Question For The Atheist

[SacredBishop]

Atheism tends to confine religion to nothing more than a God to pray to and an afterlife to go to, but I'm curious about the need to wrestle with God. If you dislike the term substitute your own. Wrestling with religion, Wrestling with doubt, etc.

Psalm 22:1 " My God, my God, why have You forsaken me; why so far from helping me, and far from the words of my roaring?" There is a curious need people have to wrestle with God. This can be dismissed to the frustrations of unanswered prayer for sure, but not entirely. How does atheism account for the need to struggle with God? The desire for prayer and an afterlife is obvious enough, but the desire to confront God for the perceived absence of Himself. This is rather curious to me.

The hallmark of Christian poets, theologians, and critical thinkers as well, is not hallelujah, praised be God but rather where is God? Struggling with God in a world where He seems absent is the essence of most religious books, and seems to denote a need to wrestle with God, rather than a peculiar pitfall of spirituality in general.

Apologists seem to enjoy the battle more than defending their faith. If we reduce apologetics to nothing more than religion grappling with modern scrutiny then we have dismissed a vital part of being human. To argue. Apologists seem to get something out of their musings, which is beyond the scope of merely being relevant in modernity. They feel a need.

[Tcg]

[Replying to SacredBishop in post #1]

Why do you think a person who lacks belief in god/gods would feel a need to wrestle with an entity or entities they have no belief in?


Tcg

[SacredBishop]

[Replying to SacredBishop in post #1]

Why do you think a person who lacks belief in god/gods would feel a need to wrestle with an entity or entities they have no belief in?


Tcg

Easy, atheists are normally interested in human behavior and beliefs, especially on debate forums. However, you might be right. This post might rot in oblivion.

[Purple Knight]

If that thing exists I prefer it to be as absent as possible. I don't want to wrestle it. I'd lose. If it exists I ask that it just leave me alone.

[Tcg]

[Replying to SacredBishop in post #1]

Why do you think a person who lacks belief in god/gods would feel a need to wrestle with an entity or entities they have no belief in?


Tcg

Easy, atheists are normally interested in human behavior and beliefs, especially on debate forums. However, you might be right. This post might rot in oblivion.

Your reply may explain why atheists would be interested in why some feel the need to wrestle with god/gods. It doesn't address why you think they would feel a need to wrestle with god/gods given that they lack belief in them.


Tcg

[Miles]

Atheism tends to confine religion to nothing more than a God to pray to and an afterlife to go to, but I'm curious about the need to wrestle with God.

While this may seem so, or you believe it to be so, all atheism "does" is declare a lack of belief in the existence of god(s). All else is irrelevant addenda.

.

[SacredBishop]

Atheists have done well in explaining away people's desire to pray and have an afterlife. I'm just wanting their input on this as well. Obviously they don't believe in God, but they do believe that religious things have natural explanations. I'm seeking one of those kind of atheists, because I enjoy their intelligent input. I'll wait till one of them responds. I'm not going to reply to atheists only care about atheist things henceforth.

[Tcg]

Atheists have done well in explaining away people's desire to pray and have an afterlife. I'm just wanting their input on this as well. Obviously they don't believe in God, but they do believe that religious things have natural explanations. I'm seeking one of those kind of atheists, because I enjoy their intelligent input. I'll wait till one of them responds. I'm not going to reply to atheists only care about atheist things henceforth.

You've got the burden of proof backwards. If you claim humans have a need to wrestle with God, it is your duty to provide evidence that supports that claim.


Tcg

[SacredBishop]

Atheists have done well in explaining away people's desire to pray and have an afterlife. I'm just wanting their input on this as well. Obviously they don't believe in God, but they do believe that religious things have natural explanations. I'm seeking one of those kind of atheists, because I enjoy their intelligent input. I'll wait till one of them responds. I'm not going to reply to atheists only care about atheist things henceforth.

You've got the burden of proof backwards. If you claim humans have a need to wrestle with God, it is your duty to provide evidence that supports that claim.


Tcg

Yes, they're are atheists that consider religion irrelevant, and mock any conversation of it. I don't have to prove the rationale of why people are religious, I can only assume they feel a need to be religious. Such as people feel the need to be flippant contrarions on social media.

Daniel Dennet asserts religious people have a need to be religious. He speculates religion is like a parasite in the human psyche. Many atheist philosophers posit there is a perceived need to be religious and offer a wide range of fascinating explanations, as well as alternatives. Those particular atheists do not say a burden of proof is required to discuss this topic at all.

Again, and for the last time, yes, some atheists could care less about any of this. I am not attempting to engage which those particular atheists. They can fire off flippant off topics and avoid meaningful conversations altogether, but they need to realize that they don't represent atheist philosophers in general. Atheism is bigger and broader than that!

[Tcg]

Atheists have done well in explaining away people's desire to pray and have an afterlife. I'm just wanting their input on this as well. Obviously they don't believe in God, but they do believe that religious things have natural explanations. I'm seeking one of those kind of atheists, because I enjoy their intelligent input. I'll wait till one of them responds. I'm not going to reply to atheists only care about atheist things henceforth.

You've got the burden of proof backwards. If you claim humans have a need to wrestle with God, it is your duty to provide evidence that supports that claim.


Tcg

Yes, they're are atheists that consider religion irrelevant, and mock any conversation of it. I don't have to prove the rationale of why people are religious, I can only assume they feel a need to be religious. Such as people feel the need to be flippant contrarions on social media.

Daniel Dennet asserts religious people have a need to be religious. He speculates religion is like a parasite in the human psyche. Many atheist philosophers posit there is a perceived need to be religious and offer a wide range of fascinating explanations, as well as alternatives. Those particular atheists do not say a burden of proof is required to discuss this topic at all.

Again, and for the last time, yes, some atheists could care less about any of this. I am not attempting to engage which those particular atheists. They can fire off flippant off topics and avoid meaningful conversations altogether, but they need to realize that they don't represent atheist philosophers in general. Atheism is bigger and broader than that!

I've not stated anything flippant nor off topic in fact I have engaged the topic directly which is why I asked you to support the claim you are making. Do you care to do so? If you attempt it, we can then discuss whether your view has merit or not.


Tcg