Theist:Why do you think God does not exist what are your reasons?

[popsthebuilder]

The Father, The Son and the Holy Ghost.  Yeah, monotheistic.  But then, it is just a fairy tale.

Yeah...you would be hard pressed to find the coequal Trinity within the bible.

Nice try though.

peace

[Cavebear]

My random is better than other people's deliberate.  If you want pedantry, take a college course.

I have.  Many.  One of almost everything, and several of what interested me.  Ended up with a BS in 'Government and Politics' and a minor in History.  But college was a little bit of learning.  I've never stopped.  40 years of serious reading beats college every time.

[fencerider]

why do i think god doesn't exist? well... There isn't any concrete evidence, as a matter of fact most of the evidence appears to be fictional.

and then there is this thing called prayer. When you pray for help for small things and no help comes, you say "I guess I don't deserve it". Then when you're losing your shirt, you pray for help. When nothing happens you say "What did I do wrong to be getting punished?". Or you may even face one of the worst things life has to offer. Then you pray and nothing happens you have to ask "hey god, are you paying attention?" If it only happens one time that a prayer doesn't get answered you soon forget about it. If it happens again and again that when you pray, you are only talking to yourself, you start asking questions about the validity of the program.

After examining the evidence presented my present conclusion is that either god doesn't exist or god doesn't give a rats ass about humans.... or if I look at the Bible and the actions god says are good my conclusion is that god is a little boy (at the age when boys tear the wings or legs off of bugs) abusing humans for entertainment

[SGOS]

why do i think god doesn't exist? well... There isn't any concrete evidence, as a matter of fact most of the evidence appears to be fictional.

and then there is this thing called prayer. When you pray for help for small things and no help comes, you say "I guess I don't deserve it". Then when you're losing your shirt, you pray for help. When nothing happens you say "What did I do wrong to be getting punished?". Or you may even face one of the worst things life has to offer. Then you pray and nothing happens you have to ask "hey god, are you paying attention?" If it only happens one time that a prayer doesn't get answered you soon forget about it. If it happens again and again that when you pray, you are only talking to yourself, you start asking questions about the validity of the program.

After examining the evidence presented my present conclusion is that either god doesn't exist or god doesn't give a rats ass about humans.... or if I look at the Bible and the actions god says are good my conclusion is that god is a little boy (at the age when boys tear the wings or legs off of bugs) abusing humans for entertainment

By the time I was six, I realized that when I prayed, it was pretty much only me attempting to have a conversation.  It used to bother me that no one appeared to be involved on the other side of the conversation.  I was assured by my parents that God heard my prayers, even if it seemed like he didn't.  Oh, great.  Someone's listening, just not responding.  WTF??  When I talked to my mother about questions I had or needs that needed to be filled, she would at least respond, not always the way I would hope, but she was there, and she talked back to me reassuringly.  But she definitely existed at the other end of my conversation.  We were both participating with each other.

Forget about God answering your prayers, or even lifting a finger to let you know you have been acknowledged.  Prayer suffers in that respect.  In fact, it utterly fails.  Prayer should be the ultimate conversation of your life.  You can pray all you want, but unfortunately, you are the only one involved in the conversation.  There is no indication whatsoever that anyone else is there.

This is puzzling to a six year old, and it's when I first started modifying my six year old's image of God to resemble a thing that isn't there, but then again, we are told he is there, so it became, "He is there, he just doesn't act like it."  But how is this different from a thing that really isn't there?  This is where apologetics begins, and it just keeps getting more and more complicated as we get older and keep building houses of cards with new explanations for how and why God is so determined to live in the shadows beyond our senses.

[Baruch]

why do i think god doesn't exist? well... There isn't any concrete evidence, as a matter of fact most of the evidence appears to be fictional.

and then there is this thing called prayer. When you pray for help for small things and no help comes, you say "I guess I don't deserve it". Then when you're losing your shirt, you pray for help. When nothing happens you say "What did I do wrong to be getting punished?". Or you may even face one of the worst things life has to offer. Then you pray and nothing happens you have to ask "hey god, are you paying attention?" If it only happens one time that a prayer doesn't get answered you soon forget about it. If it happens again and again that when you pray, you are only talking to yourself, you start asking questions about the validity of the program.

After examining the evidence presented my present conclusion is that either god doesn't exist or god doesn't give a rats ass about humans.... or if I look at the Bible and the actions god says are good my conclusion is that god is a little boy (at the age when boys tear the wings or legs off of bugs) abusing humans for entertainment

You are close to what I see as the truth (I am a theist), but nobody taught you to pray properly, and I don't practice it nearly enough myself, though I know how.  Prayer is psychosomatic induction.

[Mike Cl]

You are close to what I see as the truth (I am a theist), but nobody taught you to pray properly, and I don't practice it nearly enough myself, though I know how.  Prayer is psychosomatic induction.

