A question for everybody: Do atheists think they're responsible for everythi

Question: A question for everybody: Do atheists think they're responsible for everything that happens to them!?

I'm just curious - everything good and everything bad that happens to atheist, do they take responsibility/blame for!? Since supposedly there is no God or Devil or anything like that!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Good honest thought provoking question!. Technically they should, though to them it is not bad, it just is , what is!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.if you understand what I mean!. As they know they are just an accidental genetic mutation of time and place with no meaning, or no purpose and a use by date!. How dull and boring an outlook on your reason for life!. I am glad I am a divine creation of eternal life!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

First problem with your question is assuming all atheists think a like!. All they in common is they don't believe in a God, gods, etc!. Both Karl Marx, the communist, and Ayn Rand, the radical capitalist, were atheists!.

So to answer your question I can only express my thoughts on the matter and not act like I am answering for all of the atheist population!. I accept that there is a very large reality that is not controlled, managed, or under my direction so I therefore I don't believe everything that happens to me is my caused by my volition!. If I get hit by a drunk driver when I am out walking it is not my fault!. If I am walking in the middle of street because I am drunk and get hit by a car my responsibility for the accident is, of course, much higher than in the first case!. If I pull out a gun and shoot someone I should bare the full responsibility for the immoral act!. If I plan and achieve some goal I set for myself I get to feel successful!. If I gamble on black jack and win I feel lucky!. If I gamble and lose I feel unlucky!. If I gamble more than I have and lose I feel stupid!. In summary, I believe I am responsible for the acts I commit for good or evil and if something happens that is not caused by any of my actions but I get something out of it then I call luck and if it's bad for me I call bad luck!. The universe is indifferent to my actions so I need to plan my actions to lead to success but sh*t happens!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You are only responsible for your own actions!.
Action is the only way through which right and wrong can be conveyed!.
Intention is, in my eyes, what determines what is right and wrong!.

Simple example: killing out of anger vs!. killing in defense of your child!.

I'm not sure what you mean with 'everything good/bad'!.
Do you mean the good and bad that other people do to us!?
Those people are responsible for their inflictions upon us!.

Do you mean in the metaphysical sense!?
I think that this universe we live in is the product of an infinite amount of time and an infinite amount of possibilities (space, matter, etc)!. Out of infinite possibilities, every possibility may eventually be realized!. It doesn't have to necessarily, but it may!.

I am not an atheist!. Nor am I a theist!. I hold too many opposing thoughts, views, and convictions to discard any one of them for a 'complete' preset view and way of life; the way religions do!.

I think that it makes more sense that matter has always existed!. Or in any case, it makes just as much sense as it being created by something which existed before it and isn't part of it, but somehow controls it, and puts it into motion while somehow exempt from the chain of motion it sets off!. (Please don't be offended by me using 'it'!. I feel that it is irrelevant and a bit sexist to refer to what created us as having a particular gender the way we know it!.)

Everything is in motion!. Aristotle was one of the first to point this out!. In fear of an infinite regress, he posited the unmoved mover!. I feel that an infinite regress shouldn't scare us off!. Why shouldn't there always have been motion!? I think that's much more impressive than that motion was all of a sudden, whimsically created!.

I gave my own account, which is not one of a firm atheist, but I hope you'll still appreciate it and my honesty in addressing this question when I know that mostly Christians will read this question, and will probably think I'm pretty horrible for saying this stuff!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I'm an atheist, but not egocentric or guilt ridden enough to believe I'm responsible for everything that happens to me!. Hell, we're not truly responsible for being born in the first place!. Our existence itself is really something that happens to us, not something we initiate!. Personally, I try to recognize and use what I have power over and adapt to what I don't!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

So are you suggesting that Cancer patients that believe in God think that either God either did it to them or let someone else do it!? Are you suggesting that cripples that believe in God either had God not protect them or that he did it to them himself!? No!. I don't feel like everything that happens to me is my "fault"!. Some things that happen to me I had no part in!. But it would be innately stupid to think that everything that happens to you is either the fault of the devil or "God"!. There's a small thing known as CHOICE and if we don't have the ability to choose and "God" has been choosing for us and running the world that would mean that you praise a guy that lets millions go hungry and lets bad stuff happen everyday!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

i owe it to randomness!. as a stock trader im trained to think in odds!. this practice extends to other facets of my life!. i neither thank nor question god on whatever consequences!.

thinking that what happens is solely on your hardwork or fault is simple ignorance combined with arrogance!. a good chunk of your success or failure, you owe it luck or randomness!. the more you study statistics, you'd get it!. im a confused christian btw!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

No!. We believe that whoever is responsible is responsible!.

If our significant other calls us lazy and breaks up with us, we blame ourselves for being lazy, and them for not being loyal enough!.

If a car hits us on the sidewalk, we blame the driver!.

If our child dies of cancer, we blame nobody!.

I hope that helps!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Jumping to a supernatural explanation for why things happen is not rational!.!.!. it's using CAVE MAN logic to explain the unkown!.!.!.!. something our primitive barbarians used to do!. Unfortunately, around 80% of the earth's population still has this delusional worldview, go figure!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Atheists recognize that there are random factors that we can
try to allow for, but cannot control!.
We do take responsibility for all our actions!.

Do Theists take refuge in that "Devil made me do it" type thinking often!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

I think most would agree with that!. Dr!. Robert Anthony has a quote like that "You are the cause of everything that happens to you!. Be careful what you cause!."Www@QuestionHome@Com

Yes, we take responsibility for everything that happens to us!. Life is filled with good and bad things, that's the way it is!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

They should if they're really atheists!. Of course, there's no way to take responsibility for certain things!. For example, they can't be accountable for a car swerving across into their lane and smashing into theirs!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I take full responsibility for my actions!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

No **** happens sometimes!.!.!.!.!.you could be standing around putting gas and sum young punk can shase u down and shoot u, of course thats not your fault but that doesnt mean god or the devil did it eitherWww@QuestionHome@Com

It happens because something else happened that caused that to happen!.!.!.am I making any sense!? Cause and Effect!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I suppose they could blame it all on other people!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I couldn't say!.!.!.but suspect they really don't know either!.Www@QuestionHome@Com