What do Atheists believe?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I'm sorry. That was unkind and untrue.

You were trying to explain your view of heaven, and you were trying to do it in a welcoming way. I don't think you were trying to present a focus on God's reaction.

It's the latter that stands out for me, especially given that those who rejected the heaven-analogy feast had their own reasons, for the most part. But I should have been more respectful of you and your post. My apologies.

I would ask you to go back and examine the reasons that the invitees gave in the second parable. I bought a field, now I must go and inspect it? Who buys land before knowing what it is. Same with the livestock. And why can't you go to a wedding feast if you just got married? They are flimsy reasons, the same ones we give God why we can't come to Him.

Here's something I don't understand. There are numerous posts on here about how many bad things happen in the world and why doesn't God stop them. But if you look at the bad things in the world, do you think God instigated these? Someone rapes and murders someone, and that's not the fault of the perpetrator? And God vows to punish that. But before He does that, He still offers out forgiveness, if only the person will ask. But that person doesn't ask. Is God unjust to punish that? I mean, which way do you want it? This parable of the feasts, it's an illustration that we are all short of righteousness, but God has still prepared Heaven for us if we will just accept the invitation, if we will just accept His offer to forgive our sins. But if we don't, we have our sins that we have committed. Should God just overlook those? I thought you wanted justice.

Remember -- this is your analogy, not mine, or at least, it is the one you are promoting.

If one of your children were to give one of these reasons, you think the proper response would be rage? Vengeance? Wrath? That is very clearly what is described.

Why won't you discuss the anger of the god-figure? You seem to talk about everything else but that. I'd like your take on it.

Are you missing the part of the parable where the invitees didn't want the invitation so much that they KILLED the king's messengers? You wouldn't be angry about that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I'm sorry. That was unkind and untrue.

You were trying to explain your view of heaven, and you were trying to do it in a welcoming way. I don't think you were trying to present a focus on God's reaction.

It's the latter that stands out for me, especially given that those who rejected the heaven-analogy feast had their own reasons, for the most part. But I should have been more respectful of you and your post. My apologies.

I would ask you to go back and examine the reasons that the invitees gave in the second parable. I bought a field, now I must go and inspect it? Who buys land before knowing what it is. Same with the livestock. And why can't you go to a wedding feast if you just got married? They are flimsy reasons, the same ones we give God why we can't come to Him.

Here's something I don't understand. There are numerous posts on here about how many bad things happen in the world and why doesn't God stop them. But if you look at the bad things in the world, do you think God instigated these? Someone rapes and murders someone, and that's not the fault of the perpetrator? And God vows to punish that. But before He does that, He still offers out forgiveness, if only the person will ask. But that person doesn't ask. Is God unjust to punish that? I mean, which way do you want it? This parable of the feasts, it's an illustration that we are all short of righteousness, but God has still prepared Heaven for us if we will just accept the invitation, if we will just accept His offer to forgive our sins. But if we don't, we have our sins that we have committed. Should God just overlook those? I thought you wanted justice.

Remember -- this is your analogy, not mine, or at least, it is the one you are promoting.

If one of your children were to give one of these reasons, you think the proper response would be rage? Vengeance? Wrath? That is very clearly what is described.

Why won't you discuss the anger of the god-figure? You seem to talk about everything else but that. I'd like your take on it.

Are you missing the part of the parable where the invitees didn't want the invitation so much that they KILLED the king's messengers? You wouldn't be angry about that?

God gets angry and exacts punishment but can't be kind whenever it's needed?

Sometimes he's kind (or maybe it's just chance) but sometimes he seems relly negligent (or maybe it's must chance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I'm sorry. That was unkind and untrue.

You were trying to explain your view of heaven, and you were trying to do it in a welcoming way. I don't think you were trying to present a focus on God's reaction.

It's the latter that stands out for me, especially given that those who rejected the heaven-analogy feast had their own reasons, for the most part. But I should have been more respectful of you and your post. My apologies.

I would ask you to go back and examine the reasons that the invitees gave in the second parable. I bought a field, now I must go and inspect it? Who buys land before knowing what it is. Same with the livestock. And why can't you go to a wedding feast if you just got married? They are flimsy reasons, the same ones we give God why we can't come to Him.

