What is god? female, male, or otrher?
Where did god come from, did he, she, or it always exist?
When god created the universe, out of what did he, she, or it make it from?
When god creates something are there rules or laws similar to science?
Does god have thoughts? From the bible god can certainly be angry and feel love.
Is god a being with inner workings, is there an energy source?
1. Gender neutral but typically presents attributes of maleness (if that matters).
2. Didn't come from anywhere.
3. "Out of" nothing. (It's a quantum thingy)
4. Yes. He makes rules. (Eg. Gravity has no free will. God does.)
5. Yes. Logos.
6. No. God isn't a machine you can dismantle.
Now, when atheist proselytisers ask me to define God my first thought is...
Shouldn't atheists be the ones defining what it is they disbelieve?
They typically do. Generally that is the main path of deconversion. When a theist defines their god(dess)(es) and realizes somethign doesn’t add up, and the onion peels away when if that’s not believable, then this other becomes not believable,,, until the god dissolves under the eye of scrutiny. Then they realize there are other things they believed that are not true.Originally Posted by Lion IRC
Until they can say, “I have discovered that I don’t actually believe in this defined thing, and that one, and that one...until there are none left under the supersition umbrella that are believable at all.
If I'm hiking in the woods, must I actively remind myself the things I don't believe in, like ghosts, are not there? No, I don't bother. I like what IS there well-enough.
If I went to some strange culture and they had a god named Zimbo, do I define the god and then actively disbelieve it? No. The people who believe in the god do the defining, and inevitably its whatever their culture input into their heads. Same principle works with observing Christians.
Atheism is the default state when you don't pile on excess beliefs. Gods are a display of a tendency among humans to turn psychological wants/feelings/experiences into metaphysical entities.
That is easy. I disbelieve that for which there is no evidence.
For example:
. I disbelieve that ancient aliens are responsible for Earth's ancient megalithic structures even though there are many books claiming that they were.
. I disbelieve that the universe was created six thousand years ago even though there is a book that has been interpreted as claiming it was.
. etc., etc.
Though I could be convinced with actual evidence.
ETA:
I could ask why you choose to believe in the particular god and Biblical stories that you do while disbelieving in the thousands of others that are available for you to believe in. We both disbelieve in a hell of a lot of gods and religious stories - I disbelieve only one more than you.
Last edited by skepticalbip; 06-17-2018 at 08:20 AM.
Because he have had some hallucinations of God talking to him...That is easy. I disbelieve that for which there is no evidence.
For example:
. I disbelieve that ancient aliens are responsible for Earth's ancient megalithic structures even though there are many books claiming that they were.
. I disbelieve that the universe was created six thousand years ago even though there is a book that has been interpreted as claiming it was.
. etc., etc.
Though I could be convinced with actual evidence.
ETA:
I could ask why you choose to believe in the particular god and Biblical stories that you do while disbelieving in the thousands of others that are available for you to believe in.
If Bob said, "Blarg exists and if you don't give me money, Blarg will give you leukemia within a year." If Janice said, "I don't believe you," does it now fall to Janice to define what she doesn't believe?
Besides, a definition does not mean evidence. A child can define Santa Claus, and even describe him with great detail, including the color of his clothes and boots.
As an atheist, I find the Bible defines God. God is good. God is merciful, God is just. God is fair. God is compassionate. God is a being with will, intelligence, and on and on. The basics as defined by the Bible. Then we can discuss if God lives up to his claimed attributes and so on. The God of the pest religion of Christianity that tens of millions believe in.
Cheerful Charlie
I wonder if there are Hindu atheists? I assume there are but I've never knowingly met one. Do they spend years claiming Vishnu doesn't exist?
Probably. There are muslim atheists, christian atheists, jewish atheists etc..
But usually you say atheist jews, atheis muslims etc...
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