# Can Someone prove to me that God doesn't exist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 2, 2001, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042 "2001-10-02T20:42:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Cyrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Cyrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyrin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/81 "2001-10-03T16:34:58Z")
**Maximum** I never said Santa didn’t exist and I never said TOPP didn’t exist. What I did say is that I haven’t experienced them and therefore cannot draw any conclusions concerning their existence. God on the other hand I have experienced and therefore draw a certain conclusion concerning His existence. If someone says to me that they met Santa Clause and truly believes it, then I would probably weigh the benefits of finding such an entity and put a due amount of effort into finding said entity. Since I can find no conceivable benefit for finding Santa, I probably wouldn’t look to hard. Finding God on the other hand has numerous benefits, which is why I seriously looked for Him. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/82 "2001-10-03T16:42:18Z")
:shrug: Santa speaks to me. Therefore, he exists. Santa speaks to you, but you choose not to listen. Therefore, you deny Santa. ---
**Author:** ![Spiritus\_Mundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Spiritus\_Mundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiritus_Mundi)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/83 "2001-10-03T16:42:36Z")
> [@](#): > > they refuse to have faith and want nothing but cold hard facts (if there are such things) and no one can provide that. Refuse? My what loaded words you have. Why do you refuse to have faith that I am infallible and possess absolute knowledge that no God exists? > [@](#): > > We are not God. Unless we somehow become God, we just won’t get it. Well, we are discussing the question “does God exist,” no? “Unless we become God” thus represents a logical fallacy nown as assuming the conclusion (well, it has fancier names, too). Look, I have no interest in attacking you rpersonal faith or convincing you that your belief is unfounded. But when you claim that your faith is a more logical or reasonable course of behavior than my lack of faith, I will expect you to back it up with actual logic or reason. So far I have seen little of either. ---
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/84 "2001-10-03T16:51:12Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Çyrin \* \*\* > [@](#): > > No but if you were to present me with these facts, I would do only what I expect everyone to do. When I hear something, I don’t just assume it to be fact. I look for the answers on my own. Someone presented me with the idea of God, but I didn’t believe it until I experienced Him for myself. I would expect nothing different when presented with science. (btw I don’t believe in a young earth, that’s just absurd).\*\* Again, it would seem that it all depends on what _you_ perceive as a fact. You and I have had that conversation on C14 dating. You argued against its use regardless of the facts that I could produce. (If you recall, you used the “We will never know everything with out searching everywhere” argument.) But you believe that God exists without any facts. It’s all done on faith and belief. (Which is fine…I’m not arguing your beliefs.) Therefore, in regards to your OP, it wouldn’t matter what evidence or facts I, or anyone else, would be able to present to you relating to the non-existence of God. It would seem that you would disagree with them because they do not fit with what you believe. ---
**Author:** ![Cyrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Cyrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyrin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/85 "2001-10-03T16:52:41Z")
**Spiritus Mundi** , I started this post with a comment on something that I had concluded through my own personal logic. It wasn’t intended to de-rail any one else’s personal belief or lack thereof. A lot of Dopers find it necessary to attack my logic so I feel the need to defend it. My intent remains however, that I can’t in good conscience bring down someone’s belief system. As I have said in the argument itself, I can only present my side and/or belief and hope that others will look and find God on their own. I earnestly believe that if you truly seek God you will find Him. You can disagree all you want, that’s just my personal experience. I am not interested in changing your mind concerning God, what I am interested in is you personally deciding to go out and look. I am confident that if you truly do look you will change your beliefs on your own. Again, that’s just my personal experience. ---
**Author:** ![Lolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f475e1/32.png) [@Lolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lolo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/86 "2001-10-03T17:04:54Z")
Cyrin, what exactly was this experience? ---
