How can my belief be so strong?

[Andy]

Greetings all!

I have been pouring through threads on this site for some time, joined last June, and up till now felt I did not have anything to add. I will say that I have learned much, laughed my ass off more than a few times and threw up in my own mouth a couple of times reading through these threads. I confess a bit of anxiety posting here as I recognize there are some major deep thinkers on this site! I hope not to be argumentative as I like to think that is not my style and will likely cave quickly to superior word-smiths!

I consider myself an gnostic atheist though I am somewhat “in the closet” about my belief. My close friends and family know, but I find many get freaked out if I say I’m an atheist. Some people either want to “save” me, think I worship the devil, or just avoid me afterwards. However, I will be honest if the question is put to me. I tend to not believe in absolutes and thus cannot consider myself a full 7 on the Dawkin’s scale but pretty close. I will refrain from going into my personal life journey of belief but reserve the right to fill some of those details in later on… perhaps…

Finally to the point:

I often find myself wondering why my faith is so strong. I call my belief that there are no gods a faith as I lack any better verbiage to describe it. I completely get why those of strong theistic faith feel the way(s) they do; upbringing, family, society, dogma, literature, culture, etc… I also get the viewpoint of agonistic atheists in that they either want proof or “just don’t know.” Please forgive me if I over simplified or omitted anything regarding either of those positions. Obviously I have no evidence that gods do not exist, nor do I have any compelling reasons, physical or anecdotal to explain why I feel the way I do. All I know is that I feel very strongly that no gods exist whatsoever. Perhaps it is due to a very keen interest in all things scientific. I am unable to support my belief any more than I feel strong theists can theirs, yet my personal faith is so strong. Why?

Again, I am not interested in debate as much as I am interested in the thoughts of those who may share my belief. I truly look forward to your comments. Well, most of them!

Cheers, Andy

[Faith No More]

First off, welcome to the forum, and congratulations on shedding your lurkish ways.

As for the faith there is no god, I understand. Often times I think to myself that god is impossible and that I am certain one doesn't exist. My intuition tells me there is no god. But when I try to rationalize that position, I am left with exact same feeling as you, that that belief is nothing more than the same faith that believers rely on. And ultimately, that is no way to ascertain the truth, so I am forced to set aside my intuition to maintain intellectual honesty.

I think the reason this intuition is so strong is due to the fact that I perceive the arguments for god to fit so poorly with reality. It's the result of the believer's inability to substantiate any of their claims.

[NoraBrimstone]

Hiya, Andy! I'm Martine. :)

You don't hold a "strong belief" at all. You're just nore rational than a lot of people. You'd probably feel as strongly if everyone around you started believing pixies steal socks from washing machines despite never having seen one, and tried to make out there's something wrong with people who say "It's reaaally unlikely to be pixies." And arguing "If there are no sock pixies, where do all the socks go???" And taking your "I don't know." As proof of sock pixies.

[Bad Wolf]

So it is sock pixies! I knew it! Those bastards have stolen 3 in the last month! Is there some kind of exterminator I can call for them?

[Bad Writer]

Welcome! Don't be shy; we only eat babies.

[feeling]

Belief in what?

[JesusHChrist]

Welcome to the forum!

I'm reading a book where the author (written by a Philosophy professor) suggests replacing the word "faith" with "pretending to know things you don't know".

"My faith is true for me" becomes "pretending to know things I don't know is true for me".

"I have faith in God" becomes "I pretend to know things I don't know about God".

"Life has no meaning without faith" becomes "Life has no meaning if I stop pretending to know things I don't know".

"Teach your children to have faith" becomes "Teach your children to pretend to know things they don't know".

Funny stuff. Kinda puts the spotlight on the irrationality of "faith".

You could also call faith as claiming knowledge, even in the absence of evidence or in the face of contrary evidence, "believing anyway".

Regarding your own faith, I suppose you could ask yourself if you are in fact pretending to know things you don't know.

[Doubting Thomas]

Welcome. Please don't call your lack of belief a "faith." Faith describes believing in something in spite of lack of evidence, or even evidence to the contrary. You don't believe in God, so you don't "have faith that God doesn't exist." You are just being rational and skeptical like a good critical thinking individual.

It's bad enough when Christians claim that atheists have to have faith to not believe in God, we don't need atheists saying it too.

[Angrboda]

I confess a bit of anxiety posting here as I recognize there are some major deep thinkers on this site!

I find that deep thinkers tend to have many of the same problems and strengths with emotional skills and social skills as not-so-deep thinkers, for the most part. I can't speak for others, but I engage as a person first, and maybe, maybe, as a thinker second. I'd say you'd do well to try to moderate your fear of so-called "deep thinkers." They aren't generally better at taking care of themselves in an honest convo than less abled thinkers. From my personal point of view, if a person isn't the greatest thinker in the world, it doesn't mean a hill of beans to me. As long as they're open, sincere, ethical, and reasonably humble, I'll make whatever allowances I can make to keep them by me. There are only certain combinations of traits, usually including hubris or egocentrism, along with lack of competence, which gives me any reluctance. Unless that total package of bad traits is there in a perfect storm, I don't care. Everybody does what they can with what they have, and that's cool with me. I don't need a person to be a brainiac to make me happy.

Anyway, I kinda skimmed, but welcome. Glad you decided to join the conversation.

[downbeatplumb]

Hiya, Andy! I'm Martine.

You don't hold a "strong belief" at all. You're just nore rational than a lot of people. You'd probably feel as strongly if everyone around you started believing pixies steal socks from washing machines despite never having seen one, and tried to make out there's something wrong with people who say "It's reaaally unlikely to be pixies." And arguing "If there are no sock pixies, where do all the socks go???" And taking your "I don't know." As proof of sock pixies.

Its the gnomes.
They've moved on from underpants theft.