Do Atheists Reject God?
Beth is attracted to ATM. She asks ATM out on a date. ATM isn't interested, maybe he isn't attracted to her or he's married. For whatever reason, he declines. Was Beth rejected? Yes.
When someone is rejected, they're prone to feel despair and frustration, typically she'll feel resentment and anger toward ATM, the rejection affected the dopamine and cortisol activity in her brain, which can actually cause physical pain. Some short term effects of this rejection are aggressiveness and antisocial behavior.
This type of emotional reaction can also explain why atheists are one of the most hated groups of people.
Beth is a theist and a billboard reminded here that atheists exist or perhaps Beth discovered that her acquaintance, ATM, is an atheist. Or, Beth is in an argument with ATM about the existence of God. Any one of these things can cause Beth to feel despair and frustration. Typically, she'll feel resentment and anger toward ATM. Because, of this, she may even exhibit aggressiveness and antisocial behavior.
As you can see, there is a fascinating parallel between a typical reaction of someone who is romantically rejected and a typical reaction of a theist who encounters an atheist. But, the parallel is practically shouted from the rooftops as the theist actually describes the atheist's disbelief as rejection. The atheist rejects God, they say.
It is no coincidence that the theist chooses the word 'rejection' because there is a disconnect between the inaccurate use of the word 'rejection' to describe the atheist position and the theist's reaction which coincides with the exact same symptoms of rejection, thereby compelling them to use that word even though it's inaccurate.
The inaccuracy can be easily seen from the romantic perspective, the analogy would look like this...
Beth tries to set ATM up on a blind date with Brenda (God). ATM doesn't think that Beth even knows Brenda or that she's acting as an agent on Brenda's behalf. Did ATM actually reject Brenda? No. What if ATM doesn't even believe that Brenda exists? Perhaps, Beth described her as being too attractive, described her personality as too perfect to be believable. So, if ATM doesn't believe Brenda actually exists, did he reject her even if she does exist? No.
All Brenda would need to do is show up and ask ATM in person for him to accept. Or, perhaps Beth described Brenda inaccurately. Is ATM rejecting the real Brenda or the inaccurate portrayal of Brenda which doesn't actually exist even though she does?
In all accounts, ATM is not actually rejecting Brenda and in all accounts, Beth would have no reason to feel rejected at all. So, why then does the theist typically show the classic signs of rejection and even misuse the word 'rejection' when encountering an atheist?
Because Brenda IS Beth. The believer IS God. Your relationship with God is actually a profound dynamic relationship with the self, with your ego. It is why God knows you so well, it is why His opinions are so often your opinions and why a different believer of the same God as yours can claim that He agrees with God's opinions, but not yours. It is why God can seem so very real to you, because He IS real, He IS you.
And, believer, before you deny this, ask yourself, are you truly in a position to be able to deny it?
This confusion of skepticism with rejection has caused the persistence of Christianity's fundamental flaw, a foundational flaw that has fatally detrimental implications for the religion. The religion itself is based on a false dichotomy, the notion that you must either choose God or reject Him. But, belief is not a choice, it's a compulsion beyond the realm of choice achieved through convincing arguments, evidence and trust.
I do not choose what I believe because I perceive it as the more attractive option, I'm compelled to believe what I think is true, whether I like it or not, because desirability is not a requisite of the truth. This takes honest introspection.
To truly make a choice, I must clearly be given the option. If I can doubt whether the option even exists, then the option hasn't been clearly presented to me, thereby preventing me from being able to make a choice.
An omniscient God would easily see this flaw in His system, but God isn't omniscient, He only seems that way, because somehow, someway, He knows exactly how to answer your doubts, He knows exactly how you think.
And, if you were paying attention, then you'd know exactly why that is.
Sorry, but where do you get the notion this is about you? You certainly think quite highly of yourself.
Yes, but the fact is that you are the troll here, posting garbage verses and then running away when others start criticizing your evangelism.
Notice that you are now behaving exactly like a troll? Thanks for showing that behavior. Well done.And there it is. Ok... nice talkin' with you again. See ya.
This is not the easiest question to answer without coming out of it unscathed either way as well as the lack of evidence of the existence of God, so I will try to answer it as best as I possibly can for myself.
The short answer to your question is yes and no.. It is yes that God is the ego of the believer. In the absence of proof of his existence, our idea of God is based on either what we have been taught (or told) to believe or (yes this is possible) what we have discovered for ourselves when examining the bible for ourselves and still believing but changing the way that we believe. I'm sure that the argument will be that indoctrination is what causes people to cling to a belief even if the way one believes may change.
On the other hand, I cannot say (at least in my case) that God is myself because I couldn't imagine myself doing some of the things that are written in the OT nor directing others to do some of those things.. But of course I guess this is because my thinking is too limited and I cannot fathom what God had to go through in his decisions
. But of course If I were God things would be different and everyone would know I exist as well as what I want. But there are some principles in the bible that I would keep and make known.A.K.A ego (which I thought I admitted to earlier) when I said it is ego.
I have never denied that. I have always stated that from what I understand from reading the bible myself (my silly ego again ) That if God is real (out of respect to you and the others) The bible calls on us to worship him and believe in him, but we don't need to depend on him for everything (in spite of what is believed).
- Emile Rposted 11 years ago
0 Wow, so you completely ignore the fact you did not refer to the OP but instead called me a troll. Hilarious. You are one piece of work, Beth.
- Beth37posted 11 years ago0
- MysticMoonlightposted 11 years ago0
And, you are still not participating in the thread. If you were, you would have addressed the points made in the OP.
But, you are not showing that in any way, you are simply asserting that in exactly the same way as I explained in the OP.
And, I addressed that as well in the OP, Beth. All God would have to do is present Himself in person, as it were, in order for us to accept Him.
Again, you are reacting exactly how I described in the OP. Exactly.
*see reply to mystic moonlight.
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