If you disbelieve in God, why do you disbelieve in Him?

[AmbiguousGuy]

Thanks for answering, AmbiguousGuy.

I disagree. People who believe have personal evidence. They can see how God has worked in their life.

The god which I experience in my life tells me that the God of Abraham and of Muhammed was created by those men by taking their dreams too literally.

I discount the Quran and the Torah and the Bible. So do you think that I disbelieve in God? Or would you agree that I follow a different God than most?

 

[Yahyaa Waahid]

First, I didn't choose to be atheistic. You might not have meant it this way, but I don't like that terminology. Religious beliefs aren't a choice. I can't just choose to start believing in God again.

Now, I was raised Catholic and spent the first 18 years of my life believing in God and Christianity. The reasons I don't believe anymore:

There is no evidence for a theistic god.
Yahweh doesn't make sense logically.

Thanks for answering, Magic Man.

Could the God of Christ have closed your spiritual eyes because of something that you did?

Yahyaa Waahid

 

[Yahyaa Waahid]

Few things.
1) I didn't choose to be an atheist. I realized I was one. It wasn't a life choice its a personal realization that I came too.

2) Why do you "believe"?

Thanks for answering, Monk Of Reason.

1) We will have to agree to disagree about atheism being a choice. The way I see it we can choose to believe or disbelieve.

2) I think that it is the nature of man to believe in a God. I think that because of a lack of connection to the One God, experiences make some people turn away from what is natural.

Peace.
Yahyaa Waahid

 

[AmbiguousGuy]

We will have to agree to disagree about atheism being a choice. The way I see it we can choose to believe or disbelieve.

If you would like to test this, try deciding to believe that a family of leprachauns lives under your desk.

Can you choose to believe that?

 

[Yahyaa Waahid]

You may as well ask me why I don't believe in the tooth farie, there has never Been prof that there is a god, so just like anything that has no prof I cannot say I believe in.

People of faith have their own personal proof. Could it be that God reserves proof for those who embrace faith?

Yahyaa Waahid

 

[Yahyaa Waahid]

The way you phrase your question suggests that you see theistic belief as a kind of "norm" from which atheists perversely choose to deviate. I would argue that the opposite is true: that one does not assert belief in an entity unless there is reason to do so. Without clear evidence of a god's existence, atheism is the default condition.

Thanks for answering, johnhanks.

Lol I said nothing about perversion. Perhaps you have a guilty conscience. I see belief in a God as natural, and that a lack of connection to the True God makes some people behave unnaturally.

Peace.
Yahyaa Waahid

 

[Yahyaa Waahid]

I have 2 reasons

1) I searched as much information as I could, I reflected upon it greatly and I challenged and still challenge my result. I concluded for myself no god exists.

2) In my search I found I am Happy with this life and have no desire to be with a god or continue to live forever. I will eventually want to rest in peace.

Thanks for answering, bobhikes.

 

[Yahyaa Waahid]

Ambiguous Guy and johnhanks touched on two important points. Like others have said, theism is not the "norm", and I didn't really choose to be atheist. After 30 years of believing in the concept of theism, I realized that not only did I not really believe it, I had no good reason to. And this is the main reason why I don't believe in 'god'-there's absolutely no reason to. The only evidence of god's existence is a few people claiming to have heard from it. And people are notoriously unreliable. I'd rather trust myself and my own knowledge and experiences than someone else's.

Thanks for answering, dyanaprajna2011.

"Norm" is not the right word; I believe that faith in a God is human nature and that a lack of connection to the True God makes some people choose to go against nature.

I find that faith in a God fortifies me in the struggles of life; that is a reason to believe, life is explained and peacefully understood as we struggle through it.

Peace.
Yahyaa Waahid

 

[Yahyaa Waahid]

One has to understand what suffering is. Suffering in this life can never be ended, belief in God or not. That is the nature of existence. Suffering includes, and is caused by attachment even to loved ones. How many people are ever at peace when they lose a loved one, belief in God or not? Even in their belief in God, they are suffering because they miss that person.

People are attached to the happiness in their lives and don't wish it to ever end. But that is attachment, because when something does happen they are distressed and unhappy. That is suffering whether they believe in God or not.

God does not end suffering.

Well, I believe like theBible says, that with the True God, He will keep the one whose mind is stayed on Him in perfect peace. Isaiah 26:3: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

Peace.
Yahyaa Waahid

 

[YmirGF]

Greetings...I just would like to ask this because I see alot of atheism and I would like to learn why someone would choose to be atheistic.

Thank you very much for all answers.

