The God Delusion - Has it persuaded you to be an Atheist?

The God Delusion is an intriguing book that examines all aspects of religion and basically discounts them as superstition. I find the arguments very persuasive and although I am not an atheist, I am not religious, either, so for me it is a bit like preaching to the Choir.

I am wondering therefore, are there any believers out there that were so persuaded by the arguments put forward by Dawkins that they have turned their back on their Church/Religion and are now Atheist or Agnostic? If so, would you dare say that you are an Atheist to your friends and family?

Or is your trust and Faith in your Religion unshakable?

Im the Major General of the Allied Atheist Allegiance. I dont think i need a book to tell me the dude isnt real.

I mean like if all those greek gods "are just not real", what makes Christian god or Allah, etc real?

How do they know its Jupiter and Zeus who is real and god and Allah is just pure mythology?

Of course you don't... But that is also not what I am asking. You are already an Atheist. I want to hear from believers who were persuaded by the God Delusion and are now Atheist or Agnostic.

Believing in God. Not sure. A universal consciousness sounds more believable. Dawkins is a great man, but there are also great people who believe in paranormal ranging from Nobel Prize winners to great physicists like Roger Penrose(not paranormal but some sort of mystery of the universe, instead of just saying it was 100% random). It is really hard to say. I like what Penrose says though, to think that all of this happened by chance is just mind boggling.

I myself personally have come to the understanding after having been an Atheist a Monotheist then an Agnostic and now a Monotheist again.

That it doesn't matter if you do or don't believe in an All That Is/Allah/ Yahweh/Ahura Mazda/ Adonai/ Aten Ra/ God etc. Because All That Is simply believes in you!
The only certain thing I know personally myself is that I never actually made myself physically or chose to come in to this reality etc.

reply to post by Lebowski achiever


I have not read the book, but a friend of my brother read the god delusion, I think that what’s it’s called, and he is still a believer of consciousness somewhere. But i think he doesn’t believe in a god though.

Originally posted by Lebowski achiever
The God Delusion is an intriguing book that examines all aspects of religion and basically discounts them as superstition. I find the arguments very persuasive and although I am not an atheist, I am not religious, either, so for me it is a bit like preaching to the Choir.

I am wondering therefore, are there any believers out there that were so persuaded by the arguments put forward by Dawkins that they have turned their back on their Church/Religion and are now Atheist or Agnostic? If so, would you dare say that you are an Atheist to your friends and family?

Or is your trust and Faith in your Religion unshakable?

I think you are going to have a slow thread...
...any person who knows the Spirit (believer) will find his arguements awkward and ill-informed.

It's a pity Dawkins gave up science to become a failed theologian and philosopher...
...he wasn't too bad as a scientist.

Originally posted by Lebowski achiever
...I am wondering therefore, are there any believers out there that were so persuaded by the arguments put forward by Dawkins that they have turned their back ......

Or is your trust and Faith in your Religion unshakable?

nope...

and...

nope....I have no faith in a religion...TLJC, my best friend, yep!

Thx for asking...

OT

I do need to read that book, thanks for reminding me of it.
Not that I need much more convincing anyway

'The God Delusion' was a fantastic book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and found myself laughing and nodding my head many times over.

I am agnostic with atheist leanings but I still respect other peoples rights to religion. However, if someone tries to push religion on me I'm not so amicable.

The cool part of reading 'The God Delusion' was that I had two old biddies come to my door trying to flog 'The Watchtower' to me on a Saturday morning.

I said, "Can you please hang on a minute... I'll be right back..".

So I went and got my copy of 'The God Delusion', handed it to them and said, "Can I interest you in this?". Needless to say she put the book straight back into my hand as though it was pornography and they both gave me a sour look so I said to them, "Now you know how I feel. Please do not come here again. Put me on a list or something".

I haven't had any door knockers for about 6 months now and we normally get heaps because I live in a conservative, middle class area which is like being painted with a target by those people.

In short, 'The God Delusion' is like kryptonite for evangelists.

Thankyou Richard Dawkins!

IRM

[edit on 25/3/10 by InfaRedMan]

I became an Atheist prior to reading the book some many years ago. However, the book's logic cemented that into my brain even more.

However, after many years of Atheism, I came to realize how illogical it really is. The complete absence of any kind of deity, be it one that we comprehend here on Earth or be is something completely all powerful and out of our comprehension - just doesn't make sense and therefore neither does Atheism.

I adopted the belief in all religions simply because no matter which way you look at it - we are all worshiping the same God. It may have difference names, difference stories, different morals, but in the end - it all refers to the same thing - the Creator... the driving force of the universe.

The more you start to look at religions for more of their moral and ethical values (albeit most of which are not followed today) the more you see that most of them are meant for the greater good of humanity. So in a sense I am a Universalist - with the belief that there is a God but we as humans are completely unable to define it whatsoever, and therefore we should be open to all possibilities.

