This is not supposed to be offensive in any way shape or form.
My question to the unbelievers here is this;

What motivates you to post your opinions? Why do you care or wish others to know your side?

For me I am motivated by the idea that there is something greater than ourselves that people should at least consider.

I feel that if I was an unbeliever then I could not be bothered to air my views or indeed that anyone needs to or should here them...nothing is really at stake Id think...let them believe whatever stupidity they want I would say.

So I am interested in the motivation behind being an active nonbeliever??

Any thoughts??

I think you are one of the most ardent flamers on this forum. I think you lie boldly and proof is in statements like this: ...let them believe whatever stupidity they want I would say.

I think it's amazing you have yet to be banned. You basically post this trash and in so doing are telling Saruman and the Mod's of this forum the posting rules can go to hell.
But I think banning would not deter you at all, because you'd assume another screen name and keep on showing us how insecure you are. How lonely for attention and how you thrive on getting it, by flaming what you are incapable of understanding. I think in all your days, you shall never understand. Because you are so full of contempt, you can not see the ocean, for the sand. I think you are an example of what not to allow ones self to become, when they believe in a higher power,that would then cause them to be as angry and contemptible of others not of like mind, as you example yourself to be. I think you are very sad and alone, for good reason.

I can think of a few other members who do just that ;D

Care to name a few?

that is one of the most ridiculous, ignorant and small minded statements I have ever heard. Surely you must be joking?

I do not believe in what you believe. For me i am motivated by the pleasure in reading and intereacting with all the lovely people on this forum, everyone has a specific character I LOVE IT!!! . I find the topics interesting and enjoy thinking about them and peoples posts. i enjoy re-evaluating what i say when i see somebodies response to my posts and i revel in the fact that we all have this affect on each other. I find writing and discussing my views is a way to help clarify them and make new discoveries also. I like learning.

Disbelief should not be confused with disinterest.

But you are not an unbeliever so how do you know what you would do? Where did you get this idea that that is what you would do from?

The thing is, that most unbelievers here dont respond like that. Thinking that other peoples views are stupid is not a characteristic of believer/unbeliever it is a characteristic of the ignorant.

I would but I don't feel like getting flamed you aren't one of them though, you are on my list of favorites.

I have lots of thoughts, but it appears that they are not worth sharing as there's nothing at stake.

Do you really think those who don't believe in religion or divinity do so out of a sense of superiority? If so why do you feel that way?

tags, im surprised at u. AN ACTUAL POST that isnt against us, as in rude.

for ur un-rude words i shall answer ur question. . .


i, as an athiest, am motivated by the same reason that christians are to spread their plague. "like my touch? " i dont understand why u believe in a god, just like they want me to believe in him. i want them to at least question their religion, just to realise the truth.

some believers will deny the truth in order to continue their faith but its there, and i want them to see it. the ones who were raised to believe in him, i want to set free. . . because they were raised to believe in it they never question it, because thats what their parents believe, so they think its right, when its just a human concept of existance, like truethat said. the "mystics" made it up, they needed something to grasp existance and found something that people would believe, and its spawned years and years of lies. . . im sorry to say but thats why i am motivated to spread my ideas, to stop the lies.

I just enjoy playing the devil's advocate....

Why not? I've made some friends.


I don't care. People don't have to accept or even like "my side," but it is still of benefit to know how other people see the world.


But what you forget is that those who don't believe have considered and that has what led them to their personal beliefs.

rev, that was one of the most straightforward answers ive ever heard. "wipes tear from eye"

Non believer have a RIGHT to post their opinions.....Why else would SaRu make this board??

So that people from both sides can discuss different things....................

taken from the top of this board

This board is primarily aimed at discussing the very nature of spirituality and related topics, so skeptic vs believer style debates are to be expected. <written by SaRu

Did it ever occur to you, that BELIEVERS LIKE you...are also CURIOUS as to WHY non beliver feel the way they do??

Non believers are just as curious as to wy people BELIEVE,,its stating the bleedin obvious!!!

now Tags you have made a lot of threads asking the non believes WHY?? why wont they just believe..OMG WHY??

You are like a broken record!!

all these threads by tags brings one thing to light (to me).

there have been several threads that have touched on the topic of how fear plays a role in belief.

often if not always in these discucusions a christian will post explaining how they do not fear their god.

BUT,

as tags seems to be demonstrating so well,

it is not a fear of god where fear comes into play,

it is the fear of "what if there was no god".

that is not to say believers question if their gods exist. we already know they "know" their gods exist.

but there is a fear of what would happen if their god(s) were not exactly like their gods are to believed to be.

they have so much invested in their beliefs, they can not afford to be wrong,

so they are working hard, if only to convince themselves, to alleviate those fears.

Tags...

Why do you?

