Former Christians: What Made You a Skeptic?

[rko2004]

So if millions of years of evolution couldn't produce the human body, than how can some divine being with no proof of it's existence do it in a day?

An all and powerful being? If His powers are endless then whats stopping him? So basically you don't believe that its possible to be that powerful right?

Us humans are creators. Animals are creators. Wouldn't we need someone to create us too?

 

[lesfamilia]

Originally Posted by DAYTONA 5000

And do you really, honestly believe that a cloud of particles were floating in a vacuum one day, exploded and created the universe then everything in existence came by chance?

I'm not an atheist though.

do you believe in God period?


I believe in a higher power, I don't know what that higher power is though. To think that we just came out of thin air is stupid IMO

And if someone does believe it, why does it bother you so much? What they eat don't make you !@#$?


It really doesn't matter to tell you the truth, I was raised being taught that stuff, but one day I really sat and thought about it like...for real? EVERY animal??
I'm just thinking logically.
That's the thing DAYTONA: You read my Tweets and see some of my blog entries. I literally become speechless when I talk about the changes andthings God has done in my life. The Bible, like any holy book, is entirely open to interpretation. It can be abused and convoluted by people in power tocontrol the mind's of those who either not to or are incapable of thinking. Ultimately, only you can use the free will He gave us, and hopefullyyou'll be one of his Chosen Few when the day of reckoning finally comes.

 

[lobotomybeats]

Originally Posted by RKO2004

So if millions of years of evolution couldn't produce the human body, than how can some divine being with no proof of it's existence do it in a day?

An all and powerful being? If His powers are endless then whats stopping him? So basically you don't believe that its possible to be that powerful right?

Us humans are creators. Animals are creators. Wouldn't we need someone to create us too?

Look, using the god card doesn't work when trying to explain the legitimacy of god. I don't know that that makes sense. You can't use"well he can do anything" to refute scientific evidence. It doesn't work like that. You can't use something that you don't understand asyour explanation as to why you can't explain something. It's the equivalent of the teacher asking you to use the word 'god' in a sentence andyou respond 'My teacher asked me to use 'god' in a sentence."

A random event occurring out of nothing, then over time all this we see here is because of evolution and not a supreme being that designed everything? Gravity, the Sun at just the right distance for us, our protective atmosphere, the human body, the way us and plants interact? God's design maybe?


Can religious people believe in something happening for actual random reasons? Why is random such a hard concept to grasp? What is wrong with saying thingshave happened by accident? It reminds me of a quote from Ricky Gervais. "Nature is more beautiful when you know it's an accident. Art is morebeautiful when you know that man is an accident."

 

[DownByLaw]

In my humble opinion, I wish people wouldn't discuss politics or religion on nt. I know this is the general section, however these topics never accomplishanything and only lead to mud slinging.

 

[lobotomybeats]

Originally Posted by FIRST B0RN

In my humble opinion, I wish people wouldn't discuss politics or religion on nt. I know this is the general section, however these topics never accomplish anything and only lead to mud slinging.

I disagree. This one has been fairly calm. I think everyone involved would agree that this thread has been a good one. Serious topics are a niceway to counteract countless 'would you smash....' threads.

 

[rko2004]

Originally Posted by lobotomybeats

Originally Posted by RKO2004

So if millions of years of evolution couldn't produce the human body, than how can some divine being with no proof of it's existence do it in a day?

An all and powerful being? If His powers are endless then whats stopping him? So basically you don't believe that its possible to be that powerful right?

Us humans are creators. Animals are creators. Wouldn't we need someone to create us too?

Look, using the god card doesn't work when trying to explain the legitimacy of god. I don't know that that makes sense. You can't use "well he can do anything" to refute scientific evidence. It doesn't work like that. You can't use something that you don't understand as your explanation as to why you can't explain something. It's the equivalent of the teacher asking you to use the word 'god' in a sentence and you respond 'My teacher asked me to use 'god' in a sentence."


