Since you all have been non believers, has it ever crossed your mind "what if im wrong"?
Once in a blue moon, I've had that thought. It has always been fleeting. Though I believe there are no gods, if I am wrong, I have no doubt I'd pass the litmus test to get to go to wherever it is they all want to go. Personally, the place sounds pretty boring to me.
Yeah, my thoughts exactly. When I discuss 'heaven' with believers, I ask what exactly do they imagine it to be like. Many have never even thought about it; others have unrealistic visions. They're perturbed when I point out that in order to get to 'heaven' you pretty much have to give up anything that gives you please in this life; so, what exactly is the attraction of 'heaven'? It must be a hellaciously boring place (assuming it actually existed). The mumbling answer usually has to do with not wanting to fo to 'hell' being it's such an awful place. Therefore ... belief is based on fear of punishment and suffering. Is there a more effective method for mind control?
Yes this is me, I am morally and honest and I am sure I would get a high distinction in that test!
@zucicciu One thing I occasionally ask believers is what happens when a husband or wife dies while happily married; and then the living spouse gets married again; and eventually they are all three dead; when they all get to this "heaven" who is reunited with whom? Or do they have a heavenly threesome? It makes some believers think, and for others, they laugh nervously, admit they don't know, and change the subject quickly.
If God is truly all powerful and all knowing then she will forgive me for not believing in a god who has provided no tangible evidence of her existence. She will understand, if she does not then she is not God
I refuse to participate in Pascal's Wager
A lot of people do participate in Pascal's Wager. Good odds!
Do you mean debating it with believers? On that, I agree. Or do you mean refuse to participate in terms of simply having an answer to the question "Have you ever thought...."?
Both actually. It is a question that they will keep asking, maybe rephrasing, but it is always the same premise to the question and always meant to try and scare you into believing. I generally speaking will not use the same premise of pascals wager on any decision.
This is usually followed by some version of Pascal's wager.
Probably only about as much as most believers ask themselves the same thing, acknowledging the wide range of belief systems out there. That is, not at all. It's just not something I view as worth worrying about. The fear of condemnation after death is a weak basis on which to force oneself into a belief system, and even then, again, I'd point to the wide variety out there, so I'd still have to have those concerns anyway. If there were a god, and they would condemn someone for living a good life while simply not believing, that wouldn't be a god I wanted to follow anyway. So, I guess it all works out.
I think when an individual transitions from a believer to a non believer this may cross your mind ,like it did mine occasionally,until you completely break free of the brainwashing and have a crystal clear mind and are then capable of thinking logically.
No. I'm perhaps a little cynical and think just wait until those believers die, they'll see!
In high school, I told a Brother that I didn't feel comfortable giving the confession of faith, because I didn't believe it and that if there is a God that God wouldn't want me to lie. I also always found inconsistency in the idea of an all knowing loving creator that would build you just to be damned to hell.
Not really. But if I die and suddenly find myself facing God, Allah, or hopefully Freyja I will be able to look them in the eye and take responsibility for my life. Fólkvangr sounds good by me if there is an afterlife. So it doesn't matter if I am wrong.
As a youth, you’re never sure who or what to trust, and will often doubt yourself, so that shouldn’t count... As an adult, with observation and experience -- I’ve absolutely no doubt whatsoever that anything the least bit resembling any god concept I’ve ever come across is the least bit true. And after settling with my cosmic insignificance, I work to make the most of it!
My journey from believer to atheist took about ten years. Once I reached the point where I no longer believed in the existence of any kind of god (especially a revealed one that involves itself in human affairs) I never asked myself that question. If there should be some sort of creator being, force, energy, with self-awareness, I have no concerns that it is anything like the petty, vengeful, all-too-human god of the Bible.
Considering the numerous religions and add on the numerous denominations of religions all of which play by the rule that they are right and all others are wrong the odds that any one religion is right are astronomical. The odds that a person actually picks the one religion that may be true is also astronomical. So it's less "what if I'm wrong?" and more "why does everyone assume their right?".