Help me understand your being Atheist

[Kosmo kards]

Anyone else think the recent rise in atheism is related somehow to the recent rise in false senses of entitlement?

I feel that there have always been a higher amount of Atheists than there seemed to be. I feel that most people were just afraid to admit their lack of beliefs in the past. Remember for the longest time you could be killed if you claimed to not believe in God and even up into the 1950's and 1960's you could become an outcast, so I think that people were just afraid the same way people use to be afraid to come out and say they are a homosexual or for women to speak up and claim they have rights as well and are equal to man. It's not as bad now as it use to be.

[Kosmo kards]

I personally think more people are coming out with being an atheist because it is a little more socially acceptable now than it was way back when also all of these religious fanitical loons are turning a lot of people off to religion. Religions namely christanity and islam are also doing a poor job of checking the fanatics they use them as an opportunity to say don't became a christian/muslim/etc because they are terrorist/child molesters/etc instead of saying hey man you need to check yourself you are making it bad for all of us and making us all look like idiots.

It's always the negative stuff that makes headlines. Religion does a lot of good for people as well but its the bad you hear about.

[Kosmo kards]

I'm not saying there aren't other things at play. But more and more I keep hearing "If God is real, whydoesnt he stop all our suffering? Why doesn't he manifest himself to ME?"

If that isn't a false sense of entitlement (entitled to face time with God and no suffering) I don't know what is.
I guess not that atheists grow the sense of entitlement, but that the sense of entitlement breeds atheism.

I actually started a thread asking why God won't give anybody face time recently. My problem becomes God serves no purpose. People spend their whole life worshiping a supreme being that offers nothing in return. It makes no sense. The only reason people believe in God is fear of death and going to hell and the reward of Heaven. No one would take any religion seriously if those factors never existed.

[ajcorleone]

Well put this is what I gathered but i wanted to askk for all views

so I am guessing when you say "we" you are speaking about you and maybe a group of your friends? I am certain you do not speak for all atheists.
In fact Atheists of America teaches acceptance and understanding of all religions, they just want separation of church and state, not separation of religion and America.

[shrewsbury]

many things in life serve no purpose when the purpose in rooted in our own desires and wants.

as a teenager I literally got into fist fights with my brother over this. the fact you need a God to come down to tell you He exists, takes away from the whole idea of our Christian God. Perhaps a god from another religion will do this, but not the God I know.

[Wickabee]

I actually started a thread asking why God won't give anybody face time recently. My problem becomes God serves no purpose. People spend their whole life worshiping a supreme being that offers nothing in return. It makes no sense. The only reason people believe in God is fear of death and going to hell and the reward of Heaven. No one would take any religion seriously if those factors never existed.

Interesting.
It's funny, I like to avoid "If I were God..." statement, but if I were God, I wouldn't want to be worshipped, merely loved. The very idea of worshipping something seems very human to me. Almost an out so that if you don't love God, there are still things you can do (worship) to find favour. If I were God, I would just want to be loved.
I just wouldn't want to be loved for what I do for individuals, but what I've done for everyone.

[shrewsbury]

wickabee, when I became a father it certainly helped shaped my ideas of God. The word father can mean different things and play many roles.

[ajcorleone]

wickabee, when I became a father it certainly helped shaped my ideas of God. The word father can mean different things and play many roles.

[Kosmo kards]

many things in life serve no purpose when the purpose in rooted in our own desires and wants.

as a teenager I literally got into fist fights with my brother over this. the fact you need a God to come down to tell you He exists, takes away from the whole idea of our Christian God. Perhaps a god from another religion will do this, but not the God I know.

It's an interesting post and a tough concept to truly understand. God does want us to know he exists and he sends his son Jesus (who is God) and according to the New Testament the Kingdom of God is what Jesus talks about most. So he did come down to earth to tell us he exists. Now I'll be honest, it's been a few years since I've picked up the Bible and actually read it but the evil of money and greed are probably the only thing Jesus talks about more frequently that the kingdom of Heaven. Our main purpose is to glorify God and if you're only doing that so you can go to Heaven, does that make you good? It's very confusing. It makes my head hurt.

Interesting.
It's funny, I like to avoid "If I were God..." statement, but if I were God, I wouldn't want to be worshipped, merely loved. The very idea of worshipping something seems very human to me. Almost an out so that if you don't love God, there are still things you can do (worship) to find favour. If I were God, I would just want to be loved.
I just wouldn't want to be loved for what I do for individuals, but what I've done for everyone.

There is no way to ever really know what God is thinking. He's doesn't think like a human and that's about all I know LOL. I wish I knew.

[drtom2005]

An atheists can have doubts just like the religious do. If, however, those doubts are held long term, how can one be "certain" there is no God?
Just as a Christian who constantly doubt God's existence is not a real Christian.

You haven't answered my question yet. How do you know anything? I realize there are probabilities when I say something is real. Of course, there is evidence for my beliefs.

How do you know other cars brakes will work?