Atheism vs. Christianity
This isn’t a new video by any means, but it is something I’d like to address.
There’s a common misunderstanding among theists about atheism. The quote on the right is a good representation of what the average theist thinks atheism is. It’s only a wonder they don’t buy into it.
This of course is not at all what atheists believe. There’s nothing “magically” done according to scientists or any rational thinker. The same however, can not be said for theists. The irony about the quote is that they suggest that something happening “magically” is just stupid, but when God does it, it’s okay.
In the video they talk about the death count from Atheism. They suggest that only 2000 people in the history of mankind were killed in the name of religion and that “it happened a long time ago” (as if that makes a difference).
Now, I could go into the death talley and show how religion wins out on the death toll count many times over, but it’s more than that.
Religion is bad because the ideas are bad. They say, “Hey… don’t worry about messing this life up, there’s another one after this.” They teach that you should spend this life preparing for the next. If you honestly believe that, you have diminished this life. You are NOT living life to it’s fullest.
Religion is a bad idea because it claims to draw it’s morals from this God, This God who (according to their book) believes in all manner of atrocities. When a religious person does something good, it’s to gain favor with this God, not just because it’s a good thing, as Atheists do. They live their life repressed and in servitude. This is no way to live.
Religion is bad because it cheapens the true awesomeness of the world we live in by trying to explain it with man made myths. The biblical story of creation absolutely pales in comparison to the true story of how our universe started.
Does atheism have all the answers to life’s mysteries? No. But neither does religion, despite what it claims.
Check out the videos after the break.
Comments (79)
Romans 1:19-20 NLT-They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.Jeremiah 29:13 NLT-If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.Psalm 53:1-3 NLT-Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.”They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;not one of them does good! God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt.No one does good,
not a single one!
Then I guess you should throw away your computer, because did you know Bill Gates was an atheist?
There are bad people who are atheists, but there are also bad people who are christian. Same with Catholics, Buddhists, etc etc. Never judge people by their beliefs, just because you don't agree with them.
yeah show us your imaginary friend.
There really is no raw empirical evidence for evolution, in fact many non-theistic scientists dont agree with the theory(not fact). But on the topic of logic, you cant fully judge something without being knowledgable on all its aspects. You said that you were a christian as a child, but dont you think that an understanding of Gods word doesnt come from reading it as a text book nor by being told bible stories, but by saying to yourself, “I will seek to understand truth, whether it is for or against what I feel or have concluded from my experiences or opinions.”
There is exponentially more evidence for evolution than there is for creationism. I can physically show you evolution, can you physically show me God?
Great post. You've said so many of the things I wanted to say about this very subject, that now i dont need to. I can just link people to your words.
Theist really DO NOT understand logic. They can not grasp the concept of admitting you don't know something. The believe admitting you don't know is a weakness. Until they can grasp the beautiful concept of logic, they will never understand us.
The good news is, I'm living proof that it is possible to change a theist mind with the light of logic and reason.
Thanks. I really do think that for a lot of people "theism" was just "normal". I use my mother as an example. She's taken part in so many religions, everything from Christianity to Scientology. Everyone always called her "confused", but I don't think she ever knew that "no religion" was an option. It just never crossed her mind.
I think the reason she switched religions so many times is because none of them gave her anything that made sense. I'm not saying she is an atheist, but I think now that she's heard the arguments for atheism, that it's not an option that's been totally ruled out.
It will take time, but I think more and more people are going to see that religion is just a silly superstition.
I am a Christian, and I can admit that there is much I do not know. I worship a God so immense, I will never, in this lifetime, fully understand His ways. And that's exactly how it should be. If I could explain everything about God, then my god would be too small to deserve my devotion.
The person who devised the large comment of what atheism is obviously very hard headed or totally ignorant of any views other than their own. This statement has been around for a year or so and is used by the fundies to cause disrespect for people of non belief.
Dinesh D'Sousa has been bleating about his version of christianity for years now. I don't know if the word "simpleton" defines him or not. It does for me.
I've watched a few debates between D'Sousa and Hitchens. I can see how people buy into D'Sousa's arguments. If you can't spot creationist and circular logic like moth atheists do, you can easily be taken in.
I do love to watch Hitchens tear him up though
I have recently read both "God is not Great" and the "God Delusion" and I have to say as an athiest they reaffirm the fact that I should not be ashamed to think differently. Even if a "believer" would be to read these I would hope it would at least enable them to ask the questions they are told not to. Here in the midwest it's few far and in-between that I find many that I can talk to about our shared beliefs as these so called "christains" are the most judgemental and non-accepting people I have ever met. Great site slacker!!!!
I've read the God Delusion and the first part of God is not Great. I liked End of Faith and Letter to a Christian nation by Sam Harris. Both good reads.