**Author:** ![Cyrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Cyrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyrin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/87 "2001-10-03T17:06:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Maximum Override \* > \*\*Therefore, in regards to your OP, it wouldn’t matter what evidence or facts I, or anyone else, would be able to present to you relating to the non-existence of God. It would seem that you would disagree with them because they do not fit with what you believe. \*\* It’s not that they don’t fit with what I believe, it’s that I don’t agree with your inferences based upon those facts. Give me those same facts and I may very well be able to come up with my own inferences. It’s not so much that I disagree with the facts that science presents, I just disagree with many of the inferences that are derived from those facts. Also the problem of an incorrect inference can lead to an incorrect “fact” and therefore breed a whole branch of thinking based upon a fact, but not a correct interpretation of that fact. ---
**Author:** ![jovius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jovius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovius)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/88 "2001-10-03T17:08:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Çyrin \* > \*\ ***Mangetout** , I can’t argue the existence of the Tiny Orange potato people, but I also can’t argue their non-existence. The former because I haven’t had any personal experiences with said TOPP, and the later because I haven’t confirmed their non-existence. > > No one has yet confirmed the non-existence of God so to argue such is unfounded. Many people (you included) have found or had a personal experience involving God and they in turn believe in his existence. I would argue that very few people just wake up one day and vehemently argue the existence of God. > > It was suggested that I replace God with Santa in my argument, this however does not work. We as humans created the idea of Santa, and we then passed it around as Myth. God created us and then revealed himself time and time again to us and we in turn passed it around as fact. > > Next time you have a personal experience with the TOPP, let us all know. I will then decide based upon what you have to say weather to pursue a personal encounter of my own. When I tell people “God exists! This is why I believe in Him”, I don’t expect them to take my word as truth, I can only hope that my own experience will convince to go out and look for God on their own. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![jovius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jovius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovius)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/89 "2001-10-03T17:15:56Z")
(oops, sorry for the above message, accidentally click send). I think there are plenty of arguments that can counter the words from the bible or the existence of God itself. These are fairly common ones as many of you have probably read about: - The creation of the world, according to some versions of the bible, started about some 4000 or so years ago. Geological evidence have shown that Earth itself is hundreds of millions years old. - The perfectness of any animal specie (e.g. human’s creativity, human organ system, animal survival insticts, etc…) demonstrate a form of design and as such, a designer (i.e. a creator, or God). However, Dwarwin (as opposed to dwarwinism) demonstrated that certain traits are passed on from one generation to another and came up with the theory of natural selection (that has yet to be refuted). So what was the ultimate origin of life? Could be God, but science theorize that it’s more likely of formation of biochechemicals (composed of atoms, specifically protons, neutrons, electrons; or even sub-atoms which I’ve never heard of) linked togehter to form structures (proteins and other goodies); from then on composes the very basic lifeforms (such as bacteria). It’s indeed a long complex process and has very little to do with St. John the Baptist or Jesus Christ. In addition to the above quote, Santa is indeed a human creation - but wasn’t God too? The so called evidence is based on the Bible, which comes in various versions. Ever heard of the saying “The bible was written by 37 secretaries”? Who knows, maybe back then the story that an all powerful being is passed on from one generation to another and finally some people recorded it on paper, based on hearsay evidence or personal dellution. But I think we’re all approaching it the wrong way for this OP. PROOFING the existence of anything is difficult enough, let alone proofing the existence of an ethereal being subject to its existence. That’s just absurd and foolish. We can always argue for a particular point and how we apply this particular to achieve an end. In terms of God, the Bible (or the whatever other religious authorities say so), philosophers, theologians have started with various premis and shown ‘proofs’ leading to the conclusion to the existence of God. However, there exist plenty of logical counter-arguments that can ‘disprove’ them (see above examples). And that’s what it is for the nay-sayers of the existence of God. The authorities who insist in the existence of an all powerful being are dismissed as their evidence do not stand to logical counter arguments. As such, there is no reason to continue to belief in God for these nay-sayers (including myself). One can say ‘well, God