Here's something I don't understand. There are numerous posts on here about how many bad things happen in the world and why doesn't God stop them. But if you look at the bad things in the world, do you think God instigated these? Someone rapes and murders someone, and that's not the fault of the perpetrator? And God vows to punish that. But before He does that, He still offers out forgiveness, if only the person will ask. But that person doesn't ask. Is God unjust to punish that? I mean, which way do you want it? This parable of the feasts, it's an illustration that we are all short of righteousness, but God has still prepared Heaven for us if we will just accept the invitation, if we will just accept His offer to forgive our sins. But if we don't, we have our sins that we have committed. Should God just overlook those? I thought you wanted justice.

Remember -- this is your analogy, not mine, or at least, it is the one you are promoting.

If one of your children were to give one of these reasons, you think the proper response would be rage? Vengeance? Wrath? That is very clearly what is described.

Why won't you discuss the anger of the god-figure? You seem to talk about everything else but that. I'd like your take on it.

Are you missing the part of the parable where the invitees didn't want the invitation so much that they KILLED the king's messengers? You wouldn't be angry about that?

"One of these things / Is not like the others ..."

That part does make sense. What doesn't make sense is that it was the same reaction to things which are much, much, much milder.

So now that I've answered your question, please answer mine below. I'm interested in your perspective.

Regarding the "Parable of the Great Banquet" -- do you think the response of the god-analogy figure to rejected invitation is representative of God's response to those who don't believe? Is it defensible?

The man "gave a great banquet and invited many," but the invitees made excuses.
- needing to examine a field that was purchased (and nothing said about not having examined it earlier, just that he wanted to do a walkthrough now)
- needing to examine some oxen
- having just gotten married

So the master of the house
- became angry
- and "compel[led] people to come in, that my house may be filled

So not regret or disappointment, but anger to the point of forcing (compelling) uninvited people to come in so that his house wouldn't be empty for his banquet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I'm sorry. That was unkind and untrue.

You were trying to explain your view of heaven, and you were trying to do it in a welcoming way. I don't think you were trying to present a focus on God's reaction.

It's the latter that stands out for me, especially given that those who rejected the heaven-analogy feast had their own reasons, for the most part. But I should have been more respectful of you and your post. My apologies.

I would ask you to go back and examine the reasons that the invitees gave in the second parable. I bought a field, now I must go and inspect it? Who buys land before knowing what it is. Same with the livestock. And why can't you go to a wedding feast if you just got married? They are flimsy reasons, the same ones we give God why we can't come to Him.

Here's something I don't understand. There are numerous posts on here about how many bad things happen in the world and why doesn't God stop them. But if you look at the bad things in the world, do you think God instigated these? Someone rapes and murders someone, and that's not the fault of the perpetrator? And God vows to punish that. But before He does that, He still offers out forgiveness, if only the person will ask. But that person doesn't ask. Is God unjust to punish that? I mean, which way do you want it? This parable of the feasts, it's an illustration that we are all short of righteousness, but God has still prepared Heaven for us if we will just accept the invitation, if we will just accept His offer to forgive our sins. But if we don't, we have our sins that we have committed. Should God just overlook those? I thought you wanted justice.

Remember -- this is your analogy, not mine, or at least, it is the one you are promoting.

If one of your children were to give one of these reasons, you think the proper response would be rage? Vengeance? Wrath? That is very clearly what is described.

Why won't you discuss the anger of the god-figure? You seem to talk about everything else but that. I'd like your take on it.

Are you missing the part of the parable where the invitees didn't want the invitation so much that they KILLED the king's messengers? You wouldn't be angry about that?

"One of these things / Is not like the others ..."

That part does make sense. What doesn't make sense is that it was the same reaction to things which are much, much, much milder.

So now that I've answered your question, please answer mine below. I'm interested in your perspective.

Regarding the "Parable of the Great Banquet" -- do you think the response of the god-analogy figure to rejected invitation is representative of God's response to those who don't believe? Is it defensible?

