# Why is this site overwhelmingly atheist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 30, 2014, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938 "2014-08-30T04:04:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/341 "2014-09-11T06:40:59Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Supposedly the prophecies coming true are evidence of god. Do you you think they are just luck? Would God lose money at the racetrack? I think the intent of the prophecies was to allow God to broadcast something he was going to do at a later date. As an omnipotent being, he can be pretty certain that no one is going to prevent those events from happening, and he can be pretty certain that he will have the ability to pull them off, however strange they might be. E.g., if I tell you that in 4 days, the President of Turkmenthuania is going to die, that could either be a prediction of the future, or simply me sharing with you my intent to assassinate the President of Turkmenthuania in 4 days. The latter isn’t future-telling. And I imagine that God would only lose money at the racetrack if he allowed the race to go forward without intervention. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/342 "2014-09-11T11:01:31Z")
If a supreme being (or a human) who knew ahead of time his child would cause great harm , We would not have that child. I do not know ahead of time what my child would do, but I would not give my child a gun to kill someone. If this is so, then God is not all loving, caring, or benign. But since we would consider such a human evil why would we think a supreme being is better? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/343 "2014-09-11T13:59:17Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Rabbits have hooves? Yes, but they only wear them for special occasions. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/344 "2014-09-11T14:29:31Z")
> [@monavis](#): > > If a supreme being (or a human) who knew ahead of time his child would cause great harm , We would not have that child. I do not know ahead of time what my child would do, but I would not give my child a gun to kill someone. If this is so, then God is not all loving, caring, or benign. But since we would consider such a human evil why would we think a supreme being is better? but - god has a plan - he must allow evil to show how good he is. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/345 "2014-09-11T14:37:10Z")
> [@simster](#): > > but - god has a plan - he must allow evil to show how good he is. If he would just get rid of all evil, I’d be willing to take his word on his being good. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/346 "2014-09-11T14:43:45Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > If he would just get rid of all evil, I’d be willing to take his word on his being good. but how would you know what ‘good’ is without ‘evil’ to compare it to? what if he took out good and declared evil good - what then? huh, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/347 "2014-09-11T15:00:28Z")
> [@simster](#): > > what if he took out good and declared evil good - what then? huh, huh? Ýou’d get what we have now? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/348 "2014-09-11T15:01:03Z")
> [@simster](#): > > but how would you know what ‘good’ is without ‘evil’ to compare it to? > > what if he took out good and declared evil good - what then? huh, huh? " 'When I use a word,’ God said, in a rather scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.’ " -Alice In Heavenland ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/349 "2014-09-11T15:17:10Z")
> [@Latro](#): > > Ýou’d get what we have now? You only see evil now? How would you know evil if you don’t know good? > [@Czarcasm](#): > > " 'When I use a word,’ God said, in a rather scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.’ " > -Alice In Heavenland good quote. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/350 "2014-09-11T15:45:53Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > So much for your opinion. That doesn’t account for how the term as understood before the modern notion was worked out, any more than a similar glib answer could explain “kind” before Mendel’s system was approved. > [@simster](#): > > You only see evil now? How would you know evil if you don’t know good? > > good quote. Oh, now you’re plagiarizing Lewis Carroll. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/351 "2014-09-11T17:42:20Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Oh, now you’re plagiarizing Lewis Carroll. unfounded accusation and an idiotic post. its not [plagiarism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism)- its [parody](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody) its not plagiarism, as its actually a twist based on Lewis Carroll’s work - which would fall under fair use (see parody, again) Even if it were, in fact, plagiarism, you’re directing the accusation at the wrong person. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/352 "2014-09-11T17:45:02Z")
