What did it?

[pocaracas]

- How does one explain what happened in Portugal at Fatima in 1917, “The Miracle of the Sun” which was witnessed by an estimated 30,000 – 70,000 people? Witnesses included Masons, Communists, Atheists and Christians.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_of_the_Sun

I don't know about the others, but this one is close to home, so there are a number of possible explanations, the one most likely one being a lens effect caused by a localized change in atmospheric density, or difference in temperature.
What happened in reality, I don't know.... all we have are accounts of countryside people from early 20th century Portugal, a few years after the implantation of the republic, in mid WWI..... people were giving up on church en masse, and something had to happen to bring people (and all it entails) back.
Flying machines would be a complete novelty for these people, as well...

---

The reasoning behind our position is one an infant could not form. The position itself - atheism - is the default and fucking babies do not sit there pondering about it, they simply do not believe until they are capable of understanding religious issues or outright indoctrinated.

That's why its absurd to say its a default position. If that's the case then rocks are atheists since no thinking is required. It you as an atheist who should be insulted by saying its a default non-thinking proposition.

A child is genetically predisposed into accepting anything its parents claim as true. How else will this child accept that eating some mushrooms will kill it?
This natural safety mechanism makes every child particularly prone to indoctrination.
The child's default position is to have no concept whatsoever of god. Indoctrination imposes this concept as true on the developing mind and, typically, will remain there throughout all that person's life. If you provide no such concept, the person will lack it and default to having no belief in that thing.
Take one such person, say a modern-day Tarzan, and tell him all about your god... how do you suppose he'll react?

[Something completely different]

What caused you to avert from your natural disposition and turn to atheism?

Natural disposition?

What caused me to leave religion?

Habe Mut dich deines eigenen Verstandes zu bedienen!

Emanuel Kant

[Drew_2013]

That's why its absurd to say its a default position. If that's the case then rocks are atheists since no thinking is required. It you as an atheist who should be insulted by saying its a default non-thinking proposition.

Saying disbelief is the default position is not the same thing as saying it is the same thing as holding the same position as babies hold.

Explain that to your fellow atheists who claim it is an inborn condition

The default position on ANY extraordinary claim is disbelief until the claim is supported by demonstrable evidence, reasoned argument and valid logic.

Says who? But lets keep the focus on the claim we're talking about. The belief theism is an opinion to the question why are we here? Why is there something rather than nothing? Was our existence the result of plan and design or the result of happenstance? Given the extraordinary phenonmena we are attempting to account for what belief in that regard would be 'ordinary'? I can't think of any explanation for our existence and that isn't extraordinary and if they're all extraordinary then they are all ordinary.

[Ryantology]

It you as an atheist who should be insulted by saying its a default non-thinking proposition.

Atheism may be a default, non-thinking position, but you only become a theist once someone lies to you and makes you believe gods exist.

I'll take it. It's better than a non-default, non-thinking proposition.

[downbeatplumb]

The belief theism is an opinion to the question why are we here?

We are here as a result of the natural processes of the universe.

Why is there something rather than nothing?

And you think god is a reasonable answer to this question? I would rather have the sights of science targeted at it to really find out and not have some lame ass easy cop out answer which boils down to "the magic man done it".

Was our existence the result of plan and design or the result of happenstance?

Google evolution through natural selection and learn.

Given the extraordinary phenonmena we are attempting to account for what belief in that regard would be 'ordinary'? I can't think of any explanation for our existence and that isn't extraordinary and if they're all extraordinary then they are all ordinary.

Does this sound like Syndrome from the incredibles to anyone else?

[Zone]

The real answer speaking on behalf of all non-believers on here is what we essentially want is a life of pure sin and debauchery and we don't particularly want to have anyone to be accountable toward anyone for it at the end of the day. It's purely about our own ego, getting that fulfilled, material physical pleasures like we're gods of our own universe, a new breed of supermen with the will to power!

My theory is that religious trolls will be satisfied and you leave alone if they hear what they want to hear from you, the essentially truth of matter.

[Minimalist]

Everyone is born an atheist, or an unbeliever at any rate. But the deal is we're not convinced by the religions on offer. The fact that they provide no concrete evidence at all to substantiate any of their claims being a big one but there are various other reasons as well.

Some information about God's existance

Independent Non Christian sources on the existence of Christ Jesus
1 -Cornelius Tacitus Non Christian (56 – 117AD) historian and Roman Senator in a passage ‘Annales, book 15, verse 44’ refers to Christ, Pontius Pilate and a mass executions of Christians. General scholarly view considers Tacitus to be authentic

2 – Flavius Joseph a Romano-Jewish historian (37-100AD) Book 20 Chapter 9,1 "the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James" Modern scholarship has almost universally acknowledged the authenticity of the reference

- How does one explain what happened in Portugal at Fatima in 1917, “The Miracle of the Sun” which was witnessed by an estimated 30,000 – 70,000 people? Witnesses included Masons, Communists, Atheists and Christians.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_of_the_Sun

- How to explain the Apparation of Mary in Egypt Cairo 1968 witnessed by thousands called Our Lady of Zeitoun?
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Zeitoun

- How to explain the miraculous healing of people in Lourdes France and in Bosnia-Hercegovina in a place called Medjugorje where 100,000’s of people go annually.

- How to explain the wounds on the hands, feet and side of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
(1887 – 1968) which were those of Jesus & his ability to read people and physically heal people all in the name of Jesus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pio_of_Pietrelcina

- How to explain how Holy woman Alexandria da Costa (1904-1955) survived for many years only the Eucharist. Verified by independent doctors on a 40 day monitoring program
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandrina_of_Balasar

- How to explain how Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774 – 1824) had wounds which were those of Jesus on her body.

This is just a small sample of unnatural phenomena all attributed to God.

You're not only a liar you are a fucking asshole. But I won't waste my time with you. You go believe in your silly-assed god. Clearly that is about the limit of your mental ability.

Leave the heavy thinking to the adults.

[Drew_2013]

We are here as a result of the natural processes of the universe.

We are here as the result of the fact a universe exists to begin along with a myriad of exacting conditions and characteristics that allow for life.

And you think god is a reasonable answer to this question? [why is there something rather than nothing] I would rather have the sights of science targeted at it to really find out and not have some lame ass easy cop out answer which boils down to "the magic man done it".

Our modern technology would look like magical feats to someone from a few hundred years ago. But it wasn't magic, it was planning and design that done it. On the other hand most atheists I have chatted with propose that this is one of an infinitude of universes or that this universe 'poofed' into existence uncaused out of nothing. Kind of like pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

Google evolution through natural selection and learn.

Evolution is a fact and natural selection does have a an influence. Whether that mechanism suffices to account for the variety of life is uncertain. I am skeptical.

[Zone]

Our modern technology would look like magical feats to someone from a few hundred years ago. But it wasn't magic, it was planning and design that done it. On the other hand most atheists I have chatted with propose that this is one of an infinitude of universes or that this universe 'poofed' into existence uncaused out of nothing. Kind of like pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

So the miracles of the Bible was like the product of high technology rather than the supernatural?

[Ryantology]

On the other hand most atheists I have chatted with propose that this is one of an infinitude of universes or that this universe 'poofed' into existence uncaused out of nothing. Kind of like pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

That's funny, because every time I hear someone claim "the universe came from nothing", it comes from a theist who misunderstands the Big Bang theory and sets up strawmen.

Nor have I ever heard of anyone who insists that multiple universes definitely exist, it's nothing more than an untested hypothesis.