I came to Jesus at the age of 56, after 40 years of pristine atheism...when my wife walked out on me. It was the culmination of things that had been preying on my mind all during my wandering in the wilderness.
Or, you can reach the age of 50, discover you have a cancerous tumor and at the suggestion of having it excised, you say "Umm...I'm 50. That ship has sailed." That is called a Death Wish, my brother.
See that's what made me realize for sure I'm an atheist. I'd always avoided religion. Had a bad run-in with a woman that told me religion didn't matter and 6 months in its come to church with me. A lot more involved but years later when I really thought about it I realized that was a huge part of why our relationship exploded. I didn't believe. She was just angry at god. When she got over her anger it created a huge rift. She did what you are doing now. She tried to convince me to go to mass. The best one was the suggestion we should go to a catholic priest for marriage counseling. LOL!
Nothing you say is going to change who I am. Unless you have incontrovertible proof like you can introduce me to an angel so I can have a nice hour long chat with him there is no point in this.
If you have no interest in researching because the issue is closed for you that is obviously a personal decision. If you do have any interest, instead of looking for an angel to talk to, research DNA and God. You will find scientists, once atheist, have found it impossible to reconcile the DNA science with their (former) atheist beliefs.
Atheism is a belief in nothing. I encourage you to explore this from an intellectual standpoint. You literally have nothing to lose.
I guess the whole point is that I used to avoid it, but then I finally did do the research. Back like 10 years ago I spent months looking at every religion. That's when I realized my problem was I didn't believe any of it. It was actually very freeing to resolve that conflict. It was my come to Jesus moment so to speak. Unborn again? Heh.
To me religion is just mans never ending quest to answer questions beyond our ability and knowledge to answer yet. Those scientists are just desperate for answers completely out of their grasp. They are literally monkeys staring up into the sky and telling each other that space is made up of jello pudding because that's what it looks like to them and it tastes good. Or the moon i made out of cheese etc...
I simply acknowledge the undeniable truth. We don't know the answer. I moved on.
Sure you've looked at this then, but either Chesterton or Lewis would say the answer is the fact that the questions are built in to your being. If you have a God shaped hole there must be a God. I think the analogy was if you can experience thirst or hunger, there must be something out there to satisfy that built in need or desire, i.e., water/food. The fact that mankind has searched for an answer or a reason for his creation means there is in fact a reason and and answer. In my quest that was probably one of the more convincing.
I'm not one to try to convince anyone, honestly, just love a good back and forth about interesting subjects. Thanks and have a good day!
DNA evolved pretty directly from RNA. We know the oldest life forms on earth were RNA based just as we (and everything else on earth excluding some microorganisms and viruses) are DNA based.
Before the evolution of DNA there was an entire world of living things using RNA to carry their genetic sequence (instead of using it for the building the replication of that sequence the way we do). DNA came about the same way most forms of evolution do; random chance that was then positively selected for due to offering a survival advantage. The advantage of DNA over RNA is clear. It degrades less rapidly, it’s less prone to error, and most of all it allows for much longer and more sophisticated sequencing.
There are mysteries around DNA that science still hasn’t answered. But it’s very existence is evidence that evolution is real and has been since the beginning of life on earth.
Hi Darwyn. If you admit you don't know, that makes you an agnostic rather than an atheist. I was an agnostic. When I decided to pray to see if it would work, I basically prayed "if you're real, please send me a sign." I did not pray often, but the signs came. Over time the validity was proven in my direct experience without any church at all, and as my faith slowly grew it became stronger and more rewarding. Eventually I had a direct experience of the holy spirit, and after that time I know that God is real, and that He is love, and He is also beyond our ability to define. I received knowledge, obviating the need for faith. The knowledge and evidence are not materially demonstrable. But my words are a witness. Keep your mind and heart open, and if you search, you can find. It worked for me.
I had that same argument with myself. Am I agnostic or atheist. The problem is I utterly and completely reject all of the current answers proposed. More over I completely reject the idea that any of this is the creation of a higher being. Thus 90% of religions are fully rejected. Absent proof it will stay that way. Thus I'm an atheist, and I will stay that way until given absolute incontrovertible proof otherwise. Also... I'm not looking for proof. That would be like me spending/wasting my time trying to prove the Greek/Nordic gods were real. Its pointless wasted effort. Proof needs to slap me in my face. I've moved on. You're wasting your time.
I totally get that all Christians are programmed by their social virus to seek out and infect others. In order to thrive a successful virus has to work that way or it dies out, but I'm immune. Sorry.
EDIT - PS - I give you guys props for being more respectful and well intended than most. And even making a few good but flawed arguments.
It's just the definition: there's a difference between "not believing" vs "believing in naught." The first is agnostic, the second is atheist. I found God without a church or a book. That's just my testimony; you don't have to believe. Yes, I enjoy telling people. Doesn't mean I'm programmed any more than you.