> [@simster](#): > > You only see evil now? How would you know evil if you don’t know good? If the followers of the son of god, who was descended from among god’s chosen people, determined through the teaching of god’s only son that it is appropriate to kill the descendants of god’s own chosen people, I would guess that the effect of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil upon the descendants of Adam and Eve was a matter of false advertising. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/353 "2014-09-11T18:16:55Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > If the followers of the son of god, who was descended from among god’s chosen people, determined through the teaching of god’s only son that it is appropriate to kill the descendants of god’s own chosen people, I would guess that the effect of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil upon the descendants of Adam and Eve was a matter of false advertising. “knowledge of good and evil” only suggest that before the eating of the fruit - they had no basis to know what ws good or evil - that all things were “just so”. Which begs the question how they would know that disobeying god would be a bad thing. or that talking snakes were evil - after all, they had been following the guidance of a “voice” for sometime then. However - the mere concept that a human sacrifice was needed to appease God - that, without any further thought - is pure evil. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/354 "2014-09-11T19:37:53Z")
> [@simster](#): > > However - the mere concept that a human sacrifice was needed to appease God - that, without any further thought - is pure evil. Except, it is not entirely clear what this “sacrifice” was. A few hours of discomfort and indignity, they a brief dirtnap, then he hops up and goes on about his biz (according to the Gospel of John, he went and did a bunch more fun stuff before ascending into heaven to be at his father’s side). For an immortal creature, in the scope of eternal life, it seems pretty piddling, that little crucifiction event. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/355 "2014-09-11T20:03:10Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Except, it is not entirely clear what this “sacrifice” was. A few hours of discomfort and indignity, they a brief dirtnap, then he hops up and goes on about his biz (according to the Gospel of John, he went and did a bunch more fun stuff before ascending into heaven to be at his father’s side). For an immortal creature, in the scope of eternal life, it seems pretty piddling, that little crucifiction event. We’re on the same page overall - but Modern Christianity - by and large - treats it as a “sacrifice” - and that it was intense - that he died - that he came back. That GOD chose to resurrect him is immaterial to the fact that the sacrifice was required in the first place - By GOD. Makes it seem even more problematic that he killed him just to bring him back. John 3:16, etc, ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/356 "2014-09-11T21:53:05Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > That doesn’t strike me as a contradiction. The entity can do anything it wants to do. That it knows in advance what it is going to want is not a violation of that principle. We can change what we want to do. If God cannot, we are more powerful than he is in a sense, which means he is not god. Anyhow I covered this in my first post on this subject - it is not what he wants to do, it is what he can do. My saying I don’t want to flap my wings and fly doesn’t mean that I have that power if I chose to use it. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/357 "2014-09-11T21:58:23Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I think the intent of the prophecies was to allow God to broadcast something he was going to do at a later date. As an omnipotent being, he can be pretty certain that no one is going to prevent those events from happening, and he can be pretty certain that he will have the ability to pull them off, however strange they might be. > > E.g., if I tell you that in 4 days, the President of Turkmenthuania is going to die, that could either be a prediction of the future, or simply me sharing with you my intent to assassinate the President of Turkmenthuania in 4 days. The latter isn’t future-telling. > > And I imagine that God would only lose money at the racetrack if he allowed the race to go forward without intervention. Biblical prophecies seldom have the hand of God in them. (Jesus returning is an exception.) Look at the many gloom and doom prophecies in the OT. Did they come true because of the misbehavior of Judea, or did God make them come true? And if prophecies come true because of god - and they depend on many factors - then it means that God is controlling everything and we don’t have free will. Omniscience in the standard sense just might mean that God knows how we will exercise our free will - no problem there since we aren’t omnipotent - but not omniscience through control. This all is a great example of how the God concept is easy to say (like four-sided triangles) but is logically incoherent. ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/358 "2014-09-11T22:39:15Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > If I don’t believe the Judeo-Christian creation fable I must be an atheist? I sense a middle someone is excluding. You’re referring to the informal fallacy of _false dilemma_. The law of excluded middle stipulates that either p or ~p must be the case. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/359 "2014-09-11T22:54:47Z")
This is amazing. Eight pages, and the OP has never posted again. He didn’t even have a good OP. It didn’t even make sense. How come I can’t get think kind of response to my threads? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938/360 "2014-09-11T22:56:09Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > This is amazing. Eight pages, and the OP has never posted again. He didn’t even have a good OP. It didn’t even make sense. > > How come I can’t get think kind of response to my threads? You don’t have God on your side. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-site-overwhelmingly-atheist/696938.md?page=19)