Is it a good idea to be an atheist?

[Whateverist]

Hello,

I just want to ask a little, simple question here, to all atheists?

If you ask a believer why he believes in God, his answer most likely will be "Because I believe" or something to that extent.

Not very convincing, huh? The thing is, next time a believer convinces an atheist into believing, please let me know. I would be curious.

Let us turn the question around. Let us ask an atheist why he doesn't believe.

Most likely, we will hear something like "I only believe what I see" or "Why would a God let little innocent children die in a natural disaster?"

So we ask the atheist again: "Why don't you believe?". Let us record the answer.

Then we ask the atheist, "you don't believe because of...[his answer]?"

Then we tell him, "you realize you can help humanity a great deal by sharing your answer with the rest of the world?". "The world will be so much better knowing somebody has found a definite proof God does not exist because [his answer]". "You will be rewarded with a Nobel Prize and all wars will stop thanks to your thoughtfulness."

You see, the difference between a believer and an atheist is a believer believes and an atheist thinks he is right.

If you are an atheist and you so damn think you are right to be one, then let the world hear how you came to that conclusion, because for sure, this will change the world.

Thank you

I'll bet that was fun to write.

I'm sure by now people have told you that only positive beliefs need justification to be persuasive. Atheism needn't be any more than "I'm not sure I understand what it is you believe in", or, "no, can't say as I've ever come across anything like that."

For me, I'm not motivated toward non-belief. I just so happen not to believe in gods (or to really understand what that is to be honest). I can't say that I experience any lack upon hearing believers going on about how great believing is, though I am happy for them.

Personally I enjoy exceptional people doing exceptional things so I kind of root for theists who exhibit impeccable habits of mind, a vast understanding across a number of fields and a propensity for not saying more than they believe. We get one through here every now and again and I am genuinely happy when they manage to juggle all those fine traits and a heartfelt belief in a god too.

We've had some switch teams. That's fine too. Hope we can all reverse course when we realize we're going the wrong way. Deidre recently went back to church and is happy as a clam, somewhat enriched she says by her time here. Good for her. Jacob is now an atheist but he was one hell of a fine theist when he first arrived. Can't win them all.