exists if you look for him’. If you’re ability to reason logically is limited to a certain level on certain subject, that’s fine. But to apply this argument as an absolute authority is inappropriate, as we have seen certain individuals have done, are doing it, and will still be doing it (relating to past ‘holy’ crusades, the current terrorist situation, and certain indivuals who insists mandatory prayers in schools and such). Some people who insists on the existence of God gets too emotional and clouds their own judgement and thought, just as much that some scientists who’ll do anything to advocate their own theory for their own ends (e.g. attain status and power). So be careful. Don’t get me wrong, even though I’m ‘atheist’, I’ve met plenty of nice priests, rabbis, and worshippers. They’re some of the nicest and most caring people I’ve ever met. I like them a lot and they’re willing to help and care for people, many of whom are at the bottom of the barrel of the the society - that’s that it counts. Cheers, jovius ---
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/90 "2001-10-03T17:20:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Çyrin \* > **Maximum I never said Santa didn’t exist** Yes you did…just not in so many words. You said: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Çyrin \* > **We as humans created the idea of Santa, and we then passed it around as Myth.** So if that isn’t telling me that he doesn’t exist, what did you really mean? > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Çyrin \* > \*\*… and I never said TOPP didn’t exist.What I did say is that I haven’t experienced them and therefore cannot draw any conclusions concerning their existence. \*\* That’s right, but I find the fact that, by your own admission, you would entertain the notion of the TOPP’s existence a bit freighting. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Çyrin \* > **God on the other hand I have experienced and therefore draw a certain conclusion concerning His existence.** Well, I can’t say you didn’t, but I am curious to know what the experience was. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Çyrin \* > \*\*If someone says to me that they met Santa Clause and truly believes it, then I would probably weigh the benefits of finding such an entity and put a due amount of effort into finding said entity. Since I can find no conceivable benefit for finding Santa, I probably wouldn’t look to hard. Finding God on the other hand has numerous benefits, which is why I seriously looked for Him. \*\* [tongue in cheek] But I did meet Santa, and there were witnesses!!! And yes there are benefits of believing in Santa. If there weren’t, why do we teach him to our kids? Think of all the presents!!! There are _many_ benefits!!! Heck! Santa is easier to find that God! Go to any mall at Christmas [/tongue in cheek] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cyrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Cyrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyrin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/91 "2001-10-03T17:25:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lolo \* > \*\*Cyrin, > > what exactly was this experience? \*\* Well Lolo, I was brought up in a Christian Home and I have always gone to Church. When I was very young, some Sunday school teacher had me ask Christ into my heart. Does that save me?? Probably not. When I was about 16 I went through a real time of questioning in my life. I had never really questioned the existence of God or the truthfulness of the Bible, it was always just there because of my upbringing. At that time I really started thinking on my own as to what it was that I believed in and why? I wanted to be able to defend my faith to other people because I was so often attacked in School and when with friends, and I really didn’t know what the heck I believed. It was through a lot of reading my Bible, praying and much outside research that I started to see many of the facts for myself. I had all I needed in front of me but still didn’t really believe through and through. Now I had heard people talking about God answering prayer and I had seen people who said that God healed them or answered their prayer in some way, and I could see the results of those prayers but I hadn’t really experienced it myself. I had a Great Uncle who lived alone and never called anyone in the family. He was brought up in a Christian Home but renounced it because he thought it was being forced upon (it probably was!) That was most of the reason he stayed out of contact with the family. At any rate, he smoked constantly and was in very poor health. For some reason one day I had this sudden urge to pray for him, I just was all of a sudden really concerned that he wasn’t doing so well health wise. I felt so strongly about it that I told my Mom and Dad and they too started praying. Not five minutes into our Prayer, he called the house. He said he didn’t know why he was calling, just to see how we were. (not really in his character to do something like that) Now, this could all be coincidence, sure, but I really felt like I saw God at work that day. In the weeks that followed, i continued to pray and meditate on God’s Word and I re-affirmed my faith in God. It was an experience for me and it was the moment at which I truly felt I believed. It took a lot of true honest searching, but he was there, he didn’t disappoint. ---
