Welcome to Gaia! ::

Is there such a thing as an atheist? Are they suppressing the truth they know in unrightousness?

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20

People see that there is a God, just by looking out the window.

Speaking for myself, since I know myself better than I know anyone else;
As a child I believed there was a God, and I had an idea that he was more just than anyone else, and I didn't come from a family that had a particular focus on God, or any focus on religion. How about you?

Do you think God would have programmed knowledge of himself into us, that we are free to act, or not act on (suppress)?

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

2 Thessalonians 2:10.12
…10and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

Even scientists with a strong evolutionary worldview think we are programmed to believe;

We are programmed to believe in a god



The question is rather; why would we evolve to come up with the idea of God, since the theory of evolution espouse the idea that evolution is driven by selfishness? The idea of God is pretty unselfish, and it puts someone else first. According to the theory of evolution the weakest ones dies, and it is not in our (individually or as a society) best interest that the weakest ones should make it, or that we should put anyone or any force before ourself. An idea that we are answerable to a force outside of ourselves, and that we should seek this force seems counterproductive with regards to survival of the fittets, and the selfishness that entails. Is it not more plausible that the Creator programmed us with a knowledge of his existance? What are your throughts?

Hebrews 11:6
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

I think we definitely have free will, and not completely programmed to believe, perhaps its that once we see past the flesh, past our false realities that we may become enlightened with God, And maybe after that people come to multiple realizations or have a revelation and change completely, some think they have but haven't.

Well, that's not entirely accurate. Humans are social creatures, who find it easier to survive when they cooperate with others, rather than attempt to survive on their own, outside of society. It would have increased our chances of survival to have a mind that encourages us to work with others in a form of cooperation, and to even care about the good of the society as a whole, as this would have increased both our chances of survival, but the chances of our offspring surviving instead.

As for children taking to the idea of god well, that's because children are young, and impressionable and often take on whatever ideas their elders give them. I never took to the idea of god as a child, I saw it as contradictory despite how many people attempted to show me god as I grew up.