Why do you feel the need to give your opinion? Why do you come here? It's got to be more then the pultry little excuse you gave.

I have to kind of laugh because when someone posts a question like this it already assumes that if you don't believe in the biblical god or god of the koran or torah that thats it, you've run out of things to believe in and therefore must be atheist. Aside from that even if you believe in god you might not believe in a bible, or any religious text or that you can know god. There are SO many variations on a theme from one side to other. The whole point about a forum like this is people can come together from any point on that spectrum and share ideas. I think that is great. Limiting people to "unbeliever vs. believer" oversimplifies it.

Take a whole nother topic for example. like say bigfoot. I don't know that I don't believe they exist, they just might. Now some say there is ample evidence and others say none. There are days when I think yeah they could and others where I think well they would have found one by now. Yet even though I don't have a clear decisive view on bigfoot I reserve the right to participate and discuss about the topic because I find it interesting. You could take the word bigfoot out and replace it with the world god and the same applies.

Please define “unbeliever”

As was touched upon earlier by another poster, tags is one of that minority of people who seem to feel that anyone who does not share their personal beliefs/idealogies/favorite sport team, that the 'unbeliever' somehow poses a threat to those beliefs.

In a sense, people like tags have a deep seated fear that opposing ideas somehow make his own less secure. "If other people do not believe in XYZ, then perhaps, it is because XYZ is wrong...."

People of this sort are insecure in their own value and beliefs, no matter what that belief might be, from religion to dietary regimens: All must abide by the same guidelines. They find solace and comfort in like minded individuals who share the same views and thoughts. Anything else is a "challenge" to their world view, and cannot be allowed to go unpunished, or unridiculed.

As to the OP's question, of "why atheists bother....." I have been asking myself that very same question recently, and have come to a rather disheartening conclusion on the matter. But that is another tale.

Whats the motivation of 'unbelievers' you ask? The same motivations as yours....the same motivations everybody has that lead them to participate in a discussion/debate forum.

I am here for the sake of the debate and to learn from others...and hopefully someone learns a bit from me.

Everybody believes in something...it just may not be what you believe in.

So why do you feel the need to voice your opinions? Odds are their not too much different them anybody elses.

I do consider the chance that their is a force greater then myself...but I also consider the chance that their isn't.

I came for the cookies

Seriously though I come to learn a bit and I give my opinion because I consider it as valid as anyone elses on this board. I don't particularly care if people agree with me or not, indeed I prefer someone dissenting such as Iams because when he disagrees he can find flaws in my reasoning that I might not ahve considered, and as such I can learn more again.

And the people that I disagree with have often got valid points as well. I can learn from their points of view.

Unbeliever in God.

The word 'fear' has been lobbed about here on a few posts. I have no fear, sorry to dissappoint...as the original post states I simply wanted to know what motivates the unbeliever.

The reason?

One can understand that if a person believes that if he does not share his faith with another then he is not living up to his Gods expectations of him...one can in a sense excuse his boldness or eagerness to do so.

But;

For someone with no deeper message to portray except "you die and rot" I simply do not understand why they so ardently and vehemently seek to deny a God?
I mean it has been said of me here a few times but dare I say it maybe they are the ones who fear??

Once again let me express;

I have no desire to upset or offend.

Nothing really motivates me to be a unbeliever I just chose not to believe in God because I don't think there is one and also I have had no experience to make me believe that a God exists.





I don't see the message really as you die and rot but live your life to the fullest because their might not be anything after you die. Also I don't seek out to deny God because I don't know if a God exists or not I just chose to not to believe a god exists but I could be wrong and one day I will have a experience to change my mind completely.

Thank you for answering my question without jumping down my throat like some here seem to enjoy!

Can we have some more sensible and controlled responses?

But which one?

I assume the god of Abraham, or more accurately Tags' interpretation of said god.

Oh, so I'm an unbeliever.



If you ceased believing, would you feel that your opinion had become less important? Would your desire to express yourself be removed? Wouldn't you want to communicate with people and learn about them?

You mention nothing being at stake for the unbeliever... what is at stake for the believer?



On a forum called "Abrahamic God Forum for Believers Only" you would be there to share your faith with others who are believers in your god. On a forum called "Conversion to the Abrahamic God Forum" you could use your time to share your faith and convert non-believers. But this is a discussion forum... so what motivates you to post here, on a forum where members of different beliefs congregate to discuss religion and not be converted?



What makes you think that people who don't believe in the Abrahamic god believe we die and rot?

