A Quote For Atheist to consider :

[Anymouse]

Atheism: The belief that there was nothing and nothing happened to nothing and then nothing magically exploded for no reason, creating everything and then a bunch of everything magically rearranged itself for no reason what so ever into self replicating bits which then turned into dinosaurs.

Makes perfect since.

Note: edited for grammatical errors in my response.

Well, I suppose the response would be similar if ten or more atheists a month jumped in on a Christian or other theist forum and simply regurgitated "there is no proof for (your) god so there must be none." As a Wiccan, I am not suicidal enough to do that (enter a Christian forum).

However:

Scientific theory (and scientists) do not claim everything started from nothing. Some Christian theologians claim that scientists believe that. Several theories have waxed and waned over the years, the Big Bang being the most prevalent today (but look out String Theory is up and coming). Infinity is accepted as a concept in science just as it is in Christianity.

Unlike most religions, however, science does not need to resort to an unprovable position "God did it" when scientists cannot explain something. That position is ultimately fatal to theologic tautology for two reasons:

a) As science explains more and more of the natural world, theology retreats to fewer and fewer places, resulting in what has been termed "A god of the gaps" (we can't explain it, so a god did it).

b) If science were to ever uncover actual proof of the existence of a deity, in the very instant it did, faith would be eradicated, as proof now exists. And in that instant, religion would cease to exist, because it would become science.

Unlike (most) religions, science is comfortable with the statement "for now, we do not know." Organised religions can never be satisfied with that: they must be certain. And not only are they certain, they are also certain all other religious views are wrong. All with no evidence other than old books of dubious translation. And since they are certain, they must convince others that they are wrong.

The Inquisition was not a perversion of Christianity, it was an expression of Christianity. What is a little suffering on Earth compared to the everlasting torment of Hell by a loving God if your Immortal Soul is at stake? Those so tortured should be glad of the Faithful saving their souls.

Why is the Christian version of creation "the only way" and all other faiths wrong? Outside of the Bible, what proof do you have that Shinto, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Wicca, or any of a hundred thousand faiths postulated over the history of Man are incorrect visions of deity, and yours is correct?

When the Christian squares off here with their "proof," they are actually trying to destroy the foundations of their own religion. That person also takes what they allege is God's greatest creation, mankind (by one of two mutually exclusive methods, depending on whether you believe Gen chapter 1 or 2), made in the image of God, and state that man's curiosity and desire to explain and understand the Universe is evil. It cannot be evil if God created it (unless you believe the statement in Isaiah that says God creates evil, too.)

If they ever had proof, their religion would cease-to-be. Religion cannot be based on proof, therefore trying to prove their faith is self-defeating. And the Ten Commandments, (which exist in varying forms in every religion, even Wicca, and atheistic societies), says you shall have no other god before God. Not that there is no other god, or that you cannot believe in them. Just not "first."

Last week I posted this to another person who joined and asked the same question, and vowed to copy it so I could just paste it every time someone joins, makes such a post, and holds forth on this particular subject. I didn't do it. I am a masochist; I must like typing this in every week.

But none of them ever in return give an answer to my questions, not even a bad one. And by the way, if you are going to copy and paste things from the Internet, you might at least correct the grammar. The last word should be "sense." Folk here have even seen that error, that there is no original thinking behind the statement, copying again and again the same error. And that is only one error. The Bible is alleged to have existed for thousands of years.

James.