(October 14, 2015 at 2:53 pm)jenny1972 Wrote: yes you should remain openminded and be aware of the fact that you dont have everything all figured out even scientists dont claim that they do . believe the things that prove themselves and disbelieve the things that do not .

How would you go about proving your God?

Also, many things have been debunked, astrology/acupuncture/etc. Do we need to continue to keep an open mind or can we consign ludicrous ideas to the garbage heap and move on?

(October 14, 2015 at 2:50 pm)TheRocketSurgeon Wrote: We understand what you mean, but you need to look at the fact that well over half of us started out  as believers.

If all atheists were simply never religious, you might be able to argue that atheism was the result of a refusal to consider the possibility of a god.

But that's just not the reality of it. Even for those who never believed, they understand the concept. They just never found the evidence plausible. For those of us (self included) who did believe, we finally saw that the story we had swallowed in order to start believing in the first place was just too flawed, and we realized that our belief was a matter of deluding ourselves via that story. It's the same way kids stop believing in Santa Claus. When they realize the presents under the tree are actually hidden on the top shelf of mom's walk-in closet, then they put the pieces together and realize it's just a story told to make little kids behave. It doesn't mean they refused  to be "open to the possibility", they just recognize the BS at last, and grow up.

i definately think people should live in truth and be honest and speak what they really believe i just think to close your mind due to frustration isnt going to advance truth and personal growth

Trying to explain the path that lead one to the conclusion "god" (in the judeo-chirstian perception) most certainly does not exist to a "devout Christian" is like trying to explain string theory to an ant.

(October 14, 2015 at 3:09 pm)jenny1972 Wrote:

(October 14, 2015 at 2:50 pm)TheRocketSurgeon Wrote: We understand what you mean, but you need to look at the fact that well over half of us started out  as believers.

If all atheists were simply never religious, you might be able to argue that atheism was the result of a refusal to consider the possibility of a god.

But that's just not the reality of it. Even for those who never believed, they understand the concept. They just never found the evidence plausible. For those of us (self included) who did believe, we finally saw that the story we had swallowed in order to start believing in the first place was just too flawed, and we realized that our belief was a matter of deluding ourselves via that story. It's the same way kids stop believing in Santa Claus. When they realize the presents under the tree are actually hidden on the top shelf of mom's walk-in closet, then they put the pieces together and realize it's just a story told to make little kids behave. It doesn't mean they refused  to be "open to the possibility", they just recognize the BS at last, and grow up.

i definately think people should live in truth and be honest and speak what they really believe i just think to close your mind due to frustration isnt going to advance truth and personal growth

Mine is a fairly standard story among atheists.  I was raised Catholic, went through all the normal doubts.  When my doubts started multiplying I became ever more devout for some time - praying a lot more than I had previously until, one day, I just said "enough".

I'm open minded enough that if I'm presented with evidence that can be studied, I'll study it.  I just refuse to accept the many arguments that I've generally been presented with over the years because they amount to personal experiences, arguments from ignorance or personal incredulity, strawmen, or just utter misinformation.

(October 14, 2015 at 3:05 pm)JesusHChrist Wrote:

(October 14, 2015 at 2:53 pm)jenny1972 Wrote: yes you should remain openminded and be aware of the fact that you dont have everything all figured out even scientists dont claim that they do . believe the things that prove themselves and disbelieve the things that do not .

How would you go about proving your God?

Also, many things have been debunked, astrology/acupuncture/etc. Do we need to continue to keep an open mind or can we consign ludicrous ideas to the garbage heap and move on?

can you just remain openminded to the concept that a reality can exist beyond your current ability to perceive it . neither believe or disbelieve ?

(October 14, 2015 at 3:09 pm)jenny1972 Wrote: i definately think people should live in truth and be honest and speak what they really believe i just think to close your mind due to frustration isnt going to advance truth and personal growth

Respectfully, I have no idea what you just said.

Close my mind due to frustration? What frustration? Why would frustration close my mind? And who said my mind is closed?

Has it occurred to you the amount of knowledge I had to gain to understand why my mind did what it did, in the first place, when I deluded myself into religious thinking? 

What's frustrating is to be told that I'm only an atheist because I refuse to believe, or that my only basis for rejecting this claim, Claim #4,285 that I have heard in my lifetime, is because I am closed-minded?

Can you imagine how frustrating it must be, to have learned why people believe the millions of silly things they do (and you think most of the mystical beliefs of others are silly, too, if you really stopped to think about it, and were honest with yourself about it), yet be told every time I won't accept the beliefs of someone telling me their "personal story" that the reason I won't agree with them is because my "mind is closed"?

(October 14, 2015 at 3:13 pm)MentalGiant Wrote: Trying to explain the path that lead one to the conclusion "god" (in the judeo-chirstian perception) most certainly does not exist to a "devout Christian" is like trying to explain string theory to an ant.

whos a devout Christian? religions are stupid

To put it another way, you think the same thing I do about all of these people:







But when it comes to YOUR religious ideas, you ask why I cannot open my mind??

(October 14, 2015 at 3:15 pm)TheRocketSurgeon Wrote:

(October 14, 2015 at 3:09 pm)jenny1972 Wrote: i definately think people should live in truth and be honest and speak what they really believe i just think to close your mind due to frustration isnt going to advance truth and personal growth

Respectfully, I have no idea what you just said.

Close my mind due to frustration? What frustration? Why would frustration close my mind? And who said my mind is closed?

Has it occurred to you the amount of knowledge I had to gain to understand why my mind did what it did, in the first place, when I deluded myself into religious thinking? 

What's frustrating is to be told that I'm only an atheist because I refuse to believe, or that my only basis for rejecting this claim, Claim #4,285 that I have heard in my lifetime, is because I am closed-minded?

Can you imagine how frustrating it must be, to have learned why people believe the millions of silly things they do (and you think most of the mystical beliefs of others are silly, too, if you really stopped to think about it, and were honest with yourself about it), yet be told every time I won't accept the beliefs of someone telling me their "personal story" that the reason I won't agree with them is because my "mind is closed"?

im sorry if you got offended i did not mean to offend and i wasnt directing my comments to you personally or to anyone else personally i just believe that to remain openminded to the idea that God could exist is the only way to eventually connect with God after proof is given to you and no proof can even be acknowledged if any have a closed mind to the idea.

(October 14, 2015 at 3:17 pm)jenny1972 Wrote:

(October 14, 2015 at 3:13 pm)MentalGiant Wrote: Trying to explain the path that lead one to the conclusion "god" (in the judeo-chirstian perception) most certainly does not exist to a "devout Christian" is like trying to explain string theory to an ant.

whos a devout Christian? religions are stupid

Straight from the OP-

Quote:Why the belief in no God? Can anyone explain?

I say this as a theist and a devout christian. I am seriously wonderng why you would choose to be an atheist.