By 'atheist' I'm referring to every person that does not affirm the existence of a creator.

It's a long post

It is no secret that atheists are reviled by majority of the world. The hatred directed at Richard Dawkins or the hate mail received by the church of the FSM are testimonies to this. Here on nairaland, any post or thread with atheistic leanings opens the poster to contempt, pity and even subtle or overt expressions of ill will. Personally, I've received soul shattering insults and treatment from people to whom I've shown my indifference towards a creator. Fortunately for me, there is no soul.

We are generally considered mad for not knowing God. Or diabolic. It is this 'knowing God' that set me thinking. It would be nice to know God.

Clearly, there is or isn't just one God, but apparently we all are expected to believe in one form of God or the other. It is alleged that all forms are the same God or not. Oh well. How does one know God in such a situation?

It occurred to me that, possibly:

1. There is one true God, who has revealed himself to every person on earth, but not in the same form.

2. There is one true God, who has revealed himself to a select group of people, and has left the others to the elements. The elements include demons.

3. There is no single true God.

In the first case, you could say that God does not place much emphasis on how he is perceived. He has appeared to everybody tho. So atheists actually perceive God, but they think it is chance they are seeing, and God does not mind. Just as he doesn't mind that some people think he is a cow, or a Jew. Why should humans mind? Knowing God is a given then and there is no reason to find atheists strange in this case.

In the second case, you could still say that he does not place much emphasis on how he is perceived, since he has refused to reveal himself to most of the world. So humans to whom God has not shown his true self believe in shadows of him, or they are misled by demons. Why should atheists not believe in shadows or be misled by demons? And why should humans mind that God does not place much emphasis on how he is perceived? Knowing God in this instance is only possible by direct revelation, and atheists are in the same class as people that did not receive the revelation of the one true God. Should they be singled out for revilement? No

In the third case, atheists alone are probably screwed. That is, after the Gods settle the squabble over who gets to roast the atheists. In this case, everybody is right to call us strange.

Since only the 3rd case explains why we are viewed as strange, I gave it the most credence and proceeded to remedy my situation based on it.

But how? Perhaps faith then. Faith in who? Someone suggested I have faith in Jesus, so I did that. Then another suggested I have faith in Allah, and I obliged. A short while later I had faith in Ekwensu. After a quick calculation I realized I had fewer days than Gods to have faith in. If I had a sufficient number of days, I might have faith in all the Gods in turn and start all over from scratch.

So I decided to leave faith alone and just worship the most frightful God. But that's just me. I don't know how other atheists manage.

Anyway, I thought the 3rd case would be enough justification for finding atheists strange, until I realised that most Gods do not approve of any other God, and that most religionists would rather have you worship another God than no God. So religionists approve of what their Gods do not approve, and then claim authority from their Gods.

Why are atheists reviled again?

That there is no God? So you are complaining of being reviled? But I tell you it is a disservice to common sense and to one's God that you are being reviled, for indeed you deserve to be hanged! Yes I mean it

People going after false gods does not take away the oneness of God from him & its not an excuse to "tasting" other forms of religion. You can draw wisdom from how students give wrong answers to questions. Does that amount to that there are several possible answers or no answer at all as you have chosen to believe?

It is purely a question of mental prudence, So reviling you as olodos too are reviled at failing exams is not so bad a move #I_tell_you

They point out the elephant in the room.
They call attention to the 500lb gorilla.
They tell the emperor he has no clothes.

In short, they tell you that your god is as real as all other gods you think are fake.

Martian: They point out the elephant in the room.
They call attention to the 500lb gorilla.
They tell the emperor he has no clothes.

In short, they tell you that your god is as real as all other gods you think are fake.

a Man from Mars... Is that you?

Lucario007:

a Man from Mars... Is that you?

No. That's my brother.

Op, I enjoyed your words

I await more people to comment

wittytezzy: That there is no God? So you are complaining of being deviled? But I tell you it is a disservice to common sense and to one's God to devile, for indeed you deserve to be hanged! Yes I mean it

People going after false gods does not take away the oneness of God from him & its not an excuse to "tasting" other forms of religion. You can draw wisdom from how students give wrong answers to questions. Does that amount to that there are several possible answers or no answer at all as you have chosen to believe?

It is purely a question of mental prudence, So deviling you as olodos too are deviled at failing exams is not so bad a move #I_tell_you

How many true Gods are there?

Did your God permit you to evangelize on behalf of other Gods? If not, what do you mean when you say I must believe in one God or the other?

"I contend we are both atheists, I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours." --Stephen Roberts

macof: Op, I enjoyed your words

I await more people to comment

Thanks man.

People usually misunderstand the concept of God.

That's the problem

Why expend energy attempting to placate sheep?

something in me is patiently waiting on religionists to spit trash on this thread. blindly they shall argue!!!

macof: People usually misunderstand the concept of God.

