How do you become an Atheist?

[LWP17]

I was a cradle Catholic. I was never a fervent Christian. I just accepted everything. Maybe eight or so months ago I started asking questions like "If a god created the universe, what created him?," and "how can the Christian god exist when there is evil?" From there I started reading Bertrand Russell, and now I am an Atheist because I see no evidence to believe in god(s).

Yeah, I've asked myself those same questions. I even told people when I was younger that if you could ask god any question and he had to answer it mine would be "Where did you come from?" and this was when I was in middle school. I didn't know about Atheism or anything like that at this point so I guess I've always felt this way without really knowing.

[Light of Truth]

I was a cradle Catholic. I was never a fervent Christian. I just accepted everything. Maybe eight or so months ago I started asking questions like "If a god created the universe, what created him?," and "how can the Christian god exist when there is evil?" From there I started reading Bertrand Russell, and now I am an Atheist because I see no evidence to believe in god(s).

Yeah, I've asked myself those same questions. I even told people when I was younger that if you could ask god any question and he had to answer it mine would be "Where did you come from?" and this was when I was in middle school. I didn't know about Atheism or anything like that at this point so I guess I've always felt this way without really knowing.

That's cool. I never even thought about where god came from until eight or so months ago. I can't believe I never thought about how the Christian god could allow the Holocaust and rape to happen. Christians say we have free will and god won't intervene, but they pray to him and ask for intervention. WTF?

[LWP17]

Yeah, exactly. But, then again, if he created everything then he created sin. Plus he supposedly knows what we're going to do before we are "created". Take of that what you will.

[Light of Truth]

Yeah, exactly. But, then again, if he created everything then he created sin. Plus he supposedly knows what we're going to do before we are "created". Take of that what you will.

Yeah, I was reading Bertrand Russell's "Why I am Not a Christian" a few months ago, and he discussed this. He said that if God is omniscient, then he created humans fully knowing what would occur, and therefore is responsible for evil. This means God is not good, which discredits him as a source of morality.

[Loki_999]

In answer to the OPs question: How do you become an Atheist?

Open your eyes. Take a good look around. Question everything you have ever been taught (yes, including the science stuff as well as the fairy tales). Now start from the beginning. Start with small things. Use direct observation where possible, indirect next, then start pulling on wider sources. Try and avoid unsubstantiated "proofs" or claims.

Finally you should build up a picture of reality where there simply is no need for a god, indeed, very little room even for a theoretical god. At the worst you should come out of this as a weak form deist (something must have created the universe and i will call this god), otherwise you should be agnostic or atheist.

[Justtristo]

Yeah, I was reading Bertrand Russell's "Why I am Not a Christian" a few months ago, and he discussed this. He said that if God is omniscient, then he created humans fully knowing what would occur, and therefore is responsible for evil. This means God is not good, which discredits him as a source of morality.

Interestingly enough, this afternoon I listened to a answer to a question RC Sproul*, about god being responsible for the fall. He explained that god was not responsible for the fall, rather he "ordinated" it.

* RC Sproul is a prominent US Evangelical preacher, not to mention a Calvinist who believes in the total sovereignty of god.

[Light of Truth]

Interestingly enough, this afternoon I listened to a answer to a question RC Sproul*, about god being responsible for the fall. He explained that god was not responsible for the fall, rather he "ordinated" it.

* RC Sproul is a prominent US Evangelical preacher, not to mention a Calvinist who believes in the total sovereignty of god.

Hmm, that is indeed interesting. If this guy believes that, I wonder how he reconciles God as his source of morality?

[Justtristo]

Interestingly enough, this afternoon I listened to a answer to a question RC Sproul*, about god being responsible for the fall. He explained that god was not responsible for the fall, rather he "ordinated" it.

* RC Sproul is a prominent US Evangelical preacher, not to mention a Calvinist who believes in the total sovereignty of god.

Hmm, that is indeed interesting. If this guy believes that, I wonder how he reconciles God as his source of morality?

Calvinists like him talk about the tension between god's sovereignty and human responsibility and leave it to be a mystery only god knows.

[Light of Truth]

Calvinists like him talk about the tension between god's sovereignty and human responsibility.

Oh, I see. I am not familiar with Calvinism.

[Justtristo]

Calvinists like him talk about the tension between god's sovereignty and human responsibility.

Oh, I see. I am not familiar with Calvinism.

http://www.bibletruths.net/archives/BTAR097.htm, that would give you a rough idea what Calvinism is about.