Originally posted by Lebowski achiever
The God Delusion is an intriguing book that examines all aspects of religion and basically discounts them as superstition. I find the arguments very persuasive and although I am not an atheist, I am not religious, either, so for me it is a bit like preaching to the Choir.

I am wondering therefore, are there any believers out there that were so persuaded by the arguments put forward by Dawkins that they have turned their back on their Church/Religion and are now Atheist or Agnostic? If so, would you dare say that you are an Atheist to your friends and family?

Or is your trust and Faith in your Religion unshakable?

You can only be a theist or Atheist. You either have subscribe to the notion that a single god created the heavens and the earth - or you do not think he did...........what on earth is this in-between thing ? Even if you 'dont know' then you can not say that you believe that a single God created everything and therefore the default position is one of Atheism - 'a'theism is like asexual it means to be without.

your an atheist dude. When religious nutters try and tell you atheism is a religion just laugh and walk away - their morons for believeing in religion in the first place.

No Richard Dawkins did not sway me - I am not religious.

Originally posted by InfaRedMan
....In short, 'The God Delusion' is like kryptonite for evangelists.

Thankyou Richard Dawkins!

IRM

[edit on 25/3/10 by InfaRedMan]

So that is a good thing?

So those Christians are out to "get you?"

Please..................

What if HELL is real...they are the best friends, most loving.....you will ever see.....

and yet you blow them off....wtf?



Your cockiness may lead to your demise....I pray not....ever seen what GRACE means?

Oh well, off to another thread

[edit on 25-3-2010 by OldThinker]

reply to post by T0by


I enjoyed that book when I was an atheist, as I did much of Dawkins work. But, Ive said this before, Research wider than the narrow scope Dawkins deals with led me to a spiritual awakening. Being an atheist was an essential part to awakening spiritually becuase I had to fully explore all possibilities. I still support dawkins veiws on the dogma and doctrine side of religion, but religion and spirituality are two very different things. Dawkins would be wise to admit how little the human mind can ever know, and just how wrong we may be in science dispite the rigours of the method which just adds the the illusion of robust completness. I enjoyed the famous quote he repeates "Not only is the universe stranger than we suppose, but stranger than we can suppose." I think he should stick to evolution, his philosophy is quite narrow and repetitive, not very explorative and the attacks on the easy crowd of fundamentalist bible bashers rather than philosophers and physicists is lame. I think evolution is just the mechanism for creation so they are both partly right in these debates!

Haven't read it, but I've picked up on a few of his talking points from media and interviews. TED, BigThink, his Enemys of Reason series... etc. Enough to know that I don't think his book would really change my mind in regards to my belief in god. The worst you can say about Deism really is that it's pointless and irrational. I already came to that conclusion long ago, and even rationalized a few likely explanations as to the roots and possible causes of that belief... but it hasn't shake my faith in God. So at least on that subject, I don't think the God Delusion has anything new or earth shattering to tell.

Though I may pick it up later just to see what else he points out that might pique my interest. He's definitely inspirational, but I think Pinker is more personable and warmer.



It's like peanut butter & chocolate. They need to get a gig hosting a weekly 2 hour "Good Morning" show together.

Originally posted by troubleshooter

Originally posted by Lebowski achiever
The God Delusion is an intriguing book that examines all aspects of religion and basically discounts them as superstition. I find the arguments very persuasive and although I am not an atheist, I am not religious, either, so for me it is a bit like preaching to the Choir.

I am wondering therefore, are there any believers out there that were so persuaded by the arguments put forward by Dawkins that they have turned their back on their Church/Religion and are now Atheist or Agnostic? If so, would you dare say that you are an Atheist to your friends and family?

Or is your trust and Faith in your Religion unshakable?

I think you are going to have a slow thread...
...any person who knows the Spirit (believer) will find his arguements awkward and ill-informed.

It's a pity Dawkins gave up science to become a failed theologian and philosopher...
...he wasn't too bad as a scientist.

Which arguments of his are ''awkward'' and ''ill-informed''?

Honestly? I dunno WHAT I am. Quit snickering in the back, you.

I've lost any and all belief in the Christian Church, the followers, OR their Golden Cash Cow God and his son, Little Cash Calf. See- now I'll have fundies crawling all up and down my thread screaming at me for saying that- BUT IT IS TRUE. I've said it countless times before: How can the lot of you call yourselves by a name that denotes nearly communal/ shared living and universally helping everyone, regardless of WHO they are when you're all hatemongers and your leaders live like royally on the backs of the poor? What really twists my nurples is when these same people spout scripture in barely the same breath! The same can be said of Islam, Jews, Catholics- even Buddhists.