First of all, I don't know who made that Atheism picture at the top of the page, but I found it on Google Images and was apalled. Not all of those men were atheists by any means – the picture needs more explanation if it is going to be posted.
Second, I really do believe that blogging reveals human ignorance at its best (or worst), and that it really does invalidate your opinion of your blog post is filled with grammatical errors, misspellings and logical errors.
I am a Christian, and I do agree with SOME of the things you have said, but just because someone misspells a word, doesn't make what they said about this disscussion untrue. If you're so intelligent, come up with a bit of a better argument than that.
Atheist here, and I agree with you. "ChristanLogic" can't come up with a better argument that gramatical errors, which I find humorous.
Third, I would like to apologize for Christians who have genuinely been saved by the grace of God in Jesus Christ, but who do a poor job of reasoning on behalf of the Christian faith. Some do end up in a pattern of circular reasoning, but in their defense the Spirit of God converts a soul, and not every convert is skilled in the areas of logic or rhetoric.
To say that a creationist, or that a "theist" only has circular reasoning to fall back on, or to lump Christians together with all other "theists" and saying that they "DO NOT understand logic" is an ignorant statement to be frank. Many religions hold to false ideas of God and can be classified as "theistic," but do indeed fall apart under logical scrutiny. If that is the case for a particular religion, it is due to that religion's assumption of God.
If you are reading, please forgive me if I am boring you. I am trying my best to keep this interesting.
The funny thing about how God created the universe, and logic, is that to deny the existence of the God of the Scriptures (and by this I mean the Bible – not any other religion's ideas of God), is to deny your whole foundation for making a true claim or statement. The God of the Bible is truth itself, love itself, grace itself, holiness itself, justice itself – one must assume this God is true, because without Him you cannot prove anything.
The presupposition (or assumption) that this God exists is so important, transcendent, and necessary that even arguments against His existence rely on that presupposition.
I truly do hope this finds you well, and that God gives light to your eyes to see Him for who He is, and to put your faith in His Son for the forgiveness of your sins.
1 John 5:20
Creationism breaks away from Christianity these days. The former Pope John Paul II decreted that Darwin's theory of evolution was no longer a mere hypothesis.
It's funny when people ignore their religious leader and stick to their nonsensical dogmas, though.
Yes, so Pope John Paul II decreed that Darwin's theory of evolution was no longer a mere hypothesis, but I do believe that MANY popes believed that everything reloved around the Earth and we all know that, thats not true.
Dywas, I love you as Jesus loved me while I was still a HORRIBLE sinner, but please really think about atheism and Christianity. Read a Bible, and comment any questions.
Seriously, the fact you attacked this person for saying why he believes religion is bad is completely disrespectful. Along with this, you are trying to shove your religion down his throat. I’m atheist and my stepdad used to always say, “you’ll go to hell until the day you finally fall on your knees and pray to your god.” I used to get insanely angered by this. Did you know that ALL religion’s say that if you don’t follow their specific religion, you’re going to hell? Or if you say “you are damned” Or “you are going to hell”, You’ll go to hell because only God can judge thee and make that decision? Aaaaand did you notice how stupid it is, completely stupid, that you can live your life as sinful as you want and yet if you “repent” before death you are “saved”? There is more evidence supporting Evolution then a big angry man in the sky who damns you. did anyone ever think that maybe, just maybe, the world was in total chaos in the B.C. era, so somebody wrote this and it began the first form of control? And even government? And why do you kids all think we descended from “Adam and Eve”? every person we’d be with would be our brother or sister or nephew or cousin or ew. We’d all be genetically mutated. and the fact monkeys are so much like us proves, hmmm, evolution? no way! Yes way. Shut up.
So it is only acceptable for atheists to attack the beliefs of others? Also, it is possible to be a christian but still believe in evolution. Aaaaand you criticize ChristianLogic for shoving his religion down someone's throat, but what did you and the author of this essay just do.
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"
Matthew 7:3
Is sourcing some of your morals from religion that bad?
Also, since you have developed a stereotype of christians from your stepfather, who clearly does not know much about christianity or evangelism, should i develop a stereotype of atheists being hypocritical and rude.(it wasn't funny or cute to say shut up at the end of your post, it was just stupid and childish)
It is not acceptable to "attack" anyone for their beliefs, you can read this or EASILY close the page if you don't like what you see. It's THAT easy. You can't be christian and believe in the theory of evolution because that would be totally contradictory to the christian belief we all decended from "god" or "Adam and Eve" or what ever they feel like changing it to. Also, don't quote the bible. It contradicts itself in many ways and strongly oppresses the mind (Not a good argumentative point)
I agree, even as an atheist, that the christian church has some good morals, but the motives(sometimes methods) of going about them are in their favor. To be "saved" rather than bettering yourself as a human being. (I'm also going to ignore the last sentence. Immaturity is obvious that it is not worth even arguing against)
Atheists can't prove a god's unexistance, because it is impossible. The theists need to prove their god(s)'s
existance. And you can't logically explain/prove that, since scientists and Christians are both missing things to prove things. I consider my self a realist, not an atheist. I think religions are fairytales, that help people through tough times. There's nothing wrong with that. But when Christians start to talk about creationism as a scientific explanation to our existence, it's getting ridiculous. Science as a word means just the opposite of religon. (Controversial, don't attack me.)
