Most of my friends are atheist. I don't know why. I guess it's because they are young, and somewhat simple minded. They say God doesn't exist, but yet they don't seem to back their beliefs up. Well they say that they just believe in facts, and I say facts are just something we made up because it made sense to us. I don't know. I just don't think we have the right to put such labels on things when we ourselves are scrambling to find an answer to everything even if it is outrageous. There is a force out there that makes decisions for the greater good, and I am not afraid to call it God. I have seen things that border on the paranormal. I knew their intentions were for the worse, and it didn't come as a surprise to me that when I

prayed it went away. I have seen miracles. I have seen the work of Satan. I have seen hell on earth. I have also seen pieces of hope all around us. So tell me what do you think of this all mighty character called God.

There is no evidence that he exists (well, other than what you've "seen" which is hardly testable or verifiable by anyone else but you) and I really don't see why it bothers you so much that some people simply don't think it's a good idea to believe in things if they have no evidence or reason to believe. It's not a "simple minded" mindset, I know atheists that are well into their 60's, pal. It's not just a teenage phase or something. secondly... "I say facts are just something we made up because it made sense to us." LOL no. Facts are things like "2+2=4" Those are things you can't dispute because you can prove it's true, very much unlike opinions which is why the two are distinctive. God, in my opinion, is just a mechanism invented to prey on man's fears. We fear death and don't want to be gone forever, that's where the afterlife comes from. But then we have God to "judge" us and send us to either a bad place or a good place, meaning people can use him to control other people, based on something that they can't know for certain seeing as the dead don't talk. These days God's also used as a tool to explain what they can't figure out. "Can't explain why the sun rises? God did it! Can't explain how the universe got here? It must have been god, no other possibilities exist!" etc...instead of attributing all the stuff you can't explain to god, try actually examining them under a rational and physical light, maybe even a new philosophical light, you might be even more surprised then. Don't be afraid to think out of the box.

Hm interesting point of view. I know being atheist isn't age limited. I just think its funny how most of the adolescents are not articular interested in God. So naturally they defy it. Maybe because Religion sets certain rules for us to live by, to either set order and structure or just simply to make us better people. I know what I have seen is barely evidence, but to me it is. Everyone has their own situations that either make them believe that there is a higher being i control of all, or things are exactly how they seem. Facts. In the beginning we knew nothing, but we had a lot to work with. A whole world for us to break down and put labels on. Where dd these label come from? They came from us, and we made them law. All the things we know now are things we put together because it made the most sense to us. Its human nature for us to have an answer for everything. We go for the answers that make the most sense to us, or "Logically correct". For the things we don't have set in stone we just put as "Undefined.....For Now" I know we tend to put things we can't explain under the category of it being God's way of putting things or whatever. I know when I can't explain something I just think of it as god's way of keeping information from taking it to far. Or if anything different I just try to find the most logical answer, because its a habit. a habit we all share. I Appreciate the last part of your reply. ".instead of attributing all the stuff you can't explain to god, try actually examining them under a rational and physical light, maybe even a new philosophical light, you might be even more surprised then. Don't be afraid to think out of the box." I try my best to think out of the box. I am surprised on what I find. I find things that have a way of being the answer and the question. Or something I don't really know what that means but it just feels right to say it. I don't know. Do what you want with that statement. People take religion in many ways. Most people use it has a crutch when life doesn't go the way they want it to. Some people keep in mind that God means the best for us, but we have to create our own miracles. We have the potential for great compassion, but along with the good comes the bad. Some people take Religion to far, and try to change people either for there own selfish needs or just to out some control on people. Me myself I am not totally swept away by god, but I really appreciate how that he sets out simple ways to become better people. I have seen people do such unselfish deeds,and ask for nothing in return. I have seen people regain hope by following the way of this supposed God. Yet I have also I have seen people lose hope, they give up because sometimes God asks to much of them. So they slowly dig there selves a hole. Alright now I am just rambling. In reality I am just a sixteen year old trying to act like I know what is right. I find your view of things admirable, because we as people need to follow something is for the greater good, but we also need to set a limit. Without a limit we will either become to powerful for or own good, and start digging our own holes. I know am not a perfect person. I think just because I have seen some pretty traumatic things I automatically know a lot. Or more then most. I don't know. I know I ma just rambling. please anyone who even cares to read this. Show me your opinion on this. I am just showing a bit of my mind on what think of God, because I am not afraid to. I need to have an open mind. Show me a bit of your minds.

