Why do you not believe in the concept of a God?

[Irreligious Atheist]

Welcome to the forum, brother. I was an evangelical Christian and was very serious about my religion. I prayed multiple times a day, all throughout the day. Sometimes my parents would take my brothers and I to church 3 or 4 days a week. My acne got so bad as a teenager, and I didn't think it was fair that Yahweh was putting this on me, the good little Christian who was doing things right. One day I cursed out God and told him in a prayer that it seemed to me like he wasn't listening, so I stopped praying that day. It sort of built up over the course of a few months where my prayers to God started getting less and less respectful on my part. My parents had always told me that satan would give you the world if you traded your soul, and I was so distraught about my bad skin that I tried that out. I prayed to satan just once, but nothing happened. I'm in my 30s now and I still have the acne. It's here for life.

After my Christian de-conversion, I looked into Buddhism a bit and tried to hold onto the idea of an afterlife. That didn't last long. I started watching some atheist stuff like Dawkins and soon enough I was convinced that there was probably no afterlife. It stung to come to this realization, and it was scary, but I couldn't help but accept the logic behind it.

My parents didn't like it at all, but they pretty much accepted it. They tried to talk me out of the atheism for a number of years, which is fine with me. I don't mind those kind of discussions or get bothered by them.

Did it have a positive or negative impact on my life? Sometimes I think ignorance is bliss and it would be nice to think that you're going to paradise after you die, but I am happy I de-converted because then I was free to explore and discover without the chains.

Why do I reject the concept of a god? If god didn't need to be designed or created, then neither does our universe or any other universe, as far as I'm concerned. I don't necessarily reject the concept of a designer. We could be living in a computer game made in someone's basement. In that case, I guess you could call the designer God if you really wanted to. The idea of a supernatural god is just not an idea that adds up in my head though.

Good evening Irreligious Atheist,

Thank you for sharing your story I really appreciate it. I was curious if you still spoke with your family? Do you still have a positive relationship with them? Also, I was wondering you said that you were free to explore and discover without the chains. I can assume the chains are in reference to your belief in God, so what were you free to explore and discover now that you were not able to do while being a Christian. Thank you again for your time!

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Because the concept of a God is not a defined thing, so it is impossible to believe in something that is not defined. Like what is God? What are Gods? The question could hardly be any simpler, but the answer is strangely elusive. Do you know? I’m not sure I do.
That this question ought to be considered among the most important of all, yet most people sail right by it.

Let’s consider what makes a god. Are they all supernatural? Are they all immortal? Can all of them fly, or only some? Can they walk through walls? Can they read our thoughts? Do they know the future? Can a god have mental and physical frailties? Can a human become a god? Can a god become a human? What is it that makes someone or something a god in our eyes? What is a god?

And it seems that all Gods of today are debunked, including one of Christianity. When natural selection and evolution of man were discovered, it turned out that Adam didn't exist, and if he didn't exist there was no original sin and no need for Jesus.

So to be honest, today that question "Why do you not believe in the concept of a God?" seems on the same level as "Why do you not believe that Earth is flat?" -- there is too much evidence pointing the other way.

Good Evening Fake Messiah,

Very good questions. I really enjoy seeing these types of questions because even as a Christain these are things we must consider and ponder, or more accurately meditate on. I have with much reading and studying found the answers to the questions you seek, they are out there. Yet, as yourself being an atheist and most atheist that I have seen here I think studying scripture for you is more akin to studying the lore of your favorite book or television show, such as Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. This is an assumption of course, yet from what I have gathered most see the Bible and God as fictional characters much like the aforementioned novels, please correct me if I am wrong in this. There is background info out there on these subjects if you are interested. Thank you for your post it is much appreciated!

Yes, I still have a positive relationship with my parents. My daughter and I even go to church with them often. I told my daughter what I believe (or better put, don't believe), and I told her that she would have to choose for herself what she believes because we all have to go on our own journey. She believed in God for a while, but now she has come to the opposite conclusion, all on her own, and I'm proud.

Both of my brothers, along with me, turned out to be non-believers. I'm sure that can't be easy for my parents to think about, but we get along just fine. Sometimes my parents say that I'm saved already because they are saved. I'm counted under their names. I don't think it quite works that way lol, but I can understand the mental gymnastics, trying to find a way to get your kids into heaven with you.

What was I free to explore? Lots of stuff. Just things I probably wouldn't have bothered looking into before because I would have been worried about angering or disappointing God. Things about evolution. Things about other religions. Posting on boards like this one, which I would argue the Bible says you're not necessarily supposed to do. "Cast not your pearls before swine" and all.