I don't believe theists are generally stupid, individual people are, but I consider evolution science and creationism a religion. Spirituality is a great thing, but when people are taught about a god/gods when they are children, it's really hard to get out of old habits. I'm generally against Christianity and all religion, but I don't consider myself an antitheist either. I'm also against some atheists and just people, who are trying to prove things with no evidence, and usually this ends in childish moves trying to pull each other down. I can't debate you, (I always lose in debates anyway haha) I can't prove anything.
Debates start to get childish when the "what happened before that, and what about before that???"-issue comes up. We are such a small part of the universe, that there's no way we'll ever no that much about the history of it. It's even too big of a concept to understand for most people.
I just wish that atheists would stop debating, since you will never win, strong Christians will take a cheap shot, like "You're going to hell" or something like this: http://derekstwistedmind.files.wordpress.com/2007…
And I wish that Christians would stop trying to debate against reality, 'cause that's what we live in.
Spirituality is a great thing!. But if you try prove against the existence of man, life, universe and millions of years of developing, not just the evolution of Earth, with an old book, is that really any more real or realistic than science, which helps millions of people?
I'm sorry for any spelling mistakes, I'm from Finland.
Live and let live.
my view on atheist is this if there wasn't a god then how and the hell did we get here just by some divine intervention or universal exchange of some unfamiliar gods
There's actually a lot of information on this. Everything from the Big Bang to Evolution. I would recommend you watch this youtube series. It might answer some of your questions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg1fs6vp9Ok&fe…
Evolution. Look at Jupiter. We have a mantle made of complete volcanic rock, and jupiter has elements of Earth and is going through lots of fire and volcanoes.. which means it’s EVOLVING. God didn’t say “Hm., I’m bored. Poof! humans! Aw yeah!” though that would be funny… you evolutionized from early babrbarians, and them from mgorillas and chimps. Bigfoot exists, and in another thousand years, he’ll evolutionize into us.
Your argument is so stereotypical of a theist. I do not KNOW how we got here, and quite frankly, I do not care.How did we get here? Well, that's a mystery unsolved in life, and will never be solved anytime soon. Now, I ask you, what if it was Buddha who brought us here? Or ta god from the Hindu religion, or any other religion? Your god is not the only one believed in and questioned around the world.
"ignorance is bliss" lets leave it at that. We'll all the know that truth once we die.
You are crazy if you believe anything this knuckle head talks about!
If the knuckle head you're referring to is Dinesh D'souza, I agree.
Shut up.
Your views?
If you believe in a magical floating man in the sky, have at it. Seems a bit out of proportion to me though.
what a load of rubbish. you can't win
what's a load of rubbish?
Really good post!
"Religion is bad because it cheapens the true awesomeness of the world we live in by trying to explain it with man made myths". Just love the phrase, so catchy! Straight to signature if you allow me hehe
But seriously now, one thing that baffles me is the way theists deny reasoning in circles and by doing it, they don't realize that the very same arguments they use proves it. It's just funny. But, thinking it over, I guess theists are not used to realizing upon evidence or logic or reason and that's why they fall in circular reasoning over and over again, even when they try to deny it.
And guys like this D'Sousa… they sound like they know what they are talking about, but they have no idea. I guess it's a matter of blinding-with-facts-that-are-no-facts-at-all because they have no evicence to support it.
Or hearing them say that God/Religion provides them with a sense of morality, that's basically saying that the only reason they don go out and steal, rape and murder is because they are restrained by religion and not because they have the slightest empathy for human life at all…
I could go on and on, but I think Richard Dawkins can address all this issues a lot better that I do XD.
So, again, great post! And keep it up!
I've watched a number of debates with Hitchens vs. D'Souza. Every time I feel like jumping through the screen to call D'Souza on some of the stupid crap he's spewing. Hitchens does a pretty good job of slapping him down though.
Even still…. just one good smack, that's all I'm asking
Little late to the game but only one of those men pictured can be proven 100% to be an atheist- Hemingway. All of the others, including Darwin held beliefs relating to a higher power, or like Sagan were agnostic, claiming "theists need to know more than what I know". He stated he didn't have enough evidence to confirm or deny the existence of a deity.
