Zone1 I've been an atheist for 60 years and have never once been tempted to believe in any god

[Nobody911]

When I was 10 years old, we had a dog named Silver. A sealyham - sort of a largish Westie. He had been struck by a car when I was much younger and that had left him blind in one eye. We adapted. He adapted. But whenever he entered an unfamiliar space (the furniture moved, for instance) he would collide with things. I felt bad for him. Like most children my age I believed what I was told was the truth by my parents and the church they took me to. So I prayed as fervently and selflessly as I could manage that God would restore his vision. But, as would happen in any bad movie, his poor vision led Silver to wandering out in front of another car where he suffered another concussion which left him completely blind. Now all dogs go to heaven because all dogs are innocent. Every non-human form of life is innocent of the many sins the Bible spells out. Initially, I was angry. How could God cause my innocent dog to suffer, regardless of his motive or intent? The standard "mysterious ways" line didn't help at all. What did help was the realization that the best explanation was not that god was mysterious or unknowable, but that he simply wasn't there. The existence of the god described by the Bible and by our preacher and the believers I would talk with was simply not possible; not only because it violated all the laws of nature but because absolutely no evidence I could find supported the idea. Every thing I could learn about the world and how it worked refuted the idea of a caring, personal god who had created miraculous humans and a miraculous Earth to be their home and was everpresent, watching over us and, on proper supplication, violating the laws that he himself had set in place - if he felt like it.

As the years went by I simply became more and more convinced that there is a great deal about the working of the universe we do not yet know, but the basics - the principal of uniformitarianism, holds, everywhere and everywhen. Nothing is supernatural. No will directs or inspires the stream of events taking place over the passage of time. Only physics.

What signs or signals should I have caught that might have lured me back to my childhood faith? And how might my life have been different had I done so? I have lots of friends and I'm pretty sure most of them think I'm a nice guy. I buy fully and heartily into the Golden Rule. I believe it to be the sole basis of human civilization. How do you think my complete lack of divine faith hurt me? Will your god throw into a lake of fire because I led a good life but failed to do him obeisance? That is, of course, precisely what scriptures tells us. Why would ANY of you believe, much less WORSHIP such a god? He seems a monster. Would anyone care to correct me?

==>Simple. If you still love and care about yourself and show mercy to someone or living things(such as your dog), you yourself are just like God. No need to worship him.

God's characteristics

According to the Bible and Christianity, God is often described with various characteristics:

1. Omnipotent and Omniscient: God is all-powerful and all-knowing. He has unlimited power and knowledge.

2. Loving and Merciful: God is depicted as a loving and compassionate being, showing mercy and forgiveness to humanity.

3. Just and Righteous: God is fair and just in His actions and judgments. He rewards righteousness and punishes evil.

4. Eternal and Immutable: God has no beginning or end; He is eternal. His character and nature do not change.

5. Holy: God is morally perfect and separate from all sin and impurity.

6. Creator: God is the creator of the universe and everything in it.

7. Father and Sustainer: God is portrayed as a Father figure who provides, protects, and sustains His creation.

8. Faithful: God is faithful and keeps His promises.

9. Personal: While God is transcendent and beyond human comprehension, He is also portrayed as a personal God who desires a relationship with humanity.

These are just a few of the characteristics attributed to God in Christianity. It is important to note that different denominations within Christianity might have slightly different interpretations, but these are common themes across most Christian beliefs.

 

[Batcat]

Consider this. Your best friend comes to see you bringing along another friend. "Hi, Batcat! This is my friend, John. I had to threaten him with hell before he would come see you."

Knowing Christ ourselves, is this best we can do? If so, perhaps Jesus needs better friends?

My father was an agnostic, my mother a Christian.

We did not go to church as we had moved to a rural community (when I was 2 yers old) and my father was treated like an outsider in the church. He said, “You have to be able to piss on your grandfather’s grave in order to belong to the local church.” I did attend that local church‘s summer camp for several years. Probably my mother insisted on it.

