Atheists, do you not believe or do you not want to believe?

Question

This is a genuine question, I am a Christian and I want this post to be judge free from both sides, if I see any believers or none believers having an argument instead of a debate I will take down the comment completely, the reason this question comes to mind is because I have noticed that when I do mention my believes I get bashed for it by people I'm not speaking too which made me wonder that they go out of their way to bash on my believes to the point it seems like it's not disbelief anymore but more of a hatred towards God that it seems like they don't want to believe, which is completely different than disbelief, and I believe it should fall into two different categories because I know people that don't believe but they don't go out of their way to bash on a believer, they just simply don't believe which is how I think it should be if they don't believe, but some things people say seems like they maybe deep down have doubt that maybe God might exist but they don't want to believe it, logically I don't see a good reason on why someone would go out of their way to bash on a belief mostly if they don't believe, are they trying to ruin people's faith? Are they simply mad about people believing? I want some clarity on the situation because I know I don't bash on atheists for not believing so why do atheists bash on me for believing? I'm not the type of person that likes to talk without knowing both perspectives so I'm here trying to clarify your perspective, if y'all don't mind.

MCheetah · Accepted Answer

I don't believe. Because the idea of a magical sky daddy who happens to look like a human, let alone create humans (who are flawed from top to bottom; anatomy wise and intellectually wise), acts like a petulant teenager, made Ten Commandments but didn't put "no rape or pedophilia" on there, but did make half of them say you have to kiss his ass, and sits around punishing people for all of eternity for not kissing his ass but will let you be born into an abusive family or situation which is GURANTEED to make someone a "bad" person, then punish them for inescapable consequences and mental abuse they had no control over, all while letting billions of other people in the world suffer and experience unimaginable mental and physical pain and abuse from his palace of perfection in Heaven, is literally one the dumbest things I could ever think of.

... And that's assuming the word of God got distorted over thousands of years and you aren't supposed to take this crap as literally as people do. Literally, the only religion more stupid and non-sensical than Christianity, is Islam. At least Buddhism makes sense and doesn't rule people using fear and power.

I'm not trying to be rude, but only humans could be idiotic enough to believe in religion. Seriously. it is INSANELY F*CKING STUPID to me. Keep in mind, I'm not even talking about Spirituality or the belief in a higher power. I mean specifically, man-made religion. Going to church every Sunday, getting conned by hucksters in mega churches who own mansions, and believing the only way you wouldn't rape and murder is through the fear of an imaginary entity.

If you're Spiritual though (believes in a higher power, but doesn't believe in all the man-made garbage with it; "my relationship with God is a personal one between me and Him"), that's one thing. I don't understand it, but I won't fault you for it. But I literally cannot believe a rational person can believe in talking snakes, women made out of ribs, zoo yachts, and all the other ridiculous crap in The Bible. Nor can I understand the idea that you have to fear an imaginary sky daddy in order to be a good person.

And get this... I'm not even an actual atheist! I'm Agnostic. Technically, agnostic-atheist. Agnostic means we don't know if a higher power exists and created us, or not. It means "God could be real, or he could not be. Who knows and who cares?" That's where I stand.

So no. I'm not even saying God isn't real. What I *am* saying is, *if* God is real, then human beings have no idea what He or She really wants for us, or what His or Her true intentions are, for us. And I find it insanely stupid for ANY human being, to believe otherwise. Sure God *could* be real. But how can you be so damn sure what their true intentions are? THAT'S what annoys me about religious beliefs.

How many of you truly, 100% know everything about who YOU are and what YOU stand for? Just literally you, as a person. Do you know everything YOU are capable of? Everything YOU could say, do, think feel, and act? Do you? Do you know yourself 100%? Do you know your parents or children to 100%? Do you know anything to 100% certainty? If not, how are you going to claim you know THE MASTER OF ALL to 100% certainty? And what He or She really wants for us? Assuming He or She is even real.

Humanity will likely never fully explore space, or even leave our galaxy or venture out into another part of it. If humanity can't do that, how can it claim to know what created the hundreds of billions of other galaxies out there in an infinitely expanding void, which is just one out of an infinity of multiverses out there? Along with the creator of EVERY universe and multiverse to ever possibly be.

That is why *I* don't believe humanity can ever know if there is a God or not. And why asserting absolute certainty of one, in one way (Religion) or the other (Atheism) is extreme stupidity and arrogance, to me. And why atheism annoys me just as much as religion.

I won't bash you or make fun of you for your faith, however. I just don't see how anyone can believe in that anymore than Flat Earth theory or modern Feminism. I kind of wish I was so simple-minded to just cut off my brain that easily. So believe in whatever you want. But I'm telling you, what *I* believe in, per the question.

