I Am No Longer an Atheist (page 2)

braincleaned

Maybe so paranoia agent. I'm not sure though... 5 from my congregation back east left and all started with questioning their core belief. All are now atheists...
It would be interesting to see the stats...

One advantage is that there is no doubt that the WTS spews BS when the root — belief — is finally dropped.
There is no more "what if they are right" syndrome.

If JWs REALLY read their Bibles, they would see it for what is, the contradictions, the cruelty of the Jehovah character.
No more rationalizing his genocides and overkill punishments. So many have NO idea how TRUTH is refreshing and liberating.
Logic would win.

I agree KateWild.

KateWild

IMO more on here, who are ex-Jws express their atheistic views more than Jews in my experience.

My mother says the Holocaust would not have happened if there was a God. But she has always been a Jew and brought us up that way. She never told me she was Atheist until I converted and joined the BOrg. Judaism can be a culture as well as a religion....I will always be a Jew to my parents regardless what I think of God, Jesus or the bible.

My Dad, is different. He doesn't know and doesn't care to investigte if God is or isn't real. He goes to the Synagogue every Saturday without fail and is enjoying his retirement to the full.

Kate xx

What Now?

Marked.

OnTheWayOut

Tenyearsafter: "Atheistic despots have heaped horrible carnage on fellow humans."

But not in the name of atheism.

"...but I don't understand the passion of either blaming God or dismissing his existence to prove either side of the belief system."

The point is that IF GOD WERE TO EXIST, HE HAS SOME 'SPLAINING TO DO. Believers think it is difficult to understand our world without God. Others think it is difficult to understand such terrible things existing alongside the omnipotent, omnibeneficial God of love they describe.

"...why does God need to act to prove his existence. Are we as parents required to act to prove our status as parents? If you are a "bad" parent, does it mean you aren't a parent?"

Already answered by Braincleaned. I will add, "Go ahead and be a deist or one who believes in an evil 'creator.' I have less argument with you then. But that requires total disbelief in the "God" that most believers claim exists. Welcome to the other side.

There is a bit of seemingly "smugness" in some of these guys that are atheists/antitheists. It's kind of like Bill Nye (the science guy) telling parents that they are doing their children a disserve teaching them creationism. Maybe you can understand it better if you read about that: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/26/bill-nye-please-dont-teach-your-kids-creationism-because-it-is-crazy/

KateWild

IF GOD WERE TO EXIST, HE HAS SOME 'SPLAINING TO DO

I would say God does exist and has some Splaining to do. When you say IF, OTWO, do you use the word lightly or are you open to a explaination should you get a satisfying one. I don't have one to offer mind you-Kate xx

Nowman

I am on the same page with OTWO....

I have learned that I dont have to have answers to all my questions.

braincleaned

Like Hitchens, I can admit to some occasional smugness. I payed a scorching price with my blood — literally — to the right of a bit of conceit at times.
So yes, someone like Dawkins who has lived a lifetime of research/discovery and testing scientifically has a certain right to look down on delusion. He has facts.

Some think it is 'usefull' to believe in a god... so here's one of my hero's quote:

"Well, there can’t be a practical reason for believing what isn’t true. That’s quite... at least, I rule it out as impossible. Either the thing is true, or it isn’t. If it is true, you should believe it, and if it isn’t, you shouldn’t. And if you can’t find out whether it’s true or whether it isn’t, you should suspend judgment. But you can’t... it seems to me a fundamental dishonesty and a fundamental treachery to intellectual integrity to hold a belief because you think it’s useful, and not because you think it’s true."

~ Bertrand Russel.

braincleaned

Nowman, agreed. it is a given that nobody has all the answers. However, refusing to see the ones that ARE THERE is disingenuous.
It is fair to say that those who deny evolution are now at the same level than those who think the earth is flat.
From there, one must REALLY think about how evolution impacts the legend of creation with purpose and love.

Not having all the answers don't excuse making some up.

adamah

As Matt Dilahunty says, changing the name 'atheist' to anything else is not going to happen, since theists exist, and after wasting time explaining what the new title means, they only say, "Oh, so you're an atheist?"

Of course, someone can be BOTH anti-theist AND atheist: it's not like the terms are mutually-exclusive.

I really dislike the term 'agnostic', since it's pointless and illogical: unlike the terms 'atheist' (someone who doesn't believe in God) and 'theist' (someone who believes in God), it's much-more confusing.

The gnostics believed some special forms of knowledge pertaining to spiritual matters were God-given, so what does the term 'Agnostic' imply, since gnosticism obviously depends on TWO conditions 1) God exists 2) God gives special spiritual knowledge. So if you aren't sure that God exists, why would you think you had or hadn't received this special knowledge from God?

Instead, I prefer a more-modern modification of dropping the agnostic moniker, and using the adjective 'hard atheist' (one who makes a positive claim that God doesn't exist, and can prove the claim) and 'soft atheist' (one who hasn't accepted the theist's claim that God exists, since he feels the theist hasn't presented compelling evidence to support the claim, where the theist bears the burden of proof).

Remember: the term 'atheist' is a SINGLE-POSITION statement, saying whether or not you believe a God exists. That's all.

It doesn't require "having all the answers to everything", etc, but only whether someone believes God exists or not.

I describe myself as a 'hard atheist', as I feel I can make the case of disproving God's existence, simply using the Bible itself (although there's also mounds of evidence from the World of science which supports the claim, too).

Adam

KateWild

It is fair to say that those who deny evolution are now at the same level than those who think the earth is flat.-braincleaned

I believe in God and evolution

It is fair to say intellectual intimidation is a dogmatic approach. I have never met anyone with a high IQ who denies evolution, however I have had contact with dogmatic evolutionists who have a low IQ. Have you?

Kate xx

I Am No Longer an Atheist

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