1. DARWIN: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin%27s_r… Was not an atheist
2. TWAIN: http://www.positiveatheism.org/mail/eml9570.htm is inconclusive – no one knows for sure- not even an atheist editor
3. EINSTEIN: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Was_Einstein_an_atheist http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein%27s_… "I'm NOT an atheist and I don't think I can call myself a pantheist."
4. LINCOLN: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln%27s_second_i…
5. BEN FRANKLIN: http://www.revolutionary-war-and-beyond.com/quote… Deist
6. THOMAS JEFFERSON: http://www.adherents.com/people/pj/Thomas_Jeffers… Deist
7. CARL SAGAN was agnostic- he neither denied nor confirmed his belief in God as he said he lacked hard evidence either way: "An atheist has to know a lot more than I know." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan
just because darwin attended a church and had promblems with saying he didn't believe in god dosen't mean he did. in the thim he lived christians would have he killed for live a life of dipair for his not taking their god.
You are mistaken. I’m not sure of other religions, but Christianity teaches you to love your fellows. Atheism is saying there is only moral justification for doing anything. (about the picture, I know for a fact that at least Lincoln was religious). ‘.
>Love your fellows…
Is that why most every war in history was based off religion? Many wars have been a battle of beliefs, one country full of certain religions, the other with different beliefs. The two do not agree, so they fight about it.
Take a minute to read this: http://www.religioustolerance.org/curr_war.htm
I just don't see how there can be truth to religion. And why Christianity? What about the hundreds of other religions that 'just know' theirs are right? It doesn't make sense.
I don't have any proof to say that there IS NO god, but I certainly do not believe in one.
It would be nice to erase the stigma of atheism though. I'm tired of being looked at like a monster. Like Brian on Family Guy. (lol) I'm an optimistic, very light-hearted person and believe in doing good to others and giving to those who aren't as fortunate. I have my own morals and values to live by. If you're an atheist, it isn't a 'free-for-all'! There just isn't a book!
You mean you don't boil babies and eat them?
It's ironic… you talk about another religion and Christians are like, "Of course Zues is a myth, it would be retarded to think he's real." Seconds later, "YEA JESUS!"
Seriously??
First of all, as an agnostic, I would like to say this post is disgusting. Ben Franklin was not an atheist, read his autobiography. Mark Twain was not an atheist, read his autobiography. Einstein was not an atheist, ask any scientist, or many of his biographies, or read the book 'Einstein's God'. Jefferson was not an atheist, do the research.
Typical though. Atheist have to lie to support their world view, and thats why I'm an Agnostic.
"t's ironic… you talk about another religion and Christians are like, "Of course Zues is a myth, it would be retarded to think he's real." Seconds later, "YEA JESUS!"
Alexander the great believed he was the son of Zeus. When Jesus was born, Zeus was a more popular then the Abrahamic God. Jesus also claimed to be the son of some God. I think I know which one was more legit. if he existed,(god).
How would you know which god is more legit?
What makes a god more legit?
Many of the men depicted above were deists, all of them openly criticized religion. Whether they are or are not, is besides the point. Atheists don't have to "lie to support their world view". I don't have a "world view" anymore than you have a "world view" as it relates to Zues.
Must you lie to not be convinced of his existence? No. You're simply not swayed by the evidence that is presented.
Also, you call yourself an agnostic. You should read my other post about atheism vs. agnosticism. When it comes to belief there is no room for agnosticism. gnosticism refers to knowledge, not belief.
If I ask you if you believe in God, any other answer besides "yes", makes you an atheist.
EINSTEIN WAS RELIGIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FIRST INFORM ABOUT THINGS, AND THEN YOU CAN WRITE ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!
You should take your own advice
"It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it."
- Albert Einstein
* Letter to an atheist (1954) as quoted in Albert Einstein: The Human Side (1981) edited by Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffman
yo…relax people. Okay one question why atheist seem to argue with christians all the time. I am a Christian and I think both atheism and religions…as for me christianity…have no prove. You can’t prove God don’t exist and I can’t prove God exist so why argue on something like that when we could do something rather useful!
Please, go back to fourth grade. Learn some grammar.
But, my apologies if english is not your first language.
Exactly, you don't have to believe in God in order to be a good person. I voulunteer at an adventure camp where I coach about 200 students each round through a challanging yet fun rope corse, rock climbing wall, propel tower, and swimming activity. I voulunteer to help young children, as well as teenages, learn to read, write, and improve their math skills. People call me crazy, since I'll go balistic on them if they kill a bug in front of me. I'll pick up a cochroach with my hands and put it outside, rather than just to easily kill it.
I believe I'm a good person, yet I don't belive in God.
So does this mean I deserve to rot in hell for 'all eternity'? I don't think so.
To me it seems as if people only turn toward God and religion when they are at a bad place in their life.
When they robbed the gas station, were they thinking of him?
When they beat up their wife, were they thinking of him?
