Arent atheists at risk?

[Postmaster]

path_of_one you say you’re an theist, but would you agree that there is a mystical environment that we can't easily comprehend? Even if science can't prove?

[believer142]

9 out of 10 people in the world believe in one God whether their jewish, muslim, or christian. So for you to say that there are many different perceptions of God, there is, but there is also one major perception. This is the perception most commonly argued by atheists. As a theist i am taking no risks. whether he exists or not, i wont receieve any punishments but will be greatly awarded if he does. If i were an atheist and he does exist, i will be seperated froim my creator for all eternity with overwhelming regret. I believe that god wants us to search our hearts. If there were subtantial proof of his existence, then we would believe in him because of obligation not love.

[Saponification]

Originally Posted by believer142

As a theist i am taking no risks. whether he exists or not, i wont receieve any punishments but will be greatly awarded if he does.

Actually, you are taking a risk. What if a different idea of God is correct? What about samsara? Simply believing in God is not enough to save you from coming back again and again and again...

A lot of religions acknowledge the idea of coming back again and again until liberation. In fact, more religions acknowledge samsara than that one, almighty God.

[path_of_one]

Originally Posted by Postmaster

path_of_one you say you’re an theist, but would you agree that there is a mystical environment that we can't easily comprehend? Even if science can't prove?

Of course. Maybe there's a misunderstanding- I said I'm a theist- as in, I believe in God. And I do believe there is a spiritual realm, multiple realities, in fact. I myself embrace mysticism, and the mystery of it all. I'm just saying I believe that devotion should be out of love for God, not desire to avoid punishment.

I don't believe in eternal punishment, so it's a bit of a non-issue for me, really. Punishment without the opportunity for correction, repentence, and unification of God seems pointless and cruel, and I don't believe any soul is beyond the help of the grace of God. I believe in justice, tempered with mercy.

[believer142]

Actually, you are taking a risk. What if a different idea of God is correct? What about samsara? Simply believing in God is not enough to save you from coming back again and again and again...

When i said that i was arguing against atheistic views. What i meant is that "being saved" also entails that we use our rationale to follw the way of the lord. And i believe he provides us with enough rationale to make the decision to follow the right path no matter what religion we belong to.



A lot of religions acknowledge the idea of coming back again and again until liberation. In fact, more religions acknowledge samsara than that one, almighty God.[/quote]

Yes more religions acknowedge samsara but not more people.

[brucegdc]

From http://www.adherents.com:
definitive number. This list is sociological/statistical in perspective.)

1. Christianity: 2.1 billion
2. Islam: 1.3 billion
3. Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion
4. Hinduism: 900 million
5. Chinese traditional religion: 394 million
6. Buddhism: 376 million
7. primal-indigenous: 300 million
8. African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million
9. Sikhism: 23 million
10. Juche: 19 million
11. Spiritism: 15 million
12. Judaism: 14 million
13. Baha'i: 7 million
14. Jainism: 4.2 million
15. Shinto: 4 million
16. Cao Dai: 4 million
17. Zoroastrianism: 2.6 million
18. Tenrikyo: 2 million
19. Neo-Paganism: 1 million
20. Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand
21. Rastafarianism: 600 thousand
22. Scientology: 500 thousand


3.4 billion (US billion) monotheists.
3.253 billion non-monotheists

Or if you prefer crunching a lot of numbers: http://www.zpub.com/un/pope/relig.html

I'd say that since they're all estimates, being within 10% on the split you can't claim either way. (Not to mention how to define "believer" - do you count the "Christian" who never thinks about religion, never goes to church, but considers themselves Christian since they went to Sunday School when they were small, and may or may not have been baptized/confirmed later? )

[InLove]

Hi, and Peace to All Here--

Atheists are at risk just like all of us. Oh, we can cite the idea that "I'd rather believe than not, because wouldn't that be the best? What if there is nothing other than nothing--at least I have believed in Something, and if Something exists, then I am safe."

