Is there such a thing as an atheist?

[phil112]

For you last two posters, people that claim to be atheists have already rejected God. Don't you understand that not a single person you know has, or will ever, talk someone into believing in God? We can influence them, but only if they are open minded, and they won't be open minded unless they see. Don't you understand that no one comes to Christ unless the spirit moves on them? How many testimonies and exhortations do you think these people have heard before they get to this room? This is a bible room, and the bible condemns those that reject God.
You go ahead and condescend to me, but all I have done is bring up a topic the bible addresses. If you don't want to hear what the bible has to say about disbelievers in God, why did you bother to click on this thread to start with?

 

[HQ]

Atheists GENUINELY do not believe there is a god. They aren't in denial of something they know deep down inside. That would be as ridiculous as an atheist claiming, "There are no true theists, all of them know deep down there is no god."

By definition you're absolutely correct but there some people on this forum who call themselves atheists but leave open the possibilty that God might exist (squarely putting them in the agnostic camp). But in the whole scheme of things who really cares about what people call themselves? We all do the best we can to make sense of the the world we live in. Asking questions and having discussions is a great way to figure out what we believe and why we believe it.

 

[Jda016]

I think of the "sons of thunder" that wanted to call down fire from Heaven and consume those who were against God. Jesus rebuked them.

yes, the spirit calls people to repentance, but we are to still love people. Even Nicky Cruz who didn't believe in God and murdered people was saved, in part, because of David Wilkerson's love and ministry.

I sometimes wonder at the tone that Christians have when speaking to unbelievers...it is as if they believe there is no hope whatsoever for them to be saved.

 

[Heartsearcher]

I submit they are simply liars - to themselves and to those they tell that to. We have all heard the saying "there are no atheists in foxholes", well I believe that is true. I believe when facing death every man knows he is facing a meeting with his maker. People simply want to be the man in charge. They don't want to answer to anyone, or anything else. They want to believe they are the ultimate authority in their life, that they run the show. I had a thought a couple of days ago - how long would it take an atheist in a space ship, after being jettisoned out the door like so much flotsam, to call on God? That thought alone makes one feel quite insignificant.

ppl whose lives have been hell are prone to believe there is no god plus ppl like science and science disproves god. my friend no longer believes in god because science makes so much more sense

 

[praypraypraypray]

no athiests are blinded to the gospel and they need to turn(2 corinthians 3:3-4)

 

[phil112]

ppl whose lives have been hell are prone to believe there is no god plus ppl like science and science disproves god. my friend no longer believes in god because science makes so much more sense

I strongly disagree with that. Junk science may dislike God, but real science points more everyday to intelligent design and it's creator.

 

[Jda016]

Phil is right. Science continually amazes me at how it points to God. The more we learn about how complex everything is, the more it points to intelligent design.

Even Darwin admitted that the complexities of the human eye, being formed by natural selection was absurd. Today, we know that the eye is far more complex than even Darwin knew.

on the flip-side too, science is so often overturned on it head that it can be very shaky to walk on. New discovers are proving old thoughts and theories to be completely wrong. Several years ago the Hubble telescope proved that the universe was expanding outward and increasing in speed. This shocked the astronimical community because most everyone believed the universe was slowing down and would eventually turn back in on itself creating a new Big Bang. For years astronomers were teaching a lie to their students. Think about that. They were teaching the EXACT opposite of what was true.

so just because someone comes in and says "Science proves there is no God," don't simply believe them.

 

[posthuman]

people who think believing in God is antithetical to science are deceived.

"science" does not have an origin theory. evolution is not a theory of origins.
in fact, there is a basic tenet of physics, which underlies all other sciences:
ex nihilo nihil fit - out of nothing, nothing can come

whereby "science" has only two plausible explanations for the origin of the universe:
there is no origin
science is broken

the funny thing is though, that what astronomy (which underlies physics) has taught us is that the universe appears to have had an origin.
or we don't know what we're looking at.

the only difference is that we believe God can make something from nothing.
to me, all that makes science easy to understand, the very fact that the universe is orderly and able to be described by math - the very fact that math exists at all, and science, is extraordinary, and evidence that agrees with my axiom that God is a real, living & true God. why else would it be that the fingerprints we see all over the universe are the same set of hands?

 

[p_rehbein]

Would you mind defining what a true or pure atheist is in your understanding? How would I know, for instance, I am a true or pure atheist? Also is a true atheist the same thing as a pure atheist?


