ADVERTISEMENT

Belief in God in U.S. dips to 81%, a new low

Do you believe in God?

  • Yes

    Votes: 77 43.3%
  • No

    Votes: 74 41.6%
  • Unsure/Maybe

    Votes: 27 15.2%

  • Total voters
    178
I'm an ex-atheist. I admit I can get aggressive because I feel like I was brainwashed by a cult of narcissists like Richard Dawkins.

Atheists push 2 myths that I believed:

1.) "Science proves there's no God." (Even though 40% of scientists in America believe in God, according to Neil DeGrasse Tyson) as did the greatest scientist of all time, Sir Isaac Newton.)

2.) "Jesus was a myth." (Even though almost all historical scholars believe Jesus was a real person.)

If I can get out of atheism, other people can, too.

You're still doing it. Truly insufferable. If god could speak to you, he'd tell you to get off the internet because you're harming his brand.
 
You're still doing it. Truly insufferable. If god could speak to you, he'd tell you to get off the internet because you're harming his brand.

I'm just playing the atheists game, for better or worse.

You don't have to stay in atheism, friend. It's truly an existentialist dead end.
 
Lol, who's more conceited? Two options, one is special and the other not special. You decide who is who.

1. A guy who goes around knowing he is going to die in 75 years. He accepts this finality and has the perception he is lucky to simply exist due to random chance. His entire species will be wiped out in a few million years. His home planet, a spec of dust in the scheme of the universe, just happens to spin in the habitable zone. Believes there are other rocks in the galaxy containing different alien and sentient creatures.

2. A guy who thinks on omniscient and powerful being crafted them in his image. Then that same being is going to monitor his life, taking note of good deeds and bad actions. Finally, this man will be rewarded with eternal happiness as he entered heaven because he believes he has been measured and made the mark. This trip to heaven clearly defines him as better then those who fell short and burn in hell.

"Religion teaches people to be extremely self-centered and conceited. It assures them that god cares for them individually, and it claims that the cosmos was created with them specifically in mind."- Christopher Hitchens

#1 is more narcissistic. He believes himself to be the entire center of the universe with no eternal repercussions for his actions. Since he's an atheist, he's less likely to give to charity or volunteer. He judges all moral standards by himself. He can do whatever he wants.

#2 believes God created everyone in His image and he has to live up to a certain standard, unlike #1.
 
You didn't even read the article before dismissing it. :)

I studied Nietzsche for years. I read "The Gay Science", "Ecce Homo", "Thus Spake Zarathustra" and some of the "Will to Power." I also read several biographies of him as well as all of his letters. (They're on Wikipedia.) This was back in 2008-2013 before I reverted to the Catholic Church.

I'm very aware his Nazi sister edited parts of "The Will to Power" so his philosophy is often misinterpreted.

I'm not saying I'm a Nietzsche scholar. Far from it.

That being said, it seems to be common knowledge that when he proclaimed "God is dead" that he was saying Christianity was dying out and had to be replaced.

His final project was "The Transvaluation of all values" but he went insane before it happened.

What do you think I'm missing here?

P.S. here's a good documentary of him I've watched 50 times. :)

If you did read him, I humbly apologize. And I did read the whole article. Took two minutes. Not a bad article, but certainly only a snapshot.

HIs "god is dead" is mostly about how institutional religion has commodified "god" and wedded religion to capitalism and conservative social norms, hence "we have killed him".

But Nietzsche's solution to this is his "ascetic priest", a monkish figure in the geneology of morals who strives for wisdom outside of the iron cage of capitalist or religious bureaucracy.

Those who question norms are the true prophets and agents of change and growth. They get clobbered for it though. The most dangerous job in mexico is journalism. Here, you have armed mobs threatening peaceful people in capitol buildings or nonviolently having gay rights parades etc. It's easier to ignore and silence those who reveal the ridiculous, racist, and even genocidal foundations and assumptions and hypocricies in our ideologies, like capitalism or institutional religion. One reason why I adore Nietzsche, and another reason why he is so easily misappropriated and misread. So simple to cherry-pick and cancel. The truth is always ambiguous, and all we ever have is a preponderance of the evidence, and that always only leads to more questions, more work, more sacrifice...
 