When they accidently hit and killed 6 year old Jimmy by drivin drunk, were they thinking of him?
But when they end up in jail, the power of God has suddenly come to them.
The scared go to church.
I love logic, as do all of you. Why then do you do exactly what you despise when you use limited [albeit true] data to form a conclusion? Isn't that kind of behavior exactly what irritates you the most when those silly believers do it? I haven't researched each of these men and can not respond to the claims made… they may be true, they may not be. It doesn't really matter.
This I have witnessed… there are both people I would consider very intelligent and people that are, well, not so much, that hold to faith in God. I would estimate that a very similar cross section of intellect among those that do not. Logic seems to indicate that faith (or the lack there of) seems to be unaffected by IQ if one were to do an exhaustive study.
I walked through a cemetery the other day. It was a very peaceful experience for me. I tend to try to gain something from every experience. That said, I found myself looking at the dates on the headstones. It occurred to me that the vast majority of the people represented there had been dead much longer than they had lived.
I'm not here to argue for or against faith, God, Religion, etc. I'm here to ask a logic question…
If there is no God, and the only true intelligent conclusion is that of atheism, then so be it. We must accept the simple fact that our lives are short indeed and that throughout time we will breathe for only a brief moment. In essence, we were all born with one real purpose, to be dead.
So here's the question… Why on earth are you, obviously very intelligent people, sitting around at your keyboards wasting so much of what little time you have arguing with the "simple minded" God people about the inevitable. Where's the logic in that?
Aren't you the pot calling the kettle black. We argue because it is fun.
I don't think believers are just "simple minded". I also agree that there are a lot of smart believers out there. However, I think they compartmentalize very well. The same logic that they use in normal day to day tasks is not applied to ideas about God. Those, for whatever reason, are separate and immune to reason.
Your last paragraph is a common complaint we atheist hear from believers. "If you don't believe, why not just shut up about it? I don't believe in the tooth fairy, you don't see me running around trying to convince everyone that the tooth fairy doesn't exist."
We hear that a lot, and that type of logic would make sense if people regarded God the same way they regarded the tooth fairy. That however, isn't the case. People who believe in God are killing other people over the burning of a book. People who believe in God are trying to prevent gay people from marrying the person that they love. People who believe in God are trying to stop medical science that has the potential to save lives. They're trying to prevent women from getting the heath care they desperately need. And so on, and so on.
If people were trying to incorporate the teachings of the tooth fairy into every part of our society and if those teachings limited other humans from being treated as human and finding happiness; I would spend much of what little time I have here explaining to others why it is illogical to believe in the tooth fairy.
Many believers find religion to be a benign force in the world. They believe this because they've closed their eyes and ears to any criticism. They believe this because they want to believe that they're good. Atheists don't regard religious ideas as immune to reason. We apply the same strict rules of evidence to religious ideas that we do to everything else in this world. By doing so, we expose the evil of religion. Does this mean that all religious people are evil? Of course not. I personally feel that most religious people are good people just trying to be good themselves. I think religion is a meme that has hijacked this intrinsic desire in humans and twisted it.
As Mr. Weinberg once said, "With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."
And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly, and is then cast out into the toilet?
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, bigotry, selfishness, anger, malice, lust.
These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands defiles not a man.
That is what the Gospel message of Jesus Christ is about and not science unless you are going to prescribe a pill for the heart that conceives all of these coveted characteristics and we are all under this curse as a human race.
Unbelievably stupid poster in the OP.
Good enough for these idiots?
At least half the people in the picture were by no means atheist.
I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.–Abraham Lincoln
In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views. -Albert Einstein
Thomas Jefferson to John Adams on April 11, 1823:
"I hold (without appeal to revelation) that when we take a view of the Universe, in its parts general or particular, it is impossible for the human mind not to perceive and feel a conviction of design, consummate skill, and indefinite power in every atom of its composition. The movements of the heavenly bodies, so exactly held in their course by the balance of centrifugal and centripedal forces, the structure of our earth itself, with its distribution of lands, waters and atmosphere, animal and vegetable bodies, examined in all their minutest particles, insects mere atoms of life, yet as perfectly organised as man or mammoth, the mineral substances, their generation and uses, it is impossible, I say, for the human mind not to believe that there is, in all this, design, cause and effect, up to an ultimate cause, a fabricator of all things from matter and motion, their preserver and regulator while permitted to exist in their present forms, and their regenerator into new and other forms.
We see, too, evident proofs of the necessity of a superintending power to maintain the Universe in its course and order. Stars, well known, have disappeared, new ones have come into view, comets, in their incalculable courses, may run foul of suns and planets and require renovation under other laws; certain races of animals are become extinct; and, were there no restoring power, all existences might extinguish successively, one by one, until all should be reduced to a shapeless chaos. So irresistible are these evidences of an intelligent and powerful Agent that, of the infinite numbers of men who have existed thro’ all the time, they have believed, in the proportion of a million at least to Unit, in the hypothesis of an eternal pre-existence of a creator, rather than in that of a self-existent Universe."
