...I am now atheist.

[Ilias22]

i am sure if a war starts when war ends there will be only 0,1% who will be atheist because evryone will be afraid.Thats why we need a god...because without a god everyone afraid because he knows that nobody can protect him.

It's the complete opposite. When a war starts, people will pray to something so that their loved ones survive and such. When a war ends, there will be no reason for the protection you mentioned.

In addition, tragedies do not scare people into religion. Instead, they force people to question it.

I tell this because of will afraid for your life and you will need to have something to believe so you will think safer.Thats my view on the theme.

[kimham8a]

The evolution thing is pretty far back in this thread now but I just wanted to say that Ron Paul (one of the leading presidential candidates next election) does not believe in evolution.

[furballdn]

The second of the ten commandments in the Bible is 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
(The very first of the commandments is 'love the Lord your God,' but that's not relevant right here.)

Actually the very first is "You shall have no other Gods before me." (Exodus 20:3)
The second is "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth" (Exodus 20:4)

[Skotadi Phobos]

The evolution thing is pretty far back in this thread now but I just wanted to say that Ron Paul (one of the leading presidential candidates next election) does not believe in evolution.

... Good link...

[OldTrees]

everyone has a god.nobody is atheist...because i am sure if a war starts when war ends there will be only 0,1% who will be atheist because evryone will be afraid.Thats why we need a god...because without a god everyone afraid because he knows that nobody can protect him.But i can say that this things you write in your post is true...As i bilieve jesus was really god or he was really clever because he make all these people believe in him.

1)
Have you ever considered that some people are ok if there is nobody to protect them? Furthermore people can just as easily hope to be safe rather than pray to be safe.

2)
I do not know any religion that believes in a god that wants people to believe for amoral or immoral reasons. Believing in a god because you need the comfort of a protector is not a moral reason for your faith. (Self interest is usually deemed an immoral reason for faith)

[artimies7]

The second of the ten commandments in the Bible is 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
(The very first of the commandments is 'love the Lord your God,' but that's not relevant right here.)

Actually the very first is "You shall have no other Gods before me." (Exodus 20:3)
The second is "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth" (Exodus 20:4)

Well, it's one of them. And my point still stands!

[Dm]

everyone has a god.nobody is atheist...because i am sure if a war starts when war ends there will be only 0,1% who will be atheist because evryone will be afraid.Thats why we need a god...because without a god everyone afraid because he knows that nobody can protect him.But i can say that this things you write in your post is true...As i bilieve jesus was really god or he was really clever because he make all these people believe in him.

I can't really stand as atheist or christian, but actually..

In the start of the war everyone (or mostly everyone, some would just think what I usually think of "Whatever happens, happens") would pray and stuff. At the end of the war, do you really think they would be praying? I find it more likely to see people screaming at the air. The link of Holocaust Theology earlier on this thread explains that very well, and in a simplified manner; "Is your God good?" "Yes." "Then why the hell did so many of us die?".

Annnd, I can't quote all back to the first page, but would anyone mind to explain why would it be such a "radical turn in his life"? My view on it is more like "It's just religion, man."; Which is why I can't really stand to make a point for either side. While I don't always believe in a God, there are times when you're desperate, and whether there is a God or not, I start blabbing and talking with the air, and even if I don't know how to pray, it does seem like I am talking to God, in a way. I guess that's just how humans are - We go as far as we can without help, but when we get desperate and can't count on anything else, "God" is there to provide a quick escape for you to feel like someone is there to help you, may it be true or not.

[AnonymousRevival]

everyone has a god.nobody is atheist...because i am sure if a war starts when war ends there will be only 0,1% who will be atheist because evryone will be afraid.Thats why we need a god...because without a god everyone afraid because he knows that nobody can protect him.But i can say that this things you write in your post is true...As i bilieve jesus was really god or he was really clever because he make all these people believe in him.

I can't really stand as atheist or christian, but actually..