In what way do they fall short? For example, have I fallen short "of what the TRUE END RESULT of such a belief is"?


That would be chaos. I think some stray chaos from all the atheists around here slipped out and stirred up your letters.

Can you define atheist ideology for me? Also would an atheist ideology be restricted solely to atheists or would it also be shared by others in society? For example acceptance of evolution is found among millions of liberally minded Christians, so evolution is not exclusive to the mind set of atheists. I know, for example, that evolution is accepted by large numbers of Jews, perhaps by the majority of Jews. I think also Hindus, Buddhists and people of other belief systems also accept evolution. Perhaps evolution is part of a secular and not an atheist agenda? What do you think? The belief that Jesus is the son of God is exclusive to Christians, so I would think in pointing to an atheist ideology you must look for beliefs that are exclusive to atheists. What beliefs would you say are exclusive to atheists? For my part I can only think of one.

1) "true" or "pure" is interchangeable....you should understand that.......ergo....one is the same as the other..

2) Atheist belief is that there is NO higher power, NO higher Authority in it's "true" or "purest" sense.

3) As for your "falling short," please read your comment concerning the "proper spelling of chaos......." Clearly you believe that there is a "higher power/authority" when it comes to "proper spelling/grammar" or you would not have even bothered to mention my typo. Thus you "fell short" of the ideology of "true" or "pure" atheist ideology.

4) IF there is NO higher power/authority, then there is no one we must answer to for our actions. When there is no standard to follow in our daily lives, chaos reigns. All of our social structure, our judicial system, find their root in God's Word. Good and evil, right and wrong, acceptable behavior, unacceptable behavior........all of these come from the Word of God. As a "true" or "pure" atheists does not accept the existence of such, then they cannot accept that good or evil, right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable exist either.

Whatever one places one's belief/trust/faith in becomes that persons God. Because the "true" or "pure" atheist does not accept this, then they can only accept chaos.

I have yet to meet a person who proclaims to be an atheist who does NOT believe in ANYTHING..........therefore they are not an atheist in the "true" or "pure" form of the ideology. You are surely an anti-Christ, because you are against Christ, but you are not a "true" or "pure" atheist.

5) The end result is that those who profess to be atheist are no more than servants of the deceiver...........and because of that Truth, they are not atheists at all...........for they have their god, and they serve him well in deceit and deception.

 

[homwardbound]

The universe is like a large fishbowl.
Everything and everyone is known and watched by God.
After people die, they will be resurrected and face judgment and consequences (John 5:28-29).
All will be found guilty.
Pardons are available now in a limited time offer because the guiltless, God-huMan Jesus Christ has made them available through His sinless triumph and blood.
A Sovereign God must grant pardon and the miracle of the new birth (John 3).
Seek God. Seek pardon. Believe in Jesus. Follow Jesus. Pray and Rejoice.

All flesh burns up and all Spirit of God will not, it all starts with believe to God in God and of done through Son's finished work for us all at the cross from the Christ's death to be (our death) to the resurrected Christ to our resurrection in Spirit
Where God today is the only place God can be worshiped
[h=3]John 4:23-24[/h]Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)

[SUP]23 [/SUP]But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. [SUP]24 [/SUP]God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

 

[homwardbound]

When we start weeping for those who believe in atheism instead of condemning them, then we might start seeing people saved.

Christians are to judge within the church, but not in the world. That is up to God.

my heart breaks at the lack of genuine love and concern for our fellow man who is perishing.

I know this may sound trite, but if there be any atheist here that ever wants to simply talk or share their concerns about life, I would love to talk and share life with them.

If you are going to truly meet Jesus, then one of the first steps is to see Jesus living through me.
I can not express in words how much God desires all men to come to Him.

How about we let people see for themselves their own conviction and then seek God out. We are not to condemn others, let others condemn themselves in their own conscience, just what I see here: no turning around until I personally see it myself and God is the only one that shows anyone, and is the purpose he sent the Holy Spirit of himself and why the disciples had to wait in order for salvation to come to those that believe, received the Holy Spirit of truth and are taught truth ever since to be set free in God

 

[Fishbait]

A Code of Ethics for American Atheists?

This is from a blog by Dr. Terry Mortenson that I thought you may find interesting.

