Atheists and Agnostics, can you explain why you don't believe in a "God"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm PP above. I have sometimes wondered if there is a biological component to whether you believe in god or not.

the God Gene

It wasn't passed down to me, however.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a country where almost everyone is an atheist. Interesting enough quite a few of my friends who came to US to complete their PHD in chemistry or biology started to believe in God.

Do they believe the world is 4000 years old? No. They believe what the bible called a day is a metaphor. What is time anyway? It's merely a dimension that can be warped according to the theory of relativity. A day on a different planet can be a year, a century, or a millennium on earth. A black hole can make time pass extremely slow.

Do they believe Evolution? Some do. Some don't. For those who do, they think that's the way God created humans. As a species who never quit asking where we came from, who created us, humans are fundamentally different than other species. Why all human races possess the innate need to find out who created them (be it God, a set of rules in the universe, chemical reactions of some sort)?

There are so many things we still don't know. To say we figured the myth of human creation out by science today is like those who claimed they figured everything out centuries ago by religion. All the scientific theories are still evolving. Steve Hwaking, who himself doesn't believe in God, just modified his theory on blackholes. Maybe one day, we'll find there's a converging point between science and religion. Some scientists don't believe it has to be one way or the other, just like Isaac Newton believed in both science and God.

I find it remarkable that you know several biology PhDs who don't believe in the evolutionary process.

In any case, I don't think science has all the answers now, and I don't think any reasonable atheist does. But "there are things we don't know" doesn't equate to "God exists." That leap has always been something that is utterly foreign to me. I was raised as a religious child and I didn't understand it even as a kid. I remember thinking about it as a child: Why would you go from "there are things we don't know" to "therefore, there must be a supernatural, intelligent, all-powerful being who exists, who is powerful enough and loves us enough to create the universe and everything in it, but not powerful enough (or doesn't love us enough) to keep the little brother of my classmate from dying." I have never been able to feel comfortable with that leap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a country where almost everyone is an atheist. Interesting enough quite a few of my friends who came to US to complete their PHD in chemistry or biology started to believe in God.

Do they believe the world is 4000 years old? No. They believe what the bible called a day is a metaphor. What is time anyway? It's merely a dimension that can be warped according to the theory of relativity. A day on a different planet can be a year, a century, or a millennium on earth. A black hole can make time pass extremely slow.

Do they believe Evolution? Some do. Some don't. For those who do, they think that's the way God created humans. As a species who never quit asking where we came from, who created us, humans are fundamentally different than other species. Why all human races possess the innate need to find out who created them (be it God, a set of rules in the universe, chemical reactions of some sort)?

There are so many things we still don't know. To say we figured the myth of human creation out by science today is like those who claimed they figured everything out centuries ago by religion. All the scientific theories are still evolving. Steve Hwaking, who himself doesn't believe in God, just modified his theory on blackholes. Maybe one day, we'll find there's a converging point between science and religion. Some scientists don't believe it has to be one way or the other, just like Isaac Newton believed in both science and God.

I find it remarkable that you know several biology PhDs who don't believe in the evolutionary process.

In any case, I don't think science has all the answers now, and I don't think any reasonable atheist does. But "there are things we don't know" doesn't equate to "God exists." That leap has always been something that is utterly foreign to me. I was raised as a religious child and I didn't understand it even as a kid. I remember thinking about it as a child: Why would you go from "there are things we don't know" to "therefore, there must be a supernatural, intelligent, all-powerful being who exists, who is powerful enough and loves us enough to create the universe and everything in it, but not powerful enough (or doesn't love us enough) to keep the little brother of my classmate from dying." I have never been able to feel comfortable with that leap.

You lack the faith that an innately religious person has. Some say faith is a gift. Perhaps, except to the extent it causes a person to deny logic and common sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The failure of Abrahamic religions to improve or clarify over time. If there was a god why would I need a building and interpreter to talk to him.

