If there's no evidence a god exists and there's no evidence that a true miracle has ever happened and there's no evidence that there's an afterlife and we know magic isn't real and we know the dead remain dead forever then how the (bleep) do so many ppl around the world believe so deeply that ALL of this sh-t is real?
I accept that fire-breathing dragons aren't real because breathing fire isn't possible and no evidence exists to support the claim that they were ever real. So, that's it. End of story. There's no more proof for god than here is for fire-breathing dragons so what's the problem here?
If they can accept that fire-breathing dragons aren't real, why do they refuse to accept that god isn't as well? I think it's bcuz religion promises them eternal life and they're so eager to believe that that they'll swallow anything they have to in order to hold onto it.
I think this whole thing is the result of the irrational fear of death so many ppl have.
Just my $0.02.
Your post appears to assume that people are rational. It is my personal observation that many people are cognitively challenged and that some people are severely cognitively challenged. Recent fMRI evidence suggests that this is due to developmental deficiencies in sufferers' prefrontal cortex.
From what I have read, firebreathing dragons have a plate of platinum in the top of their mouths that acts like a catalyst and when burping this allows for a reaction between the hydrogen in their stomachs and the oxygen in the air to ignite and thus create fire. They do not breathe fire.
Now when people believe in something for the many yeas they have lived and then get to the end of their lives where the ideology hits the road, they realize the do not understand the process of death and find themselves depressed due to lack of knowledge. This is hard as the investment they have pursued is not longer giving any return.
Maybe because the average person has been brainwashed from birth to play along. The smarter ones know it's all bullshit but are afraid to come right out and admit it as such. Makes little sense but... and it gives whole families something to believe in. They really want there to be more to death than just...nothing.
My answer to them would be "Too bad. Death brings on nothingness. That's reality. Just deal with it. Believing in a fairytale doesn't change that."
Oh... it's easy to explain. You take a small child who trusts their parents and other adults, drag them to church at least once a week, year after year. That child is surrounded by adults who all tell them that god and heaven and hell are all real and if that child doesn't believe then they will some day die and go to hell.
Very few adults go from being atheist to becoming religious and those that do are likely mentally and emotionally vulnerable and therefore more open to being sold a false hope. A comforting lie is easier to swallow than an uncomfortable truth.
I was brainwashed into believing this sh-t as a child too but managed to find my way out. More ppl need to question what they've been taught to see if it still holds up under critical examination. Religion doesn't.
If it was that easy then Religion would have died out ages ago.
Religions give answers to people who need reassurance that there is a reason for their existence and a purpose to their lives. Gives them a sense of community and support along with directions on how to live their lives by adopting common morals. Of course they want to be paid for this help in way of donations. It is a low down thing to do to people but that is Religion.
Religions have taken on the emotional needs of people that are at their lowest in return for their financial and physical support. It is insidious how they use fear and uncertainty for their own benefit.
All that is icing on the God cake but it's all the after death lollipops that keep them coming. Take away the promises of eternal life, happiness, and reward and it never would've gotten to the size it grew to be. Promises of friendship, community and whatnot are nice but conquering death is what sold it.
@PapPap Ppl like you tell yourself that so you can bullshit yourselves into feeling noble in your motivations but the truth is, Xians want the rewards of blessings, good fortune, eternal life, and all the other lollipops they think they're gonna get from believing. Take those away and they have no motivation to believe any of this shit. That's why those ridiculous promises are made -- they're a sales tool.
@PapPap Souls, God, Mighty Powers, my friend, you live in a fantasy. All these supernatural, otherwordly things you refer to as fact exist only in your imagination. I don't know how one becomes so self-deluded but it's who you are now and if it makes you happy to believe in all this foolishness then do so. That said, welcome to the atheist board. Post often.
@PapPap I can argue my side with conviction because I'm arguing for reality. Here in the real world spirits, gids, magic, life after death and all the fanciful nonsense that religion promises are demonstrably unreal. Religion's false promises and exaggerated claims are the sales tool used to sucker in people who don't question nor critically examine what they're being told. You have been fed a litany of clearly ridiculous and preposterous lies that you've chosen to accept as truth. Religion is like a mental disorder that makes people willfully ignorant. It's sad really.
@Sgt_Spanky Religion also targets people who seek purpose, a reason for their life when they are vulnerable.
@PapPap The most compelling evidence that god isn't real is in the complete lack of evidence that he is. If there were any evidence at all, you'd be able to point to it and shut the atheists down but you can offer no such proof beyond a feeling in your heart or the bible. The burden of proof is always on the person making the claim. If this magical, all-powerful superbeing is real then demonstrate it and I'll believe it too. We're wide open to changing our opinion if you can provide some proof. Since none of you can, there's no reason for any of us to believe it.
Understand?
@Sgt_Spanky Couldn't have said it more clearly.
@PapPap Is our universe part of something bigger? Maybe. Is there a "god" looking out and guiding me? No. My morals and values guide my actions.
If your beliefs help you to be a kind person, then so be it. It is not for me to tell you what to believe or to whom to give the credit to.
We can agree to disagree.
@PapPap We have "free will" within the constraints of our environment as all living animals do. It is not a so called "god given" right.
The idea of a god/entity is a human construct to try to explain our existence with no evidence or the ability to gather evidence. We are all products of the nature of this planet. Life evolved and the DNA has expanded and will continue to do so long after we are extinct.
We are part of this planet and our planet is part of this universe. What is beyond our universe is yet/or if ever to be discovered.
So, lets agree to disagree.
@PapPap The concept of good and evil is a human construct. There are many examples of animals going against their instincts and showing compassion. Facebook and YouTube are full of such examples.
Evolution hasn't stopped. This planet is billions of years old. The dinosaurs were the apex animal until they went extinct. We are the apex animal until we go extinct.
I think it’s because they are arrogant beyond belief, and think they’re special….
I think a certain degree of arrogance is part and parcel of being a believer cuz they're the favorite pets of their big, magical GOD.
@Sgt_Spanky More than 99% of past species are now extinct, humans will be no different.