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/92 "2001-10-03T17:54:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Çyrin \* > \*\*It’s not that they don’t fit with what I believe, it’s that I don’t agree with your inferences based upon those facts. Give me those same facts and I may very well be able to come up with my own inferences. It’s not so much that I disagree with the facts that science presents, I just disagree with many of the inferences that are derived from those facts. Also the problem of an incorrect inference can lead to an incorrect “fact” and therefore breed a whole branch of thinking based upon a fact, but not a correct interpretation of that fact. \*\* Dude, the sky is blue. It’s blue because blue light gets scattered around much more than all the other colors from the sun. But you could ‘infer’ that it’s because the sky is full of water, but regardless of why, the sky _is_ still blue. That is why it is called a ‘fact’…it is physically observed and the observation has been repeated. (We’ve all looked up an seen a blue sky.) [sub](We also know that the above explanation of ‘why’ is true again because of physically repeated observation.)[/sub] So, if I present you with facts, (again, physically observed evidence) that God does not exist, I am confident in saying that you would dismiss it as false because they go against what you believe. But all this is pointless. There is no evidence for the _ **non** -existence_ of God? How can there be? If he doesn’t exist, there would be no evidence of Him. And that’s when this turns into a philosophical debate rather that one of facts and evidence. Stumping an Atheist with an enigmatic question like that doesn’t mean the Atheist is wrong or that they have no grounds for their beliefs. (Which is what I am starting to this was all about.) The question you should have asked in your OP was “Can Someone prove to me that God _does_ exist?” Then we would be talking about physical experiences and how we interpret them and not sitting here chasing our tails. ---
**Author:** ![TheeGrumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheeGrumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheeGrumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/93 "2001-10-03T18:00:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Çyrin \* > **Christians have been presenting evidence, or “kinds of evidence” to everyone since the coming of Christ. > \ > When you have searched EVERYWHERE and found there to be no God, come on back, present your findings and we’ll talk.** Does “everywhere” include the hypothetical hiding place inside a black hole at the center of the galaxy? If so, then it would be impossible for such a God to transmit information (at the speed of light, anyway) outside of the event horizon. Don’t read too much into that example. The point is that whatever evidence there is of a God, it must be accessible to believers and non-believers alike. Believers suggesting that non-believers haven’t ruled out God’s existence until they’ve searched every corner of the universe are admitting that the evidence for God is not here on Earth, in plain view. This is why it is necessary for those who affirm God’s existence to present their case, and why it is impossible to prove the negative. Tell me why anyone would believe in a God (as you say Christians have done for centuries). Proving the opposite amounts to negating those putative facts, rather than establishing a positive case for the non-existence of God. Unless, of course, one postulates a God with self-contradictory qualities, which logically could not exist. ---
**Author:** ![Lolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f475e1/32.png) [@Lolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lolo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/94 "2001-10-03T18:00:56Z")
but when you look at the rest of the wolrd, outside of your own family and one particular incident, where is this God you experienced for everyone else? Disease, famine, war… death, horrible, painful death, rape, murder… etc… Is your faith really affirmed? Do you find reason to belive this one particular day whence you and your family petitioned for intervention outweighs the horror God seems to turn away from without regard? think of the poor Jewish families who prayed while they were starving in concentration camps… I’m sure I’m not going to sway your faith and I don’t mean to be insulting but your reasoning seems fairly arbitrary. This reminds me of that new song which gains popularity every day. It’s a new Christian song and it’s by some girl with black hair and she’s singing “b/c you’re everywhere to me… believe… bla bla” The video is happy and poppy, i.e. nauseating, and generally up-beat. Now, I thought it would be a great idea to play this song over a video of starving, syphlitic, AIDS suffering people in Africa, intercutting with the girl and the guitar bouncing around, then back to concentration camp footage, back to dancing girl, etc… you get the pciture. Is he everywhere to that girl with the guitar and the narrow perspective? or is she just blind? ---
