The "Power = Force" Fallacy

[Samantha Rinne]

Otherwise known as the "If God is all-powerful, why doesn't he prove himself to make me believe he exists?"

I'm gonna ask a rhetorical poll, which means you have no choice but to answer a certain way. With any luck, you'll understand exactly why God doesn't do this, just by participating in the poll.

The point of all of this, to those who ask, is that I strongly suspect atheists have two mindsets on a higher than normal degree when compared with faith populations. One of these is dichotomy thinking, that is breaking reality into a series of unrealistic either/or options (such as "either God will force me to believe in him/God doesn't exist because he didn't show his power") and fatalism (that free will doesn't, or shouldn't exist). So we're giving you an weighted yes/no to show you exactly the problem with this mentality.

 

[McBell]

It is not {Insert Religion Here} I have a problem with.
It is the followers of {Insert Religion Here} I have the problem with.

 

[Samantha Rinne]

I feel ya.

My best friend apparently used to help out a church (unsure if she herself was a follower). But something went down where she needed the keys to the church early to do her job, and they were all kinda useless, and she had to get to another church or something and was stuck. I think that's what I heard, I remember it kinda garbled. Then the priest stood up for them rather than her. The followers, and even the priests sometimes, are reason #1 for alot of ppl to ditch the scene.

 

[Revoltingest]

I hate it when people equate power with force.
Simply put (no calculus)....
Power = Force x Distance / Time

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Otherwise known as the "If God is all-powerful, why doesn't he prove himself to make me believe he exists?"

I'm gonna ask a rhetorical poll, which means you have no choice but to answer a certain way. With any luck, you'll understand exactly why God doesn't do this, just by participating in the poll.

The point of all of this, to those who ask, is that I strongly suspect atheists have two mindsets on a higher than normal degree when compared with faith populations. One of these is dichotomy thinking, that is breaking reality into a series of unrealistic either/or options (such as "either God will force me to believe in him/God doesn't exist because he didn't show his power") and fatalism (that free will doesn't, or shouldn't exist). So we're giving you an weighted yes/no to show you exactly the problem with this mentality.

My question is, what is the nature of this god that you would want to make you believe in him?

As an atheist, these questions are confusion because there is no "legend" to describe what god exactly first.

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

Otherwise known as the "If God is all-powerful, why doesn't he prove himself to make me believe he exists?"

This is a poor framing of the situation all the way around.

When someone provides evidence of a murder having been committed by an individual, have they FORCED you to believe that the individual committed the murder? Are you being serious?

 

[Aupmanyav]

In fact, if all the Gods and Allahs of the Abrahamic religions make a combined effort to impress me, then also I will remain an atheist.

 

[Samantha Rinne]

I hate it when people equate power with force.
Simply put (no calculus)....
Power = Force x Distance / Time

You're awesome!

When someone provides evidence of a murder having been committed by an individual, have they FORCED you to believe that the individual committed the murder? Are you being serious?

Well, they are ideally trying to get you to agree that the person in question should be sentenced for murder. Whether you believe they did or not is irrelevant as long as they can trick 12 fools into voting guilty. I think the analogy stands.