Does the (Christian) God Exist?

[Shilya]

It isn't. Until we have hard evidence of God, we don't believe in Him. Simple.

Sounds more like Agnostic. In my opinion Atheism is just another religion. An Atheist "believes" there is no god. It's just another ism someone can use to define themselves. An Agnostic doesn't believe there is a god nor that there isn't a god. An agnostic is open to the possibility that god could exist but doesn't see any evidence for it yet.

The distinction between atheists and agnostics has been a major source of internet backdraft and fueled many discussions by itself. Let's not go there.

[United States of White America]

The sheer blind rejection of religion, without considering a point of view. At least I acknowledge atheism.

what is confusing about that? don't you reject hinuism without considering a point of view?

No actually, I considered atheism for a while before deciding to remain theistic. I just couldn't comprehend the idea. That is probably me being stupid (which is the general consensus of everyone who has ran into me into this thread so far) but I was raised in a devout manner that I have been conditioned

[Kelinfort]

The interesting thing is the second page claims to prove not just a deity by the Christian God.
This argument completely ignores the Deist argument. http://www.proofthatgodexists.org/main. ... ave-proven

jesus is god because unlike Buddha and Confucius jesus claimed to be god!

Not exactly, it's kinda like to them, the other philosophies don't claim to know an absolute or they are relative or etc. Try taking the test on the front page, it's just circular logic.
http://www.proofthatgodexists.org/other-worldviews.php

[Risottia]

An Atheist "believes" there is no god.

Not this shit again. Fernothingsake, how many times do we have to go through that?

[Mavorpen]

Sounds more like Agnostic. In my opinion Atheism is just another religion. An Atheist "believes" there is no god. It's just another ism someone can use to define themselves. An Agnostic doesn't believe there is a god nor that there isn't a god. An agnostic is open to the possibility that god could exist but doesn't see any evidence for it yet.

The distinction between atheists and agnostics has been a major source of internet backdraft and fueled many discussions by itself. Let's not go there.

It shouldn't fuel anything.

It would be solved if people picked up a fucking dictionary.

[Divair]

An Atheist "believes" there is no god.

Wrong.

[Ashmoria]

what is confusing about that? don't you reject hinuism without considering a point of view?

No actually, I considered atheism for a while before deciding to remain theistic. I just couldn't comprehend the idea. That is probably me being stupid (which is the general consensus of everyone who has ran into me into this thread so far) but I was raised in a devout manner that I have been conditioned

uhuh

so you know that if you had chosen atheism you would have taken religion into consideration...

-

[Neo Rome Republic]

An Atheist "believes" there is no god.

Not this shit again. Fernothingsake, how many times do we have to go through that?

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/de ... ?q=atheism
Atheism:disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.
An Atheist is someone who can either believe there are no gods, or simply lack belief in gods.
Your welcome, btw.

[Caecuser]

what is confusing about that? don't you reject hinuism without considering a point of view?

No actually, I considered atheism for a while before deciding to remain theistic. I just couldn't comprehend the idea. That is probably me being stupid (which is the general consensus of everyone who has ran into me into this thread so far) but I was raised in a devout manner that I have been conditioned

What is difficult to comprehend about it?

[United States of White America]

No actually, I considered atheism for a while before deciding to remain theistic. I just couldn't comprehend the idea. That is probably me being stupid (which is the general consensus of everyone who has ran into me into this thread so far) but I was raised in a devout manner that I have been conditioned

uhuh

so you know that if you had chosen atheism you would have taken religion into consideration...

-

I don't know that. Do I?

[Kelinfort]

what is confusing about that? don't you reject hinuism without considering a point of view?

No actually, I considered atheism for a while before deciding to remain theistic. I just couldn't comprehend the idea. That is probably me being stupid (which is the general consensus of everyone who has ran into me into this thread so far) but I was raised in a devout manner that I have been conditioned

I can comprehend the concept of no god; I can't comprehend eternal oblivion. I chose to be a Deist because it combines the empirical evidence and rational evidence. Empirically we can't see or listen to a deity, but rationally I believe there is a non-interventionist one. The idea of the Christian God does not seem to follow those principles.

[Ashmoria]

uhuh

so you know that if you had chosen atheism you would have taken religion into consideration...

-

I don't know that. Do I?

how can you not know that? you thought about atheism, thought about religion, and came to a conclusion that led you back to religion. if it had led you to atheism you would still have taken religion into consideration.

[Risottia]

An Atheist "believes" there is no god.

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/de ... ?q=atheism
Atheism:disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.

Difference highlighted.

Although your source contains a reference to "american_english", so its validity is a bit questionable.

[Eberica]

Sounds more like Agnostic. In my opinion Atheism is just another religion. An Atheist "believes" there is no god. It's just another ism someone can use to define themselves. An Agnostic doesn't believe there is a god nor that there isn't a god. An agnostic is open to the possibility that god could exist but doesn't see any evidence for it yet.

I don't see how you jumped to the conclusion that just because you think Atheism is a belief, that makes it a religion. A Religion is the belief and worship of a deity, Atheism doesn't have that.

Very much true. Atheism is the absence of a belief in god. but if your the kind of atheist that goes to atheist conventions and wears the atheist tag as a badge of honor, then you are treating it as a religion.

[The Antartic Colonies]

Woah, I go to sleep and I wake up to find 8 new pages of replies.

I'm going to throw a question out to atheists and non-believers...
Where do you think you go when you die?

...this is a great question. It greatly varies from person to person - I've asked the same question amongst the "un-Saved" and the answers vary as much as anywhere I know.

First, those who prescribe to a non-Christian faith generally argue that they go to heaven because they practice "The One True Faith". This is obvious.

