What Happens When We Stop Believing in God

You seem to be describing agnostics more than atheists.

 

If somebody sees something, isn't that a direct experience?

 

And, I don't represent all atheists, obviously.

 

You mean if they see something that's not there? No, that's a hallucination.

 

Then what was the "direct experience" you were referring to?

 

It relates to ESP. I have met several people at different times who didn't know me but were able to tell me specific things about myself both in my old history and of what I was quietly thinking at the moment. I directly experienced those revelations about myself from another who couldn't know but who did. One was like I was getting a self-serve cola and a guy I never met before said "your sister sure like those roses she's growing on the side of her house". And that was exactly what I was thinking about at that moment. I never saw him again, but there were others. Oh, and my sister lived across the country, 3000 miles away.

There's no belief involved in that.

 

No, you said an atheist believes there is no god. That is very different than not believing there is a god.

 

No RACE ever did anything that could justify the punishment of a RACE. We are, however, responsible for our own individual actions. Normal folks of any race should live their lives in peace. Murderers should be punished, however. Thieves should be punished.
You seem to think that violent people are ok and should not be punished. I hope you do not have access to a firearm.

 

Care to point out where I said that people should not be punished for wrongdoing?

 

You probably want them booked for murder bu lunch and released by dinner. You sound Democrat. Forgive me if I am mistaken.

 

I voted for Biden. It is the first time I voted for a Democrat for President in 40 years. So you can thank the MAGA/Trumpian Republicans for doing something the Democrats were never able to do. Vote Democrat.

 

OK so you are a believer. Not surprised in the least.

 

No. I'm an EXPERIENCER. You don't seem to be able to comprehend printed words and their meanings.

 

We call them marks.

 

Do you think that Jesus was a mad man for saying: "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

 

Good words from God.

 

Did he say that? And how do you know? But more than that, in spiritual wisdom, what does the quote mean? It was long ago predicted that the farther we get from the days the gospels were written, the more we lose the truth of the meaning. Today's christianity is essentially blasphemy.

 

His Apostles recited and wrote his words along with their own. The one above is in John 8:12.

You said that talk of or belief in God is empty superstition. So I asked you then do you think that Jesus was a madman for saying that he is the light of the world. It would seem like a logical conclusion based on what you said. I'm just wondering...not trying to set you up.

 

I know that all religion historians say it was standard for those who wrote of their preferred "avatar" to embellish them with superhuman traits and deeds. I also know that there were many alternate writings about Jesus' days by many others including the writings of the Naghamadhi Library. So I don't know that "Jesus" said those things but I do know what those words mean in spiritual terms, and I know that 99.999% of christians think the real meaning is blasphemy and "of the devil" because they've drifted so far from those meanings and into the "comfortable" ideas of the human mind.

 

One must consider the way Jesus lived his life - helping sinners, helping foreigners, directing his followers to search out those in prison, in poor houses, etc., in order to provide them with their needs.

It might be a legitimate claim that his philosophy IS a light of the world.

Consider what a stupendous change that would mean to us today to have people follow that leadership.

 

So you think it is all make believe? Nevertheless, the sayings exist. If a man named Jesus spoke those words and many other words, do you think he was a madman, caught up in his own delusion?

 

My advice: take a good class or two in reading comprehension.

I didn't say nor imply that "it's all make believe".

And regarding whether I think it was delusion, I answered that when I said "I do know what those words mean in spiritual terms".

So IOW I know there would be a reason for saying it ...... a cause ...... and a spiritual meaning. That in itself says it's not delusion. But FYI neither is it a physical reality in the world that you or anyone could see and say "I see the light of Jesus right there! See it?"

Remember Luke 17 -
20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

 

Most agnostics are a type of atheist. In the past there was more distrust of atheists, and so agnostics tried to claim they are different. But logically, atheist and theist are all-inclusive and mutually exclusive terms. Either one believes in god/s or they don't.

 

Well there is a difference between agnostics and atheist's. One has absolute certainty (a belief) of the lack of the divine and the other does not.

 

Nope.

An agnostic does not have knowledge on the existence of a god
An atheist does not have belief in the existence of a god.

A Gnostic Atheist (if one exists) would be the one who claims to have knowledge about the existence of a god and does not believe a god exists. Logically, that would mean they know a god does not exist. I don't know of anyone who makes that claim.

I am an Agnostic Atheist. I do not claim to know if a god exists but I do not believe a god exists. I have no certainty, one way or the other, on the existence of a god. Now I can say that in my 30+ years of being an atheist I have not had anyone present an argument for the existence of a god that has even come close to convincing me. My disbelief in a god is so strong that I no longer consider it a viable option. But since I do not have knowledge on the existence of a god it means I'm willing to change my mind if the evidence is presented.