Oh my God, I'm an Atheist !!

You claimed:

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So we all know God in our hearts/spirits

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I am saying that that is definitely not true. I don't. So your premise is wrong.

I didn't intend that question, or that experience to evidence of anything, other than you are dying, and you won't be around anymore. I think we all have that fear/thought/belief/reality. Possibly. But the excuse is not because they want to free themselves from "moral behavior."
There could be a million reasons why an atheist does not believe in God. If I lumped them altogether like that, that would make me prejudice, and probably a hypocrite.I did not present this subject to condemn atheists behavior, or beliefs. I think at that moment, we all might beg for forgiveness, or at least be sorry for the things we did wrong in our lives.I have had two near-death experiences, and I can say that your whole life does flash before your eyes. So you might be inclined to feel sorry for things you did wrong, that you knew were wrong.Wrong is a relative term. That is possible too, but I doubt it. I think God provides us with many chances in life to know Him. I think we all think about death, but we will never really know just how we will feel until it really arrives. Again, I will say, I never said that. All Christians do not think that. Even if jar says so

jar, you are not some universal voice for all atheists. Let an atheist answer if you would. Because that is subjective, and not testable. That depends on how you define "worship".Your view seems to be very narrow, and dogmatic.Just the way you define "believing in Jesus." is far deeper than the literal meaning of the word. To worship God, is to do exactly what He created you for, and to fellowship with people like you, and be friends with Him.I try to worship God, in everything I do. Maybe being an atheist, is a form of worship. Who am I to judge?

LOL, what, you didn't like the irony?

Thanks for your heart felt answer Ned. I always enjoy when you write.I wish I could write half as clearly as you. If I don't understand, then why did you at that moment, start exploring the idea of an afterlife? My feelings about those other Gods, are not very well thought out, because I do not spend much time thinking about it.But, the simple fact that we all seem to look for something, and hope for something more than just what we see here on earth, leads me to believe that we might just as well have been created to worship.Why there are so many Gods, is too complicated for me to understand. But looking at my own life's confusion on the subject, I can say that God probably left it up to us to figure out.I think he probably looks more at the important decisions we make, like passing up a person dying in the street and not helping them, abusing children, or things like that.Not so much what religion we belong too.
All religion seems to be is a vehicle for people to get hurt by, and an excuse for wars to take place.
I don't think we would ever enter a single war, if we truly followed what Jesus taught us, and left our battles up to God. Sure, and I really understand that, more than you think. But does it leave you wondering if there is something out there that actually makes sense? As apposed to nothing at all?

This thread was not about believing in God, but turning to God at in the moment you need Him most.It's very difficult for logical people like you or me (stop laughing now) to believe in an illogical God, taught to us from illogical religion.See I really do not believe that someone could be atheist (although I may be wrong) at best, anyone with half a logical/scientific brain, should be agnostic.

I would just about give up my life for you to feel what I feel.And anyone talking to me, the way I talk to you, a few years back, my response would have been the same as yours. So it's cool.Oh, and I don't want anyone to honor me. If anything, it only puts more pressure on myself to then act the part. Sometimes, I don't even feel like doing it, it can be so difficult.
But if I do act good, I don't want the credit. If I act bad, I do expect all the blame. That assumption is incorrect.

Well put, thank you. I was going to say true, but are you sure you mean they just get angry at God?
Don't we all when we are tested with suffering?
I am going through it right now.

Have you ever had a revelation in life, that exposed something that you knew to be true, but was always oppressed into thinking it wasn't?

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I have had two near-death experiences, and I can say that your whole life does flash before your eyes. So you might be inclined to feel sorry for things you did wrong, that you knew were wrong.

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I've only had one and nothing flashed before my eyes.

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"Peshat is what I say and derash is what you say." --Nehama Leibowitz

I never claimed you, or any atheist was in denial.
I was never in denial.

Did you or did you not say: in your Opening Post?Did you or did you not ask: in your Opening Post?My question is, "Why would they ask a God they never believed in something, particularly on their death bed?"

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Well, I consider the nonexistent of god in the same way of the nonexistent of the immaterial pink unicorn.So tell me, riverrat, are you an agnostic when it comes to the immaterial pink unicorn? How about the invisible green goblin? How about the tooth fairy?If you still think agnosticism is the "logical" choice in regard to all of these, then I guess I'm not logical.Look, from the age of 20 or so to the first memories I have of my childhood, I'd talked to god everyday and heard/felt his responses everyday. Trust me on this. It took me about 20 years to finally realize that if god really exists, he'd care more about how I'd live my life and how I could help make this world better for everyone than if I'm on my knees talking in tongues or worry about other people's sex lives.Let me remind you again that the vast majority of people that have voted in record numbers in opposition to basic human rights are the religious folks. Why is it do you think that the religious folks have always taken a stance against human rights? Everything from interracial marriage to women sufferage to basic civil rights to gay rights have always been high on the religious lists of things to oppose. Let me give you a brief summary of what I think is going on here.The religious folks deep down inside are always afraid of the fire of eternal damnation. So, instead of trying to make this world a better place, they do everything they can to please their god. In the past, they tried human and animal sacrifice. Then they moved on to witch huntings. Now, they vote in record numbers to prevent people like gay people from being happy.Again, if god really exists, he would worry a lot less about us believing or not believing in him and worry a lot more about how we are treating our fellow men. You know, those things we call kindness, tolerance, acceptance, honesty... the real moral issues.

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Disclaimer:

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Occasionally, owing to the deficiency of the English language, I have used he/him/his meaning he or she/him or her/his or her in order to avoid awkwardness of style.

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He, him, and his are not intended as exclusively masculine pronouns. They may refer to either sex or to both sexes!

Now that I have converted to Hinduism (based on the overwhelming scientific evidence that Hindu is the one true religion), I know that when those last moments come, I will be devoting my final energies to wondering what I will be reincarnated as. I'm hoping for some marine mammal. But I'll be happy if I'm not reincarnated as some species whose horns, fins, or testicles are considered to be an aphrodisiac by some asian culture. And I have absolutely no doubt, RR, that on your deathbed you will come to your senses and also convert to Hindu and will be trying to influence the next form you take on this earth. I suspect that you will wish that you had chosen a different user name.

How else would you describe a god that created a universe of trillions upon trillions of stars, a little blue planet inhabited by wonderful life, and billions upon billions of intelligent individuals for the sole purpose of worshipping him?When my brother hid the eggs for his children to find during easter, he didn't do it so his children would get on their knees and say repeatedly what an awesome father they had for being able to hide the eggs. He did it to give his children a wonderful time at hunting out the hidden easter eggs.I would describe a person who bore children for the sole pupose of them worshipping him a narcissist. If god exists and if he is what you make him out to be, then surely this god is narcissistic at best.Added by edit.PS Ever considered the idea that perhaps atheists like myself would consider for once the existence of the judeo-christian god if christian organizations begin to really support human rights rather than suppress them? The following picture really doesn't help christians convince me to consider the existence of the christian god. I'll tell you what. When I see better results from accepting Jesus Christ in the christians, I'll have a second thought on my atheism. Edited by Tazmanian Devil, : No reason given.

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Disclaimer:

​

Occasionally, owing to the deficiency of the English language, I have used he/him/his meaning he or she/him or her/his or her in order to avoid awkwardness of style.

​

He, him, and his are not intended as exclusively masculine pronouns. They may refer to either sex or to both sexes!