God does not believe in Atheist's..... I saw this on a guys t-shirt at an airport when we were coming here to South Africa... It got me thinking of how big atheism actually is. On Wikipedia this is what it has to say:
A November–December 2006 poll published in the Financial Times gives rates for the United States and five European countries. It found that Americans are more likely than Europeans to report belief in any form of god or supreme being (72%). Only 4% of the American surveyed considered themselves "atheists", while the rates in the European countries surveyed were higher: Italy (7%), Spain (11%), Great Britain (17%), Germany (20%), and France (32%). An official European Union survey provides corresponding figures: 18% of the EU population do not believe in a god; 27% affirm the existence of some "spirit or life force", while 52% affirm belief in a specific god. The proportion of believers rises to 65% among those who had left school by age 15; survey respondents who considered themselves to be from a strict family background were more likely to believe in a god than those who felt their upbringing lacked firm rules.
I was actually shocked to see how high atheism is in Europe... It made me wonder why... is it because people in Europe were persucuted for their beliefs... such as the Jews??? I dont know for sure but it makes you think.
I have to admit I feel sorry for people who dont have any beliefs.... if you dont beileve in God... why are we here??? what is the point of us being here and what is the point in life??? If i didnt have God in my life I would find life very meaningless... I know that there is people out there trying to prove that god does not exist.... My opinion is.... if you dont believe in God why are you trying so hard to prove he doesnt exist.... if you knew for curtain that he didnt exist you would stop looking.... but you dont know for sure so that is why you are still looking for reasons to prove it wrong. Dont you hate it when Im right!
I think atheists know that there is something out there... something to live for and that all the stories that you were told are true.... reason you choose not to believe is because you want to live your life without accounting for your actions. You want to play dumb and say.. I didnt know.... but you did ... deep down. Thats life though... we have to be held accountable for all our actions whether we like it or not.
There is too many things that prove that there is a God and that there is meaning to life... So why dont you want to know about it... dont you want meaning to your life????
Hi Kath!
ReplyDeleteI as an atheist, do not know why we are here and neither does anybody else for certain.
I also don't know what the point of life is, but I don't think believers know any better or for sure.
I think people claiming they know what the point is are just repeating what they read in either the Bible, Torah, Qran or other book which is holy for them. Taking into consideration that there is more than one of these books and they all say something else - that really decreases their credibility for me.
I agree with you about proving that god doresn't exist. I myself have never taken that task up and I'm not going to, simply because I have absolutely no doubt that god doesn't exist so I'm npot going to spend time proving it. The proof is all around - there was a murder last night in the building where I work - where was god?
Now, about reasons why we 'choose not to believe' as you say, this is a little bit offensive. I didn't choose it at all, to start with - I was raised atheist and I wouldn't even know where to start becoming a believer, and taking into consideration how many problems religion causes in general (like 9/11) it wouldn't really seem logical to try and become a believer.
About our morality.
I am accountable for my actions and I suffer a lot when I do somebody wrong. If I talk to somebody in a rude way, sometimes I still think about it even years later and I regret it. I have a conscience - I'm not an animal. I try my hardest to be a good person and I know there is always room for improvement.
I, however do not have an easy option, like some religious people have, to go and confess my sins to some priest or other person and I will never, ever be forgiven by any god. I have to live with the things I did wrong till the end of my life and the only thing I can do is do some good to try and balance it out but the conscience will always be at me, till I die. Does it sound like this careless life you were talking about?
Lastly, you're asking why don't we want a meaning to our lives. I feel there is a meaning to my life, I don't suffer from lack of it and I see nothing that would convince me that there would be more meaning or better meaning if I believed in one of the many gods or joined one of the many religions. And besides, which religion would I choose and what would I base my choice on? Any religious person will tell me that their religion is the one, including the Phelps people, who believe that soldiers killed in battle deserved it, all Swedish people are evil and Saddam Hussein is a good man... Members of that church were also banned from entering the UK for life for "fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence." They are also a church and they also say that their belief is the right one.
Please consider that just because you are a believer doesn't automatically mean that it's ok to say that we atheists don't have any conscience. We hear that virtually all the time from the believers and it hurts. You know me as a person, what have I done, that I deserve to be told that I have no meaning to my life? It's a close call for believers to say that and start saying that maybe we should be eliminated, because there is no meaning to us and our lives. That's just not nice. The longer I live, the more I have to defend myself and explain that I'm human just like you, the more I think religions are actually scary if they make you think that way.
Julia
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ReplyDeleteDear julia, i read your post. And i understand where you come from. Even tho i belive in a God. An almighty spirit.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things i read in your post was you were raised without teachings of a God or religion and you wouldnt even know where to start.
The only decree or thing i can think of for that would be a personal prayer.
Tho you may not believe.. im sure your not over the chance to test if for yourself.
God for most ppl ive seen is some ominous lightning bolt powerhouse, or an impish creature that plays tricks on ppl every day. Or some grand scale with a balence to good and evil acts. Maby even an image in some ones head so they can cope with things..
I look at my faith and other religions back and forth and wonder.. think, ponder and so much more..
From where i see it, i know there is a third party.
Not psycological, emotional, but there is something different. And for those who have a faith, or "faith"less..
I would say to anyone. Pray. For you personaly wanting to know, beliveing youll get an answer. Is it humiliating to pray alone to a God who the world says exists? Why not? Its just a conversation to somthing bigger. Why not try?
Im mormon, and we know that there is a true church. We just have to pray about it.. and you will recive an answer.
As for what you kinda talked about.. idc if anyone thinks a person with no faith, thinks they should be eliminated. Thats wrong. You are valued to someone.(I say God even if you dont know it)
Im just suggesting.. that if you dont believe. Put some action into the LDS faith.. and then live without.. youll see and feel a differance. A substantioal spiritual differance.
After a prayer or two. Then you can and will know. Theres promis. Or what you may base it off..to KNOW.
nd also.. you wont find it anywhere else. So try it.
Even so the prayer.
..im about to fall asleep.. but what im trying to say is, try the lds religion.(faith is an action word) and see if there is a new light in your life.
ReplyDeleteOr even say prayers to Ssomthing eternapy greater than you and.. ask to know where to go..
why not?
hey julia... thanks for your comment its always cool to see the other point of view... I didnt mean for it to sound like I thought you never had a conscience... everyone was born with a conscience some people just dont listen to it.. and I would never ever want anyone to be eliminated... im not a nazi and im not God. I believe that we were put here on this Earth to be tested, WE have the agency to choose how we want to live our lives, some people murder and kill that is their choice that doesnt mean God isnt there... There has been a lot of miracles in my life that I know isnt just by coinsidence. God hasn't forsaken us.... we have forsaken God... I dont agree with people that do mass murders in Gods name... God does not want that! And I have friends that are atheists so I am not an atheist hater or anything like that... The reason I wrote this is becuase 1. Im trying to understand how you view life and 2. My religion (which is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, same as Kc) gives my life a lot of meaning and helps me understand life and why I am here a lot better and I have lived life with no religion and God in my life for a long time and my life just didnt feel complete and I felt like something was missing and when I went back to my church I am happier for it and I feel whole... I know it sounds crazy and it sounds so cliche and everyone says that... but its true and i can't explain it any other way. I also know that you dont have to confess your sins to a priest .. the only person you need to talk to is God and then you dont have to live with your sins and have that regret and guilt... but you sound like a good person and you sound like someone who trys to improve and make life the best you can... Thats all God wants of us. Is to be the best we can be. Again wasnt trying to insult just wanted another opinion. SO thanks for yours.
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