Each religion is little more than a cash gathering machine for a select few to live it up, while the rest are standing in sewage feeding them everything they own. What do these people get? LIP SERVICE. And aside from a couple tokens here and there, nothing else. It's like Publisher's Clearing House- you got tons of people who are hyped up on winning that (what is it?) $10,000,000- And always, ALWAYS- where does the money go? to some nice house and to people who obviously dont need the cash. Never does the money go to a rundown shack where the people show up wearing rags.

That's how religion operates.

I've been to and seen those shows where the nicely dressed, obviously richer than should be allowed preacher comes out, and always, ALWAYS blesses and 'heals' and prays for the nicely dressed, well off people. When I personally went to one, I got a slap on the head and an incoherent babbly yell (I was dressed, well.... normal. No suit, no tie, worn but clean clothes). Wanna know what a VERY well to do rich family got? The whole flippin show STOPPED so he could personally administer to their wheelchair ridden elderly lady who was just as bedecked in bling as the rest of the family.

Disgusting? Oh yes- but like Mr Ronco says, "But wait, there's more!"

I also want to add- that once I got disgusted and went to the parking lot for a breather, I ran into the MADDEST Jewish faith family you have ever seen. They were like me- not rich, not well to do. The reason for their rage? (and yes, it was RAGE. Almost incoherent, righteous rage):

They were there to get a blessing of healing for their daughter, who was sick. What they got, was refused because 'it was time to collect MORE money, and the guy couldn't be bothered with them'. There was like 4-5 collections of cash that night, no lie. This poor man was so mad, his accent was making him nearly impossible to catch what he was saying, and he was literally spitting out the words. I had to stand back from the small shower he was creating. I couldn't blame him. I told him I couldn't blame him one bit.

I stayed outside until the person I was with came out. He didn't believe anything I said til the church he was a member of, paid dues to, and tried to become a minister with, got kicked to the curb and hard because he was too sick to work, and they began to demand their $$ from him. And when he couldn't pay, out he went, right on his butt. No help, no assistance, no compassion. Just pure GREED.

Edited: I forgot the most important thing- There were NO miracles. Either that night, or any other time. My friend had to yank himself up by the bootstraps. That family didn't get their daughter healed. That elderly lady didn't get up and walk from her wheelchair. I'm still.... well I'm still where I have been for 21 years. What I have needed WAS a miracle, and I've gotten nothing but pain and regret. Did the preacher go home with armloads of cash? You betcha. I can also betcha that once the euphoria and kneejerk feelings wore off of a lot of people, a % of them realized they didn't get jack squat out of the experience, either.... Other than being varying amounts of cash lighter, and probably in some cases, unable to provide a basic need for themselves and/ or their families.

Where is Your God, Christianity? Where are the miracles that you are supposed to be able to work? Where are your good works? I'm not seeing any fruit on the 'vine'- let alone a *vine*. All I see is an empty hole with a sign that says 'please insert money'.

As much as I couldn't believe it, this was normal. I just have to ask: When did the Christian faith become the domain of the well off, and the poor are treated like stray animals?

The delusion is just like everything else on this planet- slapped together with nothing more than money, prestige, and social standing, but with GOD thrown in. What's really a kick in the face is how much GOD there actually *is not* anywhere near it. It's like having 'fruit gum'- "may or may not contain real fruit juice". Usually, there ain't.


I guess this makes me disgusted and waiting for the real deal, or nothing.




[edit on 25-3-2010 by wylekat]

[edit on 25-3-2010 by wylekat]

I must confess that I didn't finish the book. I find Dawkins as boorish as any fundamentalist, always re-defining his opponents' positions, so he can knock down his carefully formulated straw men.

My special field of interest is in the paranormal.

Dawkins' rigorous materialism is a denial, a refusal to take seriously anything that cannot be replicated in a laboratory.

I am interested in synchronicity---precisely because it CANNOT be isolated in a laboratory.


Frankly, if I have time to read, I'd rather page through Charles Fort's "Book of the Damned" one more time. I think I end up with a better perspective on both science and reality itself.

cheers

Originally posted by tovenar

I must confess that I didn't finish the book. I find Dawkins as boorish as any fundamentalist, always re-defining his opponents' positions, so he can knock down his carefully formulated straw men.

My special field of interest is in the paranormal.

Dawkins' rigorous materialism is a denial, a refusal to take seriously anything that cannot be replicated in a laboratory.

I am interested in synchronicity---precisely because it CANNOT be isolated in a laboratory.


Frankly, if I have time to read, I'd rather page through Charles Fort's "Book of the Damned" one more time. I think I end up with a better perspective on both science and reality itself.

cheers

But in the case of god, if the god the person believes in manifests or interacts with reality in any way, it CAN be tested in lab settings, I personally think synchronicity is bs but you're entitled to your opinion and I won't comment on it.