Is it a good idea to be an atheist?

[Jenny A]

Hello,

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

Rarely a auspicious begining, but OK.

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?"

The reason you have probably heard over and over in this thread is the same: complete lack of evidence. It's the same reason I don't believe in unicorns or that crop circles were created by aliens.

That innocent children die is not proof that there is no god, only that if there is, he/she/it doesn't care about innocent children.

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."

Sorry. But not believing in things until there is evidence for them has helped science progress, but it won't prove god doesn't exist. So thank skeptics everywhere for improvements in medicine, computers, transportation, etc. Their demand for evidence has greatly benefited the world. And some of them have been given the Nobel.

But none of them will ever be given the Nobel for proving there is no god, because proving a negative is not possible. If however, you prove there is a god, there might be a Nobel in your future.

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

I believe I'll go on thinking. And I think that when people stop thinking and decide only to believe in what they what to rather than what can be proven, humanity will die of starvation. What I don't understand is why you give thinking a miss when it comes to this one topic: god.

[Spooky]

There are times and places where being atheist (Or at least being open about it) is a terrible idea.

But fuck 'em. Life's too short to lose any sleep on what most people think.

Ignore me, or don't, I'll live.

[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.

[The Valkyrie]

And in this edition of Misrepresentation Theatre we have, the same old arguments.

Where to start.

Very few atheists claim to have proof that there are no gods - note the plural - not just the Abrahamic deity. So claims that they need to produce this proof is deliberately ignorant, at best.

However, believers claim adamantly that their gods exist and yet fail at every turn to provide evidence. After all, if that evidence was truly forthcoming such a revelation WOULD change the world and probably win a Nobel Prize.

Personally, I'm an atheist because there is absolutely NO verifiable, testable evidence that deities exist, and the "holy" books of the various religions are contradictory at best, and large parts of the writings disproved at worst.

You and every other believer in the world is free to believe what you want, so long as you don't try to push it on people after they've already told you they're not interested, or you use your beliefs to harm, denigrate, or deny rights to others.

My atheism is a personal thing. I don't see it as my job to deconvert people and, indeed, I don't go out of my way to try such futile actions.

If I see a religious person being a dick, in my opinion, I will confront them for it, online and in public. Indeed, I've had some screaming matches with Christians and Muslims, specifically, in RL.

[Ravenshire]

Oh yay. Another nitwit come here to tell us what we think and believe.

[The Valkyrie]

Oh yay. Another nitwit come here to tell us what we think and believe.

Everyone know atheists truly believe in fairies and are secretly Pagans, not to mention we all worship the Debbil!

[abentwookie]

I don't believe for the same reason I don't believe that garden gnomes come to life at night while we sleep and wreak havoc throughout the neighborhood. There isn't sufficient evidence to support the claim.

If you want me to believe in your god:

#1. Prove that a god exists.

#2. Prove that it is the god of your religion.

[Spooky]

I don't believe for the same reason I don't believe that garden gnomes come to life at night while we sleep and wreak havoc throughout the neighborhood. There isn't sufficient evidence to support the claim.

If you want me to believe in your god:

#1. Prove that a god exists.

#2. Prove that it is the god of your religion.

I believe in garden gnomes, my cats are too innocent to break anything at night...

1. Standard BS answer to question: You must have "faith".

2. Standard BS answer to question: My religion is the right one because that is what I was raised/told to believe.

<- Standard response to 3rd grade level logic.

[Tonus]

Very few atheists claim to have proof that there are no gods - note the plural - not just the Abrahamic deity. So claims that they need to produce this proof is deliberately ignorant, at best.

This is also a reminder that theists discount all other gods except their own, and seem to have no qualms dismissing "you can't prove that mine doesn't exist" when it's directed at them. If everyone who ever believed in god believed in the exact same god... that by itself would be pretty compelling. But it's easy enough to turn many theist arguments against them by simply changing the name of the god in question. Why is proving a negative only okay when it's used to defend this one god out of the handful, or dozen, or thousands claimed to exist?

[Joods]

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

Actually, if I'm reading this section correctly, both "believe" in something.
The "believer", in this case, believer of a god, believes god exists.
The atheist, believes god doesn't exist.

In my humble opinion, The REAL difference is that the believer of god offers zero proof of the claim that god exists, while the atheist states, SHOW me PROOF of the existence of a god. I have yet to come across any religious person who has successfully done this. Instead, the arguments are made by the religious person with the intent to shut the atheist up.

FWIW, the bible is NOT proof of any existence of god. Just because someone who believes god exists because of what's been written in the bible, does not make it so.