Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why?

I'm 23 and supposedly most my age aren't religious, but I don't understand how you can just say you don't believe in God anymore? Do you think you're more intelligent because you're an Atheist?[b][u] I'm pretty free thinking myself, so I obviously don't let religion influence my thinking. So what is it about Atheism that is appealing to you all?

free thinking?

You're 23 and have barely lived. lol

Furthermore, your attitude is showing through. If you were intelligent, you'd know to work on word choice.

Anonymous wrote:It's a very simple explanation for me.

You know how those of you who believe in God/Allah/whatever monotheistic deity you happen to choose feel about the Greek, Roman and Norse pantheons, the religion of the Druids, and all of the other ancient traditions?

When/if you think about those ancient traditions, you understand that those ancient peoples were trying to explain natural phenomena that they couldn't otherwise explain - the seasons, the weather, disease, death, etc. You dismiss those things now and you, an educated modern person, understand for example that lighting is a natural event and not the wrath of a deity.

You don't believe that the gods of those ancient traditions exist, and the only way you would believe it is if one of them turned up on your doorstep and started tossing thunderbolts - and even then you'd probably appeal to Clarke's Law* rather than believe it was a deity of some kind.

Atheists feel the same way as you do about all those ancient beliefs. We just happen to feel the same way about your deity of choice, too.

We don't really think about your deity as part of our daily lives, and we simply don't believe that deity exists. Atheists believe that there is a rational, natural explanation for all things including the origin of our Universe, we just haven't figured some of them out, yet.


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*Clarke's Law - Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - I am with you on not getting atheism.
I think many of these atheists have never witnessed the miracle of birth.
People talk about the “randomness of the universe.”
It is not random at all.
The fact that so many, many things can go wrong with the birth of a child and most often, a baby is born nearly perfect proves to me that God’s hand is at work and that we have a good and loving God.
And, to think that a giant maple tree can grow out of a seed that is the size of a pea - simply miraculous.
I have witnessed miracles nearly every day.
There are some things that we simply cannot understand or explain through science.

So if a seed doesn't sprout or a baby does in childbirth is it an anti-miracle?

Anonymous wrote:Why?

I'm 23 and supposedly most my age aren't religious, but I don't understand how you can just say you don't believe in God anymore? Do you think you're more intelligent because you're an Atheist?[b][u] I'm pretty free thinking myself, so I obviously don't let religion influence my thinking. So what is it about Atheism that is appealing to you all?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a very simple explanation for me.

You know how those of you who believe in God/Allah/whatever monotheistic deity you happen to choose feel about the Greek, Roman and Norse pantheons, the religion of the Druids, and all of the other ancient traditions?

When/if you think about those ancient traditions, you understand that those ancient peoples were trying to explain natural phenomena that they couldn't otherwise explain - the seasons, the weather, disease, death, etc. You dismiss those things now and you, an educated modern person, understand for example that lighting is a natural event and not the wrath of a deity.

You don't believe that the gods of those ancient traditions exist, and the only way you would believe it is if one of them turned up on your doorstep and started tossing thunderbolts - and even then you'd probably appeal to Clarke's Law* rather than believe it was a deity of some kind.

Atheists feel the same way as you do about all those ancient beliefs. We just happen to feel the same way about your deity of choice, too.

We don't really think about your deity as part of our daily lives, and we simply don't believe that deity exists. Atheists believe that there is a rational, natural explanation for all things including the origin of our Universe, we just haven't figured some of them out, yet.


==============
*Clarke's Law - Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Yes, but the problem with this (for you) is, just because you "don't believe," doesn't make it "not true."

Anonymous wrote:It's a very simple explanation for me.

You know how those of you who believe in God/Allah/whatever monotheistic deity you happen to choose feel about the Greek, Roman and Norse pantheons, the religion of the Druids, and all of the other ancient traditions?

When/if you think about those ancient traditions, you understand that those ancient peoples were trying to explain natural phenomena that they couldn't otherwise explain - the seasons, the weather, disease, death, etc. You dismiss those things now and you, an educated modern person, understand for example that lighting is a natural event and not the wrath of a deity.

You don't believe that the gods of those ancient traditions exist, and the only way you would believe it is if one of them turned up on your doorstep and started tossing thunderbolts - and even then you'd probably appeal to Clarke's Law* rather than believe it was a deity of some kind.

Atheists feel the same way as you do about all those ancient beliefs. We just happen to feel the same way about your deity of choice, too.

We don't really think about your deity as part of our daily lives, and we simply don't believe that deity exists. Atheists believe that there is a rational, natural explanation for all things including the origin of our Universe, we just haven't figured some of them out, yet.


==============
*Clarke's Law - Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP, but feel like this needs its own post.

We all have the same available information on science, life, earth, religion, etc. We don't all see it the same. There's room for interpretation. We are not all identical.

My own journey to atheism started when I read the entire bible. I am unable to reconcile the angry God and hippy Christ aspects. I'm all for the hippy ideals, but the rest is simply unbelievable. Also, lambs blood on your door or your first born is killed by God? Anyone who kills children because a simple noncompliance is a dick.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - I am with you on not getting atheism.
I think many of these atheists have never witnessed the miracle of birth.
People talk about the “randomness of the universe.”
It is not random at all.
The fact that so many, many things can go wrong with the birth of a child and most often, a baby is born nearly perfect proves to me that God’s hand is at work and that we have a good and loving God.
And, to think that a giant maple tree can grow out of a seed that is the size of a pea - simply miraculous.
I have witnessed miracles nearly every day.
There are some things that we simply cannot understand or explain through science.

You're right, these two examples you cite are incredible. They also can be completely explained by science. I'm surprised you never learned how babies were made and grew, or how a seed becomes a tree, in school? It seems the educational system failed you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - I am with you on not getting atheism.
I think many of these atheists have never witnessed the miracle of birth.
People talk about the “randomness of the universe.”
It is not random at all.
The fact that so many, many things can go wrong with the birth of a child and most often, a baby is born nearly perfect proves to me that God’s hand is at work and that we have a good and loving God.
And, to think that a giant maple tree can grow out of a seed that is the size of a pea - simply miraculous.
I have witnessed miracles nearly every day.
There are some things that we simply cannot understand or explain through science.

So if a seed doesn't sprout or a baby does in childbirth is it an anti-miracle?

Not at all. It simply was not meant to be - for whatever reason.
Not everything can be explained.
I don’t have all the answers, but I do have a strong faith in God.
There have been many unexplainable miracles in my life.

Just because YOU don't understand the science doesn't mean that the explanation is "God" instead of biology.

Ahh... but science does not have all the answers.
Science explains SOME of the miracles of life, but not all.
God’s hand at work.
I don’t expect you to believe. You can choose your course in life.
I choose to believe because of the miraculous events I have witnessed.
One of which is the birth of a child.
It doesn’t get much more miraculous than that.

Science has the ability to explain everything in time.

I have delivered two children personally and been present at other births. There is nothing miraculous about biology and technology. Sorry.

If biology is not miraculous to you - that means you can recreate it. Go ahead - make a seed or sperm or egg.

Anonymous wrote:OP - I am with you on not getting atheism.
I think many of these atheists have never witnessed the miracle of birth.
People talk about the “randomness of the universe.”
It is not random at all.
The fact that so many, many things can go wrong with the birth of a child and most often, a baby is born nearly perfect proves to me that God’s hand is at work and that we have a good and loving God.
And, to think that a giant maple tree can grow out of a seed that is the size of a pea - simply miraculous.
I have witnessed miracles nearly every day.
There are some things that we simply cannot understand or explain through science.