SeaBreeze: Really? How did you come to realize that?
Ultimately, it was these steps:
1. The 'evidence/argument' for god's existence amounts to a bunch of flawed concepts that only serve to get us as far as 'god has to exist.' If we ignore the flaws in those ideas and accept them at face value, we get as far as recognizing that a god is necessary. WHO that god is, we cannot determine through this approach.
2. The way gods are described, it's entirely possible that they are undetectable if they choose to be so. Thus, we cannot disprove god. However, we can reasonably dismiss certain gods if they do not make sense. Everyone does this, even theists. No one worships every god, after all.
3. A being of immeasurable power and knowledge, of perfect wisdom, who personifies love and kindness, who is the epitome of justice and mercy, who declares his desire for all of humanity to be saved and serve in heaven... and who then explains that the road to salvation is long and narrow and that few will ever achieve it... he cannot exist. The notion that such a being would arbitrarily place obstacles for himself that would lead to an outcome in which his creation would suffer eternally makes absolutely no sense. It is the kind of action we would expect from someone suffering from self-loathing, or who is an idiot. Neither of those are how god is described.
This cannot be reconciled. Men have tried for centuries and there is yet to be an explanation for it that makes any sense. Yahweh --as defined by those who believe in him-- is impossible. Perhaps the above problem could be explained in some way, though that would just leave myriad other problems with the Bible, which itself is another reason to dismiss it as being true.