Dr. Mortenson observes the following about the group American Atheists:

Over the years the American Atheists have been having some serious problems with social behavior at their national convention. So they have developed a code of conduct for the 2014 conference. It is interesting to observe the things they tolerate (e.g., many kinds of sexual immorality) and the things they will not tolerate (e.g., lack of social etiquette). It should also be noted that Christian conventions do not need to post such a code of conduct because the attendees have been redeemed by the grace of God and gladly submit to His code of conduct in the Bible.

But in an atheist worldview, these atheists have no basis for this code. In their view there is no God and therefore no moral absolutes. William Provine, a prominent American atheist evolutionist and professor at Cornell University, put it this way:

"Let me summarize my views on what modern evolutionary biology tells us loud and clear. . . There are no gods, no purposes, no goal-directed forces of any kind. There is no life after death. When I die, I am absolutely certain that I am going to be dead. That’s the end for me. There is no ultimate foundation for ethics, no ultimate meaning to life, and no free will for humans, either."

Richard Dawkins, England’s most influential atheist evolutionist, similarly said the following:

"The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is at bottom no design, no purpose, no evil and no good. Nothing but blind, pitiless indifference. DNA neither knows nor cares. DNA just is, and we dance to its music."

So we are all just animals and it is the law of the jungle, the survival of the fittest. Animals don’t show the social decencies required in the atheists’ code. So why should people? This code is completely arbitrary. Certainly the American Atheists are free to make this code for their conventions. But their worldview isn’t the source of these rules.

In a related news item, the University of Virginia hosted a conference on February 10, 2014 involving top leaders of six secular colleges and universities to discuss the topic of sexual misconduct among college students. This is a vexing problem. Research shows that 20% of college women at secular schools have been sexually assaulted, but only 12% of the victims report the incident. But given the depravity of man and that these schools are dominated by evolutionary thinking that destroys any basis for moral absolutes, this behavior is not surprising. These educational leaders may not like this behavior, but if the students and the leaders are all just animals struggling for survival in a sea of moral relativism, who really can say that sexual assault is wrong? It’s just some people’s opinion against the opinions of others.

I fully agree that the social harassment that the American Atheists condemn and sexual assaults on college campuses or anywhere else are wrong.

So where do the moral standards come from? They come from the moral law of God, reflected in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17), which are written on the heart of every person, including atheists (Romans 2:14–16), because we are all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26–27). But the atheist code of conduct and the new policies of these secular universities reflect only some of God’s moral laws. The LGBTQ sexual behaviors that they tolerate, and even celebrate, are very clearly condemned (along with rape, adultery, fornication, and other sins) by God in His Word (Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13;Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11; 1 Timothy 1:8–10). The atheists accept those sinful LGBTQ behaviors because they are denying the God that they know exists and suppressing the truth (revealed in creation and in their conscience, and in His Word) because of sin (Romans 1:18–20).

Sadly, they don’t understand that the law of God actually brings great liberty and wonderful blessing (John 8:31–32, Psalm 1:1–6, and Psalm 19:7–14). They also don’t understand that the precious blood of Christ can wash away all their sins (1 John 1:7) and restore them to a right relationship with God (Romans 5:1) and that the love and grace of God can transform our lives to truly be the wonderful kind of men and women He created us to be and which will satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts (John 10:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Pray for any atheists you know, that God would have mercy on them and show them the destructive bondage of their sin and the glorious freedom that comes from repenting and trusting in the loving Lord Jesus Christ, who died for their sins and rose from the dead to give them eternal and abundant life now and forever. (Dr. Terry Mortenson)

 

[Cycel]

Junk science may dislike God, but real science points more everyday to intelligent design and it's creator.

The only junk science I know of is creation science. Science points neither to or away from the existence God. Science does not pass any judgement on God's existence at all.

 

[deepthought]

Of course there is, don't you know they are the people who hate Him most?

I'm sorry but this is an ignorant and unfounded statement. Just because we don't share your faith does not mean we hate anyone or any thing! Do some of us object to people preaching and attempting to force their beliefs onto others? Yes. But this is still not hate. At a push it may be distaste or annoyance. Every Atheist I know has at some point in their life analysed a reason for believing in some deity or other due to cultural reasons and for whatever reason decided they do not. Despite various efforts throughout history (the crusades etc.) you can not force something as personal as belief onto a person. Your response shows a lack humanity which surely should be the most Christian of characteristics?

