Ive heard game playing can be related to atheism, because it contains such violence and unrealistic situations that it can make a person stray from gods path. I am a devout christian, and i wanted to know if that is a popular belief, or simply a rumor that has spread around.
I believe Atheists as nothing, really. There's a huge variety of Atheists (and not so much for a religious sect), for instance, I'm 14, I own a blog, I'm making 2 stories and I am what you'd probably call a "nerd".
The simple way round this is to ask them what a nerd is. No one can come up with a definition that is insulting.
And while I think games are not always violent anyway and they don't have any affect on faith but if they did that'd be a good thing.
Firstly, i would like to point out that i am a girl, not a guy, though that isnt quite relevant to the subject of discussion. Second, i have in no way tried to put down atheism. In fact, i used to be atheistic. I have no problem with anyones opinion as far as religion goes, and i will never try to change anyones faith. A true connection with God is created by your own will, not by the will of others. I would hope to think that people who have other religious veiws wouldnt criticize so harshly those of us that believe in the Lord God and Jesus, but sadly that is not apparently so. Just as well, i would like to point out that i HAVE read the bible many times, and i said in a previous comment, and i know there is a lot of violence in there, especially involving the crucifiction of Jesus. The fact is that killing people in a game makes you life up or level up or any other means of gratification is nothing like the violence in the bible. Yes, there was a purpose behind that, an ultimate goal to save humanity from their own sins, but the Lord wants us to follow in his path, help others, and know that death by the hand of our brothers' is wrong. Just so all of you who have replied with snide comments will know, my barely 15 years of life have been hard. For most of my life i thought there was no god, because if there was then i wouldnt be in the situation i was in. My friend asked me to go to church with her, and though i didnt like the idea, i went anyway. That night, i found god. It was amazing, and in less than a year, the situation resolved. I will not go into detail, because i feel that only few of you would actually care to hear my story with sympathy, but praying got me through it. I do spread the word of god as well as i can, because he saved me when i was on the edge. Most kids dont usually do that sort of thing, because most kids honestly are more connected to cell phones or facebook. I dont feel the immediate need to restate my question, so i will leave it at that. I just wanted to clarify that i am not a nutjob, i understand your points, and i do appreciate your commentary. Please restrain your negative feedback please, because it really was an earnest question and its not quite enjoyable going through four pages discussing how jaded i am.
Violence has and always will be apart of entertainment. Playing video is a great deal less destructive then sending people to fight to the death in the Colosseum. Me being an atheist has NOTHING to do with me playing video games.
Thank you Draconigena, i understand. I was just wondering if my fellow Armor Gamers thought it was possible for someone to be so avid a gameplayer that they begin to lose their faith in the Lord. Its something my pastor brought up, my father, being atheistic, disagreed with, and a topic i thought could be resolved calmly with the council of the viewers of posts such as this. I never even said i did or didnt beleive in this theory, i was simply asking the opinion of you guys.
Well, I don't believe that is the case. If violence led to atheism, I don't think the Crusades would have lasted very long. I think that today's increased atheism is caused by our increased knowledge of the world, and how easily we can access that knowledge. I think learning causes atheism, not violence.
I'm not trying to say that religious people are people with little knowledge, my point is merely that when the world is explained through science, people don't feel the same need to turn to religion to find answers.
I understand that as well iMogwai, and so many things can be proven by science, but others simply cannot as of yet. I beleive in God, only because there is no proof he doesnt exist, and so many wonderful things have happened to me since i found my faith. Im not saying the Big Bang theory is implausable, but even then, you have to consider the fact that every thing in the universe had some beginning. If the first microscopic atom was created 100000000000000000000000 years ago, what created it? Nothing cannot create something. It is my opinion that the Lord created that first peice of our universe, and maybe the Big Bang theory did happen, but the evolution of the universe as we know it now, began with his hand. I am very practical, and i understand the idea is hard comprehend. And no, we dont feel the need to turn to religion as we used to in the past, but sometimes i feel it necessary to turn to religion for help dealing with a problem, whether family, friend, school, or another topic altogether.
If the first microscopic atom was created 100000000000000000000000 years ago, what created it? Nothing cannot create something. It is my opinion that the Lord created that first peice of our universe, and maybe the Big Bang theory did happen, but the evolution of the universe as we know it now, began with his hand.
If nothing can't create something, how was your god created? And if he has always existed, how come what caused the Big Bang couldn't have always existed?
I can agree with that nothing cannot create something, but by saying that means an intelligent created must have created it you sort of contradict that statement, because of the reason I gave in the last paragraph.
And no, we dont feel the need to turn to religion as we used to in the past, but sometimes i feel it necessary to turn to religion for help dealing with a problem, whether family, friend, school, or another topic altogether.
I can understand that religion can help you in tough times, but that shouldn't cause people to convert to it. If you believe in a religion, then you should believe in what it says before you do so, and not just because you need encouragement. So basically, I'm not saying religion doesn't help in tough situations, just that you'd need to already be a believer to find that help, and thus does not cause people to convert.
Well, i do see your point. I did contradict myself there. Honestly, if god existed previously then i dont see how the matter that caused the big bang theory wouldnt have either. My argument kind of falls flat there. But god isnt a human, and hes not supposed to be tangible, according to the bible. It could be that he has always existed, creating everything, or maybe he only exists within the minds of those of us who beleive in him. Either side of the religious spectrum would obviously pick sides and begin a battle to prove whos right, but i suppose thats impossible to do... The only way to know god is truly real is after we die. I didnt post that with the intention of questioning my beliefs, but i do agree with your statements. I will continue to worship God though, and perhaps someday i will be in heaven. Or rotting away, six feet under the ground, with my soul and mind with me.
Crazyrussian97, if there is no fact that the big bang caused the creation of earth, and no fact that god created it, then one person cant say the other is wrong just because there is no factual evidence to back it up. Until there is immovable evidence toward one or the other, i will stand firm to my belief, and you can stand firm to yours.
Crazyrussian97, if there is no fact that the big bang caused the creation of earth, and no fact that god created it, then one person cant say the other is wrong just because there is no factual evidence to back it up.
That's where you are wrong. While we can say that neither is 100% certain, based on the evidence, we can say that one is ~99% certain and the other is 0% certain. If you are 99% of one thing, and 0% certain of another, which is the more reasonable and likely position? It really doesn't take an intellectual giant to see that siding with the position with evidence in favor of it is far more reasonable than siding with the position that has absolutely no evidence for it, and actually has lots of evidence AGAINST it.
The big bang theory is just that; a theory, which means that while it may not be right it a least is supported by a well-thought out and logical explanation supported by facts taken from the real world. By all means, it could be wrong, but is likely right. So you can tell me i'm wrong, but you'd have to put logical evidence behind it as to why.
God on the other hand is supported by an ancient book of fairy-tales (ooh talking snake convinced a woman made from a rib to eat a magic fruit, universal zombie with the power to redeem the sin god made you born with in the first place, etc...)and can be disproven... sort of. Technically, you cannot disprove something like him because you can;t gather data or other things that would help you disprove something that doesn't exist, other than the common logic which goes back to the flying spaghetti monster that i mentioned earlier.
For example, I worship the magical deity of Weezlethorpe, who rules with a magical bannana scepter and spews pixie dust out of his bunghole (which in fact created the big bang). He's all powerful and all knowing so what I just said is totally possible. Also, because of this power he is incomprehensible to the human mind. Now disprove my Weezlethorp. He's just as believeable as your god and the big bang, right?