In the start of the war everyone (or mostly everyone, some would just think what I usually think of "Whatever happens, happens") would pray and stuff. At the end of the war, do you really think they would be praying? I find it more likely to see people screaming at the air. The link of Holocaust Theology earlier on this thread explains that very well, and in a simplified manner; "Is your God good?" "Yes." "Then why the hell did so many of us die?".

Annnd, I can't quote all back to the first page, but would anyone mind to explain why would it be such a "radical turn in his life"? My view on it is more like "It's just religion, man."; Which is why I can't really stand to make a point for either side. While I don't always believe in a God, there are times when you're desperate, and whether there is a God or not, I start blabbing and talking with the air, and even if I don't know how to pray, it does seem like I am talking to God, in a way. I guess that's just how humans are - We go as far as we can without help, but when we get desperate and can't count on anything else, "God" is there to provide a quick escape for you to feel like someone is there to help you, may it be true or not.

The reason why a lot of people die is because God allowed it to happen. Even as a Christian, I sometimes doubt his decisions, but in the end, it is for the greater good. The cause of the flood in Noah's time was due to the profligacy of the Nephilim at that time. The cause for the Holocaust, although several innocent Jews were decimated (and I can't stress it enough) was for the creation of the nation Israel.

And a lot of people think that christians are so zealous.....Infact, we are humans too. We aren't superior, I admit I have weaknesses and I adapt to the secular world around me. Infact, it is through my weaknesses, in which I can show Christ's power, just like how Christ died on the cross for us, through his weakness, he shows God's divine judgment, and an everlasting grace.

[Aves]

Yellow = Parts of AnonymousRevival's post I take an issue with
Red = My response


The reason why a lot of people die is because God allowed it to happen.
 Is death caused by God? What is the nature of free will, then? Do we matter?

Even as a Christian, I sometimes doubt his decisions, but in the end, it is for the greater good.
By whose standards?

The cause for the Holocaust, although several (roughly six) million innocent Jews and five to eleven more million other undesirables including homosexuals, Gypsies, political enemies, the disabled, and prisoners of war were decimated (and I can't stress it enough) was for the creation of the nation Israel.

  Was the creation of Israel certain at the end of the war? And what about the decades long Japanese occupation of China, and how it led to the communist victory of 1949? Was that part of the plan? The Cold War, rise of new autocracies and repressive regimes, and threat of Mutually Assured Destruction in a Nuclear War?.

And a lot of people think that christians are so zealous.....Infact, we are humans too. We aren't superior, I admit I have weaknesses and I adapt to the secular world around me. Infact, it is through my weaknesses, in which I can show Christ's power, just like how Christ died on the cross for us, through his weakness, he shows God's divine judgment, and an everlasting grace.
I honestly don't see how this last paragraph relates to the above.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Edit: Wow, that was really a bit off topic. I think. 
Edit 2: Removed the quotation block because the normal sized font was a bit too small for my liking.
Edit 3: Divided Response from the rest of this post.

Anyways, people believe what they believe, perhaps in spite of logic  (On both sides, theists and atheists). It's in all our hands to temper in extremism and coexist in a peaceful, cooperative way.

[kimham8a]

everyone has a god.nobody is atheist...because i am sure if a war starts when war ends there will be only 0,1% who will be atheist because evryone will be afraid.Thats why we need a god...because without a god everyone afraid because he knows that nobody can protect him.But i can say that this things you write in your post is true...As i bilieve jesus was really god or he was really clever because he make all these people believe in him.

I can't really stand as atheist or christian, but actually..

In the start of the war everyone (or mostly everyone, some would just think what I usually think of "Whatever happens, happens") would pray and stuff. At the end of the war, do you really think they would be praying? I find it more likely to see people screaming at the air. The link of Holocaust Theology earlier on this thread explains that very well, and in a simplified manner; "Is your God good?" "Yes." "Then why the hell did so many of us die?".

Annnd, I can't quote all back to the first page, but would anyone mind to explain why would it be such a "radical turn in his life"? My view on it is more like "It's just religion, man."; Which is why I can't really stand to make a point for either side. While I don't always believe in a God, there are times when you're desperate, and whether there is a God or not, I start blabbing and talking with the air, and even if I don't know how to pray, it does seem like I am talking to God, in a way. I guess that's just how humans are - We go as far as we can without help, but when we get desperate and can't count on anything else, "God" is there to provide a quick escape for you to feel like someone is there to help you, may it be true or not.