That's your outlook bro. We don't understand females but we still act like it

. But as for saying what I can't use, whose to say I can't? Whose to sayI don't have a slight understanding of God? I know what I was told just like you. Scientific evidence doesn't mean much to me. Whats this scientificevidence? You mean the same evidence that was wrote by MAN, just like our bible? I am faith based. I believe He is there, just like you believe scienceexplains all. Whats funny is, for me I look at science as "wow, no way all of this just popped up out of thin air". So I don't really look downon science. I get mad when peeps try to use it to prove there is no God when IMO He created it all.

Can religious people believe in something happening for actual random reasons? Why is random such a hard concept to grasp? What is wrong with saying things have happened by accident? It reminds me of a quote from Ricky Gervais. "Nature is more beautiful when you know it's an accident. Art is more beautiful when you know that man is an accident."
OK but to say the UNIVERSE happened that is

to me. Just aslap in the face to God if you ask me.

Originally Posted by FIRST B0RN

In my humble opinion, I wish people wouldn't discuss politics or religion on nt. I know this is the general section, however these topics never accomplish anything and only lead to mud slinging.

I disagree. This one has been fairly calm. I think everyone involved would agree that this thread has been a good one. Serious topics are a nice way to counteract countless 'would you smash....' threads.
Cosign Lobo.

You want to know the only true difference between me and you. For YOU, seeing is believing. For ME, believing is seeing.

Wouldn't that be something if you found out what you believe in was created by the God you don't?

 

[Master Zik]

Originally Posted by RKO2004

So if millions of years of evolution couldn't produce the human body, than how can some divine being with no proof of it's existence do it in a day?

An all and powerful being? If His powers are endless then whats stopping him? So basically you don't believe that its possible to be that powerful right?

Us humans are creators. Animals are creators. Wouldn't we need someone to create us too?

I'd have to ask who created him. If you're willing to believe GOD is all powerful and all knowing there'd still be the question of howhe came to be. If you're gonna say he always was here or he created himself it's on the same level as it took billions of years for some organism toevolve in to a human. Their both equally absurd if you see one as such.

 

[j burner]

eye see soles wrote: Former Christians: What Made You a Skeptic?

---

Common sense. Scientific and historical facts.

 

[rko2004]

Originally Posted by Master Zik

Originally Posted by RKO2004

So if millions of years of evolution couldn't produce the human body, than how can some divine being with no proof of it's existence do it in a day?

An all and powerful being? If His powers are endless then whats stopping him? So basically you don't believe that its possible to be that powerful right?

Us humans are creators. Animals are creators. Wouldn't we need someone to create us too?

I'd have to ask who created him. If you're willing to believe GOD is all powerful and all knowing there'd still be the question of how he came to be. If you're gonna say he always was here or he created himself it's on the same level as it took billions of years for some organism to evolve in to a human. Their both equally absurd if you see one as such.


I have had MANY headaches thinking "how did He get here?". I would have to say He has always been. I see your point though.

 

[DownByLaw]

RKO2004 wrote:

Originally Posted by FIRST B0RN

In my humble opinion, I wish people wouldn't discuss politics or religion on nt. I know this is the general section, however these topics never accomplish anything and only lead to mud slinging.

I disagree. This one has been fairly calm. I think everyone involved would agree that this thread has been a good one. Serious topics are a nice way to counteract countless 'would you smash....' threads.
Cosign Lobo.

You want to know the only true difference between me and you. For YOU, seeing is believing. For ME, believing is seeing.

Wouldn't that be something if you found out what you believe in was created by the God you don't?


Who are you addressing hereRKO2004?

I hear what you are saying Lobo, but I still disagree with you. If you take a look at all of the religion & political topics, there is constant mudslinging going on. Everyone is already set in their ways and only argue their opinion. The exaggeration that goes on in replies is straight

 

[lobotomybeats]

Originally Posted by FIRST B0RN

I hear what you are saying Lobo, but I still disagree with you. If you take a look at all of the religion & political topics, there is constant mud slinging going on. Everyone is already set in their ways and only argue their opinion. The exaggeration that goes on in replies is straight

Maybe so. But to post that thought in this topic didn't make sense. That is what i am saying. If you wanted to belabor your point, this wouldn't bethe thread to do it.