Second, the atheists/agnostics I've talked to are in two different camps: they are either ambivalent over the concept, stating that they simply die when they die, or they believe that Life is an illusion and there is no self or soul at all.

Personally, I am a Theravada Buddhist of the old Lao/Thai tradition (and a student of Ajahn Buddhatat), so I am a closet atheist. There are no gods, no magic, no hidden dimensions to reality. Karma is another way to describe Causality, and Reincarnation happens many times a day as our lives change to new stimuli and new desires. Three basic "laws of nature" include Anijahn, Dukka, Annatha (loosely translated as Impermenance, Suffering, and Non-Self). This third states that Life is an illusion - we intellectualize our survival instinct to believe that there is a "ghost driving our bodies" like a driver drives a car. I'll spare you the details because I still struggle with this concept, and I am only aware of it on a superficial level. Until I become a monk, I doubt I'll ever figure this out any better, but it makes sense to me. Nothing spooks you more than to see an MRI of your own brain and see for yourself there's nothing in there but a spongy blob of tissue - no soul waving back at you.

Let me follow up this statement with a caveat - there are those who may mis-interpret the above ideas as a "free license to be bad". If we cease to exist when we are dead, some will use this as an excuse to be hedonists. Contrary to this, most atheists/agnostics I've come to know are very moral people in my opinion - they strive to do the right thing, not because of a reward when they die, but because they believe it is "the right thing to do". They strive to do what is right because they worry for those around them, not for divine compensation. Buddism, as I know it, takes a similar stance: that calm and measured compassion and good deeds are logically the best course of action for everyone. The Christian concept of "non-believers aren't afraid of going to Hell" is simply a myth, and I discourage everyone from believing this wrong view of others.

Finally, let me state the obvious - you opened up a hornet's nest when you asked such a loaded question. Politics, Religion, and Sports are all topics people carry deep personal convictions - and people are quick to fight to defend what they believe in. That's why these topics are taboo in public places, unless you are amongst people who can carry an objective discussion without fear of judgement or reprisal.

I hope this response helps to answer your follow-up question.

[Mavorpen]

I don't see how you jumped to the conclusion that just because you think Atheism is a belief, that makes it a religion. A Religion is the belief and worship of a deity, Atheism doesn't have that.

Very much true. Atheism is the absence of a belief in god. but if your the kind of atheist that goes to atheist conventions and wears the atheist tag as a badge of honor, then you are treating it as a religion.

No you aren't.

Not anymore than wearing an American pin mean you're apart of the "Great United States Cult of Awesomeness" religion. Not anymore than going to Republican or Democratic conventions means you're treating it like a religion.

If that's all you need to be a religion, why even have a word for it?

[Neo Rome Republic]

I don't see how you jumped to the conclusion that just because you think Atheism is a belief, that makes it a religion. A Religion is the belief and worship of a deity, Atheism doesn't have that.

Very much true. Atheism is the absence of a belief in god. but if your the kind of atheist that goes to atheist conventions and wears the atheist tag as a badge of honor, then you are treating it as a religion.

SO.FUCKING.WHAT? A political ideology that is treated with devotion, is still a political ideology. Same applies to other ideologies and organizations, that aren't Religions.
Being passionate about something, still doesn't make it a Religion, if it does not meet the definition of a Religion.

[Distruzio]

what is confusing about that? don't you reject hinuism without considering a point of view?

No actually, I considered atheism for a while before deciding to remain theistic. I just couldn't comprehend the idea. That is probably me being stupid (which is the general consensus of everyone who has ran into me into this thread so far) but I was raised in a devout manner that I have been conditioned

Stupid? Not likely. Incorrect? For a number of them.

Honestly, i bounce back and forth between considering atheists religious and atheism a religion. The two arent the same. Right now id say that certain atheists evangelize atheism in a manner reminiscent of religion.

Its an issue im working out.

The point is that atheism, qua the "lack of belief", is not a religion.

[KISS Nation]

Woah, I go to sleep and I wake up to find 8 new pages of replies.

I'm going to throw a question out to atheists and non-believers...
Where do you think you go when you die?

[United States of White America]

Woah, I go to sleep and I wake up to find 8 new pages of replies.

I'm going to throw a question out to atheists and non-believers...
Where do you think you go when you die?

...why?

[Kelinfort]

http://www.proofthatgodexists.org/negative-feedback.php
I don't know what to say...

[Eberica]

Very much true. Atheism is the absence of a belief in god. but if your the kind of atheist that goes to atheist conventions and wears the atheist tag as a badge of honor, then you are treating it as a religion.

No you aren't.

Not anymore than wearing an American pin mean you're apart of the "Great United States Cult of Awesomeness" religion. Not anymore than going to Republican or Democratic conventions means you're treating it like a religion.

If that's all you need to be a religion, why even have a word for it?

No, but wearing an American pin does mean you are a nationalist. Going to a Republican or Democratic convention for the purpose of supporting it would mean that you are either Republican or Democrat. I identified as an atheist for years, but realized that although i don't believe any of the religions have the correct answer, I myself also don't have the correct answer. I also want to throw this out there: http://www.richarddawkins.net/news_arti ... religion-1

[Eberica]

edit: double post

[Mavorpen]

No, but wearing an American pin does mean you are a nationalist. Going to a Republican or Democratic convention for the purpose of supporting it would mean that you are either Republican or Democrat.

And going to an atheist convention means you're an atheist.

Which has jack shit to do with religion.

[Eberica]

No, but wearing an American pin does mean you are a nationalist. Going to a Republican or Democratic convention for the purpose of supporting it would mean that you are either Republican or Democrat.

And going to an atheist convention means you're an atheist.

Which has jack shit to do with religion.

Being an atheist has everything to do with religion. without religion there is no reason to claim that you are an atheist.