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Why Do So Many Well Educated People Not Believe In God?


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Posted

It seems so many atheists are well educated and intelligent in science and academics. Even Stephen Hawking is an atheist. Why is that? I'm not calling believers uneducated, I'm just saying a lot of atheists are very well educated.

Posted

I dunno but also people who believe in some sense,  to me anyways,  it's like they have a good job so why bother really knowing God, they have a comfortable life so what need do they have for God? I am not saying everyone is like that but like Amulek he knew but didn't know. In Alma 10:4-6  it says

 

"4 And behold, I am also a man of no small reputation among all those who know me; yea, and behold, I have many kindreds and friends, and I have also acquired much riches by the hand of my industry.

 Nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the ways of the Lord, and his mysteries and marvelous power. I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power; yea, even in the preservation of the lives of this people.

 Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the wickedness of my heart, even until the fourth day of this seventh month, which is in the tenth year of the reign of the judges."

 

So, he had seen some good stuff in his life but it didn't seem to do a whole lot for him and wasn't really converted despite having riches and friends and stuff, no real need for God

Posted (edited)

I'm just saying a lot of atheists are very well educated.

 

As are a lot of believers. My bishop has a PhD in physics. I have a PhD in history. We both work at the same university where our stake president runs the office that oversees research in teaching methods. It's a mixed bag, really, though one of the differences may be that some well-educated atheists tend to suggest (or at least imply) that atheism is the only rational choice for people who think. Nonsense.

 

Personally, I think there are 1,001 reasons not to believe what/how I do, and like Joseph Smith himself, I'm sympathetic when people reach different conclusions: 'If I had not experienced what I have, I would not have believed it myself'.

Edited by Hamba Tuhan
Posted

2 Tim  3:7        Apart from the scripture, however, there are a great many well educated people who are faithful. Most are humble enough to recognize that there is more to this existence than the  5 senses can show.

Posted (edited)

Education imparts critical thinking skills, and while it's not necessarily going to turn you into an atheist, it will transform the way you see everything. There used to be a lot more general authorities who were scientists, and can you tell in their writing that they didn't have a traditional view of the world.

Edited by Tsuzuki
Posted

As are a lot of believers. My bishop has a PhD in physics. I have a PhD in history. We both work at the same university where our stake president runs the office that oversees research in teaching methods. It's a mixed bag, really, though one of the differences may be that some well-educated atheists tend to suggest (or at least imply) that atheism is the only rational choice for people who think. Nonsense.

 

Personally, I think there are 1,001 reasons not to believe what/how I do, and like Joseph Smith himself, I'm sympathetic when people reach different conclusions: 'If I had not experienced what I have, I would not have believed it myself'.

Is your bishop on MormonScholarsTestify.com? If not, would you encourage him to submit his testimony? I would love to see more scientists there.

Posted

It seems so many atheists are well educated and intelligent in science and academics. Even Stephen Hawking is an atheist. Why is that? I'm not calling believers uneducated, I'm just saying a lot of atheists are very well educated.

What is the Big Bang?

According to the big bang theory, the universe began by expanding from an infinitesimal volume with extremely high density and temperature. The universe was initially significantly smaller than even a pore on your skin. With the big bang, the fabric of space itself began expanding like the surface of an inflating balloon – matter simply rode along the stretching space like dust on the balloon's surface. The big bang is not like an explosion of matter in otherwise empty space; rather, space itself began with the big bang and carried matter with it as it expanded. Physicists think that even time began with the big bang. Today, just about every scientist believes in the big bang model. The evidence is overwhelming enough that in 1951, the Catholic Church officially pronounced the big bang model to be in accordance with the Bible.

 

I c/p the above and bolded.  This one sentence has me asking...where did that pore come from?  It had to come from somewhere or something, and to me wouldn't/couldn't that be from God?  So there is something...somehow....

Posted

It seems so many atheists are well educated and intelligent in science and academics. Even Stephen Hawking is an atheist. Why is that? I'm not calling believers uneducated, I'm just saying a lot of atheists are very well educated.

While it is true that increased education correlates to decreased belief in God, among Latter-day Saints the correlation is reversed.

Posted

It seems so many atheists are well educated and intelligent in science and academics. Even Stephen Hawking is an atheist. Why is that? I'm not calling believers uneducated, I'm just saying a lot of atheists are very well educated.