Thus the question: Why are so many millions of modern atheists such unequivocal nit wits?
Where is Newton, Maxwell, Faraday, or even Hume in this bit of inane drone reasoning?
At least get you facts right maybe before spewing forth such lies?
Try this poster instead: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uOQx9DxV8Y4/TIj-RvsKRgI…
Perhaps you should take your own advice.
The quote you cited from Einstein was a second hand hearsay by Hubertus, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg
When Einstein was asked directly.
"It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it."
I can provide the same examples for everyone on the list if you like, but it's besides the point. And I'm sure you have google as well. This isn't an argument from authority. Even if every one of those dudes was a right wing religious nut job, it wouldn't make the case for God any stronger.
Did you read the article?
Instead of resorting to personal attacks (like calling us nit wits) tell us what exactly you think makes us nit wits? What idea do you disagree with?
Ironically the article has nothing to do with the picture. I accidentally linked the wrong image. I've just been too lazy to change it.
Hey smart one. Stalin and Mao Zendong were both atheists. They killed millions in the name of communist regimes that were supported by atheism(using the idea that the weak must die so the strong can survive). Even nazism is atheistic. Hitler called himself Christian but the bible says the Jews must remained unharmed. A Christian can't kill 6 million Jews and still be christian.
If you hate religion just cause a few zealots killed a 2000 people centuries ago evn though you choose to ignore the fact that atheist zealots killed MILLIONS of people only 50 YEARS AGO then I pity you. Also the fact that you don't even care to replace that picture just shows that you put no care into this article AT ALL and you probably don't even believe the stuff coming out of your own mouth.
Also after reading your responses to the people in these comments, I've seen that you're nothing but a troll. Just like every other atheist I've met on here.
You didn't try to back up any of your claims.
About that picture. Almost all the people in that were agnostic or religious. Even Darwin was given a full Christian burial when he died. Oh and about Ben Franklin and Jefferson. Even if they were atheists, would you believe a bunch of racist assholes who thought that Native Americans, blacks, asians, and other nonwhites weren't real men?
Oh and Albert Einstien has done dozens of arguements in support of the existance of God. You can even go to his wikipedia page and it says he's known for advancments in science,physics,math, and support of the existance of God.
You have no proof and you've just been saying your own opinions over and over. Also evolution still has yet to be proven. If animals must change then why do polar bears keep on becoming more and more extinct in the artic. Where are their gills? Yes monkeys are similar to humans, but are monkeys actual humans? No. Orcas are in the same family as dolphins but are orcas dolphins? No. Oh and the catholics are the only ones who believe evoltuion. The same catholics who whorship a child molester with a hat who lives in the vatican more than they do God. Also what caused the big bang? Even the guy that thought of the idea of the big bang thought it was stupid. That's why he gave it a silly name like big bang.
Did I also mention that JFK, mother teresa, michelangalo, mlk jr, and Abe lincoln were christians?
How about you stop reading those delusional "god delusion books" and read the bible cause it sounds like you don't even know much about the thing you're persecuting.
Wow, it would take me a month to respond to the ignorant claims made in the last 4 comments. I'm not going to give lessons on evolution. If you can't be bothered to look at the mountains of evidence showing that evolution is a FACT, then nothing I show you will convince you. You've closed your mind to anything that doesn't conform with your religion. The very definition of being closed minded.
For the record, I was a Christian for most of my life, went to church, and have read the bible. I just don't agree with it. Regardless, you don't have to be a theologian to dismiss a religion. I presume you all disagree with Islam, Buddhism, as well as the thousands of other religions that have or do exist. Have you studied them all thoroughly? I think not.
I haven't changed the picture because it brings people like all of you here and you read what I've written. It strikes a nerve (judging by your lashing out) and I'm totally okay with that
Regarding Einstein, read the previous comments… I've already cited sources. Pay close attention to the "It was of course a lie…" quote.
In any case, I'm not making an argument from authority. I'm not even making an argument. I'm saying that YOUR arguments, arguments from theists, don't hold water. The burden of proof is on YOU, not me
Also, what "claim" did I make and not back up?
Here… I'll give you all the opportunity. What is your BEST argument for the existence of God? What is your very best proof? Present it. We'll discuss it.
Go ahead. I double dare you
I'm sorry, i really can't reply with a great amount of scientific knowledge, and I'm still trying to figure things out on the unstable and gut wrenching middle ground. But I heard someone say "I'd rather die a christian and find out there is no God than die an atheist and find out there is one." Just…. be careful not to be closed minded yourself.