My mother would read to me and often from a Bible. My father knew an awful lot about the Bible for an agnostic as I had watched him argue different points with Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses who stopped by trying to convert us. He had apparently studied it at one time.

As I grew up I grew curious about what he believed and he told me that while he didn't follow his own advise, to consider that if there was a Jesus and I believed in him, I would be al lot better off than if there wasn’t. That made sense to me at an young age.

I actually started to believe in God in a biology class in high school. I could see the hand of an engineer at work designing such a complicated little factory. The more I learn about science the more I believe in God.

However, as I look back on my life, I accepted Jesus first because of Pascal’s wager.

My mother told me after my father died when I was fifteen that he had accepted Jesus. Of course that may or may not have been true.

 

[Blues Man]

If you’re not sure you’re not an atheist. Your an agnostic.

I never said I was an atheist.

Not only do i not know if any gods exist I don't care if they do not

 

[Insaneworld]

to consider that if there was a Jesus and I believed in him, I would be al lot better off than if there wasn’t.

However, as I look back on my life, I accepted Jesus first because of Pascal’s wager.

Thanks for sharing. Did you understand 'being better off' as 'not burning in hell' then, as a child? Because Pascal's wager emphasizes that punishment in hell, right?

 

[Meriweather]

My father was an agnostic, my mother a Christian.

We did not go to church as we had moved to a rural community (when I was 2 yers old) and my father was treated like an outsider in the church. He said, “You have to be able to piss on your grandfather’s grave in order to belong to the local church.” I did attend that local church‘s summer camp for several years. Probably my mother insisted on it.

My mother would read to me and often from a Bible. My father knew an awful lot about the Bible for an agnostic as I had watched him argue different points with Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses who stopped by trying to convert us. He had apparently studied it at one time.

As I grew up I grew curious about what he believed and he told me that while he didn't follow his own advise, to consider that if there was a Jesus and I believed in him, I would be al lot better off than if there wasn’t. That made sense to me at an young age.

I actually started to believe in God in a biology class in high school. I could see the hand of an engineer at work designing such a complicated little factory. The more I learn about science the more I believe in God.

However, as I look back on my life, I accepted Jesus first because of Pascal’s wager.

My mother told me after my father died when I was fifteen that he had accepted Jesus. Of course that may or may not have been true.

This is a wonderful account. You accepted the wager, and I understand that. The other part I see is having made the wager, how you have been playing the hand.

 

[Batcat]

This is a wonderful account. You accepted the wager, and I understand that. The other part I see is having made the wager, how you have been playing the hand.

I try my best to be a good Christian but I still fall far short of what I hope I can be.

I do not go to church as I have COPD and tend to cough which in a world filled with COVID, RSV and the flu might discourage other members of a congregation attending the service if I was a regular. Plus at this time I am not sure if the Christianity the churches are advocating is the same as what Christ taught.

I read the Bible and have read it from front to back a number of times including a number of different translations such as the King James Version, the ESV, the NIV and the Living Bible. Translation of words can make a considerable difference in meaning. The Bible can be a difficult book to understand.

I study a lot of books on the Bible and books discussing the books in the Bible.

I believe in Christ for a number of reasons. One main reason is Christ didn’t profit from his time here nor did his apostles who traveled the known world at that time to spread His word. Except for John, it appears they were executed by stoning, crucifixion and beheading. They must have seriously believed in their message.The apostles were not being driven around in horse drawn chariots, the limousines of their day. They were not well dressed in luxury fabrics and wearing expensive jewels. They probably didn’t even eat all that well. If Christ’s apostles achieved fame and fortune we would know more about their death. They did manage to spread the religion which is amazing as it requires people to believe in a man who was crucified after only about 3 years of teaching.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

However, as I look back on my life, I accepted Jesus first because of Pascal’s wager.

