Thread made for discussing your beliefs so we all can have a better understanding of each other, but remember all to be respectful.
I would essentially have the Stephen Fry response. How *dare* you allow so much suffering, and how *dare* you hide yourself and not provide evidence of your existence.
Tongue in cheek? It's interesting that where one man sees in suffering an impulse toward belief, another sees it as an argument against belief.
If god exists and the punishment for not be iving in him when he gives you no proof is eternal damnation. Then I'm sorry but I don' want to have anything to do with god.... he didn't sound like a good person let alone Devine! I am an atheist but I kind of hope if there is a god then when I did we will be able to have a laugh about it all.
In all seriousness, I live my life the way I want to without someone else telling me what I should or shouldn't do, and I'll accept whatever happens.
You cannot tell me there is no God it's plenty of evidence in the world God exists you can see heaven and help now on earth a crack head is eternal fire getting shot burns like hell prison is hell being broke starving is hell but living a rich happy live in a big mansion with lots of food and friends family big tv's and nice comfortable furniture is heaven that's all the proof I need
God is real you just got to sense him in your mind and deep in your heart common sense tells the world God exists look at the sun look at the moon look at the stars the clouds and animals and trees it screams praises to humanity that their is a God
Who really owns themselves? Did anyone ever ask to be here on this planet? Is it more sane and natural to think there are forces beyond your control, or to think you are the master of your own destiny?
You at least own the time you have in life and what you do with it, that much I know. And you while you likely can't choose your fate at the end, at least you can direct where you want your life to go.
As a humanist I agree, a life of freedom and self-determination is a worthy goal [i.e.; overcoming all addictions]. But I also have to ask what I am aiming for, freedom for freedom's sake seems all a bit circular and meaningless. As also a religious person, I therefore make sense of my freedom in the pursuit of an ultimate goal. I think this sense of freedom and meaning are interconnected... even if only at the pragmatic level... a variant of Pascal again.
That's the thing about being an Atheist, I do have ultimate goals and such in life, but I feel no need to find something higher like religious people do. When you have freedom as an individual you're able to make your own thoughts on what you want out of your life, but to me it's not meaningless. You literally have the freedom to think and do what you desire, even with all my problems I'm still able to pursue things and follow through on my dreams in my own way. For me that's true freedom. If you don't know what you want out of life and just sit there with no desires, purpose, or goals then yeah, to me that's pointless.
There is power in the name of Jesus . Hope 1 day you will see the light,I’ll pray for you even though you don’t believe
So only really got one interesting answer so far, rest are jokes, and arguments why its better to be atheist. It is typical banter of someone who is uncomfortable with the possibility that God is real. You don't have to be confident and try to convince me, its ok. We are not limited by our beliefs, its the opposite we are just like you, we have goals, we have individuality, we make mistakes and we make success. I would argue as a Christian that we are not limited at all, we actually can see past the limitations that people set for themselves and believe in the impossible. Only limitations I set for myself are the ones I want to have or have had since I was a kid, and im sure that most people want to set those limitations as well, I don't want to steal or kill people among other things, I don't want to threat other people badly.