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For atheists - what makes you believe no deity exists?

I became an agnostic because, from my perspective, there isn't enough evidence to prove whether there is a God or Higher Powers or not. I think atheism is based more on belief rather then empirical evidence and science, though much evidence would concur that there isn't a God.

Alright, shoot. 🙂

RYSR10 6 Sep 23
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354 comments (76 - 100)

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3

There isn't any evidence that one exists. In the few cases where believers define the qualities of their god(s) that can be tested, their god(s) fail the test, eg. omnipotence and omniscience are mutually exclusive. You would also expect to see different things happen in a universe with an interacting deity than one without one, eg. believers spared in disasters, prayers answered, etc., so in this case, absence of evidence is evidence of absence.

2

Zero evidence. What makes you believe one or some might?

1

I believe in a universal force. It cannot be seen or touched, but it is felt by everyone and has governed the lives of every creature that has ever lived on the Earth.

And I can demonstrate it.

(Exercise). Find a small, lightweight not-fragile object. A pencil or a paperclip will do.

Hold it a few inches above a solid surface, say, the nearest tabletop.

Now let it go. (EndEx).

Gravity.

I know, I know, it's just a theory. But there are very few agnostics when it comes to Gravity, and no-one steps off high buildings for fun.

It affects everyone in just the same way, even astronauts in free fall in orbit - they are basically continuously falling towards the Earth, but missing it - or on other bodies such as the Moon and Mars (same maths, but less Mass).

If there really was a universal creator He / She / They / It would be every bit as eternal, pervasive and undeniable as Gravity.

Atheism would be as impossible as levitation, or at the very least every bit as difficult.

The major religions all started at a particular place at a particular time, and usually with a particular individual. Cults like that spring up all the time. Most of them wither and die off once their founder leaves the stage... but a few snowball, through historical accident and opportunity.

Those religions spread across the world is governed by war, conquest, migration and colonisation, trade and missionary activity. Physical, human stuff, not on the wings of angels or whatever.

Basically, Men create Gods in their own image. Religion fills a need in the Human psyche, but that says more about us as thinking mortal apes than it does about external reality.

2

Lack of evidence.

1

Atheism covers broad ground, because (as others have pointed out) it's a lack of belief in a God or gods but that also covers those who actively disbelieve in a God or gods. I consider myself an agnostic atheist when it comes to general claims of God/gods, and a strong atheist when it comes to many specific claims. For instance, if you study the Canaanite and Sumerian religions you'll see their direct influence on ancient Hebrew religion and the transition from the regional pantheon to tribal monotheism, narrowing the field down to Yahweh (though reading through the Old Testament, if you have a good translation that doesn't errantly conflate names, you'll see references to El and Elohim, among other god names). So, with respect to Yahweh (and, by linear association, Jesus/Yeshua), I'm a strong atheist. It isn't limited to Yahweh/Allah, though, because virtually any hard claim about God/gods in terms of characteristics generally has logical inconsistencies (e.g., "God is all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful" is self-contradictory when trying to factor in evil in the world). Nebulous or ill-defined concepts of God or gods on the other hand,, e.g., "God is love" or "God is the universal energy that connects all living things," are just sort of meaningless tropes and platitudes and are nothing I consider worth thinking about one way or another.

2

I feel like use of language is really important for something like this because I don't so much believe there is no god, but rather don't believe one exists. I see myself as someone looking for what's true. After spending a lot of time involved with Christianity, I came across atheists online and they spoke a lot of sense to me. Over time I continued to hear the same arguments from religious people and it more or less solidified my stance, not in a sense where I'm unwilling to change my position given the evidence for the claim, but that I find it highly unlikely the evidence I seek for that claim will ever be presented. Nobody will know for sure, I just use Occam's razor to justify my stance.

7

The absolute lack of proof.

1

If there is a deity of any kind resposible for the creation of humans and the universe, its pretty obvious that he, she, it or they do not possess anything resembling a human set of values. Why would a diety who supposedly loves the human race, create a world in which parasites exist that eat children's eyeballs? That's only one of my beefs.

1

I believed no god exists. And no supernatural. It make me feel freedom and peaceful. But i have a question. who created Quran?? Why Quran said about science in last 1400 years ago. And its was proved in 20th century?

1

I don't need anything for me to believe no deity exits, it is, or should be, the default position for everything in life. I need proof that a deity exists for me to believe in him.

2

Common sense and knowing human behavior. Humans lie, cheat and steal because of greed, and religion is a tool that is very effective for those ends.

2

The lack of proof. Every time I hear a theist say this proves God's existence I can easily explain why this isn't so. My favorite: a woman breaks down with a flat tire on the highway and a young man stops to help her. She later states her angel was there to guide her today. NO! a nice young man stopped to help you. Give credit where credit is due.

0

There have been historical records of in excess of 3000 gods during recorded history, most of which have faded into the annals of history, Why should the ones currently being believed in be any different? So, if they will eventually disappear from consciousness then why believe in them.

0

can't find a reason to be a theist. I believe human brain is itself designed to reason everything it confronts, something odd happens beyond human comprehension, brain itself try to reason and the easiest is god. The first time the idea of God came when primal men saw a comet , they were baffled and perplexed coz they hadn't seen such a thing even though their life was almost based on stars and its movements. Following the comet there came drought , which some thought was the curse of God for something they did. Hence started all sorts of rituals and slaughtering sacrifices to please something that never existed.
Man is no special, he is an animal driven by circumstances as a slave of time..!

1

If you were an OMNIPOTENT, which a god is supposed to be, would you want to concern yourself with all the nonsense that all religion on this tiny blue dot of a planet is about, or would you be off enjoying the infinite delights of the infinite universe?

1

You just said it, there is much evidence that there isn't a God, so why not atheism. I was brought up a Christian, taught at a Catholic school for years met with nuns and priests and a bishop, but if you really think about it the existence of a god is so unlikely that you might as well be an atheist.

2

Well, how is atheism defined generally? The lack of belief in a god. You either believe that one exists or you don't. How certain you are is irrelevant. You saying that you are agnostic only says that you are an atheist since you said yourself that is not enough evidence to prove that a god exists.

0

First of all it doesn't have any plausible evidence. Second it seems according to Stephen Hawking and me that God would be unnecessary because gravity exists and doesn't appear to violate general relativity. Logic and common sense supports non belief.

0

Let's see...how many gods and godesses have had their names spoken on this small planet? And you think we atheists go around the world empirically testing whether or not a particular culture's god/godess exists? How about we just don't have Believer Brains (gotta be genetic), and we just don't give a rat's ass?

0

my basic reply when asked about god is.. i gave up on imaginary friends when i was 3. don't know why but this tends to upset the god botherers .
Also this world is a mess, do you really think a god would give us the power to wipe ourselves out.. and more to the point who is gods god?

1

I do not feel the need to explain a non-belief. It would be like arguing a double negative.

1

Why are churches destroyed by earthquakes and volcanoes?

0

As of now, there is no empirical evidence of any gods existence, Theists have had thousands of years to offer evidence, they have not been able to do it.

Until they come of with evidence, I will have to say that there are no deities .

2

I'm not fuking delusional

1

There is no God let alone a supernatural version of the animal that is a homo sapien sapien.

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