 

[Percepi]

Psalm 14

"This quote" as you put it, doesn't suggest, it emphatically makes that statement. Do you tell them they are dead wrong? I too know people that claim to deny Gods' existence. I tell them they are in trouble and they better stop lying to themselves.
You certainly stood up in defence of them in a hurry. I hope and trust you defend God to them just as swiftly.

Yes, I did stand up to defend atheists quite quickly. That's because I'm interested in destroying false stereotypes of every kind.

Dare I say it? The Bible is wrong to state all people believe in God - many genuinely don't. In fact, many Christians do everything in their power to spread the word of God because they understand many people are ignorant of his existence or are not convinced.

"Let me summarize my views on what modern evolutionary biology tells us loud and clear. . . There are no gods, no purposes, no goal-directed forces of any kind. There is no life after death. When I die, I am absolutely certain that I am going to be dead. That’s the end for me. There is no ultimate foundation for ethics, no ultimate meaning to life, and no free will for humans, either."

Notice the word clear and how it ends with ". . .". Can you provide us with the full quote please?

So we are all just animals and it is the law of the jungle, the survival of the fittest. Animals don’t show the social decencies required in the atheists’ code. So why should people? This code is completely arbitrary. Certainly the American Atheists are free to make this code for their conventions. But their worldview isn’t the source of these rules.

If you have ever actually spoken to an atheist, you would know this is untrue! Yes, atheists believe we are animals, but they don't believe that's an excuse to abandon all morals. They don't view human life as meaningless or unimportant. So many atheists are good, loving, people. I am friends with many atheists, and they don't use their lack of belief in God as an excuse to do harm to anyone!

In a related news item, the University of Virginia hosted a conference on February 10, 2014 involving top leaders of six secular colleges and universities to discuss the topic of sexual misconduct among college students. This is a vexing problem. Research shows that 20% of college women at secular schools have been sexually assaulted, but only 12% of the victims report the incident. But given the depravity of man and that these schools are dominated by evolutionary thinking that destroys any basis for moral absolutes, this behavior is not surprising. These educational leaders may not like this behavior, but if the students and the leaders are all just animals struggling for survival in a sea of moral relativism, who really can say that sexual assault is wrong? It’s just some people’s opinion against the opinions of others.

First of all, what you stated only observes secular schools. It doesn't compare the results to those of Christian Schools.

Second, the theory of evolution is an observation of reality. It does not dictate morality. That's like saying, "Some species of animals eat their own species, therefore we believe cannibalism is natural and moral." There are bad people scattered throughout society. We have Catholic priests who have molested children, as well as atheists who have raped women. But we also have atheists AND Christians who stand together to fight these horrible acts!

Third, secular schools teach students of varying different faiths, including Catholics. Secular schools aren't filled with only atheists.

Please, don't paint all atheists as immoral people. They're not.

 

[deepthought]

So in a simple answer to the OP. Yes there is. I am one. I am one of many, and every year there are more, which may be directly proportional to the number of bigoted statements like the ones unfortunately witnessed within this very post. If you want to know about us. Talk to us! We humans also. Talk to us and not at us and may be surprised at what you find.

 

[Heartsearcher]

you know athiests are not evil. there are athiests out there who are kind hearted and have good moral values and possibly better ppl than other christians. why do some christians look down upon ppl like athiests as if we are any better than they are. remember these words colossians 4:5-6 be wise in the way you act with people who are not believers, making the most of every opportunity. when you talk you should always be kind and pleasant so you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should

 

[phil112]

So in a simple answer to the OP. Yes there is. I am one. I am one of many, and every year there are more, which may be directly proportional to the number of bigoted statements like the ones unfortunately witnessed within this very post. If you want to know about us. Talk to us! We humans also. Talk to us and not at us and may be surprised at what you find.

Okay, then tell me so I will know. Why are you on this site? Are you bored? Certainly if you're being truthful you're not here because there is some question in your mind about the existence of God. To be an atheist means you have already rejected the existence of God. You weren't born that way. You had to come to the conclusion on your own.
Per your request, I am talking to you. Why would you come to a christian bible room? Is life, to you, just a great big jumbled up accident? Reasonable questions.

 

[IntoTheVoid]

Having been an atheist, I would say they do think there is no God. However, there are no atheists or agnostics in hell as everyone their believes but it is too late.

Ah here comes the threat again.

Believe or burn seems to be the mantra.

 

[JesusLives]

Of course there is, don't you know they are the people who hate Him most?

I don't believe they hate Him most I believe they don't acknowledge that He exists. How can you hate something you don't believe in?