, though, but it's still hard for me). I'm not comfortable coming out as an atheist, which sucks. I don't like being in the closet. If I were a Christian, I wouldn't have to deal with all this. I could be open about my beliefs. I wouldn't have to hide anything.

I know that there's no evidence for Christianity, but if there were, I would be happy because it would be an easy solution to at least 50% of the problems in my life. I won't like be converting or anything, I just miss what I used to have.