Thank you, you have tried but I am still far from convinced by your explanation, that is why I am an agnostic. Here is my take on why I can't believe in a god. I believe that we are intelligent animals ( well most of us) ones with a sense of self, a thinking animal with the largest brain pan and brain, given our size. The chimps and great apes come close, but we humanoids have the ability to anticipate and foresee the future and know that we will like all humans, die at some future date. It might be argued that chimps and the great apes may have the same ability, and perhaps they do. But here is the difference, we have gods, and as far as I, or the scientists know, at least for the time being, we don’t think chimps do. So it begs the question, why us? Is there a god or is this a construct we create? I think the answer is straightforward; it is within our nature to imagine a god or gods, because It is a coping mechanism. We know we will die, and because it is hard to accept the fact that we too will go back to nothingness as will our loved ones, so in order to keep our sanity and as a means of coping with this horror, we create a god and afterlife. In other words, there is no god without man, god didn’t create us, we created him/her. This makes life bearable, especially so in man’s early going, during those dark hard days, when life was short and brutal. As we advanced over time, become educated, understood thru science how the universe works, developed labour saving devices and found free time to learn and grown intellectually, many of us have evolved to the point where we see religion, with all its contradictions and hypocrisy for what it really is, an imagined construct to get us thru the night, a night light if you will, to scare off the devil or the boogey man under your bed. My contention is supported by the fact that religion especially prospers in those poor parts of the world or the country where education is lacking, superstitious runs rapid, and life is hard and brutal. For the poor and the oppressed god and an afterlife makes life bearable, just like it did in the dark past. For the better educated and more free minded, those not held back by religion teachings and traditions, they are equipped to study the genesis of beliefs and religions, to see their fault lines, their lack of logic and hypocrisy, and are better able to form their own beliefs about the nature of man and his need for god, or not.

amen to that

I get it, but that doesn’t prove that there isn't a god. Those who believe in god, say he gives us free will and doesn't interfere, so we are back at the start. Here’s what I think, for what it’s worth; I think god is a creation of man as a means of coping with a hard and cruel life. It makes life bearable knowing that a much better place awaits you in an afterlife. You will find god alive and well among the poor, uneducated, and most superstitious of peoples, but not so much among the better educated and well-off who see the lies, hypocrisy and hate on which religion thrives. Religion is like a night light for scaring off the bogey man under your bed, and it’s a promise of a better, happier afterlife once this horrible one comes to an end. If you do believe in god, but displease him you will be sent to burn in hell for ever and ever without end, but keep in mind, god loves you.

@billins There is proof that god doesn't exist as an all knowing, all powerful and all good single being. The evil in the world argument.

Anyway, who cares? Atheists don't believe in god. We don't need a reason to not believe in an illogical, unscientific concept that is totally unsupported by facts. I also don't believe in Santa Claus. Do you ask me why not?

Do you ask theists why they believe in god? There is no evidence for it.

Duh?

There may be more scientific "proof" of big foot, than of any other deities combined... Actually, what is the difference between a guy in an ape suit pretending to be big foot and convincing you of his photo/video proof and a pastor or bishop of a church? Both are trying to get you to believe in something that they know is false, to try and control you for their own gain. At least with big foot sightings, if it isn't a guy in a suit, it might be a bear with mange that needs veterinary help or a long-lost ape clan who hate humans because many of us are ass-faces.

Religious people use the "common sense" argument too. That's not a real argument.

I have always been deeply mistrustful of 'common sense' as a justification for anything. It's frequently misused, and often wrong.

yeah but lack of evidence doesn't prove or disprove the existence of god. I am looking for answers this isn't one.