Here's the deal--none of us believe until we believe--and none of us can really believe in anything without evidence. That is what sends us on that search for the Divine....and that, IMO, is how we find it.

InPeace,
InLove

[hammer]

(I'm an atheist)
Risk of what??? That something that doesn't exist is not going to allow us to go to a place that doesn't exist when we don't exist?

I'm not too worried.

BTW....
ALl you theists out there, that is just my opinion - I don't mean to offend anyone

[PluckyAli]

Originally Posted by hammer

Risk of what??? That something that doesn't exist is not going to allow us to go to a place that doesn't exist when we don't exist?

How do ye know God doesn't exist?.How do ye know that place doesnot exist?.Have you examined all of the universe?.How do ye know ye are not going to exist after your death?

I'm not too worried.

Your at high priority risk.

ALL you theists out there, that is just my opinion - I don't mean to offend anyone.

We take no offense,if ye think that was offensive,ye could be bit more straight and offensive with us.We don't care.

[lunamoth]

Originally Posted by PluckyAli

We take no offense,if ye think that was offensive,ye could be bit more straight and offensive with us.We don't care.

Actually, I appreciate it that atheists posting here have been quite polite and respectul in stating their views.

peace,
lunamoth

[brucegdc]

Originally Posted by lunamoth

Actually, I appreciate it that atheists posting here have been quite polite and respectul in stating their views.

peace,
lunamoth

And I appreciate it that the theists posting here have been polite & respectful as well. Makes the moderating job easier.

... Bruce

[PluckyAli]

Actually, I appreciate it that atheists posting here have been quite polite and respectul in stating their views.

yes but there is more here.All the people i see here seem to be very respectful and have morals except me.I can't understand how is this possible despite serious conflicts b/w religions,science and politics.

I was once very respectful until i met some immoral and aggresive atheists and they tried their best to make me one of them.I think they succeeded(jk).

[StarshipEnterprise]

People shouldn't simply be atheists because it's convienient not to have morals, and many don't. Many atheists, if not most, think that they have enough evidence to prove there is no God. But if there is a God, he certainly wouldn't punish them for not "beleiving in him" (as someone said earlier) He would be much more concerned about if the person was compassionate enough in their lifetime. Also, if he made "bad" people face eternal torment, he would be an immoral, and imperfect god (therefore not God). Since that would not be justice, but something more like revenge. The way I see it, justice is something that solves a problem.

so no, I don't think being an atheist puts you at risk.

[Jaiket]

Originally Posted by StarshipEnterprise

Many atheists, if not most, think that they have enough evidence to prove there is no God.

Although I am commiting selection bias here, I have never met an atheist who claimed to possess evidence that god/s does not exist. My own atheism, and that of every atheist I know, is a position of lacking evidence and no reasons warranting belief in a deity.

Good post though man.

[Explicit atheist]

Originally Posted by Jaiket

Although I am commiting selection bias here, I have never met an atheist who claimed to possess evidence that god/s does not exist. My own atheism, and that of every atheist I know, is a position of lacking evidence and no reasons warranting belief in a deity.

Yes, god lacks explanatory substance in the sense that there is nothing about the universe as we know it that would be different if a god does not exist. God is a catch-all declaration, not a valid explanation that distnquishes what is false from what is true. God at best defers the mysteries it claims to answer and leaves us further from answers to those mysteries by adding an unconstrained, and thus non-fallsifiable, supernatural realm. So god belief is unjustified. However, there is some evidence for atheism also.

There is nonbelief from evil, from macro-evolution, from insignficance of earth relative to the size of universe, from consciousness being a function of brain, from lack of present day divine communication, from incompatable and illogical divine attributes, from false fact claims and inconsistency of holy books. So there is some evidence against particular gods. Also nonbelief from propensity of humans to fantasize and confuse their fantasy with reality and simliar human psychological and rational weaknesses that account for holy books, from large number of incompatable religions (historically as well as currently) and the like. So there is some decent evidence against god also.