It sounds like you’re feeling some pressure to come a decision quickly here, but I want to encourage you to take your time. You don’t have to declare your views just for the benefit of others. There’s nothing wrong with being on the fence.

God belief only really starts affecting your life when you start taking dogma seriously. If you really wanna settle the issue, you could read some books about it (click around here if you want an atheist perspective ;). Be careful about crediting everything you read, of course, as many authors are really just trying to sell you something.

But there’s no race to the finish line.

Posted: March 31st 2011

See all questions answered by George Locke

Try changing the importance you give to the question.

What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? Is it the same today as it was last year? Or last week? Does it really matter?

What is your favorite sports team? Would it make any difference if you changed allegiance and started cheering for a different one?

A person’s religious belief, or lack thereof, should be considered as important as their favorite flavor of ice cream or favorite sports team. It’s not, by most people, but it should be. If you can approach it from that perspective then the answer to the question really doesn’t matter, and you can concern yourself with more important things.

Like what you’ll have for lunch tomorrow.

Posted: March 31st 2011

See all questions answered by Dave Hitt

You really don’t have to define yourself on this issue, you know. It’s perfectly ok to say, 'I don’t know’ and it’s perfectly ok to say, 'I haven’t made my mind up yet.’ I’m guessing there are all sorts of other things you wouldn’t be able to declare yourself for or against either: multiverse theory, for instance, or different interpretations of quantum mechanics. So my answer would be: don’t worry about it. It doesn’t sound as if you’re being pressurised by either side to take sides on the question. So you can just take your time, think about it for yourself and decide when you’re ready.

In the meantime, you might like to direct your thoughts towards something different but not unconnected, and that is the question of how we might be able to know whether the god story was true or not. Read some books on critical thinking, which will help you to look dispassionately at the arguments used on both sides of a disagreement, and help you identify whether a claim is likely to be true or not. It’s an invaluable skill, and will help you sort out good arguments from bad ones in all sorts of areas of life, not just the God question. Try 'How do you know it’s true?’ by David Klein and Marymae Klein for starters.

Posted: March 31st 2011

See all questions answered by Paula Kirby

I know of at least two people who believe in god and never go to church. Church attendance is much easier to leave behind than god belief!

As for most atheists they are not 100% certain there is no god. They have no god belief based on the lack of evidence. If evidence is presented then they would accept the existence of god(s), but not worship it (them). At present, the probability that there is no god is much higher than if there is.

Knowledge is based on probabilities. You don’t need to be certain if there is a god or if there isn’t. All you need is the understanding that there is no sufficient evidence to support god belief. And when there is, then you can accept a god’s existence.

Most atheists are agnostic, they do not know if there is a god or not, but because of the lack of evidence they do not entertain god belief just like they do not accept the existence of any other non-evidential entity like the Pink Unicorn or an orbiting celestial teapot.

One can not bother with god(s) simply because there is no evidence. If you haven’t read the Christian holy book, do so. It is not such a nice feeling, thinking that this god could exist. Not a nice entity at all. As Christopher Hitchens noted it has essentially made us sick and commands us to be well.

Posted: March 30th 2011

See all questions answered by logicel