toldailytopic: Do all atheists know in their heart that God exists yet reject Him?

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Nathon Detroit

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The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for February 16th, 2010 11:03 AM


toldailytopic: Do all atheists know in their heart that God exists yet reject Him?






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I think Aquinas's 'yes and no' answer to this question is basically correct.

"To know that God exists in a general and confused way is implanted in us by nature, inasmuch as God is man’s beatitude. For man naturally desires happiness, and what is naturally desired by man must be naturally known to him. This, however, is not to know absolutely that God exists; just as to know that someone is approaching is not the same as to know that Peter is approaching, even though it is Peter who is approaching; for many there are who imagine that man’s perfect good which is happiness, consists in riches, and others in pleasures, and others in something else." (Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae, Ia q. 2, a. 1).
 
King cobra

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All people know at some level that God exists. There are scatheists (so-called atheist) who outwardly reject the notion of a supernatural, uncreated Creator for various reasons.
 
Granite

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Why do you guys presume to think you know atheists better than they know themselves? (Yes, rhetorical question.)
 
Ktoyou

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No, Not in my experience. The atheists I have known had grown up with little or none home religious exposure and they never wondered about it being real. They believe they are of the same nature of animals and die completely. The few, I knew had caring parents who wanted their children to be successful in life, they cared for their children, yet they thought religion was mainly a superstition. Some of them say they are agnostic, however, they have no adherence to any theism,

The few I have known who talked most about being an atheist, were from a rather strict religious background. These persons were more likely to return to their faith in Christianity, yet in a more personal denomination. They usually pick a more conservative, or charismatic church compared to the one they were raised.

Some, a smaller group opt for a more liberal church, however, these persons had not become atheists, yet some lose interest all-together and then turn to non theism, yet call themselves agnostic. Most in this last group were educated in the humanities,
 
Ktoyou

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King cobra said:
All people know at some level that God exists. There are scientists (so-called atheist) who outwardly reject the notion of a supernatural, uncreated Creator for various reasons.
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I disagree with your idea. It seems you assume that what you think is what other people must think. This is a common way for making assumptions about perception. It is a form of self-validation. We want to believe others believe as we do, it is a basic human need.
 
antiknight

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Actually there is no such thing as a theist. While they may have fooled themselves into believing a god, no god exists therefore their belief is hollow.
 
King cobra

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Ktoyou said:
No, Not in my experience. The atheists I have known had grown up with little or none home religious exposure and they never wondered about it being real. They believe they are of the same nature of animals and die completely. The few, I knew had caring parents who wanted their children to be successful in life, they cared for their children, yet they thought religion was mainly a superstition. Some of them say they are agnostic, however, they have no adherence to any theism,

The few I have known who talked most about being an atheist, were from a rather strict religious background. These persons were more likely to return to their faith in Christianity, yet in a more personal denomination. They usually pick a more conservative, or charismatic church compared to the one they were raised.

Some, a smaller group opt for a more liberal church, however, these persons had not become atheists, yet some lose interest all-together and then turn to non theism, yet call themselves agnostic. Most in this last group were educated in the humanities,
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We are talking here of the “existence of God.” Not the existence or validity of religion, or religiosity, or even religulous-ness.
I believe most who turn to scatheism do so out of a disdain towards “religious” people…indeed misguided yet often understandable.
 
King cobra

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Ktoyou said:
I disagree with your idea. It seems you assume that what you think is what other people must think. This is a common way for making assumptions about perception. It is a form of self-validation. We want to believe others believe as we do, it is a basic human need.
Click to expand...

We are talking here of the knowledge of the existence of God.
I know full well that others don’t believe as I do. I also know full well that scatheists know God exists.
 
King cobra

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antiknight said:
Actually there is no such thing as a theist. While they may have fooled themselves into believing a god, no god exists therefore their belief is hollow.
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Spoken like a true scatheist. However, the greatest Authority exposes your lie: Romans 1:18-22
 
Granite

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King cobra said:
We are talking here of the knowledge of the existence of God.
I know full well that others don’t believe as I do. I also know full well that scatheists know God exists.
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With all due respect to your psychic abilities, how do you know this?

And you're a hypocrite, by the way; you can't talk about an atheist's disdain for religious people when you have so much contempt for atheists that you have to make up your own little nickname for them.
 
WizardofOz

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Do all atheists know in their heart that God exists yet reject Him?

I don't necessarily think this is the case, but I have often noticed in my interactions with atheists that as soon as you ask why they lack a belief, they usually rattle of something about the bible or a general disillusionment with religious dogma.

I can certainly say that even without the bible or any other "holy texts" that I would "know" God/spirit exists.
 
King cobra

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Granite said:
Umm, a clue, dude: Tyler Durden.
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Hint: Clyde Berpo


Granite said:
With all due respect to your psychic abilities, how do you know this?

And you're a hypocrite, by the way; you can't talk about an atheist's disdain for religious people when you have so much contempt for atheists that you have to make up your own little nickname for them.
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More descriptive than nicktive.
 
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