At what point did you realize that god is not real

[AnneK]

When I think of the chances of those three entities simultaneously coming about randomly in the same place, some form intelligent intervention starts seeming plausible in comparison.

Then you have to explain where that intervention came from.  Given all the billions of billions of stars, in billions and billions of galaxy in at least one universe, I suspect billions of years is more than enough time for this sort of thing to happen by random chance.  Also, at least some prerequisites for life, such as amino acids and primitive proteins have been created in labs, through chemistry.

As long as one claims there's a god or intelligent designer, then it's incumbent on that person to explain where that god or designer came from.  If they can't, then their claims are just a house of cards.

[AnneK]

Well, that's the problem with atheism, isn't it? Makes it much harder to answer where any of it came from. Not sure which is harder to swallow. That the universe was created by some intelligent being of indeterminate origin, or that it just "came about".

Given the immense size of the universe, with innumerable stars, over billions of years, I'd say "came about" is much more likely than a creator.

[AnneK]

I'm here, but I'm a Jesus freak

Well then, perhaps you can explain why all the pictures of Christ I've seen show him as fair skinned, with blue eyes.  People from that his part of the world tend to have darker skin and brown eyes.

[LindseyP]

As long as one claims there's a god or intelligent designer, then it's incumbent on that person to explain where that god or designer came from.  If they can't, then their claims are just a house of cards.

It often seems like it is not a popular position to hold in our community, but I believe in God.  It is more of a question of me believing for me than convincing you to believe.  I would not be able to convince you of anything your heart is not open to.  And that's ok.  As for people that do believe, even if it does not match exactly to what I believe?   If someone can find comfort and solace in their faith, I won't be the one to deny them. 

[AnneK]

It is more of a question of me believing for me than convincing you to believe.

Well, why do you believe something that can be shown to be nonsense?  Why do people believe something that is clearly false?  Another example of this is homeopathy.  It's claims are based on principles that are physically impossible, yet for some reason some people believe in it.

[LindseyP]

Well, why do you believe something that can be shown to be nonsense?  Why do people believe something that is clearly false?  Another example of this is homeopathy.  It's claims are based on principles that are physically impossible, yet for some reason some people believe in it.

You haven't shown me that anything is false.  Only that it indicates to you that it is false.  You sound like you are good with that and I have nothing to gain by talking you out of living your life as you are moved to do.  Have  a great night! 

[kelly_aus]

For me, my lack of belief in god is simple, I was never told he was real - at least not by any one important to me. Sure, I knew religious people, I've just never shared their beliefs. And I did go looking, I've known Jews, Christians, Sikhs, Muslims and others, but none caused me to believe. It's much easier to be an atheist when you were not raised to be a theist.

My aunt is a minister and once said to me, "God has long since ceased taking an interest in Earthly matters and his appointed representatives don't seem able to work things out." To this day, I'm still not sure if she was joking or not.

[AnneK]

You haven't shown me that anything is false.

Well, the whole story of creation is nonsense.  History and archaeology show that the exodus never happened.  King David was actually a fairly minor figure and most of the cities he supposedly destroyed were in fact destroyed outside of his life time, the ark myth was borrowed from the Babylonians, etc.

Now how about some proof that backs up religion.

[Deborah]

I quit believing once I realized that Jesus was a false prophet.  He said that all prayers would be answered but in reality none of the important ones ever are.  The standard Christian apologetic for this is insulting to any human being still breathing.  "No answer is an answer in itself!"  Yeah, right.

The second reason was the internet.  Reading Christian comments it quickly becomes evident that Christians are some of the most ill tempered and insulting life forms in this solar system.  That kind of shoots down the notion that they are inhabited by the spirit of a God who is defined as Love.

I could go on and on but those are the big ones. 

It was really hard letting go though.  It was like reprogramming myself after leaving a cult.  Or maybe that's exactly what it was.  The whole process from start to finish took me nearly nine years.

God is dead!  Deal with it!!!


Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote

[meatwagon]

i had been questioning various aspects of the religion i grew up with since i was very young; i always loved science and the two weren't usually compatible.  but it wasn't until my late teens that i really started drifting away from belief altogether.  i didn't have any one pivotal moment of realization.  it was just a gradual process that went from "i believe, but i disagree with my church/family's teachings" to "i can't really know for sure" to "i don't believe and see no reason to". 

[Jin]

I was 14 when i realized that God DOES exist!

[AnneK]

I was 14 when i realized that God DOES exist!

Based on what?

[Dani]

Well then, perhaps you can explain why all the pictures of Christ I've seen show him as fair skinned, with blue eyes.  People from that his part of the world tend to have darker skin and brown eyes.

Well, they surely don't make Jews like Jesus anymore! 