What you propose is commonly referred to as Pascal’s Wager. This is an argument that been addressed many times before. Placing your bet on Christianity isn’t really the “best bet”. First, it presumes there either is or is not one God. There have been thousands of god claims over the years and there’s no way to believe in all of them just to be on the safe side; even if their claims weren’t mutually exclusive, which most of them are. You’re hedging your bets on one out of thousands of possibilities, same as me. My “odds” are just as good as yours.
This is of course all presuming that you can choose what to believe in. You can’t choose. You’re either truly convinced of the proposition, or you’re not. If you’re not, the best you’re doing is feigning belief. A truly omniscient god would see through that.
A truly omniscient god would see me desperately trying to SINCERELY find truth… and perhaps not find it in time. If the God is, as you said, omniscient, then he knows that I truly was trying to find him. I was raised in a christian household, and I wouldn't be looking at every atheist argument possible if I wasn't trying to be honest with myself. And… well… you seems to be a little one sided. *flinches*
If there is a god, I'm all ears. That doesn't mean that I'm going to relinquish my critical thinking faculties. You can be good without religion. I look at religion and I take the bits that I think are good that doesn't require me to throw logic out the window. Love thy neighbor, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, etc. (all of which predate the bible by the way…).
Not to say your approach is wrong, but it's definitely not what's in your bible. It says you must accept Jesus as your lord and savior. It doesn't say "try" to believe in him and keep an open mind.
Either way, the quote that you stated which amounts to betting on there being a god, still presumes that there's only one god. What if you believe in Jesus and find out it was Buddha? Or perhaps you worshiped in a sect of Christianity that says you are saved by faith alone and then you die and find out it's works and faith both. There are 10,000 different sects of Christianity alone. Which one are you going to bet on?
When you're looking at all the different religions, what are you using to determine which one is the correct religion? By what standard? If you pick a religion you think is true are you going to follow the morality set forth by it, even if it's at odds with your own personal morality?
If I seem one sided, it's because I've weighed the evidence and found it stacked heavily on one side, the side that says religion is man made. I at least admit that there is the possibility of god, how many religious people honestly admit that there might not be?
I dunno, the atheistic mindset seems rather terrifying to me. But you do bring up good points and a substantial argument and I applaud you for that. But have you researched sermons with subject topics that might (MIGHT) answer your questions or try and look up scientific/historical proof of a god?
I'm not saying you haven't!
If you have, you deserve a second round of applause. But heaven knows I have tried to see if I can prove my own faith wrong.
I dunno, the atheistic mindset seems rather terrifying to me. But you do bring up good points and a substantial argument and I applaud you for that. But have you researched sermons with subject topics that might (MIGHT) answer your questions or try and look up scientific/historical proof of a god?
I'm not saying you haven't!
If you have, you deserve a second round of applause. But heaven knows I have tried to see if I can prove my own faith wrong
One can say neither that the bible nor atheism is illogical before he/she can prove it. Newton, the most influential scientist (according to The 100) was both a physicist and a Christian.
So I will give my attempt at proving/disproving the bible.
I will follow a very logical proof called Reductio ad Absurdum, where one makes a hypothesis (assumption) and disproves it whereby the other possibility is true. In this case, the bible is either true or false, and there is no in-between.
Reductio ad Absurdum's principle is that the disproof has to use information deduced from the hypothesis and find a contradiction in or out of the hypothesis. So even if one finds only one contradiction, no matter how many true facts the hypothesis holds, the conjecture is false and the converse is true.
Assume the bible is true:
Then the contents of the bible is true, and God is immortal, benevolent, omnipotent and has an intellectual capacity equal to or higher than that of the average human.
The following quote is from Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher that founded Epicureanism and believed in the neutrality of God to humans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicurus)
“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?"
This quote is indubitably logical. It contradicts what was said in the bible, and therefore the bible is false.
However, this is not the victory of Atheism. There are myriads of other religions to consider, and until they are all proven false, Atheism cannot be the totally logical resolution.
Atheism doesn’t have to “prove all religions false”. The burden of proof is on the one making the claim. This is a very very basic understanding in philosophy. This is why in the court systems you’re innocent until proven guilty. It’s not up to you to prove you didn’t do something. The burden of proof is on the person who is making the claim that you did something. If they fail to meet that burden, then you are considered not guilty. Religion is the one making the claim, they have the burden of proof, they have failed to meet that burden.
To Josh: it is very illogical to use the bible to prove God.
To Anon: one cannot rely on statistics to prove something. That is why I do not like experiments that directly prove something. Besides, Genghis Khan was strongly religious and interested in all religions.
To Borne and to patch(daemen): just because there are unexplained phenomenons, you cannot deduce that God is responsible for it.
