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Does an atheist take the concept of God more seriously than a self-proclaimed believer?
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| Yes | 49% | 34 votes | Total: 69 votes | |
| No | 51% | 35 votes |
Yes
by Robert Bluck
Created on: December 04, 2010 Last Updated: December 05, 2010
Does an atheist take the concept of God more seriously than a self-proclaimed believer? Definitely the answer is yes to this question. How can one have a belief that is based on something they claim doesn't exist? One cannot hold the opposite position if there is none. No rational religious person will say God exists, but will only say they believe God exist. There is no proof that God exists and there is no proof that God does not exist. An atheist on the other hand will state, "God does not exist." Not that they have a belief that God does not exist. You tell me which takes the concept more seriously, the one with faith or the the one that claims to be all-knowing. The one that claims there is no God, believes they are an all-knowing deity. Ironic isn't it.
Debate religion with an atheist and you get answers that are anything but.answers. In a recent debate an atheist used these words as their answers: logical fallacy, critical thinking, pseudo-problem of logic, a matter of proper authorities, logical coherency, uses incorrect authorities, debating has rules, equivocal, logical errors, anecdotal, and sophistry. People complicate things in order to make themselves look important. It takes one of little brains to attempt to confuse somebody, it takes one of vast intelligence to simplify things. These words are not mine but words of a man that is much more intelligent than I.
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction."
Albert Einstein
Besides these excuses they were found citing the Bible, or miss citing as the case may be. They dance around the fact there is no proof that God doesn't exist and yet still state they have proof of this. Where is the proof? Yes the religious person often does the same thing by citing the Bible and claiming God exists, but they state this is their faith and not fact.
Which takes their view more seriously? Ask an atheist what is their religion? They will tell you they have none. American Heritage dictionary claims otherwise.
Religion: #4 A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
What is a follow of science, if not an activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion? Facts are what atheists claim is the foundation of their belief and they claim not to believe anything they haven't seen. Most atheists have not observed a single thing science has claimed and yet believe in it. They merely have read the words man has written, what they claim is wrong with the Bible. Atheists claim they only use facts and then disregard any they don't like. Words like faith, religion, and god they claim do not apply to them. They do.
Merriam-Webster defines god as #3 a person or thing of supreme value
Facts are their god. They have faith it is correct. Their religion is that of science. To outright lie for your cause, makes atheists the ones whose religion is greater.
Learn more about this author, Robert Bluck.
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No
by Brea Baines
Created on: March 26, 2011 Last Updated: March 27, 2011
The concept of God may seem to be of prime importance in an atheist's life, particularly at the onset of questioning. However, an atheist becomes an atheist for one reason only, and that is to deny God: to remain separate, distinct. The atheist does not believe in a God-presence that runs through the currents of every one and every thing. Because of this, it is much easier to accept the occurrence of events without asking, "what does this mean?"
The atheist is a passionate realist, undeniably characterized by the meaning he or she derives from physical, tangible experience. This is not to say that the inner world of an atheist is any less active than the soul of a believer; in fact, I have met many an atheist with a flair for delving into the psychological depths of the human spirit. But perhaps the denial of a God (i.e., an authority) underlies a greater fear.
The fear is that we are not in complete control of our lives. We are required to take responsibility for our actions and reactions, but we couldn't possibly take credit for the events that occur in our lives. We do not cause things to happen. We may play a role in their formation, but we are certainly not the sole orchestrators. Nevertheless, an atheist may attribute coincidence to such experiences, still unconvinced that a bigger force is at play. For this reason, an atheist misses out on many opportunities and chances for happiness; it may seem like a risk, but the believer always follows guidance, synchronicity, and magic, even if it doesn't entirely make sense. In this case, the believer is very serious about God; it's as though everything revolves around the "Divine plan."
Atheists, on the other hand, live without such an awareness, and thus care naught about the unfolding of events. Skepticism keeps them from seeing spiritual connectivity, and from following a road that may be dangerous and sometimes very painful. Those who believe, however, carry within them a burning faith and devotion to Divine love, a knowing that all experiences are for one's growth.
The believer actually invites challenges, just to test and prove his or her ability and strength to overcome. Spiritual devotees learn to master themselves through these challenges. It is through these experiences that the believer's relationship to God deepens. The atheist never lets God "in" to begin with, thus the concept of God could never become more serious in his or her life.
Learn more about this author, Brea Baines.
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