The man "gave a great banquet and invited many," but the invitees made excuses.
- needing to examine a field that was purchased (and nothing said about not having examined it earlier, just that he wanted to do a walkthrough now)
- needing to examine some oxen
- having just gotten married

So the master of the house
- became angry
- and "compel[led] people to come in, that my house may be filled

So not regret or disappointment, but anger to the point of forcing (compelling) uninvited people to come in so that his house wouldn't be empty for his banquet.

Obviously, optics are very important to the host. He is not a deep person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you explain your thought and feelings about life?

I like Ricki Gervais’ answer in this. It’s some thing like this. “You don’t believe in thousands of gods human kind has believed in over the years. I also don’t believe in them, plus one more.”

[Anonymous]

Life long atheist here, most people don’t believe in god. If they did, their lives would be much different.
BTW I am very tolerant of religion because I realize that people need it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Life long atheist here, most people don’t believe in god. If they did, their lives would be much different.
BTW I am very tolerant of religion because I realize that people need it.

Why do you think some people need it and some don’t?

[Anonymous]

happy and fulfilled atheist here. I do not believe in any gods. That's about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Atheists believe that there is nothing in the universe more important than themselves.

No that is incorrect, even if you are tongue-in-cheek.

Atheists are people who do not have a belief in a god or gods.

What’s the difference? Is there something you believe in that is more important than yourself?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Atheists believe that there is nothing in the universe more important than themselves.

No that is incorrect, even if you are tongue-in-cheek.

Atheists are people who do not have a belief in a god or gods.

What’s the difference? Is there something you believe in that is more important than yourself?

I literally don't understand the question. There are lots of things that are "more important than myself," but that fact/belief doesn't particularly alter my behavior in any way. What do you or would you do differently because you believe in God?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Atheists believe that there is nothing in the universe more important than themselves.

No that is incorrect, even if you are tongue-in-cheek.

Atheists are people who do not have a belief in a god or gods.

What’s the difference? Is there something you believe in that is more important than yourself?

I literally don't understand the question. There are lots of things that are "more important than myself," but that fact/belief doesn't particularly alter my behavior in any way. What do you or would you do differently because you believe in God?

I didn’t say anything about behavior. I am saying that atheists don’t believe in the existence of anything larger or more important than themselves. Pp said I was wrong, but no one gave an example of something they DO believe in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Atheists believe that there is nothing in the universe more important than themselves.

No that is incorrect, even if you are tongue-in-cheek.

Atheists are people who do not have a belief in a god or gods.

What’s the difference? Is there something you believe in that is more important than yourself?

I literally don't understand the question. There are lots of things that are "more important than myself," but that fact/belief doesn't particularly alter my behavior in any way. What do you or would you do differently because you believe in God?

So, what are these “lots of things?”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Atheists believe that there is nothing in the universe more important than themselves.

No that is incorrect, even if you are tongue-in-cheek.

Atheists are people who do not have a belief in a god or gods.

What’s the difference? Is there something you believe in that is more important than yourself?

I literally don't understand the question. There are lots of things that are "more important than myself," but that fact/belief doesn't particularly alter my behavior in any way. What do you or would you do differently because you believe in God?

So, what are these “lots of things?”

I decline to answer because I don't understand the purpose/value of the question. But I accept that you believe that God is more important to yourself and that that makes you better than me in certain ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Atheists believe that there is nothing in the universe more important than themselves.

No that is incorrect, even if you are tongue-in-cheek.

Atheists are people who do not have a belief in a god or gods.

What’s the difference? Is there something you believe in that is more important than yourself?

I literally don't understand the question. There are lots of things that are "more important than myself," but that fact/belief doesn't particularly alter my behavior in any way. What do you or would you do differently because you believe in God?

So, what are these “lots of things?”

I decline to answer because I don't understand the purpose/value of the question. But I accept that you believe that God is more important to yourself and that that makes you better than me in certain ways.

I don’t think I am better than you. I think I am braver than you for admitting what I believe in.
What are you scared of? It’s an anonymous forum.
And of course it’s valuable and relevant to the discussion. The question is “what do atheists believe in?” You are an atheist, so speak it. What do you believe in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Life long atheist here, most people don’t believe in god. If they did, their lives would be much different.
BTW I am very tolerant of religion because I realize that people need it.

Why do you think some people need it and some don’t?

Because some can't cope.