In other words it is simply another way to talk to yourself.

[Baruch]

In other words it is simply another way to talk to yourself.

Exactly, and others if they are present.  It is arguable if G-d is present or not, hence the post by fencerider.  But psychosomatics are very powerful, in fact you can be Hitler and spellbind countless German audiences with it (he was an early expert at neurolinguistic programming of the masses).  Geeks of course are averse to psychology, or anything not in Popular Mechanics.

[Mike Cl]

It is arguable if G-d is present or not,

Ummm-----------not really; unless one is arguing with oneself.  And yes, psychosomatics is very powerful!  Theists have used this for thousands of years to talk themselves into believing in god(s).

[Baruch]

Ummm-----------not really; unless one is arguing with oneself.  And yes, psychosomatics is very powerful!  Theists have used this for thousands of years to talk themselves into believing in god(s).

Politicians and business marketing is all about it.  Don't just pick on priests ;-)  I don't argue with myself when I am speaking to G-d, we have polite discussions about why G-d might be such a dick ;-(

[Blackleaf]

By the time I was six, I realized that when I prayed, it was pretty much only me attempting to have a conversation.  It used to bother me that no one appeared to be involved on the other side of the conversation.  I was assured by my parents that God heard my prayers, even if it seemed like he didn't.  Oh, great.  Someone's listening, just not responding.  WTF??  When I talked to my mother about questions I had or needs that needed to be filled, she would at least respond, not always the way I would hope, but she was there, and she talked back to me reassuringly.  But she definitely existed at the other end of my conversation.  We were both participating with each other.

Forget about God answering your prayers, or even lifting a finger to let you know you have been acknowledged.  Prayer suffers in that respect.  In fact, it utterly fails.  Prayer should be the ultimate conversation of your life.  You can pray all you want, but unfortunately, you are the only one involved in the conversation.  There is no indication whatsoever that anyone else is there.

This is puzzling to a six year old, and it's when I first started modifying my six year old's image of God to resemble a thing that isn't there, but then again, we are told he is there, so it became, "He is there, he just doesn't act like it."  But how is this different from a thing that really isn't there?  This is where apologetics begins, and it just keeps getting more and more complicated as we get older and keep building houses of cards with new explanations for how and why God is so determined to live in the shadows beyond our senses.

It is quite strange how a god who demands praise and a lifetime of devotion, and who gets jealous when other gods--which are totally fictional, unlike him--are worshiped instead, and whose only standard for determining who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell is based on belief in him, would try so hard to make it seem like he wasn't even there.

[Baruch]

When the Jewish god speaks of other gods, he is being polytheist, not monotheist ;-)  Jewish monotheism only evolved very gradually, and is post-Biblical/Rabbinic.

[fencerider]

is there a correct way to pray? there must be 100 videos on youtube of people saying they know the correct way to pray. I tried a few of them... not really feelin like tryin all of them.

[popsthebuilder]

why do i think god doesn't exist? well... There isn't any concrete evidence, as a matter of fact most of the evidence appears to be fictional.

and then there is this thing called prayer. When you pray for help for small things and no help comes, you say "I guess I don't deserve it". Then when you're losing your shirt, you pray for help. When nothing happens you say "What did I do wrong to be getting punished?". Or you may even face one of the worst things life has to offer. Then you pray and nothing happens you have to ask "hey god, are you paying attention?" If it only happens one time that a prayer doesn't get answered you soon forget about it. If it happens again and again that when you pray, you are only talking to yourself, you start asking questions about the validity of the program.

After examining the evidence presented my present conclusion is that either god doesn't exist or god doesn't give a rats ass about humans.... or if I look at the Bible and the actions god says are good my conclusion is that god is a little boy (at the age when boys tear the wings or legs off of bugs) abusing humans for entertainment

Prayer must be for the will of GOD for the believer; sincere, humble, and with sincere hope, if only momentarily, for the unbeliever.

Yet still one shouldn't expect things contrary to the Will of GOD. Thankfully that will is wholly benevolent, and equitably giving

[popsthebuilder]

Prayer is effectual when sincere.

I was atheist or I guess technically some form of agnostic at the exact time I first sincerely prayed.

I don't remember if it was a couple days or a couple weeks later, but my prayers were wholly answered and much more, hence my belief now. I have since had varied confirmations of the hearings of my own supplications.

[Mike Cl]

Prayer must be for the will of GOD for the believer; sincere, humble, and with sincere hope, if only momentarily, for the unbeliever.

Yet still one shouldn't expect things contrary to the Will of GOD. Thankfully that will is wholly benevolent, and equitably giving

You keep saying stuff like this but you never tell us how you 'know' this.  I get it that that is your opinion.  And your opinion is important only to you.