This is our one and only shot. Instead of wasting it trying to indoctrinate someone into your religion, why don’t you help a neighbor or have nice long masturbation sesh.
Both of them are better options than trying to convince someone that your religion really is the one and only way (despite the hundreds of other religions preached with just as much surety), when they themselves have made efforts to reach out to your god and were met with only silence and the self awareness to know that if they claimed to believe they would be lying.
I’m only 27 and this ship has long since sailed for me as well. Age doesn’t have anything to do with it. I’ve known 5 year olds that realized people have never lived to be hundreds of years old and that a story about a great flood that only one single family survived (meaning incest was the only way forward for the species) probably wasn’t meant to be taken literally, the same way they realize Santa isn’t real.
"a book written by men two thousand years ago isn't evidence its just a book."
This is one of satans tricks, "there is no evidence." That is why the LORD wrote prophecy into His Word. The Old Testament scriptures are a history book that happened after it was written.
Ask yourself why the areas that were Sodom and Gomorrah in ancient times are still uninhabited to this day and are covered with balls of sulphur.
Look at the evidence of Noah's flood upon the very Earth you live in.
The most rock solid evidence you can have? Why do the evil ones fight so hard against it? What are they trying to hide from you? You have a choice to make, brother, every one does. You can continue to fight right along with evil or you can shine your light unto the world. There is no in between.
Kek. You're funny. Communist are not atheists. They worship "the state". They are the worst sort of religious fanatics. Communism really is a religious cult. Prove me wrong.
Read more carefully. Read the whole thing. Don't skim it.
It's very hard to see some of the Pizzagate stuff and argue there is a God anymore. If there was, he's clearly gone away to create other worlds and left us to our business. That is how evil people have taken over the world.
It is very hard for someone my age to watch young people playing with fascism, failing, playing with socialism, failing, and NOW playing with communism... and we all know they're going to fail.
Does the USA have to actually rediscover democracy through trial and error?
The evil ones have been sacrificing children to baal since the very beginning and they continue doing it today. And, I can promise you, He is SEETHING about it as we speak. Again, this has all been prophesied and you are going to just LOVE the end of this "movie." Read Ezekial 38-39 for a sneak preview.
I came to Jesus at the age of 56, after 40 years of pristine atheism...when my wife walked out on me. It was the culmination of things that had been preying on my mind all during my wandering in the wilderness.
Or, you can reach the age of 50, discover you have a cancerous tumor and at the suggestion of having it excised, you say "Umm...I'm 50. That ship has sailed." That is called a Death Wish, my brother.
See that's what made me realize for sure I'm an atheist. I'd always avoided religion. Had a bad run-in with a woman that told me religion didn't matter and 6 months in its come to church with me. A lot more involved but years later when I really thought about it I realized that was a huge part of why our relationship exploded. I didn't believe. She was just angry at god. When she got over her anger it created a huge rift. She did what you are doing now. She tried to convince me to go to mass. The best one was the suggestion we should go to a catholic priest for marriage counseling. LOL!
Nothing you say is going to change who I am. Unless you have incontrovertible proof like you can introduce me to an angel so I can have a nice hour long chat with him there is no point in this.
If you have no interest in researching because the issue is closed for you that is obviously a personal decision. If you do have any interest, instead of looking for an angel to talk to, research DNA and God. You will find scientists, once atheist, have found it impossible to reconcile the DNA science with their (former) atheist beliefs.
Atheism is a belief in nothing. I encourage you to explore this from an intellectual standpoint. You literally have nothing to lose.
Sorry in advance for link to CNN.
https://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/03/collins.commentary/index.html
https://www.everystudent.com/wires/is-god-real.html
I guess the whole point is that I used to avoid it, but then I finally did do the research. Back like 10 years ago I spent months looking at every religion. That's when I realized my problem was I didn't believe any of it. It was actually very freeing to resolve that conflict. It was my come to Jesus moment so to speak. Unborn again? Heh.
To me religion is just mans never ending quest to answer questions beyond our ability and knowledge to answer yet. Those scientists are just desperate for answers completely out of their grasp. They are literally monkeys staring up into the sky and telling each other that space is made up of jello pudding because that's what it looks like to them and it tastes good. Or the moon i made out of cheese etc...
I simply acknowledge the undeniable truth. We don't know the answer. I moved on.
Sure you've looked at this then, but either Chesterton or Lewis would say the answer is the fact that the questions are built in to your being. If you have a God shaped hole there must be a God. I think the analogy was if you can experience thirst or hunger, there must be something out there to satisfy that built in need or desire, i.e., water/food. The fact that mankind has searched for an answer or a reason for his creation means there is in fact a reason and and answer. In my quest that was probably one of the more convincing.
I'm not one to try to convince anyone, honestly, just love a good back and forth about interesting subjects. Thanks and have a good day!
