Beretta92:
If I ever believe in god again, it would never be the Christian god or any personal/anthropomorphic god for that matter. Such gods don't exist.

qstar:



Do you believe that God(Yahweh) fought for the Israelites, the same way God(Allah) is fighting for Boko Haram?

Beretta92:
Well, Christianity isn't an African thing either. For me, I can't say I chose to become an atheist. In fact, I wanted to remain a Christian and deep down I wanted to believe in god. You know, the idea of a loving super father who cares for you is a very soothing one, especially in this part of the world. But in my everyday life, I found stark contradictions between reality and what the Bible and the church said. Praying was tantamount to talking to the air. No evidence of a god in our lives. No god anywhere around us. I became really distraught and confused. I wanted to believe in god but reality stared me in the eye. I eventually became an atheist after an intense struggle.

Atheism for me is a consequence of the compendium of all my life experiences, observations, thoughts, etc. Several of which were determined by forces beyond me. I never planned or chose how my life would play out. In fact, a few years ago I couldn't even understand how anyone could be an atheist. I'd read books that recounted stories of famous "atheists" that attempted to repent while on their death beds. And they were all said to have gone to hell. I remember some books that referred to Robert Ingersoll as a very "wicked" man. I even opened a thread asking atheists what they'd do in the face of death.The responses I got amazed me. Plaetton said something about me not understanding what it meant to be an atheist and a host of other things. Truly, I didn't understand then but now I perfectly do. I don't know how to make long, elaborate and sophisticated arguments like several chiefs on here but I do know now what it means to be an atheist. I faced what seemed like certain death recently and even though thoughts of "repenting" before dying crossed my mind( no thanks to my former hyper religious life), I brushed it off while awaiting death. That would have been unthinkable and impossible a few years back.

Misogynist2014:
Pls, if God didn't create the world, who did?

Beretta92:
Why do you think "someone" has to create the world for the world to exist? If god created the world, then who created god?

Beretta92:
Why do you think "someone" has to create the world for the world to exist? If god created the world, then who created god?

Beretta92:
Why do you think "someone" has to create the world for the world to exist? If god created the world, then who created god?

lastmessenger:

Yes we know that God is the creator of the world but how God came to be is the knowledge that is beyond human understanding.

Misogynist2014:
Does nothing exist? If it doesn't, why does it have a name?

plaetton:


Wow!
What an Einstein question.

Misogynist2014:

DO YOU HAVE AN ANSWER?

plaetton:


No dear.
I am so flummoxed by the question, I could not possible attempt an answer.

Weah96:


We don't understand a lot of things about religion, not just that.

Why does this God choose to remain invisible and inaudible?

Why dictate a book to a handful of bronze age men, when he could just as easily speak to everyone, even today?

Why is the book full of lies, about everything?

Misogynist2014:
Pls, if God didn't create the world, who did?

lastmessenger:

Yes we know that God is the creator of the world but how God came to be is the knowledge that is beyond human understanding.
Humans asking how God came to be is just like my pet dog asking how I came into the world.No matter how the Dog tries to find out that knowledge will remain illusive to the dog because dogs and human do not relate at the same level.

Sunymoore:
how is the Bible an authentic source?

Kay17:


There is no common agreement between us that God created the Universe, that's why we are arguing here; so we don't know God is the creator.

My view, is you have a primitive mind which is unable to imagine a naturalistic universe. You are like our ancestors who couldn't shake off the conviction that everything was anthropomorphic

Weah96:


We don't understand a lot of things about religion, not just that.

Why does this God choose to remain invisible and inaudible?

Why dictate a book to a handful of bronze age men, when he could just as easily speak to everyone, even today?
You see lies and we see truth. Two different views.

Why is the book full of lies, about everything?

lastmessenger:

I think the person who is more primitive is that guy who believes he is smart but hold the belief that he just came to existence as a result of chance.You believe that nothing brought about something and that is how you came to exist( what a silly thought)

Kay17:


Don't be ignorant. The biggest and most fundamental question that bothers all humans, is "why Something exists rather than Nothing" and the question is not answered by saying God created the Universe. So you don't know how/why we are here, because it is the most enduring question. Most we freethinkers are not as shallow as you "people" and hesitate to make hasty conclusions.

lastmessenger:

I think the person who is more primitive is that guy who believes he is smart but hold the belief that he just came to existence as a result of chance.You believe that nothing brought about something and that is how you came to exist( what a silly thought)

Infomizer:


Bro, somehow, EVERYONE believes that something came out of nothing. EVERYONE!

lastmessenger:

Free thinkers? We who have faith in God are deep and spiritual thinkers.the first law of motion states that a bony that is moving will continue to move unless an external force acts on it.My science background makes me think the Big Bang may be right but my faith tells me that the force of God is the driver of Big Bang.

Kay17:


Can you say with the same solid conviction that God is the immediate cause of the Universe, and what is the evidence thereof.

Secondly, why is there existence at all, why not emptiness?!

lastmessenger:

God is beyond science and therefore cannot subjected to scientific proof. The only evidence to show that God created us is his written word. Science only tries to show the mechanism if that creation.

Kay17:


But you tried to use a law of motion to prove God's existence earlier, now God is beyond science? Let me agree with you that we cannot prove God's existence through the Universe and that the Bible is the sole proof of God's existence, right?

And what about the second issue: why is there existence at all? I was encouraged when you said spiritual thinkers are profound and deep. So let's discuss.

lastmessenger:

The only answer I can give you is the last verse of the chapter 4 of Revelation.
9The four living creatures sing songs of glory and honour and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives for ever and ever. When they do so, 10the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They throw their crowns down in front of the throne and say:
11“Our Lord and God! You are worthy
to receive glory, honour, and power.
For you created all things,
and by your will they were given existence and life.”

Misogynist2014:
Atheists are a pitiable bunch of fööls, I haven't encountered just one with a good sense of reasoning.