chopinisawesome

I am not a Christian myself, but I do know a few things about the Bible. The whole "If God is love, how can he condemn people to Hell" thing is basically answered by this, I think: Christians believe that God is a loving God, but he is also a just God. He is holy and can't be with sin, so he has to throw sinners down to Hell... unless they accept Jesus's sacrifice. In which case they become Christians and are forgiven and allowed into heaven.

At least, that's the idea. I wouldn't say to rule out the existence of God; it's unscientific. Saying that you will accept anything but a supernatural creator as a scientific idea is unscientific. Basically, that just means, "I'll accept every possibility... except that one." A scientist considers all possibilities, not just certain ones they like or that seem to make sense at first glance.

Frownland

I don't think that any atheist who bases their beliefs on logic entirely rules it out. It's just the fact that we've gone so long without any real evidence that it's easy to make a choice to not believe in god.

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Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.

RoxyRollah

Who needs evidence? Just look at all the evidence we had that O.J was guilty....See what we did with that dontcha?

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Chula Vista

So ya saying that God's got great lawyers on retainer and atheists have an inept prosecution?

General question:

Person A lives a spotless life of giving and caring and sacrifice for the better good of those around them. But they choose not to accept Jesus. They are damned to hell.

Person B lives a life of stealing, lying, cheating, raping, and killing. In the final years of their life they choose to accept Jesus. They get into heaven.

If this is true God is one egotistical MF'ker. Agree?

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“The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well,
on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away
and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

Frownland

The only reference to hell in the bible (before the modern view of it leaked into the rewrites and translations) is to live without god's light. So if you live your whole life without acknowledging god, then he returns the favour. That actually seems pretty reasonable to me.

__________________

Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.

Chula Vista

So what happens if I live my whole life without acknowledging your supposed musical talents?

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“The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well,
on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away
and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

Frownland

This is what happens

__________________

Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.

The Batlord

Enlightenment.

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Black Francis

That sounds more like an agnostic.

Atheist deny the existence of god or any divine being.

Im agnostic and the main reason i don't believe in christianity it's because i feel they use god as a credible source to justify their way of thinking, the best part is he is viewed as a spiritual source that works in mysterious ways so you can't really question him, you can only question his followers who love to speak on his behalf but can't fully explain his intentions.

I come from a christian family and i was always told that you believe in god because of faith, not knowledge. that right there was the initial reason i started to not believe in it, it felt like a way to preach a message you don't have to be accountable for.

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"Hey Kids you got to meet the MIGHTY PIXIES!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbRbCtIgW3A

Frownland

Maybe among the more militant atheists, but I think it applies to both camps.

__________________

Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.