How can you be sure that God doesn't exist?

[downbeatplumb]

Hi,
 
 I am a new member here.
 I made this account, largely for one simple purpose, which was to find out why you believe in what you believe.
 It is not so much a quest to change you or 'convert' you, but rather to find out your beliefs and motivations. I just want to know the background you are coming  from ...

 As for my own identity, I am of Jewish faith, and was an ex-atheist ... So, you can get an idea about my own background.

 Why do you believe that God doesn't exist?
 How can you be sure that God's existence is not real, for certain?
 Humanity has still not uncovered a great deal about our own existence, or what's on the other side of the universe.
 
 If anything, one can only be agnostic, rather than an atheist.
 The logic I am going by is that atheism states that only hard evidence should be used to prove or disprove something; that is after all, the scientific way. Given that there is no evidence to prove or disprove God, you can only be agnostic rather than an atheist.
 For those who don't know what an agnostic is, agnostics are neutral towards the idea; they don't know if God exists or doesn't, and so are open to both possibilites, but conclude that at a human level, is impossible to know the truth.
 
 So anyway, I would like to know why you believe that God doesn't exist?

 
 
 Thank you ...
 Sincerely,
 
 - RandomGuy123

I was born into the UK which is largely religion free.
Never believed in god, have seen nothing that would make me start.

I have never even seen a very good description of what a god could even be all the descriptions are nebulous.

[Simon Moon]

Hi,
 
 I am a new member here.

Welcome to the forum!
 

 Why do you believe that God doesn't exist?
 How can you be sure that God's existence is not real, for certain?

Atheism is not the claim, with absolute certainty, that a god or gods do not exist. Atheism is the disbelief that gods exist.

I am an atheists because theists have never met their burden of proof to support the claim that a god does exist, therefore, I do not see any warrant to believe.

My atheism is a result of the correct usage of skepticism when applied to the god claim. My atheism is not a dogmatic position, it is a provisional one. As long as theists continue to fail to provide demonstrable evidence and reasoned argument to support their god claim, I will continue to be unconvinced.

Humanity has still not uncovered a great deal about our own existence, or what's on the other side of the universe.

What's on the other side of the universe? All those other 1000's of gods you don't believe exist, of course.

If a god exists in a part of reality that we have not explored yet, then I am not justified to believe a god exists there. As soon as a god is discovered on the other side of the universe, I will then believe said god exists.
 
 

If anything, one can only be agnostic, rather than an atheist.

Agnosticism and atheism are not mutually exclusive positions. The majority of atheists are agnostic. me included.

Gnosticism / Agnosticism are positions on knowledge, or lack of knowledge.
Theism / atheism are positions on belief, or disbelief.

The logic I am going by is that atheism states that only hard evidence should be used to prove or disprove something; that is after all, the scientific way. Given that there is no evidence to prove or disprove God, you can only be agnostic rather than an atheist.

The scientific method does not deal in proofs, only evidence and models that best explain the evidence. Also, it is not up to science to disprove a claim for which there is not evidence.

I do not claim to know, with absolute certainty that gods do not exist. That makes me agnostic. I also do not believe gods exist, that makes me atheist.

Agnosticism is not some alternative position between atheism and theism. See the chart above.

I am an agnostic-atheist, as are a great many atheists.

For those who don't know what an agnostic is, agnostics are neutral towards the idea; they don't know if God exists or doesn't, and so are open to both possibilites, but conclude that at a human level, is impossible to know the truth.

That is not agnosticism. Agnosticism is the position that, it is unknown (and possibly unkowable) if a god exists.

I AM open to the possibility that a god exists. All I require is demonstrable evidence and reasoned argument to support the claim. Got any?
 

 So anyway, I would like to know why you believe that God doesn't exist?

I disbelieve gods exist because there is insufficient evidence, and lack of valid and sound logic, to support the claim. I do not claim to know, with absolute certainty, that gods do not exist.

---

Let me add an important point.

The default position when it comes to existential claims, is to disbelieve said claim, until it is supported by evidence. It is not to believe the claim until it is proven wrong.

Warning! 18th century philosopher Hume uses the pronoun 'man' in the following quote. Yes, he lived in a sexist time. Get over it.

Does not change the fact that his quote is correct otherwise.

As philosopher David Hume said, "A wise man proportions his beliefs to the evidence, and should always reject the greater miracle".

[LastPoet]

I don't feel the need for a deity anyway, waste of time and it is just a fantasy and I was grounded to reality, real early. I tried to believe, heh even attended services, but chest pounding isn't my thing. I tried the various gods, the same smell of bullshit lingers. Just don't think that believing in whatever you believe holds any weight here.

[zebo-the-fat]

I have often wondered, why would a god want or need to be worshipped?
What does the god get out of it, sounds like some creepy psycic parasite to me.

[Kitty Galore]

Hello!

I simply don't know if any diety exists.

So far I see nothing to indicate the prescence/existance of such.

You can't "Reason" things into existance any more than one can push clouds with their minds.

Cheers!

Pretty much this. I used to be a Christian until I didn't just buy what I was getting spoon fed.

[Jackalope]

I don't *care* if any gods exist, yours or anyone else.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

[vulcanlogician]

 So anyway, I would like to know why you believe that God doesn't exist?

I don't believe God doesn't exist. I just see no evidence that he does.

And (if he does) I am pretty DAMN sure that no priest, rabbi, or imam has him figured out to the extent that Albert Einstein does.

[Mister Agenda]

If I don't believe that a large jar full of gumballs contains exactly 537 gumballs, that doesn't mean it I believe it doesn't. It could. But I don't have enough information to agree that's the right number, and whoever claims that they do know the exact number ought to show the work by which they found out if they want me to buy in on their count, and their method should make sense and only be usable to arrive at 537, not some other numbers too. I'm not saying it's not 537, I'm saying I don't know, and likely neither do you.

[The Grand Nudger]

I know that gods don’t exist as the religious allege they do precisely because I know that gods do exist, and how they exist. Or, if you prefer, what they exist as.

I know this the same way that we know anything else. The same way, in fact, that you know all of those Other Gods™ don’t exist, OP.

[LastPoet]

If a being exists without being created then it has surely invented. It's what mom tells me. Dad tells me I was made in reverse, told him, he should know, don't remember such things. Heh, got a smirk from dad with the comeback.