Humanity is too idiotic of a sub-Civilization One species to ever know if there is a God or Higher Power or not. And while more people out there are super-Christian, than super-Atheist, I find both sheer displays of arrogance to be supremely aggravating.

Which is why I believe agnosticism is the only logical solution. "Is God real? Maybe."

OfDeath · Accepted Answer

I genuinely don't believe. I see no rational justification in that belief.

However, I do bear some of the resentment toward "God" which you imply atheists display. Hypothetically, if I were to discover there actually is a sentient creator behind all of this, I would frankly be appalled. The implications of that completely contradict my moral compass and sense of ethics.

quaranta · Accepted Answer

Atheist here, I "do not believe", regardless of if I find it right or wrong.
But this is because I never been religious, I come from a family which never taught me any spirituality, so I "naturally" don't believe, regardless, from birth basically.

While I think it's different for atheists who are ex-christians. I think they became atheists for a reason, like disappointment in God or in the church system, or problems they got by christians (most often their family), and so tend to be more of the type:"I don't want to believe".

You can track these 2 types easily by checking the level of spiritual need of a person. Ex-christians usually believe in something else anyway. It might be not an actual religion, but they might believe in some new age healing methods based on "energies", they might believe in past lifes, occult forces, astrology, "things don't happen by accident", etc. Think about all those middle aged women who lost faith in God and as a replacement they feel safe and empowered by following holistic practices and other pseudosciences. They kept the need of something spiritual that dictates the right and the wrong and that gives tools to make their lives better (or at least they think so), but just changed the subject they believe into. So it's not like they "don't believe", they would, because they would have the drive, but decided to stop and got another spiritual subject that suits them more.
Same is when a ("declared") atheist anyway tries to pull out the right and the wrong from the "Nature", assuming this entity has intentions and preferences and that if you do what the nature wants ("this is natural / this is not"), you get good things in return. It originates from the same drive.
Another example is people who feel the need of an idol, a guidance, a leader, and tend to believe in them. It can be a father, a teacher, a political figure, a "healer", a gang leader, a pop singer, etc. Even a book about a lifestyle (which usually has some leaders anyway). In short: an entity that is recognized as superior, that is eligible to tell the right and wrong.

I am not of this type of atheist I just described, I don't have that drive and that matches with my lack of any other spirituality, my perception of who has authority or power (I very very hardly feel anyone spontaneously as eligible), and my need of a superior guidance about the right or wrong (none). In short, the type of atheist I am, and who "doesn't believe", is the definition of a person who is a strong individualist and its atheism is one of the coherent results of that, not a defense, a pride or a cateogory of "identification".
That doesn't mean I don't find spirituality stupid anyway, I do and a lot (and I say it freely if I get questioned about this topic), but I don't feel any drive to go invalidating that to christians or to make allies by mocking christians on their back with other atheists, because I can't care less of affirming my individuality through this "battle"; it's not the foundation of my individuality strength. As a result, I typically talk with religious people around without challenging their beliefs, I just think they are blind in my own head and keep playing along.
I very rarely found my same type of atheism around though, I might say I mostly find it in contexts of people who are very logical, like programmers, although not all of them are atheists, but most are, to my experience.

SpringValley · Accepted Answer

I think that only a fool would believe in any of the 10,000 man-made religions.

And I think that only a fool would believe there isn't a higher power. Spend the day out in nature and just observe. It's impossible to fathom how this intricate jig saw puzzle just works. So let's say you are one of those that don't believe in some type of God or higher power, but you believe in a big bang theory.

So now because of this big bang theory, flower bulbs just know what month they're supposed to grow and pop out of the ground? And because of the bang, all the geese got together and the smartest one explained the psychics of flying in V formation while heading South for the winter?

Atheists, do you not believe or do you not want to believe?

And don't even get me started on how smart thermoses are. If I put hot soup in my thermos, I just somehow knows it's supposed to keep it hot. If I put ice tea in my thermos, it just somehow knows it's supposed to keep it cold! How can anyone deny the existence of a higher power? :)

sean1234 · Answer

It's funny you say don't judge, yet to explain why someone is wrong in their beliefs, you have already made a judgment that they are living in sin.

It is said Matthew 7:1-5 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

-All I'm saying is as long as no one is being really big hypocrites, it's OK to judge. How is anyone ever going to know they are living in sin if you don't tell them first? >>>

1 Corinthians 6:1-2 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

aaron210419 · Answer

I grew up Christian, I believe is that if there is a God we don't know him. First of all you cannot claim to be Christian if you pick and choose what to believe in the Bible, because if it is the word of God then you have to take it as that. When I was young I decided to read the Bible cover to cover to, over a couple of years I read it 6 times. Each time I did I noticed contradictions between different books in the Bible and sometimes even within the same book, there were explanations of things that we know now are not real/true. Every time I read it I noticed more and more things that didn't sit right, and then I learned that the Bible has many more books that have been removed, the Bible was not written until 500 years after Jesus was supposed to have lived, and the stories in the Bible itself are basically plagiarized from other religions before it. There are some great life lessons and plenty to learn in the Bible but it is definitely not The word of God as we know it, making it impossible to actually know God. Modern religion is at the very least the blind leading the blind that don't like when we ask questions and are some of the most judgmental, hypocritical, and closed minded people on Earth. Whatever is out there we've lost connection to a long time ago (More than the six thousand years that Christianity claims)

God_of_Thunder · Answer

I was brought up as a Christian, and taken to church as a child.

