What led you to believe there is no god?

My question is, what led you to your conclusion? Who or what affected this decision?

I was brought up without belief in gods or goddesses. When I came home from school with bible stories, my mother told me local polynesian tribal stories to put them in perspective. So I can't really understand people's desperate need to believe in gods or goddesses - or just one. It seems too much like an Invisible Friend to me.

Most things, we believe in them because we have lots of direct evidence. We are told to believe in god/dess/es with only the flimsiest of indirect evidence, and then told that believing itself is virtuous and part of the process, but that ('faith) is cheating. Anything else, if you believe it without enough evidence, we call gullible. What makes religous claims different?

And on the other side there's that whole fear trip - if you don't believe, you'll go to Hell! Oh foo. I go with Tom Paine: Scorn bribe of heaven or threat of hell. These are just tricks the religion meme uses to promote its own survival.

Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion is very simply written and clear. For evolution, read any of his other books, like Climbing Mount Improbable. Evolution is just common sense when you look at how:- cats, tigers and lions; dogs, foxes and wolves; apples and pears; oranges, lemons and limes; bees, wasps and hornets; etc etc - are so obviously related. Just take it that one step further - we're ALL related. I find that idea very uplifting.

The DaVinci code,
Common sense
Attending a catholic school.

Hey I don't believe in god but I do believe in God. . . . does this question include me?

Well be inturept the bible in many diffrent ways.
I do belive in god, but on the otherhand I do not!
There is two ways of looking at it and one is of course is god
and the second evelution.
Both ways make sense to me!

Jesus. Someone actually included The Da Vinci Code in their answer. Goes to show how influential Dan Brown is as a fiction writer.

i'm probably gonna get bashed down for this but i believe there is a God. firstly the voice of God can only be heard if u let him. its was never a loud booming voice even in the old testament. its a soft yet clear voice that can only be heard if u keep a close walk with him.

as for evolution, its been disproven cause they realised that when we mutate, we lose DNA codes instead of make new ones. and if we start from single cell organisms, losing DNA would just cause us to become worse and worse.

There is nothing that led me to believe there is no God. Because I believe there is God if I am wrong then who made us, who made the world, who control everything.
The biggest prove when I am ask my God for any thing that I need such us for help and I see the result that’s mean there is God.

The DaVinci Code is outright slanderous, so I hope that anyone who has read that book will have the good sense not to believe it. I also hope that anyone who doesn't believe in God will one day find Him. If anyone has any questions about faith, please funmail me!

***Jesus. Someone actually included The Da Vinci Code in their answer. Goes to show how influential Dan Brown is as a fiction writer.***

...or L. Ron Hubbard, for that matter.

Belinda, I have seen this answer pop up before concerning attending a Catholic school, as the reason to not believe in God. Would you mind to elaborate on this, please, so that we can have a better understanding of why this is, when the Catholic religion is supposed to be Christian?

Meal... thanks for the input, but, I am trying to get a feel for what causes people to not believe in God... big G...

Mr. Smed, to try to answer your questions as to my understanding,

The bible came from God, thru the direct inspirition of the Holy Spirit, as he moved upon men of God. (that were already believers)

God talked to certain individuals, in order that his words would be recorded for the rest of us, he does talk to us now, but, we have to be believers first, and second, we have to then discern how he is talking. That is an idea for another post... Thank you !!!

As to the praying to a god... little g... any god... I think that shows faith on your part in believing that there is a power out there that is greater than what we see in everyday life, and that believing as I do, that God... big G... is above every god... little g... that eventually you will come to the realization that every god... little g... has failed you... so, in effect, your pursuit of faith, will lead you to the one true God... big G.

XX... I understand your delima... many are at the same place that you are, but, the good that I see is that you have faith, and hopefully that faith will lead you into all truth.
We have to start with the understanding that we have, before we can move into a different understanding.Hearing or reading the word of God, builds faith, and you are in the religion category... so... I see that as an indication that you want to understand more about God , his word, and his interaction people on this earth.

Blessings...

Why does everyone thing my user name is mealw. . . it's RNEALW

Belinda... Zig... I don't know much about the Da Vinci Code... but, if it promotes unbelief, I can tell you who its author is... and that is Satan. It is his job to destroy faith, as fast as it is trying to take root in a persons life, and he has been around since the begining of time, he knows all the tricks, he knows our weaknesses... and he preys upon them... he is a vulture... snatching away any grain or morsel of truth that comes our way... however... if we are persistant, we can overcome all his objections... with Gods help... faith if the key...

EXU... Do not be afraid of bashing... consider it as Goliath... and take the tiny stone that God has given you, and hit it right between the eyes, just as David did!!!
RESIST THE ENEMY ... AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU !!! YOu know the truth, and you have the armies of heaven behind you, along with the word of God, in your hand, and in your heart, and in your mouth...SPEAK IT!!!
As for the truth that you have found about evolution, please pursue this... many do not know about this truth... you do... I urge you to shout it from the housetops... find the courage within... you are Gods messanger... speak...Make a post... share it everywhere you go... this is your tibbit of information... that many do not have. ...
This is the way God works... you appear to be a very young man... yet.. you have found or been led to a profound truth... Many are held out of the Kingdom, because of the teachings of evolution... and this truth... is powerful enough to shatter the previous thinking on this subject... it needs to be known... I urge you to continue speaking this, and elaborate on it, pursue it, with all your heart, for it is a key that will unlock multitudes out of their cell of unbelief... If you did nothing else, in your lifetime, but share this one truth... it is more than enough... Do not be afraid... God has intrusted you with this knowledge... go with it...

RNeal... Sorry... when you look at your username on here it looks just like mealw...
Maybe if you re intered it in caps... if that is possible... it might read right. I can see it now, that you have pointed it out, but, I didn't see it before... however, I am over 50, and wear glasses... which need to be upgraded to a stronger version...

My memory is not too good either, but, I will try to remember to address you correctly...

Blessings...

Captain... it shows how powerful words are... they are like swords... in the hand of the user... whether to bring faith or unbelief... this is our war... the war of words... our soldiers are fighting the fleshly battle and we at home are fighting the spiritual battle... there are casualties on both sides... but, the one thing that we need to remember is that FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE...

Uhhh... okay. Are we talking about the same thing?

I don't know much about the Da Vinci Code... but, if it promotes unbelief, I can tell you who its author is... and that is Satan.

Yeah, I have no doubt that Dan Brown is a spawn of Satan. Horrible writing and plagiarism... and he is somehow a best-selling author. He's using his dark power indeed.

I read the da vinci code and found it interesting but it didn't make me doubt Gods word. . . .

The God Delusion is a horrible piece of crap. Darwin may be an expert on evolution, but he really should stay away from theology.