Seriously, even the pronunciation of His name changed from one language to another. The Latin is spelled the same as English, but pronounced more like "Hay Sus" The common everyday language in Jesus' time was Aramaic. His name was pronounced like " Eh Shu A "

[arice]

I remember sitting in church with my mom when I was 3. I thought to myself, "Do they really believe this stuff. It doesn't make any sense."  Even at that age, I was used to questioning everything and so questioning religion and god came naturally to me. Over 35 years later and I still haven't seen any evidence that has led me to reject my null hypothesis that there is no God.

Sent from my SM-G870W using Tapatalk

[OblivionLight]

I wasn't raised religious in any way, so it's never been a thing for me at all. I've done a LOT of reading on many different religions humanity has known, and while I find it an interesting topic, I just cannot believe in any of it whatsoever. That said, though, I won't be the one to deny or argue anyone's beliefs, as I believe it to be an often very personal choice and thing, and if someone finds love, strength and hope in it, why would I tell them it's false? Respect is what matters to me most (but it has to come from both sides).

That said, hiding behind any religion to be hateful = absolutely not okay. That's not what religion is about and thankfully, none of my religious friends agree with that kind of hate.

[AnneK]

Here's another example that shows the bible is fiction:
https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/07/genetic-evidence-suggests-the-canaanites-werent-destroyed-after-all/

[DawnOday]

My belief was cemented when 19 Republican candidates claiming a talk to God revealed he wanted them to run for President. But really, a higher power exists. Mine is my son who saved my life so many years ago. So I am a deist. God is good even as a spirit and Church is like a Chinese menu, where you get to pick and choose what you believe or not. God is not a Racist. God is not an egomaniac. God has no other agenda, God loves his neighbors. Everyone with dark skin is not sinister. Jesus never walked across America. Time to stop the talk and start walking the walk

[Paige]

Hi All,

I was raised in a progressive Christian church.  I always had my doubts.  A lot of stories from the Bible bugged me.  There's a definite nastiness to the book.  There's the God egging Abraham on to kill his son, there's the Noah genocide, there's the fact god is good with slavery, stoning, war, women as property, slaughter of first borns, etc, etc. There's hundreds of really nasty bits.  Perhaps what really bugged me the most was the fact that this all powerful being needed worship.  What type of insecure entity needs worship?

So that basically proved to me Christianity wasn't the answer.  I did like some of the things Jesus was purported to have said but that's no reason to believe.

So once you walk away from your own religion.  You really need some sort of proof to believe in another.  Faith is just the snake oil of religion.  So far the only thing people will say is how did this complicated universe come to be without intelligent intervention and therefore there must be a god.  I'm sorry but that isn't what follows from that observation.  What follows is we have no clue what happened.  Anything else is a guess that's as likely as a unicorn found it at the end of a rainbow.

Anyway that's just how I see it.
Paige

[Cailan Jerika]

I never learned to believe.

My grandparents took me to church Sunday School (to give my mom a break, she was very ill when I was little), and later went to Sunday School on my own when my mom moved elsewhere, until I was about 10. I was really into setting up the Christmas creche decorations in my grandparents' house. However, all along, I thought it was storytime, like library read-aloud stuff my mom took me to, with arts and crafts. I was really into fantasy, including The Hobbit and Wonder Woman and such (it was the 70s, and there were lots of kids level fantasy stuff in books and on TV), and I didn't know people actually thought the Bible stories were REAL. I figured it was a social play-along game, like Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, or the Easter Bunny. It made as much sense.

I was about 10 when the church I was going to at the time decided I was old enough to attend services instead of Sunday School classes. It was a rude awakening when I realized the *adults* around me thought it was all real. I laughed at first, I thought it was a joke. Then I was horrified. Then I thought it was a tiny minority of freaks, like the Flat Earthers. I quit going to church right then and there, though I missed the social parts of it.

It wasn't until I was about 16 that I first heard the word "atheist" and I was still pretty meh about it. I still thought non-believers were the majority, it made no sense to me that reasonable, rational minded people would *believe* such crap. It wasn't until I was about 22 that I actually became aware that the *majority* of Americans were believers.

[eyesk8rboi]

I wouldn't say there was a point where I realized he wasn't real....but I'm still trying to find what I truly believe. I was raised and baptized Southerner baptist, and I've been on the agnostic fence for quite some time.
Over the years, being out of church and my grandparent's influence, and being exposed to more science and truth on the internet and such I do find it really hard to believe that there is a god, and if there is, it's definitely not the kind of god that Christian's praise, preach and worship....if you feel me?
I was already heavily agnostic and then my young, pregnant aunt was taken from us unexpectedly so whatever kind of faith I might have had left in the Christian god is pretty much gone / turned to extreme hatred...the funeral was heavily dominated as baptist because of my grandparents, my grandmother even having the nerve to throw an ALTER CALL in there...like what...why...Nana...no...stop. (Probably because even though none of us grandchildren have told her we're atheists, agnostic, not living the Christian life style she knows we're all filthy heathens with our tattoos and piercings and gay lovers...etc.)

So yeah....Not really an atheist I suppose, but I definitely feel you guys!