The reason why a lot of people die is because God allowed it to happen. Even as a Christian, I sometimes doubt his decisions, but in the end, it is for the greater good. The cause of the flood in Noah's time was due to the profligacy of the Nephilim at that time. The cause for the Holocaust, although several innocent Jews were decimated (and I can't stress it enough) was for the creation of the nation Israel.

And a lot of people think that christians are so zealous.....Infact, we are humans too. We aren't superior, I admit I have weaknesses and I adapt to the secular world around me. Infact, it is through my weaknesses, in which I can show Christ's power, just like how Christ died on the cross for us, through his weakness, he shows God's divine judgment, and an everlasting grace.

What about the people who are tortured, raped, and killed? What was the purpose? Even if they may go to heaven for eternity why must they go through so much meaningless pain in which they had no fault in? Much pain goes about unnoticed and unresolved, with no good coming out at the end. Can you go tell children who labor 20 hours everyday in salt mines and are beaten daily that it is for the greater good? Can God tell them that?

I hope I don't cause any ill feeling, no one needs to answer this, everyone can have their views but this is my view.

[memimemi]

The Problem of Evil has been toyed with, from both sides of the theism divide, for millenia.

It's a good place to start - draw your own conclusions.

[AnonymousRevival]

everyone has a god.nobody is atheist...because i am sure if a war starts when war ends there will be only 0,1% who will be atheist because evryone will be afraid.Thats why we need a god...because without a god everyone afraid because he knows that nobody can protect him.But i can say that this things you write in your post is true...As i bilieve jesus was really god or he was really clever because he make all these people believe in him.

I can't really stand as atheist or christian, but actually..

In the start of the war everyone (or mostly everyone, some would just think what I usually think of "Whatever happens, happens") would pray and stuff. At the end of the war, do you really think they would be praying? I find it more likely to see people screaming at the air. The link of Holocaust Theology earlier on this thread explains that very well, and in a simplified manner; "Is your God good?" "Yes." "Then why the hell did so many of us die?".

Annnd, I can't quote all back to the first page, but would anyone mind to explain why would it be such a "radical turn in his life"? My view on it is more like "It's just religion, man."; Which is why I can't really stand to make a point for either side. While I don't always believe in a God, there are times when you're desperate, and whether there is a God or not, I start blabbing and talking with the air, and even if I don't know how to pray, it does seem like I am talking to God, in a way. I guess that's just how humans are - We go as far as we can without help, but when we get desperate and can't count on anything else, "God" is there to provide a quick escape for you to feel like someone is there to help you, may it be true or not.

The reason why a lot of people die is because God allowed it to happen. Even as a Christian, I sometimes doubt his decisions, but in the end, it is for the greater good. The cause of the flood in Noah's time was due to the profligacy of the Nephilim at that time. The cause for the Holocaust, although several innocent Jews were decimated (and I can't stress it enough) was for the creation of the nation Israel.

And a lot of people think that christians are so zealous.....Infact, we are humans too. We aren't superior, I admit I have weaknesses and I adapt to the secular world around me. Infact, it is through my weaknesses, in which I can show Christ's power, just like how Christ died on the cross for us, through his weakness, he shows God's divine judgment, and an everlasting grace.

What about the people who are tortured, raped, and killed? What was the purpose? Even if they may go to heaven for eternity why must they go through so much meaningless pain in which they had no fault in? Much pain goes about unnoticed and unresolved, with no good coming out at the end. Can you go tell children who labor 20 hours everyday in salt mines and are beaten daily that it is for the greater good? Can God tell them that?

I hope I don't cause any ill feeling, no one needs to answer this, everyone can have their views but this is my view.

It's ok. I have a faith, but you do not need to believe in my faith if you do not want to and I respect that. After all, what says that I am more superior, infact, I am inferior.