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.
While I understand what you are saying technically I'm a "strong atheist". While I am open to new evidence I reject god's existence. God does not exist.
And no I'm not going to sit here and lay out my reasons for believing god doesn't exist. I simply don't have the time to explain it. And frankly the last time I did explain it to someone truly willing to listen they stopped believing in god. So there is that. I guess what I'm saying is if you are interested in being an atheist by all means lets talk, but if you think its a way to convert me to being christian by talking to me about it you might suddenly find it works the other way around.
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.
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.
While I understand what you are saying technically I'm a "strong atheist". While I am open to new evidence I reject god's existence. God does not exist.
https://www.learnreligions.com/strong-atheism-vs-weak-atheism-248406
And no I'm not going to sit here and lay out my reasons for believing god doesn't exist. I simply don't have the time to explain it. And frankly the last time I did explain it to someone truly willing to listen they stopped believing in god. So there is that. I guess what I'm saying is if you are interested in being an atheist by all means lets talk, but if you think its a way to convert me to being christian by talking to me about it you might suddenly find it works the other way around.
Sounds like you're an atheist. No worries. To each their own, friend.
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.
So the way forward is to worship the collective/state? Communism?
I'm just going by your name.