Hooray! A good thread that's actually worth reading. Well...I think you're on the right track when acknowledging that there is a greater power out there. (God.) Meh, sorry if that reply wasn't super articulate. XD I was raised in a God fearing family---which means that I was taught about God through my parents, Sunday school, bible studies, etc. I never had any real issues believing that there is a God. (Praise God for that!) Now that I'm thinking back, I assumed that I would go to Heaven simply because my parents believed in God. Sure, acknowledging that there is a God is a good start, but why not finish the deal?! I needed a personal relationship with the creator of the universe. Long story short, I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ who is God in flesh, btw. I'm a non-denominate Christian i.e. I'm not part of any religious faction. (calvinism, lutheran, baptist, catholic, etc)I just follow after Jesus Christ. ...Ok, so enough about me. I guess all I'm saying is that I'm glad you know that there is a God. Now the most important step is having a personal relationship with Him. It's just a very good suggestion. :D

Well, I'm an atheist.. I actually took the time to think about it though. i don't know if there is a god, but I honestly hope there is. I just believe he's not real. And I'm ok with that. Actually, I don't care how we got where we are now, I'm just glad we're here. I mean, why are we all arguing how's right and who's wrong when we can just step back and enjoy life? I say we'll know when we die if there is a god. Do you think, if there's a god, he's going to damn me just because I wasnt for sure if he was real? I dont think so, if he's as merciful as they say. I say he'd be ok with it because I enjoy life rather than waste it wondering. The thing with other athiests is they say they're ok with other religions, then they go around bashing what they believe. I think thats wrong. Its none of my business what you believe, I've never been in your shoes. And I love religion, actually, people need it to get by in their lives. its just not for me.

[quote]Well, I'm an atheist.. I actually took the time to think about it though. i don't know if there is a god, but I honestly hope there is. I just believe he's not real. And I'm ok with that. Actually, I don't care how we got where we are now, I'm just glad we're here. I mean, why are we all arguing how's right and who's wrong when we can just step back and enjoy life? I say we'll know when we die if there is a god. Do you think, if there's a god, he's going to damn me just because I wasnt for sure if he was real? I dont think so, if he's as merciful as they say. I say he'd be ok with it because I enjoy life rather than waste it wondering. The thing with other athiests is they say they're ok with other religions, then they go around bashing what they believe. I think thats wrong. Its none of my business what you believe, I've never been in your shoes. And I love religion, actually, people need it to get by in their lives. its just not for me.[/quote] You sound more of an agnostic person than an atheist.