 

[rko2004]

Originally Posted by FIRST B0RN

RKO2004 wrote:

Originally Posted by FIRST B0RN

In my humble opinion, I wish people wouldn't discuss politics or religion on nt. I know this is the general section, however these topics never accomplish anything and only lead to mud slinging.

I disagree. This one has been fairly calm. I think everyone involved would agree that this thread has been a good one. Serious topics are a nice way to counteract countless 'would you smash....' threads.

Cosign Lobo.

You want to know the only true difference between me and you. For YOU, seeing is believing. For ME, believing is seeing.

Wouldn't that be something if you found out what you believe in was created by the God you don't?


Who are you addressing hereRKO2004?

I hear what you are saying Lobo, but I still disagree with you. If you take a look at all of the religion & political topics, there is constant mud slinging going on. Everyone is already set in their ways and only argue their opinion. The exaggeration that goes on in replies is straight

I was addressing Lobo.

There has been a little mud slinging so I can agree with you on that. But personally I like hearing the other side. Even at the expense of the mug slinging.

 

[DownByLaw]

lobotomybeats wrote:

---

Originally Posted by FIRST B0RN

I hear what you are saying Lobo, but I still disagree with you. If you take a look at all of the religion & political topics, there is constant mud slinging going on. Everyone is already set in their ways and only argue their opinion. The exaggeration that goes on in replies is straight

Maybe so. But to post that thought in this topic didn't make sense. That is what i am saying. If you wanted to belabor your point, this wouldn't be the thread to do it.

And what thread would it be appropriate then?

 

[sonunox34]

Originally Posted by lobotomybeats

Originally Posted by FIRST B0RN

In my humble opinion, I wish people wouldn't discuss politics or religion on nt. I know this is the general section, however these topics never accomplish anything and only lead to mud slinging.

I disagree. This one has been fairly calm. I think everyone involved would agree that this thread has been a good one. Serious topics are a nice way to counteract countless 'would you smash....' threads.

This has been a very civil and intellectual thread... more threads on NT need to be like this one.

 

[bigteezy]

facts.

however, faith has nothing to do with facts.

John 20:29

 

[lesfamilia]

To all the skeptics who are being irrational for the sake of it: Please see the film KNOW1NG. This is one of the mostpowerful films I have ever seen. I put it up there with Contact, the Matrix,and the Passion of the Christ. You won't be disappointed.

 

[isiah heaven]

The bible is a allegory story.

 

[russ tha g]

I think it would be fair to say that any ruling in a court case involving a jury where anybody on it was a believer of any religion should be thrown outbecause they have displayed that they are able to believe in things with absolutely zero evidence.

The point made above, about how did God get created, is a hard one to debate. There's no good answer to it. How long did God twiddle his thumbs before hedecided to create humans? And why? If God as existed forever, then what was he doing all that time? Wouldn't that be included in his book?

In traditional debate, points are only considered acceptable when they are accompanied by evidence. Arguments that are pro-religion have none. By basic debatestandards, it would be found that religion must not exist.

 

[datznasty]

But then Christians come back with some nonsense like you woke up, proof God exists. Bam! Halleujah!

features the same type of stories as the Bible, only difference is people would never argue that they really happened.

 

[roc boy jada]

You're missing the point of the thread.

 

[lesfamilia]

Originally Posted by Russ tha G

I think it would be fair to say that any ruling in a court case involving a jury where anybody on it was a believer of any religion should be thrown out because they have displayed that they are able to believe in things with absolutely zero evidence.

The point made above, about how did God get created, is a hard one to debate. There's no good answer to it. How long did God twiddle his thumbs before he decided to create humans? And why? If God as existed forever, then what was he doing all that time? Wouldn't that be included in his book?

In traditional debate, points are only considered acceptable when they are accompanied by evidence. Arguments that are pro-religion have none. By basic debate standards, it would be found that religion must not exist.