That's the problem

I don't know if you can even misunderstand something like that. I mean, its a mirage in the first place. Its not an actual thing. I think that's one of the reasons why everybody has a different idea of it.

hpk: something in me is patiently waiting on religionists to spit trash on this thread. blindly they shall argue!!!

Lol. I think they are in agreement with me on this one tho. Atheists are reviled.

mmsen: Why expend energy attempting to placate sheep?

Placate? Have I offended anybody or am I responsible for their happiness? Me I just de yarn o

finofaya:

I don't know if you can even misunderstand something like that. I mean, its a mirage in the first place. Its not an actual thing. I think that's one of the reasons why everybody has a different idea of it.

I know wat I mean when I say God is just a concept.
An idea, you can say

macof:

I know wat I mean when I say God is just a concept.
An idea, you can say

Yeah I get you. Concept or idea, I doubt God is more than either.

finofaya:

Placate? Have I offended anybody or am I responsible for their happiness? Me I just de yarn o

I don't know why you care about being liked by delusional people.

mmsen:

I don't know why you care about being liked by delusional people.

I'm merely asking people who dislike atheists to state their case clearly.

finofaya:

Yeah I get you. Concept or idea, I doubt God is more than either.

well to a degree as you.must have.realized that Various tales about "Gods" represent some truths in our reality

This 7 minute video explains perfectly why [url] https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-j8ZMMuu7MU [/url]

For some people, they cannot bear to live without God, so are not ready at all to consider the existence of God. Their worlds would come crashing down. It is better to serve a carcass that fall into nihilism.

While for some of us, the nonexistence of God opens up a new chapter in our lives.

macof: well to a degree as you.must have.realized that Various tales about "Gods" represent some truths in our reality

Possibly. What kinds of truths?

finofaya:

Possibly. What kinds of truths?

Well for one, that there's an unseen consciousness all around our world

Kay17: For some people, they cannot bear to live without God, so are not ready at all to consider the existence of God. Their worlds would come crashing down. It is better to serve a carcass that fall into nihilism.

While for some of us, the nonexistence of God opens up a new chapter in our lives.

True. The way they get offended about the issue of God's existence suggests that they believe in God not for his sake, but for theirs. I wouldn't get that offended if somebody told me the sun does not exist.

Because god is an idea that is imbibed in culture. . .When you reject god, you are rejecting a people's way of life and people feel bad when you reject their way of life and how they do things. . .Especially those that want you to join them. . .

macof:
Well for one, that there's an unseen consciousness all around our world

At times I'm inclined to believe that.

Like when I wonder where the survival instinct of the first life forms (according to the evolutionary theory) came from. The mindless creatures could not possibly know the difference between life and death. Why prefer one over the other?

But then you realize that the ones that preferred to die, have died. This doesn't entirely explain the presence of the survival instinct, but its a start. And it does not require such an extraordinary explanation as a universal consciousness.

I would rather have ordinary explanations.

finofaya:

At times I'm inclined to believe that.

Like when I wonder where the survival instinct of the first life forms (according to the evolutionary theory) came from. The mindless creatures could not possibly know the difference between life and death. Why prefer one over the other?

But then you realize that the ones that preferred to die, have died. This doesn't entirely explain the presence of the survival instinct, but its a start. And it does not require such an extraordinary explanation as a universal consciousness.

I would rather have ordinary explanations.

What ordinary explanations?? If you understand the concept of consciousness you would know why everything has to be conscious

macof:

What ordinary explanations?? If you understand the concept of consciousness you would know why everything has to be conscious

Everything has to be conscious?

Are they conscious right now? For example, this phone I'm typing with. Is the phone conscious, or are the atoms that make up the phone conscious? Is any of them conscious in the same way that I am?

finofaya:

Everything has to be conscious?

Are they conscious right now? For example, this phone I'm typing with. Is the phone conscious, or are the atoms that make up the phone conscious? Is any of them conscious in the same way that I am?

Yes to all questions except the last.

Only humans are conscious like humans, only you is conscious like you, both of us don't share the same consciousness level per say.

The human consciousness is at the sentient level, your phone is not we could call that nano level

macof:

Yes to all questions except the last.

Only humans are conscious like humans, only you is conscious like you, both of us don't share the same consciousness level per say.

The human consciousness is at the sentient level, your phone is not we could call that nano level

Okay. Everything is conscious this very minute.

I'm not sure if you meant that both my phone as a whole is conscious, and that the atoms that make it up are also individually conscious.

I think you are conscious the same way I am, though we may not share the same identity. Our senses are mostly the same, and we both are self aware. We can think and read and write and all that.

You say the phone (or it's atoms?) are conscious on a different level. What are the features of consciousness at this level, and how are you able to identify such consciousness?

mazaje: Because god is an idea that is imbibed in culture. . .When you reject god, you are rejecting a people's way of life and people feel bad when you reject their way of life and how they do things. . .Especially those that want you to join them. . .

Walahi. I just wonder where in their religious books they were instructed to hate atheists more than people of other religions.