Why does all this matter? I would have called myself a christian but am disgusted with religion as a whole. I now call myself an open minded believer. Heres why although my beliefs head toward the judeochristianity road it is blatent ignorence for one to claim i have the answers, Science doesnt, religion doesnt and I SURE AS HELL do not. That being said i am curious however, why it is that I keep hearing from athiests enjoy the ride. Generally speaking there is intolerance in every aspect of religion and life for that matter. I wont be an apologist for God because if there is a God (a question asked by any honest believer) he does not need me defending him. i have a bunch of athiest friends and no christian friends and I do have lot of questions but neither science or religion can answer them at this point in time. So why spread vomit and propaganda on a topic that nobody will gain a higher ground (or atleast admit it)? My one athiest friend said because i feel like its my duty.Everybody get over yourself starting with me.
If the Christian “God” is omnicient, omnipotent and omnipresent as the Bible claims, then he’s one awful bastard (as the Bible reveals).
People are catching on to the greatest scam ever pulled off in the history of the world. Why do you think churches are having to adapt to society? Coffee shops in megachurches… Christian rock…christian tattoo artists. The Demigod Jesus would be so pissed!
Sorry but Einstein was not an atheist, he was agnostic, and he was talking about God and creation somethimes.
Why do we have to fight about these kinds of things. Fight? It's an all out BRAWL. Seriously. I mean, why not just let people have their fun with their beliefs? I'm a Christian myself, and if I explain why I believe to a person who dosn't want to hear a word of it, I leave them alone to their beliefs. But most of the time other people (who are athiests) try to force their opinions on me. I also don't understand why you slam people about grammar in your comments.
I guess it’s about prospective. From my point of view I’m constantly fighting the religious from forcing their religion on the rest of us. Atheists don’t go door to door, religious people have slapped “In God We Trust” on our national currency, they attempt to force their religion/morality on us by preventing gay people from marrying, and allowing women to be in control of their own body. Around the world they’re mutilating female genitals, and pouring acid on the face of little girls for trying to go to school. Should I start in on 9/11, the inquisition, and organized rape and abuse of children in the Catholic church? Are you serious right now?!?!
I fight with my words and words alone. I don’t lobby to prevent anyone from peacefully practicing their religion. I simple point out the absurdities of their claims and the flaws in their logic. Religious people brought this fight to my doorstep, not the other way around.
How can people prove that thier religion is the right one? Truth is no one can. I believe that we are saved not through religion, but through our relationship with God. I dont think that forcing people to believe in god is right because there is alot of free will in the world and we do have the right to make choices, but they have to be the right ones.
As for explinations of God's existance…well look around! I mean if you want to believe that all the beautiful mountains and rivers and all different types of people and cultures all came about from a big explosion and humans evolved from apes then by all means believe that but I know that a God who has never had a beginning and will never had an end created earth and humans out of love. For me that seems the better option. God sent his OWN son to this world so we could be saved through him. He wanted us to have a second chance so we could live with him ETERNALLY . As I said I cant force people to believe this but if they would just listen and try to believe what so many try to tell them about God and heaven, Im sure they'll find that it makes a huge difference from living or suffering for eternity.
I struggle to find just where I fit in…how and WHY does it have to be so "all or nothing" with both sides? I am actually in therapy right now because a life in absolutes is NOT working for me! LOL. Is agnosticism not unlike purgatory?
I was reared Catholic and attended Mass every Sunday. Jump to now, I have my own doubts about God, Jesus and 80s fashion as good. My therapy is about the emotional mind AND the rational mind which seems to mirror some of what is being espoused here. Thus, my question is this:
What room is there or what do you call someone who has lost her faith? I am not clinging to science nor am I going to talk someone out of her or his faith because I almost envy that…and miss it. But I just cannot believe there is a Judeo-Christian God because I wrestle with the precept of free will…
I just want to know where I fit in here without absolutes.
Who says you have to live a life of absolutes? Atheism is nothing more than the disbelief in a claim. Agnosticism isn't a middle ground like "purgatory". Agnosticism refers to knowledge, not belief and should be used in conjunction with theist/atheist. It sounds like with respect to a deist god (some kind of higher moving force) you're an agnostic atheist, meaning you don't know, but you don't believe. Evidence could still be presented to persuade you otherwise. With regard to the Judeo-Christian God, you're a gnostic atheist, meaning you know that god doesn't exist, and therefore disbelieve in it. You reject that claim as being logically impossible due to free will.
There's no reason to be absolutist about your beliefs.
The picture is HIGHLY inaccurate.You know, Darwin was a Christian, he just thought of the "evolution" idea. Abraham Lincoln believed in a God, quoting God and Bible verses in some of his speeches. Einstien was not an Athiest, but not a Christian he once said in an interview that "In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views." Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson was a Diest. Now I do not know the gentleman on the Top left and I am pretty sure Carl was an Atheist.