Essentially, you're correct. But that's the biggest problem with our human minds. We often try to quantize and analyze everything downto the smallest atom when we should be debating based on principle and not logic. If we tried to logically explain everything, our world would literally beexperiencing exponentially more strife than it already is.

 

[roc boy jada]

For the former Christians, how did your family (your Christian family members, of course) react to you becoming a nonbeliever or a skeptic?

My family was disappointed at first (some taking it harder than others) but it didn't take long for them to accept the fact that I no longer shared thesame beliefs as them.

 

[eye see soles]

Each day I wake up and I wonder if God does exist and if Jesus did die for the sins of the world.

There is no evidence of this aside from the majestical creations of this world, i.e., the celestial bodies, vast oceans and abundant landscape.

But then there is us. Where did we come from? Genesis gives an account of God making Adam from the dust of the ground and Eve from his rib, but I just find ithard to believe. I find it hard to believe that God once caused it to rain for 40 days and flood the entire world, leaving all of those but Noah's Ark inits wake. I find it hard to believe that there was a man Abraham and Isaac his son who bore many sons. I find it hard to believe that God chose the Jewishpeople as his people. I find it hard to believe that David beat Goliath. I find it hard to believe there were Goliaths. I find it hard to believe that Jesuscame into the womb of a woman named Mary. I find it hard to believe that he healed the blind, sick, and brought Lazarus back to life. I find it hard to believethat he was able to preach the gospel to so many people in so little time. I find it hard to believe he fed the masses with only 5 loaves of bread. I find ithard to believe that others did not believe even with the evidence.

That's it. Others who were around when Jesus was around saw his works and still didn't believe. How can I believe? Someone who sees no evidence of hisworks. How can I have faith in something in which I just don't believe?

It's hard to apply logic to Christianity (or any religion for that matter), but I guess that's why it's such a controlling mechanism. If you putall of your faith and hope and dreams and life's work into this belief that can't be proven, you're a sheep. You're really being led by blindmen.

As each day progresses, my belief gets weaker and weaker and I become even more skeptic.

What am I to do? Who am I to turn to? Every man is in the same boat because all they have is "faith" on which to believe, which can only be sosturdy.

There is something that is even greater than faith that keeps me from being an atheist. I see how those who believe act and how they carry themselves and how"godlike" they are. I want this, but I know it comes at a price. I have to believe when I actually don't. I have to put on a show. Is that whatthey are doing? Is it a show for the masses? After all religion is one of the biggest behavioral controllers of our time.

What am I left to do? Believe and be miserable, or remain a skeptic and be miserable. I feel like I lose either way.

But there is something out there. What it is, I don't know. No one knows. They can only have faith--but in what?

 

[b humbie]

I think since humans have the ability to think logically and do great things, they cannot accept the fact that this life is the end all be all. They feel"entitled" to an after life, thus "creating" the answer to the question no human really has the answer to. Obviously this theory has beenaltered and altered again for various reasons(control, money, etc), but I think it all stems from fear of the unknown.

A question for the Christians... do birds have an afterlife? Ant's, bee's, fish? There is no alterior motive to the question, I am just curious to whatChristians think.

 

[jfmartimcdandruff]

Originally Posted by kiuyt856

Because of this, which I asked in another thread-

Originally Posted by kiuyt856

I'm assuming we all know a little bit about Ghandi and his philosophy. He practiced non-violence, and through that he was able to help gain Indian Independence and civil rights for his people. He was all about peace and was a genuinely good soul, right? Now do you, most specifically Christians, believe that at this very moment and for the rest of eternity, Ghandi is burning and suffering in hell, right beside people like Hitler, Stalin, and Idi Amin? Regardless of the way he lived his life, do you believe Ghandi deserves that fate because he practiced Hinduism, and never accepted Jesus Christ as his savior?

I just don't believe that a good person deserves to suffer for eternity because he didn't accept anothers religion. I also don't agree with homosexuality being a ticket to hell for the same reasoning.Those are the main reasons I stopped practicing. And I went punctually to church for about 3 years. I finally realized that I just don't agree with it.

True. I always wonder that too. Stuff is contradicting