“I just think its funny how most of the adolescents are not articular interested in God.” I’m not really seeing a reason why they should be interested in God. I was “interested” in God when I was younger, and it didn’t really do anything for me except teach me how to repress things and confuse the hell out of me. Because, you know, it's funny, for me, it wasn't atheism that was the childhood phase, it was Christianity. I used to be afraid to think outside of the box, but I gradually became more and more capable of questioning the things I was told and had therefore believed during most of my childhood. When I was a kid, I had to figure out for myself that just because an adult says something, doesn't mean it's true. I guess I'll go ahead and explain, why not, I've got time to kill The one thing I hated most about being a believer was how often I had to reaffirm in my mind over and over again, “I believe in jesus!” just to feel secure that I wouldn’t be tortured for an eternity. I also hated seeking guidance through God and truly believing that he’d help me figure out what I should do in a certain situation, but at the end of the day nothing changed, and I realized that answers wouldn’t just come to me, and couldn’t be just told to me. I’d have to think of them on my own. When I let go of the fundieness and started thinking on my own more, more and more the idea of a god seemed ridiculous to me. When I finally got the nerve to admit that I no longer believed, (after about a week of a transitional Buddhist phase) I never felt a bigger sense of freedom in my life. It was amazing because for the first time in my life I felt like I knew who I was. The superstition that my parents and peers instilled into me was no longer capable of restricting my thoughts or beliefs. I had this friend in middle school who was raised in a VERY conservative Christian family and it of course rubbed off on her. I never really talked about her much, but I think it'd do me some good to do so... It grated on the nerves of me and my friends that we couldn’t even play pokemon around her because she thought psychic types were the devil’s work. I would have a tendency to believe her since I was a believer back then and didn't want to go to hell, but I was way too caught up in the pokemon fad frenzy to give THAT up. :P I grew up during the pokemon brainwashing years. I'm still into pokemon. I am a victim of the times, I'm afraid..=( She also asked me several times “you don’t believe in evolution, do you?” I always said “no” back then. Why? Well, neither me or her really knew anything about evolution back then, we were before the grades when they started teaching it. Of course, when I actually did learn about it, I found it to be extremely simple and accepted it as I do gravity or anything else. (And I wasn't friends with her anymore by then, too) I remember one time I drew a star on my notebook in school, just because I liked drawing stars. I doodled a lot in school, and I still do in college, lol...anyway, she looked at my little doodles and said, “make sure you don’t put a circle around those stars because then it’d be a sign of satan!” and I had no idea what she was talking about back then, so I was curious, and asked her to show me the “wrong” way to draw a star. She did it real quick and then immediately scribbled over it. From then on I made sure to never draw circles around my stars! Oh boy. Looking back on it now, I realize just how stupid it all really was. Of course we were kids, but still. I hated how I just believed most of what she said, until, of course, I got fed up with it...One day I just told her, "look, I'm tired of you telling me that everything I do is the work of satan, so I think it's best if we don't hang out anymore." And keep in mind, I stopped being friends with her LONG BEFORE I became an atheist.

[quote]You sound more of an agnostic person than an atheist.[/quote] I never thought about that. maybe.

[quote]I never thought about that. maybe.[/quote] I'm guessing that you are one. An atheist is a person who completely believes that there is no chance of God possibly existing. Since you believe that their is a possibility, then you are agnostic.

You were talking about teens not being interested in God? Why didn't you ask a teenager? Such as myself. I believe in God, and know that he loves me and has died for me. THAT's how I enjoy life. (I sound corny...) I feel comfortable knowing that even if I die, it doesn't just end. I know that no matter what I do, God still loves me. People say that God won't let them into Heaven because He doesn't love them for not believing in Him while on earth. That's NOT how it works. God loves us all and created us all specially and with care. He is sad every time someone renounces Christ. He sent Jesus so that we could have a second chance. I don't deserve to go to heaven. No one does. Not even the Holiest of saints (I'm not Catholic) deserves it. We all deserve to die and suffer. But, Jesus loves us and doesn't want that. He DIED. For us. Those who cling to there humanity and sin can't go to Heaven because our God is a just God. I lied, I'm not a teen, I'm 11.

[quote]You were talking about teens not being interested in God? Why didn't you ask a teenager? Such as myself. I believe in God, and know that he loves me and has died for me. THAT's how I enjoy life. (I sound corny...) I feel comfortable knowing that even if I die, it doesn't just end. I know that no matter what I do, God still loves me. People say that God won't let them into Heaven because He doesn't love them for not believing in Him while on earth. That's NOT how it works. God loves us all and created us all specially and with care. He is sad every time someone renounces Christ. He sent Jesus so that we could have a second chance. I don't deserve to go to heaven. No one does. Not even the Holiest of saints (I'm not Catholic) deserves it. We all deserve to die and suffer. But, Jesus loves us and doesn't want that. He DIED. For us. Those who cling to there humanity and sin can't go to Heaven because our God is a just God. I lied, I'm not a teen, I'm 11.[/quote] Wait, what do you mean by "those who cling to their humanity"?

People who don't let Jesus wash them with his blood. I do sound corny.

[quote]People who don't let Jesus wash them with his blood. I do sound corny.[/quote] Okay. I disagree with you, but go believe what you want to believe.

I'm not sure if that's what I believe. I just confused myself.

[quote]I'm not sure if that's what I believe. I just confused myself.[/quote] Ok.

[quote]People who don't let Jesus wash them with his blood. I do sound corny.[/quote] you mean people who dont believe in him? It's fine, when people talk about religion it turns into a confusing conversation.