This. The various fields of theology have pretty much chased their own tail for about 2000 years. It has basically done nothing to advance human knowledge at all. It's a field that focuses entirely on moving the goal posts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a country where almost everyone is an atheist. Interesting enough quite a few of my friends who came to US to complete their PHD in chemistry or biology started to believe in God.

Do they believe the world is 4000 years old? No. They believe what the bible called a day is a metaphor. What is time anyway? It's merely a dimension that can be warped according to the theory of relativity. A day on a different planet can be a year, a century, or a millennium on earth. A black hole can make time pass extremely slow.

Do they believe Evolution? Some do. Some don't. For those who do, they think that's the way God created humans. As a species who never quit asking where we came from, who created us, humans are fundamentally different than other species. Why all human races possess the innate need to find out who created them (be it God, a set of rules in the universe, chemical reactions of some sort)?

There are so many things we still don't know. To say we figured the myth of human creation out by science today is like those who claimed they figured everything out centuries ago by religion. All the scientific theories are still evolving. Steve Hwaking, who himself doesn't believe in God, just modified his theory on blackholes. Maybe one day, we'll find there's a converging point between science and religion. Some scientists don't believe it has to be one way or the other, just like Isaac Newton believed in both science and God.

I find it remarkable that you know several biology PhDs who don't believe in the evolutionary process.

In any case, I don't think science has all the answers now, and I don't think any reasonable atheist does. But "there are things we don't know" doesn't equate to "God exists." That leap has always been something that is utterly foreign to me. I was raised as a religious child and I didn't understand it even as a kid. I remember thinking about it as a child: Why would you go from "there are things we don't know" to "therefore, there must be a supernatural, intelligent, all-powerful being who exists, who is powerful enough and loves us enough to create the universe and everything in it, but not powerful enough (or doesn't love us enough) to keep the little brother of my classmate from dying." I have never been able to feel comfortable with that leap.

You lack the faith that an innately religious person has. Some say faith is a gift. Perhaps, except to the extent it causes a person to deny logic and common sense.

Sometimes I get scared when I have to go into the basement alone at night. How can you explain that unless Satan exists?

[Anonymous]

God is just a silly concept.

[RantingAtheist]

Anonymous wrote:God is just a silly concept.

It obviously provides something to people--otherwise religous beliefs wouldn't be so viral. It's interesting though, that those numbers keep falling, at least in the developed world. Probably has a lot to do with other social outlets that have arisen in the last few decades. (TV, then internet, etc...)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, so I consider myself an intelligent human and a very liberal one at that. I was raised Catholic, but never agreed with the archaic ways of the church. I have not gone to mass since I was out of high school except to baptize my children because my parents and in-laws would have suffered nervous breakdowns had I not done so. My children will not go to mass or do their first communions because my views differ so much from the Catholic church. BUT, I am a spiritual person, and I do believe in a higher being. The reason I have to believe is because my mind cannot understand the concept that something comes out of nothing. So for the universe and life to exist, there must have been something always there to kick the processes into motion. I hope I'm explaining myself so it's clear. This question is just out of curiosity, I have zero judgment for hardcore churchgoers or for Atheists. I'm just curious how Atheists rationalize existance of a planet, an asteroid or a life form without the existence of something prior. Thank you!

Why can't something come from nothing? We don't know that "something" absolutely cannot come from "nothing". But even if that's the case why then is your version of God that's responsible? Why not a group of Gods? I get that maybe you think only that something else is out there, even if you're not sure what it is, but you see my point. It's the argument from ignorance fallacy. Just because something cannot be explained does not mean that its cause is necessarily supernatural.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a country where almost everyone is an atheist. Interesting enough quite a few of my friends who came to US to complete their PHD in chemistry or biology started to believe in God.

Do they believe the world is 4000 years old? No. They believe what the bible called a day is a metaphor. What is time anyway? It's merely a dimension that can be warped according to the theory of relativity. A day on a different planet can be a year, a century, or a millennium on earth. A black hole can make time pass extremely slow.