#1 is more narcissistic. He believes himself to be the entire center of the universe with no eternal repercussions for his actions. Since he's an atheist, he's less likely to give to charity or volunteer. He judges all moral standards by himself. He can do whatever he wants.

#2 believes God created everyone in His image and he has to live up to a certain standard, unlike #1.
Jesus Christ! What is more narcissistic than believing that God - the sole all-powerful being in the universe - took it upon herself to come to this planet, to a single "chosen people", and save them and only them basically, and then charge one of their sects, eventually calling themselves "christians" to convert the whole world, and if those don't want to be converted, they should be and were exterminated, and if not exterminated, than oppressed and forced to believe their myths?

Religions that REQUIRE philanthropy, like mormonism, lead the way in donating dollars. But so what if you're a mormon hedge fund manager like romney and donate millions, when you make that money like a capitalist predator? Forcing people to donate doesn't mean they are better people. Can you get any more judgmental? Your god requires that of you, I guess?
 
If you did read him, I humbly apologize. And I did read the whole article. Took two minutes. Not a bad article, but certainly only a snapshot.

HIs "god is dead" is mostly about how institutional religion has commodified "god" and wedded religion to capitalism and conservative social norms, hence "we have killed him".

But Nietzsche's solution to this is his "ascetic priest", a monkish figure in the geneology of morals who strives for wisdom outside of the iron cage of capitalist or religious bureaucracy.

Those who question norms are the true prophets and agents of change and growth. They get clobbered for it though. The most dangerous job in mexico is journalism. Here, you have armed mobs threatening peaceful people in capitol buildings or nonviolently having gay rights parades etc. It's easier to ignore and silence those who reveal the ridiculous, racist, and even genocidal foundations and assumptions and hypocricies in our ideologies, like capitalism or institutional religion. One reason why I adore Nietzsche, and another reason why he is so easily misappropriated and misread. So simple to cherry-pick and cancel. The truth is always ambiguous, and all we ever have is a preponderance of the evidence, and that always only leads to more questions, more work, more sacrifice...

What?

I never read Nietszche was critiquing capitalism. He tended to avoid social/political issues.
 
Jesus Christ! What is more narcissistic than believing that God - the sole all-powerful being in the universe - took it upon herself to come to this planet, to a single "chosen people", and save them and only them basically, and then charge one of their sects, eventually calling themselves "christians" to convert the whole world, and if those don't want to be converted, they should be and were exterminated, and if not exterminated, than oppressed and forced to believe their myths?

Religions that REQUIRE philanthropy, like mormonism, lead the way in donating dollars. But so what if you're a mormon hedge fund manager like romney and donate millions, when you make that money like a capitalist predator? Forcing people to donate doesn't mean they are better people. Can you get any more judgmental? Your god requires that of you, I guess?

That's a strawman argument all the way around.

I don't believe anyone should be "exterminated."
 
HIs "god is dead" is mostly about how institutional religion has commodified "god" and wedded religion to capitalism and conservative social norms, hence "we have killed him".

This is not what he meant. He was concerned with the psychological void in society and what would replace God. He predicts the 20th century. Nazism and Communism were able to fill the void and replace God.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HawkFan1298
I understand. I'm changing my approach.

A great saint had a quote I just read: "My job is to inform, not convince."

There ya go buddy. Our job as Christ believers are to be a mirror and reflect a life devoted to Jesus Christ. A mirror will not work without light. Christ provides the light, our job is just to reflect it. You can inform from a position of love and you can judge sin (but not the sinner) because it is not tolerated by God. The Holy Spirit’s job is to convict hearts & minds.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HawkFan1298
There ya go buddy. Our job as Christ believers are to be a mirror and reflect a life devoted to Jesus Christ. A mirror will not work without light. Christ provides the light, our job is just to reflect it. You can inform from a position of love and you can judge sin (but not the sinner) because it is not tolerated by God. The Holy Spirit’s job is to convict hearts & minds.

Amen.

If most Americans want to be atheists, you and I can't stop them.
 
81% believe in God. So your definition of “Atheist” or your understanding of “most” seems to be lacking.

Look at the poll here. Less than half believe in God.

80% of Americans also rarely attend Church.

I think that's a more accurate reflection on how widespread atheism is in America today.
 
ADVERTISEMENT