Why do atheists spend so much time arguing about the existence of God?

Serious question. I mean, aside from the fact that it's not like we actually HAVE to do it, I'd have thought it would be easy to just laugh at religious tardation, rather than argue with it.

I mean, why argue with this? HOW does someone even BEGIN to argue with this?

 

Why do theists argue for the existence of god? I'd have thought it would be easy to just laugh at atheistic tardation, rather than argue with it.

See? Works both ways and the reasons are as numerous as there are arguments for both positions. My personal reasons for debating theists are that I like to debate, I like to learn and I suppose it helps in the affirmation of my position. Every now and then some stupid thought will enter my mind, making me question if a god is possible or necessary, then after reading some theists "evidence" for a god, I laugh and reconfirm why I can't believe. Its also interesting to see just exactly what people believe. I can't speak for all atheists, but this is why I debate theism.

 

lol well even though I think there is a point to arguing (if not just to reassure yourself that you know what you are talking about and know exactly how to express it)

i dont think there is a point to arguing with someone like that

heheheh

 

My point is that the arguments for each position pretty much depend on the entire foundation of the argument for the other being questionable/totally wrong.

See, I'd argue that it's not so much debate as either ripping on people for their stupidity or hammering your head against a wall, and to be perfectly frank, I don't see how arguing with idiots would really "affirm your position". It's kind of like saying that you know you're right because you won an argument with your cat.

See, I wouldn't be so proud of that fact as to admit it. Being able to win an argument doesn't prove your point; pretty much the only thing it proves is that you were able to beat THAT opponent in THAT argument.

 

Debating religion and the existence of God is my very favorite thing to do, as my1,359 or so posts bear witness. Some people collect baseball cards or play videogames; I do this. If the issue were ever settled, I'd be lost, but I'm not worried, because the argument has been going on for millenia. One of the fascinating things about it, as far as I'm concerned, is that so many apparently intelligent people, including some I know very well, believe such strange things--on both sides: that they see auras, have wounds heal by sleeping in pyramids overnight, etc. Last week, I attended a discussion group at church that began by showing a documentary video about the Dead Sea Scrolls. The commentator--normal looking, seemingly intelligent-- started off by telling us about the discovery of the scrolls, how many of them haven't yet been made public, and how there's was a conspiracy to cover them up--all true, from what I've been able to gather. Then he went on to tell us what the hidden scrolls contained--information that was left out of the Bible: that the earth was visited by aliens from outer space who gave us secret knowledge, yada, yada, yada. Then the lights came on and we discussed it. Most people in the group thought the guy was certifiably looney. The words "cult", Heavensgate, Jonestown, etc., came up. Then one cynic commented that he saw little difference in factual basis between the documentary and the sermons delivered in Baptist churches every week--and used the term "fantasy", which drew a pained gasp from our pastor attending the discussion. The same cynic went on to put science in the same boat, using string theory and economics as examples. And off we went in another round of heated and lively discussion. I managed to piss off the pastor by joining the cynic, but I think we all had a good time. This afternoon I receive the church bulletin in the mail, and read the pastor's words of appreciation about the wonderful weather God has been giving us lately. Hmmm.

 

Atheism is a philosophy. Atheists believe there is no God. It is a belief system.

 

why not? it's a worthwhile consideration... i try not to argue, but rather to talk with a genuine interest in learning.

not to mention that the bible directly makes assertions about non-believers... why should anyone be excluded from discussion about something that makes claims about everyone?

 

All sins are forgivable except renunciation of God, it's religions worst nightmare because you are no longer a sheep,lemming,zombie,pawn or tool for their 'evil' master plan.

Atheism is a belief but not a faith because the conclusion is simple logic. Why does God have no reason or definition that is NOT irrational, circular or contradictory? Why can all attempted definitions and explanations be debunked and exposed? Why is it that the only decent explanation of God is an imaginary concept concocted and bred into the masses over thousands of years? Or that God is also or a subconscious representation of mans ego.

It's all about REASON, if there's no good REASON then there's no REASON to waste you time with it. As an atheist I do not waste my time with a "faith' in disbelief. Why do I waste my time typing this? Because I am a heartbroken witness of the utter waste of life and unnecessary suffering that religion and faith has delivered to this planet of tools, zombies and sheep. Why do I waste a few minutes of my time typing when there are millions of zombies wasting their entire lives to an imaginary, ego maniac God in there head? Why would a doctor want to cut out a cancerous tumor in a child?