There is no evidence for or against, just human logic, logic that leads me to believe that there isn't a god. Here's my take on why not:I believe that we are intelligent animals ( well most of us) ones with a sense of self, a thinking animal with the largest brain pan and brain, given our size. The chimps and great apes come close, but we humanoids have the ability to anticipate and foresee the future and know that we will like all humans, die at some future date. It might be argued that chimps and the great apes may have the same ability, and perhaps they do. But here is the difference, we have gods, and as far as I, or the scientists know, at least for the time being, we don’t think chimps do. So it begs the question, why us? Is there a god or is this a construct we create? I think the answer is straightforward; it is within our nature to imagine a god or gods, because It is a coping mechanism. We know we will die, and because it is hard to accept the fact that we too will go back to nothingness as will our loved ones, so in order to keep our sanity and as a means of coping with this horror, we create a god and afterlife. In other words, there is no god without man, god didn’t create us, we created him/her. This makes life bearable, especially so in man’s early going, during those dark hard days, when life was short and brutal. As we advanced over time, become educated, understood thru science how the universe works, developed labour saving devices and found free time to learn and grown intellectually, many of us have evolved to the point where we see religion, with all its contradictions and hypocrisy for what it really is, an imagined construct to get us thru the night, a night light if you will, to scare off the devil or the boogey man under your bed. My contention is supported by the fact that religion especially prospers in those poor parts of the world or the country where education is lacking, superstitious runs rapid, and life is hard and brutal. For the poor and the oppressed god and an afterlife makes life bearable, just like it did in the dark past. For the better educated and more free minded, those not held back by religion teachings and traditions, they are equipped to study the genesis of beliefs and religions, to see their fault lines, their lack of logic and hypocrisy, and are better able to form their own beliefs about the nature of man and his need for god, or not.

To some, the beauty we see and perceive is evidence. And the love humanity is capable to show one another. And the miracle of life, and evolution, and water, and ... that. But looking for a proof for God is a bit like a fish looking for the evidence of water. Only more so. Is this omnipresent God is indeed omnipresent, how can we step outside it to observe it?

@billins I would contend that the "problem of evil" (Cf the video of Mr Fry posted earlier) constitutes evidence of god's absence.

Yeah, you're obviously just using a different definition than the OP.

Narrow definition "atheist", broad definition "agnostic":

P = god

Objectively: P or ~P

Subjectively:

Do you believe P?
Do you believe ~P?

YN: the(os)-ist
NN: agnost(os)-ic
NY: athe(os)-ist

"Agnostic atheist" doesn't describe a specific position, even using your definitions. Those 4 positions models a-theists pass around are false dilemmas.

The atheist believes there is no god. The agnostic does not believe there is a god. These are not equivalent positions.

@TheMiddleWay: I go along with you most of the way until the very end. As an agnostic, I may indeed be unable to render judgement on whether god exists, but I can certainly state whether I believe something or not.

@TheMiddleWay: I'll go halfway with you again. I can't state that I believe something. I CAN state that I do not believe something.

I was in the same situation, but search God and discover His great love. Don't search in wrong places, the answers is in your heart. God loves you so much.

@rickarto How would you know for absolute certainty that you were not under a delusion? (example: millions of Japanese that believed their emperor was divine, or Hindus or Muslims that both you and I can agree are deluded and are pretending to know things they can't know)

Right you are, but it can be argued that there is no evidence that there isn't a god. This is a circular argument. You don't give any support or reason for not believing, sorry to disagree with your stance, but as an agnostic, I am looking for answers.

I have a talking unicorn, but no one else can see it. You just have to believe me.

The burden of proof is on me for trying convince you I have a talking unicorn. The burden of proof is not on the person saying talking unicorns don't exist.

Just because you can't prove something is false, doesn't make it possible or true.

Seems you understand the essence of the question, after all. So, what would be your answer? you believe that no god, no God The Father, no Allah, no god in whatever form or make exist?

whoah ! ! !