The whole time I was at church, listening to stories from the Bible, and learning about God/Jesus/etc; I was never able to take it seriously. I never believed any of it. Not once, even for a second. It's not about hating God, or anything else. I just don't believe. By the time I was 7 years old, even my parents knew that taking me to church was pointless.

It's just that, in my mind, it was no different than someone reading me Mother Goose, and telling me it was real. No offense is intended; I'm just explaining how I felt. Religion just never resonated with me, and I was never able to take any of it seriously.

I respect others' beliefs (so long as they respect my lack of belief), but I've never bought into religion, and I don't see myself ever doing so.

jshm2 · Answer

You're confused, It doesn't MATTER if atheists believe or don't. They don't affect the outcome of anything religious or spiritual.

They are simply beasts of burden who have/choose to have, no stake in the Afterlife.

Just like in life we have people who are "happy" to be unambitious and nothing more than cleaners and janitors. That is basically the level of the atheist.

You're never going to make a doctor out of a guy who is just happy to be a janitor, are you? It why I always say there are no such things as atheists. These are just people who are disabled in a way they don't understand and we can't make them something they are not.

Subglacial · Answer

I do not believe.

I was raised with a fairly liberal version of Christianity where the moral lessons like "love thy neighbor" were more important than anything else. There wasn't really anything there for me to resent or fear, so that's clearly not why I left. One day I just decided to take stock of everything I believed and didn't believe, and why, and God was among the things it seemed I never had a good reason for.

I was an edgy cynic for a little while after, but I got over that. Years of listening and reflecting softened my view of believers, but it did not bring me back to God. If anything, I'm more confident now than I was then.

socair · Answer

Each to their own and can respect that some people feel that some aspects or even all are enhanced by them having some kind of belief in some kind of deity

Not for me though

I gave up on imaginary friends as a child, well that is if I ever believed in them at all.

Daniela1982 · Answer

Oh great! Another argument about whether God exists or not. Clearly evil exists on Earth, so why not good?

YourFavoriteFriend · Answer

I believe in one of the following ideas: 1) There is no "God" (regardless of type) at all 2) There is a "God" but he is saddist 3) There is a "God" and he is good but he is not omnipotent

Anonymous · Answer

We are all born as atheist and than family society and schools jobs want you to label yourself and you give them your family religion you got raised or brainwashed.
Also it’s funny how we have this “legal” religions. Oh wait we have cults too but they are not legal. Not so a governmental move nah
Atheist do not believe and they have the right not too. It’s fair as I said we are all born as atheists.
They don’t have to follow a religion because a hand written book says so it you say so.
Beside church’s are a joke all hoes and good guys match there somehow
Weird right. Isn’t church to praise god and not tinder

Zeldaismyqueen · Answer

Believe in the Christian God? I mean there are lots of Gods out there, hundreds of thousands from Indian religions alone! You need to specify which god/gods you are talking about.

Anonymous · Answer

I was born and raised a Christian and went to a Christian school, and this is why I am a proud atheist. When you are fed lies for so many years, it is the only option.

Twalli · Answer

Generally, it's that we don't like to believe things that cannot be proven. Since the existence of God cannot be proven, we don't believe in it.

OddBeMe · Answer

There’s your problem. “Want to believe.” You are clouded by your wants. Like the old adage: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

You want to believe in life after death and that a perfect being is watching over you. Atheists wait for evidence first, buddy.

AngryCarl · Answer

I would like to believe, but God, particularly the Bibilical God, doesn't make much sense.

all_hayl · Answer

The Bible actually addresses this, specifically in Romans. 😊👍

Anonymous · Answer

To me religion and god sounds like believing in the Easter bunny being the reason we see colored eggs laying around at Spring season. So I don't believe.

dustybiker · Answer

I find it hard to believe one being is the result of everything. Seems a convenient way to place blame.

melanieeeB · Answer

I'm not an atheist either but I don't belive in a God or multiple gods

CateM · Answer

I don't believe in God, and I'm glad I don't

FunkyMonkee · Answer

I see no reason to believe. So far, no one's been able to prove there IS a god.

Atheists, do you not believe or do you not want to believe?

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