Reason

[naomi24]

If an atheist is asked why he has no belief in a supernatural God, he will usually offer a rational reason, but if a believer is asked why he believes in a supernatural god, he has no rational reason at all. How can anyone believe anything without reason?

[ummmm]

In my case it was something I never questioned. It's only since reading R&S that I started to realise how ridiculous it all sounded.

[Old_Geezer]

The rational reason must surely be the belief that something must have caused everything to be.

Rationality is over-rated anyway. It's used to sneer at those considering issues the rationalist refuses to, implying those that do must be all nutters.

[naomi24]

Ummmm, :o)

Actually, this question arose from something Flobadob said. He said he didn't believe in the Big Bang, but had no reason. I can't understand that.

[naomi24]

OG, //Rationality is over-rated anyway. It's used to sneer at those considering issues the rationalist refuses to//

What issues do you think rationalists refuse to consider, OG?

[Old_Geezer]

Spiritual ones mainly. They have found no material proof in the material world of spiritual matters so it follows everyone who believes in it must be deluded.

[mike11111]

PMSL at the opening sentence. Am dying to hear about the odd atheist who offers an irrational reason. As for the rest of the post, then perhaps the Bishop of Rome and His Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, both men of profound learning and scholarship, can provide an answer which would prove far more satisfactory to the enquiring mind that anything that this poor miserable sinner can come up with.

[naomi24]

OG, If they've found no material proof, it follows that they must have looked for material proof. Therefore they haven't refused to consider the issue.

[naomi24]

Mike, // PMSL at the opening sentence. Am dying to hear about the odd atheist who offers an irrational reason.//

Perhaps you need to think about it a little more.

[mike11111]

'scuse me, but your opening line clearly states that an atheist will USUALLY (your word, pet, not mine) offer a RATIONAL reason. This presupposes that occasionally an atheist will UNUSUALLY offer an IRRATIONAL reason, and it is that very reason that I look forward to hearing. I shall, of course, gloss over the fact that the adjective, rational, is derived from the noun, reason, thus making their conjunction tautological.

[naomi24]

An atheist may simply do as the religious do - and say 'I just do' - which is irrational. There you are. Not that difficult is it - pet? ;o)

[Ellipsis]

> If an atheist is asked why he has no belief in a supernatural God, he will usually offer a rational reason

Go on then ... why do you have no belief in a supernatural God? What's your "rational reason"?

[naomi24]

I have no evidence.

[jomifl]

Mike1111,
//This presupposes that occasionally an atheist will UNUSUALLY offer an IRRATIONAL reason, and it is that very reason that I look forward to hearing//
There is another alternative, the atheist may offer no reason at all.

[keyplus90]

////If an atheist is asked why he has no belief in a supernatural God, he will usually offer a rational reason,////

I would put it this way, “If an atheist is asked why he has no belief in a supernatural God, he will usually offer (what he believes) a rational reason.
////but if a believer is asked why he believes in a supernatural god, he has no rational reason at all.////

I would put this one just like this, but if a believer is asked why he believes in a supernatural god, his reason would never be taken as rational.

Naomi. Can you give me one rational reason that love, hate, and pain exist?

[Ellipsis]

> I have no evidence

You don't need evidence for belief - you only need faith.

Beyond that, the lack of evidence in the existence of a supernatural God is not evidence that a supernatural God does not exist. You have no evidence either way ... which gives you the option of being agnostic.

In other words, you can be a believer without evidence, and you can be agnostic without evidence - so what's your rational reason for being an atheist?

[naomi24]

Keyplus, if you want to ask a different question, ask it separately. Don't throw this thread off track.

[naomi24]

//so what's your rational reason for being an atheist? //

I have no evidence to convince me otherwise.

[keyplus90]

///I have no evidence.///

What sort of evidence would you believe in?

[naomi24]

Rational evidence.

[mike11111]

"Rational evidence."

Eeh, pet, sorry you're having such a slow day. Surely that which is irrational is, by definition, not evidence of any kind.