Do they believe Evolution? Some do. Some don't. For those who do, they think that's the way God created humans. As a species who never quit asking where we came from, who created us, humans are fundamentally different than other species. Why all human races possess the innate need to find out who created them (be it God, a set of rules in the universe, chemical reactions of some sort)?

There are so many things we still don't know. To say we figured the myth of human creation out by science today is like those who claimed they figured everything out centuries ago by religion. All the scientific theories are still evolving. Steve Hwaking, who himself doesn't believe in God, just modified his theory on blackholes. Maybe one day, we'll find there's a converging point between science and religion. Some scientists don't believe it has to be one way or the other, just like Isaac Newton believed in both science and God.

I find it remarkable that you know several biology PhDs who don't believe in the evolutionary process.

In any case, I don't think science has all the answers now, and I don't think any reasonable atheist does. But "there are things we don't know" doesn't equate to "God exists." That leap has always been something that is utterly foreign to me. I was raised as a religious child and I didn't understand it even as a kid. I remember thinking about it as a child: Why would you go from "there are things we don't know" to "therefore, there must be a supernatural, intelligent, all-powerful being who exists, who is powerful enough and loves us enough to create the universe and everything in it, but not powerful enough (or doesn't love us enough) to keep the little brother of my classmate from dying." I have never been able to feel comfortable with that leap.

You lack the faith that an innately religious person has. Some say faith is a gift. Perhaps, except to the extent it causes a person to deny logic and common sense.

Sometimes I get scared when I have to go into the basement alone at night. How can you explain that unless Satan exists?

Spiders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't... reconcile? in my own mind that there is a being who on the one hand is apparently all loving. Yet at other times seems to be manipulative and down right cruel. My ds, at 12, said if God were a real person on Earth he would be a really big jerk.

Why do people, kids especially, get cancer etc? Some say there is no explanation, you just have to accept it. Some say it's a test to bring you closer to God. Really??

Then there's the many hypocritical "Christians" I've known in my own life. There have been a few where I've figured if they are an example of Christianity, I'll stay out if it, thanks just the same.

I used to go to church. I took my kids to church. I really didn't get much out of it, I just.. went to church. I read the passages, sang the hymns, listened to the sermon. Sometimes it would resonate with me, but usually not.

I eventually accepted that it just isn't something that works in my life. I can't wrap my head around it.

I remember going through the motions as a kid. Catholic school, all the sacraments - just wasn't me, meant nothing to me

makes no sense to me

not saying I'm not spiritual, however
But my 11 yo said it best. Why do I need some other "thing" to tell me how to live my life? Why can't I just LIVE my life?

[Anonymous]

RantingAtheist wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God is just a silly concept.

It obviously provides something to people--otherwise religous beliefs wouldn't be so viral. It's interesting though, that those numbers keep falling, at least in the developed world. Probably has a lot to do with other social outlets that have arisen in the last few decades. (TV, then internet, etc...)

Religious beliefs over the past 2,000 years have been helped along by childhood indoctrination and severe punishments for not believing. Now that that's changing, the virus is subsiding. rapidly.

[Anonymous]

Bearded white man in the sky?

Yeah, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm PP above. I have sometimes wondered if there is a biological component to whether you believe in god or not.

I read somewhere that there is a "mystic" gene. Makes sense to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm PP above. I have sometimes wondered if there is a biological component to whether you believe in god or not.

I read somewhere that there is a "mystic" gene. Makes sense to me.

It's right next to the "Can't carry a tune in a bucket" gene and the "green thumb" gene.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

RantingAtheist wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God is just a silly concept.

It obviously provides something to people--otherwise religous beliefs wouldn't be so viral. It's interesting though, that those numbers keep falling, at least in the developed world. Probably has a lot to do with other social outlets that have arisen in the last few decades. (TV, then internet, etc...)

Religious beliefs over the past 2,000 years have been helped along by childhood indoctrination and severe punishments for not believing. Now that that's changing, the virus is subsiding. rapidly.

To each their own. We're part of a vibrant faith community and love it.