**Author:** ![Spiritus\_Mundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Spiritus\_Mundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiritus_Mundi)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/95 "2001-10-03T18:20:15Z")
> [@](#): > > Spiritus Mundi, I started this post with a comment on something that I had concluded through my own personal logic. . . A lot of Dopers find it necessary to attack my logic so I feel the need to defend it. I understand. Your logic, however, is faulty. That does not mean your faith is incorrect or that God does not exist. It simply means that your logical presentation is flawed. My suspicion is that no logical demonstration of the sort you attempted can possibly be sound. Certainly I have never seen one. Similarly, no presentation for the non-existence of God (in the general sense) can be logically sound. You will notice, I trust, that nobody in this thread has attempted one. > [@](#): > > I earnestly believe that if you truly seek God you will find Him. You can disagree all you want, that’s just my personal experience. Interesting. You have personal experience of my search for God? How is that possible? Or are you simply making the categorical assumption that no atheist has ever truly sought God? > [@](#): > > I am not interested in changing your mind concerning God, what I am interested in is you personally deciding to go out and look. Then I submit that your tactics are counter-productive to your goal. ---
**Author:** ![Cyrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Cyrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyrin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/96 "2001-10-03T18:22:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lolo \* > **I’m sure I’m not going to sway your faith and I don’t mean to be insulting but your reasoning seems fairly arbitrary.** Of course it is! That has been my point since the start of this thread. I believe what I believe and it is based upon my own experiences. If I thought that my experience with God would somehow make Christians out of all of you just by reading it then I would have started a whole other thread. As I have said now three times, I can only present my belief to people, it’s up to them to choose whether to search for God or not. As to your questions concerning rape and famine etc. there are numerous theological answers for all of those things. If you REALLY want answers to those questions, do some theological reasearch, I did, and I am confident you’ll find your answers. ---
**Author:** ![Mars\_Horizon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mars_horizon/32/2804_2.png) [@Mars\_Horizon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mars_Horizon)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/97 "2001-10-03T18:33:36Z")
I just finished reading through this thread, and I noticed something on the first page that really made me laugh, though I’m certain it was unintentional on **pldennison’s** part. It was the last post on the first page, in which he said: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pldennison \* > \*\*I am as confident that there is not a God as Polycarp, for example, is that there is one. One of us, clearly, is wrong. I bet it’s him, and he bets it’s me. If I’m right, he’ll never know, because he’ll simply die and cease to exist. If he’s right, I’ll know it when I die. \*\* Does anyone else see it? We have just witnessed the birth of the theistic argument for God known as… **Phil’s Wager** 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/98 "2001-10-03T18:35:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Çyrin \* > \*\*As to your questions concerning rape and famine etc. there are numerous theological answers for all of those things. If you REALLY want answers to those questions, do some theological reasearch, I did, and I am confident you’ll find your answers. \*\* Um…I hope you’re not implying there is a reason God lets women get raped and lets children starve. If you are saying that God lets these things happen for a reason, then God is a sick individual…sorry. I think you need to clarify your answer. ---
**Author:** ![Cyrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Cyrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyrin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/99 "2001-10-03T18:36:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spiritus Mundi \* > \*\*Or are you simply making the categorical assumption that no atheist has ever truly sought God? > \*\* Absolutly. ---
**Author:** ![Cyrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Cyrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyrin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042/100 "2001-10-03T18:48:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Maximum Override \* > \*\*Um…I hope you’re not implying there is a reason God lets women get raped and lets children starve. > > If you are saying that God lets these things happen for a reason, then God is a sick individual…sorry. > > I think you need to clarify your answer. \*\* No clarification required. Although your statements are somewhat faulty. Do the theological reasearch before you say things like “God lets (x) happen”. That just isn’t theologically correct. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-prove-to-me-that-god-doesnt-exist/85042.md?page=6)