A few points about the above in bold;
1) The question is not so much what is at stake for the believer...more what the believer feels is at stake for the unbeliever.
2)Can conversion come through conversations without explicit calls to convert? I think so. I have no interest in explicitly calling for all posters to convert to Christ...but I will discuss it. My point is why do you wish to discuss it if you think its all rubbish? ie what motivates you? The answer may be, interest in others beliefs etc...I did not say there was no answer!!!Merely wanted to find out what motivates you to post??
3)I never defined the unbeliever as someone who does not believe in the "Abrahamic God"...someone else put words in my mouth if youd care to read the above. I defined an unbeliever as someone who does not believe in God and I stick to that...but will refine it to God however defined. So people may well not believe in God and still hold some hope for more than death and decay but I dont know any...tell me?

Hmm which god(s)(dess), is this stickly pointed towards the God of Abraham or is the consideration of the plethora of other deities. Not trying to be difficult (much) but is the belief in a deity required?

My father has always said, if you want to see faith in action and god in the flesh, watch how someone of faith treats others, from what they interpret as a godly point of view.

So you won't overtly try to convert, but one purpose in discussing is to convert?



You say you did not define the unbeliever as someone who does not believe in the Abrahamic god... but you said this:



With this reference to what god expects of the believer you are implying that those belonging to the "believer" category are compelled by god to spread the word. That excludes me from the "believer" group because I don't believe that the Creator expects me to share my beliefs with anybody.

If we are widening the net, then believers would include all who believe in any god or gods or goddesses... and they may not feel required to spread the word.

You also say:



Again, if "believers" are those who feel that non-believers are in peril you must count me out of the group, despite the fact that I believe in a Creator. So this god we are talking about is not just any old god.



It depends on which god we're discussing. Your comments about conversion, the need to share your beliefs because it is a necessary part of your faith, and your comments regarding what is at stake for non-believers leads me to think that the god you are talking about is not mine.

So, I don't believe in the god you have defined here, but I do not believe we die and rot.

If we are going to truly include all who believe in any god or goddess in this group refered to as "believers" then your case for understanding their need to express their beliefs doesn't hold water, because they do not all feel the same compulsion towards conversion, sharing, and saving non-believers from themselves.

Great questions Silver lol


Tags obviously comes here for the same reason as the non belivers and as he once made a thread on non christians .........(more or less the same kind of WHY??? thread where he asks - What makes you non christians think God answers to you?? LMAO it was so ignorant and funny at the same time ).......

to learn about others...but in his case o badger the heck out of anyone who is not christian....

bm. u are entitled to your opinon but it is simply wrong!

i would add its about being right so they surround themselves with those that think the same so they can 'feel' right....its really not rocket science....

when it comes to security/insecurity, it can be seen so often that it is not enough to believe or know one is "right", but that one must also show that which is different is "wrong".

merci beaucoup doc...

To me its not wrong!!!!!!!!!!

What I find really interesting is how defensive people get when you ask a perfectly normal question.


Every time tags or thaphantum ask a flat out question, they are accused of flaming.

Its quite amusing that the people continue to respond and try to get the threads closed down over and over again. Why respond? If you think the person is a flamer or whatnot or should be banned then just ignore the person's threads.

Why the need to take up arms and defend?





What I see you asking here is what motivates the non believer to post their reply. I believe you explain that as a Christian you ARE motivated by the desire to awaken people to the possibility of God and hence a sort of attempt at conversion.

You suggest that since a non believer doesn't believe in God then why not just leave the believer to their "stupidity" (which I took as your impression of the non believer's view of God theory) and go about your business.

Why the need to try to knock down their belief.

If I was responding to a God theory in this manner, it would be because I felt that the believer accepted it as a given that God existed and thus expected the world to operate in response to this.

For example if the believer feels that Homosexuality is a sin and expects the laws to reflect this because "its true" then I'd feel the need to argue that its not true to me and that you are pushing your personal belief into the main consensus when its not about that.

Tyranny of the masses is something that addresses the majority of the people believing that their "IMMORAL" argument is correct because so many other people agree with them.

When you present your view as a non believer you are combating this tyranny.

The more vocal you are about your perspective the more you defeat the idea that the "majority" of the people agree with the immoral view.

Take for example Muslim women who are forced to cover their heads. The majority of the women I have spoken to LIKE to cover their heads. They think it is the right thing to do. But if the laws of the land reflect this as a moral correctness and some women don't agree they tend to be forced to go along with something that is regarded as the "right thing" when from their perspective it is the wrong thing.

So I guess in a message board I would present my views as a sort of practice in honing exactly what my perspective might be.

For example early on I used to state that faith is a coping mechanism of the weak. Or others might argue that religion is brainwashing. Now these two things strike me as a very ignorant perspective. Yet had we not discussed it I would just gone along thinking this.

So for me this is why I post. As far as letting people believe whatever they want, I completely agree with you. I don't understand why non believers attack people for their personal beliefs. You making sweeping statements however, based on those personal views, is worth someone saying something about.

So since you tend to generalize this is probably why you get responses like you do.