What's in your head?
In your head,
Zombie, Zombie, Zombie...

 

Are we talking 'tangible' evidence for the intangible? Mmm ...

 

Why do atheists spend so much time arguing about the existence of god? Because religion is one of the most powerful systems in most of the societies along with science, arts etc. It has really an institutional status and it's the only power that's based on, well, fantasy mainly that has a strong influence on society and even in politics.

So there's plenty of reason to debate this topic. I don't consder myself a religious atheist, I don't have a strong belief in the unexistence of god. Religious belief is emotional and not based on understanding. And I don't denie god, I believe in the possibility of the supernatural or a higher power.

But I don't believe in religious doctrines. It's really unlikely taht god talks to us personally giving us guidances and commands. Religious commands are written by somebody at some time in history. And now they are taken as universal truth. It's like a political system but it's legitimacy is only based on tradition and the belief that it's ideas are sacred. When you already believe that there can be no further arguing.

 

The point of arguement is not to win, rather, to be enlightened. I argue to help people and i believe this applies for theists also. It's ironic.

 

Actually, that only works if you believe that the "default" setting for a human mind is to believe in God, as oppose to people defaulting to believing in nothing (or anything) unless they are specifically told what to believe. So a person who is raised as a Christian would instinctively (developmentally) believe in God, and thus rejection of that belief would likely be a conscious act. BUT, if a person was not raised to believe in God, not believing in God would not particularly be a belief, because there was no choice involved.

It is a moot point, however. Most atheists do not claim to know that there is no god. They might believe, based on the evidence, that there isn't one. But that does not amount to a belief system, which implies inter-related beliefs, and some dependency between them (i.e. one belief founded on another).

 

Indeed. But defeating only opponents who are clearly weaker than you hardly serves to enlighten. And similarly, a master baker proves little by being able to bake a better loaf of bread than the world's greatest jewel thief.

Are arts not based on fantasy? Is society not based on rather fanciful ideas? "We hold these truths to be self-evident", etc?

There's a hell of a lot of other things that have absolutely no factual basis which atheists seem happy enough not to quarrel with, let alone name themselves in opposition to. You don't hear of many who claim to be "anti-mercy", for example.

 

Yes there are allot of ideas and ideologies (cultural artifice) that have no factual basis which also do at times resemble in there characteristics the old world religions. The most common for starters would be Nationalism, ethnicity,race, and class. Otherwise they are taken for granted and no one looses any sleep over them.

The on going cathartic state of affairs in the world (which some have attributed modernity) will continue to generate cultural and ideological shifts. Choppy sees where some competing ideologies will fall and other will rise.

 

I thought we were in post-modernism now because everyone decided modernism was too hard.

 

It's like if you met someone who insisted that the sky was green and no matter what you did to convince him otherwise he still said, "It's a green sky the sky is green!"


I would either have to keep correcting him by stating facts as to why it's not green or just figure he was mentally challenged in some way.

 

So I was thinking about sitting down in a coffee shop with a book that said "atheism" on the cover in order to attract like minds..but the pages would be blank, because what really is there to say? I don't agree with beliefs in god, tooth fairy,etc? That's going to take up a book???

 

Read a book by Christopher Hitchens or James Randi you will see what can be filled inside of an atheist written book on atheists belief systems.

Or as I call it "life"

 

Despite your frequent incantations that "(a)theism is a belief but not a faith because the conclusion is simple logic", I don't recall ever seeing from you a logical proof of atheism or a disproof of God. The most delusional kind of faith is one which isn't aware that it's faith at all, but thinks it's "simple logic." The best that logic, science, and evidence can do for us is to provide a basis for reasonable suspicion. Beyond that, we place our bets.

 

It's like if you met someone who insisted that the sky was green and no matter what you did to convince him otherwise he still said, "It's a green sky the sky is green!"

I would either have to keep correcting him by stating facts as to why it's not green or just figure he was mentally challenged in some way.

Now of course the belief or the "faith" in that particular statement doesn't really effect me in anyway, but it's a lie and a lie is something that distorts reality in some way.

Flying planes into building's because I don't agree that the sky is green?

Well that's not what happened..... But it's close.

God eat god and man feed's them both, ect ect....

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