Whoops, mistake.

Pascal's wager works both ways. What if you chose the wrong God, and the real God favors nonbelievers over those who believe in false gods?

Prepare to burn!

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

This is a wonderful account. You accepted the wager, and I understand that. The other part I see is having made the wager, how you have been playing the hand.

Because you don't understand the wager and never thought it through. It cuts both ways.

 

[Meriweather]

Because you don't understand the wager and never thought it through. It cuts both ways.

Okay

 

[Batcat]

Whoops, mistake.

Pascal's wager works both ways. What if you chose the wrong God, and the real God favors nonbelievers over those who believe in false gods?

Prepare to burn!

I personally have often wondered what happens to basically good people in other nations who have a different religion. They may have heard of Christianity but their background would make it hard to convert for many.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

I personally have often wondered what happens to basically good people in other nations who have a different religion. They may have heard of Christianity but their background would make it hard to convert for many.

Why would they want or need to convert? One magical fantasy is as good as any other.

 

[Batcat]

Why would they want or need to convert? One magical fantasy is as good as any other.

Some people happen to believe in a God or a creator.

Scientists have come up with a number of theories to explain how the universe and life came to be. Those theories are reaching the point where they are sounding harder to believe than the fairly simple concept of a creator.

However some scientists are religious.

List of Christians in science and technology - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The interesting news story that fascinates me today is if the UFOs or UAPs we are discussing are:

1. Some nation‘s advanced technology reversed engineered from crashed space alien craft.

2. Time travelers from the future.

3. Craft used by another advanced civilization that lives underground on our planet.

4. Space aliens from another solar system.

If they are space aliens they would be much more advanced scientifically than we are. If so, I would love to hear their views on religion.

 

[Batcat]

Why would they want or need to convert? One magical fantasy is as good as any other.

Some people actually believe in a creator or a number of gods.

In my personal opinion, I happen to like our local Christian God and believe in His existence. Other people like you do not believe in what you call a “magical fantasy.” I have no problem with that.

 

[Meriweather]

One magical fantasy is as good as any other.

Hmm. Another person who cannot rise to the intelligence required to discuss God and must reduce God to a term their own brain is able to manage. Obviously a link to to a Disney site is needed here where a single click takes one to a discussion of It's a Small World or Pirates of the Caribbean.

Leave the discussion of God to the adults, please.

 

[Blues Man]

Hmm. Another person who cannot rise to the intelligence required to discuss God and must reduce God to a term their own brain is able to manage. Obviously a link to to a Disney site is needed here where a single click takes one to a discussion of It's a Small World or Pirates of the Caribbean.

Leave the discussion of God to the adults, please.

How is that any less intelligent than conflating a god into the answer for everything we don't and may never understand?

 

[ding]

Yes really. The only point you could argue is that religion has benefitted you on a very personal level. Overall religion has created division and hate, even to this day.

That's quite the unbalanced view you have there. By any objective measure religion has been a force for good. You have to look at the whole picture.

 

[Arlette]

That's quite the unbalanced view you have there. By any objective measure religion has been a force for good. You have to look at the whole picture.

Laughable. Just ask yourself what Jesus would NOT do.

 

[ding]

Laughable. Just ask yourself what Jesus would NOT do.

You've never done a proper assessment. You have never cataloged the good. Only the bad.

 

[Arlette]

You've never done a proper assessment. You have never cataloged the good. Only the bad.

As it stands today, Epicurus's questions are still unanswered.

 

[ding]

As it stands today, Epicurus's questions are still unanswered.

That's nice.

Religion creates wonderful charities and organizations.

Religious persons and institutions are usually the first source of literacy, education, and healthcare in the poorer regions. Religion has been the source of abundant human services from hospitals, orphanages, nursing homes, and schools, to advocacy on behalf of those with no voice, to supporting cultural outreaches, and seeking always to find ways in which to protect and promote human life and its authentic flourishing