Dah-ummm... I hink-I hink-I hink THe sambe ree-zumz da-da dum wunz Don't

Posted

What is the Big Bang?

According to the big bang theory, the universe began by expanding from an infinitesimal volume with extremely high density and temperature. The universe was initially significantly smaller than even a pore on your skin. With the big bang, the fabric of space itself began expanding like the surface of an inflating balloon – matter simply rode along the stretching space like dust on the balloon's surface. The big bang is not like an explosion of matter in otherwise empty space; rather, space itself began with the big bang and carried matter with it as it expanded. Physicists think that even time began with the big bang. Today, just about every scientist believes in the big bang model. The evidence is overwhelming enough that in 1951, the Catholic Church officially pronounced the big bang model to be in accordance with the Bible.

 

I c/p the above and bolded.  This one sentence has me asking...where did that pore come from?  It had to come from somewhere or something, and to me wouldn't/couldn't that be from God?  So there is something...somehow....

 

At present we have no way of knowing what if anything preceded t/0.

Posted

It seems so many atheists are well educated and intelligent in science and academics. Even Stephen Hawking is an atheist. Why is that? I'm not calling believers uneducated, I'm just saying a lot of atheists are very well educated.

Believing in anyone usually requires some kind of relationship with that person, or at least some kind of assurance that they really exist, otherwise it wouldn't make very good sense to believe in them. I am surprised when people don't at least accept the concept that there has to be someone or something that is some kind of supreme being, supreme because that is the best of all beings there is. But their lack of belief just tells me there is still something they don't know or understand.
Posted

It seems so many atheists are well educated and intelligent in science and academics. Even Stephen Hawking is an atheist. Why is that? I'm not calling believers uneducated, I'm just saying a lot of atheists are very well educated.

 

I think the well educated believers far outnumber the well educated atheists.   Well educated people are exposed to a lot of information from a lot of sources.  This information is processed through the paradigm of their own experiences.  Some have life experiences that lead them to be atheists some have life experiences that lead to religious convictions of varying degrees.

Posted

2 Nephi 9:28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.

Posted

It seems so many atheists are well educated and intelligent in science and academics. Even Stephen Hawking is an atheist. Why is that? I'm not calling believers uneducated, I'm just saying a lot of atheists are very well educated.

Don't over blow this. There are a great deal many intelligent people that are believers. Some atheist are well educated others not so much. Just like some believers are well educated and others are not.

Posted

I'm finding more and mire people are becoming atheist and most of the ones I know of are not well educated. I think we know of the well educated atheists because they have the ability to make themselves known by more people.

Posted

Well educated doesn't mean more intelligent. Well educated just means being told a lot of things by a lot of people, but there is still a lot more to be learned, especially when a well educated person hasn't even been told why they should believe in God. And yet, being told there is a God doesn't mean they're going to believe it because, as I said, well educated doesn't mean more intelligent.

Posted

What is the Big Bang?

According to the big bang theory, the universe began by expanding from an infinitesimal volume with extremely high density and temperature. The universe was initially significantly smaller than even a pore on your skin. With the big bang, the fabric of space itself began expanding like the surface of an inflating balloon – matter simply rode along the stretching space like dust on the balloon's surface. The big bang is not like an explosion of matter in otherwise empty space; rather, space itself began with the big bang and carried matter with it as it expanded. Physicists think that even time began with the big bang. Today, just about every scientist believes in the big bang model. The evidence is overwhelming enough that in 1951, the Catholic Church officially pronounced the big bang model to be in accordance with the Bible.

 

I c/p the above and bolded.  This one sentence has me asking...where did that pore come from?  It had to come from somewhere or something, and to me wouldn't/couldn't that be from God?  So there is something...somehow....

 

The bolded part is nonsense to me.  It reminds me of the once held idea that flies were spontaneously generated from manure piles. 

 

Your question is a good one.  Science does a really good job on an awful lot of things but contrary to the opinion of some it has its limitations.  The major thing I see is that in the area of origins they are trying to find answers but completely reject the source of those answers so they have to suggest solutions that fit their paradigm so they see the flies coming from the manure piles so decide that is what caused the flies.

Posted

The major thing I see is that in the area of origins they are trying to find answers but completely reject the source of those answers so they have to suggest solutions that fit their paradigm

Can you elaborate on this? Don't know if I follow.

Posted

Any source that suggests design.

That seems to get rejected out of hand. You can't even have that discussion. It all happened randomly because it fits my preconceived notions.

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