Why are atheist...atheist?

[ipnaf]

Far as i know, atheist choose to believe that God does not exist. My question is why?

Actually my non-belief wasn't a choice. It was a realization that I simply didn't have any reason to believe. I searched for answers for several years after becoming disillusioned with the Christian dogma I was indoctrinated with as a child. I thought I would find some writing or literature somewhere that would give me a solid reason to believe, but that was a fruitless endeavor. Prayer got me nowhere, and I eventually figured there was simply no god "out there."

I, myself, am spiritual and am not really affiliated with any religion. I choose to believe God exist because I think the laws of physics just randomly or coincidently happenening the way they did out of the infinite other possible options is rediculously unlikely. So unlikely that i choose to believe in some intelligent design instead.

This is what is commonly known as an "argument from incredulity" or "argument from ignorance" (no insult intended). I don't know how many things came about, but not knowing doesn't automatically imply that a god did it. It is just something I don't know. Plugging in a god really doesn't answer the question. It just begs another question, "Where did the god come from?"

As far as what God is like don't know. Is he an individual, a collective, or more like a computer with no real consciousness as we might call it? I couldn't answer with as much conviction as believing in God, but I do have my beliefs about his nature.

Why would this individual, collective, computer or whatever require the label of "God?"

But to just assert that God doesn't exist without any real supporting evidence is just as ignorant as religious people saying he does exist and describing what he's like. To me, it sounds like Atheist choose not to believe in God simply because it makes them feel more sure of reality, same reason religious people choose to believe.

I do not assert that God doesn't exist. I simply have no reason to believe that your assertion is true. I'm not 100% certain there is no god because I can't prove a negative, but I very strongly doubt it. Like I pointed out above, not knowing how or why we or anything else got here doesn't automatically imply a god did it. The burden of proof is on your shoulders my friend. That's basic logic.

Why not simply admit one does not know instead taking a stance of certainty? That, to me, is inherently ignorant.

Exactly!
How can you be certain there is a god? Why not simply admit you don't know?

P.S
I asked this same question on yahoo answers and for some reason offended alot of people. I thought atheist weren't not as prone to respond like religious people when someone questions there beliefs. I'm just curious, not looking to convert anyone or anything like that.

There are are a lot of uptight people on Yahoo Answers. That's why I came over here too.
A lot of people were offended because you made assumptions that were not true about many Atheists. Like in your post here, you are assuming that Atheists are certain on their stance concerning the existence of a god, and that they "chose" to disbelieve. Stating these assumptions as given come across as an insult to our intelligence and shows that you haven't talked to very many atheists, or that you simply don't want to acknowledge their responses.

- Mike