My atheistic stance was my starting point in my formative years, having come from a long line of proud atheists. Since my early 20's I've had somewhat remarkable spiritual adventures that have now spanned several decades and have turned my notions of reality upside down. I know that many will tell you it is impossible - but it's not like they actually know what they are talking about - but I have met my own vision of god on more than one occasion. For a very long time, I saw god everywhere I looked - in every thing - yes, even in the stoned dull eyes of the drug addicted.

Then, I began to see past my projections and if you can understand it, reality became even more magical - even more miraculous. What theists have a hard time wrapping their heads around is that reality is even more wondrous without a god figure directing affairs. What I am saying is that I began to understand that the world neatly matched my expectations or my ideas of how things SHOULD be. Then I began looking a bit deeper and I found that reality is far richer and eventually tossed aside my primitive notions of god(s). I've never looked back... nor shall I - ever...

 

[Yahyaa Waahid]

In my case, I don't think there was ever a choice. Belief in the existence of a god is just not something that I have, want to have, or could choose to have.

Thanks for answering, LuisDantas.

My disagreeing is not significant, but I do disagree. I think that atheism is a choice.

Peace.
Yahyaa Waahid

 

[Yahyaa Waahid]

The god which I experience in my life tells me that the God of Abraham and of Muhammed was created by those men by taking their dreams too literally.

I discount the Quran and the Torah and the Bible. So do you think that I disbelieve in God? Or would you agree that I follow a different God than most?

I think that you disbelieve in the God of Abraham...

Peace.
Yahyaa Waahid

 

[Yahyaa Waahid]

If you would like to test this, try deciding to believe that a family of leprachauns lives under your desk.

Can you choose to believe that?

The God of the Torah does not identify Himself as a family of leprechauns living under my desk, so it isn't a true parallel.

Peace.
Yahyaa Waahid

 

[Koldo]

The God of the Torah does not identify Himself as a family of leprechauns living under my desk, so it isn't a true parallel.

Peace.
Yahyaa Waahid

Can you choose at this moment to disbelieve god's existence?

 

[Yahyaa Waahid]

My atheistic stance was my starting point in my formative years, having come from a long line of proud atheists. Since my early 20's I've had somewhat remarkable spiritual adventures that have now spanned several decades and have turned my notions of reality upside down. I know that many will tell you it is impossible - but it's not like they actually know what they are talking about - but I have met my own vision of god on more than one occasion. For a very long time, I saw god everywhere I looked - in every thing - yes, even in the stoned dull eyes of the drug addicted.

Then, I began to see past my projections and if you can understand it, reality became even more magical - even more miraculous. What theists have a hard time wrapping their heads around is that reality is even more wondrous without a god figure directing affairs. What I am saying is that I began to understand that the world neatly matched my expectations or my ideas of how things SHOULD be. Then I began looking a bit deeper and I found that reality is far richer and eventually tossed aside my primitive notions of god(s). I've never looked back... nor shall I - ever...

Thanks for answering, YmirGF.

 

[Yahyaa Waahid]

Can you choose at this moment to disbelieve god's existence?

The way I see it, I can.

Peace.
Yahyaa Waahid

 

[LuisDantas]

Thanks for answering, LuisDantas.

My disagreeing is not significant, but I do disagree. I think that atheism is a choice.

Peace.
Yahyaa Waahid

That is very significant, I think. And very unfortunate, alas.

 

[Koldo]

The way I see it, I can.

Peace.
Yahyaa Waahid

Since you can do it...
Let's try an experiment:

Disbelieve in god's existence and tell me how it feels. How your perception of the world and life changes.

You can switch back after you write your post.

 

[Magic Man]

Thanks for answering, AmbiguousGuy.

I disagree. People who believe have personal evidence. They can see how God has worked in their life.

Peace.
Yahyaa Waahid

They can see things that they believe are God working in their lives, but there is no actual evidence that it is actually God. Humans like to see patterns and attribute things to intelligent agency, even when there is no pattern or intelligent agency.

Thanks for answering, Magic Man.

Could the God of Christ have closed your spiritual eyes because of something that you did?

Yahyaa Waahid

Sure. It's also possible Zeus closed my eyes because he doesn't like my face. It's also possible that an invisible dragon is about to breathe fire on me. I don't put much stock in any of these equally plausible possibilities, though.

 

[Magic Man]

Thanks for answering, LuisDantas.

My disagreeing is not significant, but I do disagree. I think that atheism is a choice.

Peace.
Yahyaa Waahid

Then you are wrong.