I like your answer. Here is my take on why I can't believe in a god. I believe that we are intelligent animals ( well most of us) ones with a sense of self, a thinking animal with the largest brain pan and brain, given our size. The chimps and great apes come close, but we humanoids have the ability to anticipate and foresee the future and know that we will like all humans, die at some future date. It might be argued that chimps and the great apes may have the same ability, and perhaps they do. But here is the difference, we have gods, and as far as I, or the scientists know, at least for the time being, we don’t think chimps do. So it begs the question, why us? Is there a god or is this a construct we create? I think the answer is straightforward; it is within our nature to imagine a god or gods, because It is a coping mechanism. We know we will die, and because it is hard to accept the fact that we too will go back to nothingness as will our loved ones, so in order to keep our sanity and as a means of coping with this horror, we create a god and afterlife. In other words, there is no god without man, god didn’t create us, we created him/her. This makes life bearable, especially so in man’s early going, during those dark hard days, when life was short and brutal. As we advanced over time, became educated, understood thru science how things, nature and the universe works, developed labour saving devices and found free time to learn and grown intellectually, many of us have evolved to the point where we see religion, with all its contradictions and hypocrisy for what it really is, an imagined construct to get us thru the night, a night light if you will, to scare off the devil or the boogey man under your bed. My contention is supported by the fact that religion especially prospers in those poor parts of the world or the country where education is lacking, superstitious runs rapid, and life is hard and brutal. For the poor and the oppressed god and an afterlife makes life bearable, just like it did in the dark past. For the better educated and more free minded, those not held back by religion teachings and traditions, they are equipped to study the genesis of beliefs and religions, to see their fault lines, their lack of logic and hypocrisy, and are better able to form their own beliefs about the nature of man and his need for god, or not.

Seriously, more non-theists choose "nothing" or "agnostic" on surveys, than those who choose "atheist". If you have no belief a god exist, not a belief gods do not exist, it's you that's simply an agnostic, and doesn't know it.

This came first ...

"Agnosticism is of the essence of science, whether ancient or modern. It simply means that a man shall not say he knows or believes that which he has no scientific grounds for professing to know or believe." ~ Thomas Huxley, 1884

^Fully covered belief. He was a scientist. His ism amounts to a form of demarcation. No objective testable evidence = a subjective unfalsifiable claim. Results: unscientific and inconclusive. No belief as to the truth, or falsehood, of the claim. Incompatible with theism, a belief a god exists. Incompatible with narrow definition atheism, a belief no gods exist.

This came later, fully acknowledged it was new, fully acknowledge it was hijacking the agnostic position into atheism ...

"In this interpretation an atheist becomes: not someone who positively asserts the non-existence of God; but someone who is simply not a theist. Let us, for future ready reference, introduce the labels ‘positive atheist’ for the former and ‘negative atheist’ for the latter.

The introduction of this new interpretation of the word ‘atheism’ may appear to be a piece of perverse Humpty-Dumptyism, going arbitrarily against established common usage. ‘Whyever’, it could be asked, ‘don’t you make it not the presumption of atheism but the presumption of agnosticism?’" ~ Antony Flew, 1984

And, "agnostic atheist" doesn't describe a specific position, even using your definitions. An agnostic weak/negative atheist, with no belief or knowledge either way? Or, an agnostic strong/positive atheist, who believes no gods exist, but doesn't claim to know?

I respectfully disagree. I started calling myself an atheist when I came to believe that humans invent religions to help them cope with reality and I do believe that there are no gods. I am not lacking a belief and it kind of low-key bothers me when people say I'm 'lacking' something because of my viewpoint. I am ok with using the word belief. As much as I feel as if I know that there are no gods, no one can truly know any of that. Therefore, I feel, for me, that it only makes sense to have the humility to call that a belief. Just my take on it, but I'll keep an open mind.

Religion is business, big profitable business. And religion incites their faithful to wage war and "kill those imbeciles", brother against brother, son against father, man against man, God's children against His other children through weapons of war or diseases of mass destruction.
Religion is not part of the problem - IT IS THE PROBLEM