DNA evolved pretty directly from RNA. We know the oldest life forms on earth were RNA based just as we (and everything else on earth excluding some microorganisms and viruses) are DNA based.
Before the evolution of DNA there was an entire world of living things using RNA to carry their genetic sequence (instead of using it for the building the replication of that sequence the way we do). DNA came about the same way most forms of evolution do; random chance that was then positively selected for due to offering a survival advantage. The advantage of DNA over RNA is clear. It degrades less rapidly, it’s less prone to error, and most of all it allows for much longer and more sophisticated sequencing.
There are mysteries around DNA that science still hasn’t answered. But it’s very existence is evidence that evolution is real and has been since the beginning of life on earth.
Hi Darwyn. If you admit you don't know, that makes you an agnostic rather than an atheist. I was an agnostic. When I decided to pray to see if it would work, I basically prayed "if you're real, please send me a sign." I did not pray often, but the signs came. Over time the validity was proven in my direct experience without any church at all, and as my faith slowly grew it became stronger and more rewarding. Eventually I had a direct experience of the holy spirit, and after that time I know that God is real, and that He is love, and He is also beyond our ability to define. I received knowledge, obviating the need for faith. The knowledge and evidence are not materially demonstrable. But my words are a witness. Keep your mind and heart open, and if you search, you can find. It worked for me.
I had that same argument with myself. Am I agnostic or atheist. The problem is I utterly and completely reject all of the current answers proposed. More over I completely reject the idea that any of this is the creation of a higher being. Thus 90% of religions are fully rejected. Absent proof it will stay that way. Thus I'm an atheist, and I will stay that way until given absolute incontrovertible proof otherwise. Also... I'm not looking for proof. That would be like me spending/wasting my time trying to prove the Greek/Nordic gods were real. Its pointless wasted effort. Proof needs to slap me in my face. I've moved on. You're wasting your time.
I totally get that all Christians are programmed by their social virus to seek out and infect others. In order to thrive a successful virus has to work that way or it dies out, but I'm immune. Sorry.
EDIT - PS - I give you guys props for being more respectful and well intended than most. And even making a few good but flawed arguments.
It's just the definition: there's a difference between "not believing" vs "believing in naught." The first is agnostic, the second is atheist. I found God without a church or a book. That's just my testimony; you don't have to believe. Yes, I enjoy telling people. Doesn't mean I'm programmed any more than you.
Lmao this thread is insane,
There is no god, no satan, no heaven, no hell.
This is our one and only shot. Instead of wasting it trying to indoctrinate someone into your religion, why don’t you help a neighbor or have nice long masturbation sesh.
Both of them are better options than trying to convince someone that your religion really is the one and only way (despite the hundreds of other religions preached with just as much surety), when they themselves have made efforts to reach out to your god and were met with only silence and the self awareness to know that if they claimed to believe they would be lying.
I’m only 27 and this ship has long since sailed for me as well. Age doesn’t have anything to do with it. I’ve known 5 year olds that realized people have never lived to be hundreds of years old and that a story about a great flood that only one single family survived (meaning incest was the only way forward for the species) probably wasn’t meant to be taken literally, the same way they realize Santa isn’t real.
"a book written by men two thousand years ago isn't evidence its just a book."
This is one of satans tricks, "there is no evidence." That is why the LORD wrote prophecy into His Word. The Old Testament scriptures are a history book that happened after it was written.
Ask yourself why the areas that were Sodom and Gomorrah in ancient times are still uninhabited to this day and are covered with balls of sulphur.
Look at the evidence of Noah's flood upon the very Earth you live in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=882fmumdm9A
The most rock solid evidence you can have? Why do the evil ones fight so hard against it? What are they trying to hide from you? You have a choice to make, brother, every one does. You can continue to fight right along with evil or you can shine your light unto the world. There is no in between.
That's just the communist indoctrination talking. Renounce the devils of atheism and communism and come to the Light!
Kek. You're funny. Communist are not atheists. They worship "the state". They are the worst sort of religious fanatics. Communism really is a religious cult. Prove me wrong.
Read more carefully. Read the whole thing. Don't skim it.
https://greatawakening.win/p/11S0pt6bW2/x/c/4DuWg4Yl8QW
It's very hard to see some of the Pizzagate stuff and argue there is a God anymore. If there was, he's clearly gone away to create other worlds and left us to our business. That is how evil people have taken over the world.
It is very hard for someone my age to watch young people playing with fascism, failing, playing with socialism, failing, and NOW playing with communism... and we all know they're going to fail.
Does the USA have to actually rediscover democracy through trial and error?
The evil ones have been sacrificing children to baal since the very beginning and they continue doing it today. And, I can promise you, He is SEETHING about it as we speak. Again, this has all been prophesied and you are going to just LOVE the end of this "movie." Read Ezekial 38-39 for a sneak preview.