Originally Posted by: ericthecableguyIf all these atheist people don't believe in God, why do they have to prove he isn't real?[/QUOTE]
Probably for the same reasons that christians and other religious people feel the need to prove that he does exist.

Originally Posted by: ericthecableguy
I don't see how being a Christian is such a 'brainwashed' lifestyle.
Look at the hope so many people had been given in life, like addicts and suicidal people-how can you argue that they've made such a terrible life choice?[/QUOTE]
And you don't think that atheists are capable of making the same actions? There are plenty of atheists that were at one point on the line of suicide or have recovered from a history of drugs. What'd they do? They evaluated the situation and said "I've got to change this" and they happened to have the dedication and determination to change it. Not everyone needs God to make a big decision.

[QUOTe=Stackny]
If thats what brainwashing is, then I dont agree with the definition of brainwashing. Its not like Im in a freekin trance that Im not able to snap out of due to my parents "brainwashing" me when I was little. I can think for myself and Ive disagreed with my parents a few times on things because they are even more conservative than myself.

So you're going to argue with the dictionary definition of brainwashing? What brainwashing to you is isn't what brainwashing is. Yeah, sure you've disagreed, but that doesn't change the fact that your upbringing has definitely impacted the angle which you view from. If you grew up in China, the chances are you'd think that Christianity was all crap because there's veritably no Christian influence there. Buddhism is the prime religion there. The parents of a child are and always will be the biggest influence on a child's life. Namely because the child grew up with their parents and their parents in turn were readily able to bestow all of their beliefs unto this child. Some stick, some don't. It's still crafting a child to believe the same things that make sense to them. In my case it just turned out that my mom didn't really care to make me in her image. My dad would probably lay on the chrisian influence if he knew of my beliefs in hopes he could save my soul or something, but my mom. She basicall encouraged me to find what made sense to me. She's a Christian by choice, but she doens't expect me to be one. Granted I don't think she expected me to gravitate towards atheism, but all the same. I see how the pieces fit.

[QUOTe=Stackny]
Your parents taught you to crap in the toilet because thats socially acceptable and thats what they do, but in reality you could go crap outside and things would be fine. Does that qualify you as brainwashed?

How come other animals don't crap in toilets? Their parents haven't been teaching them that it's wrong to **** all over the place? Hell, some animals are wretched enough to go and make homes out of their own feces. You don't see them griping. We are the only creature on earth that has created a place for our bowels and we've since taught all of our young that it's wrong to go outside of that confined space. That's brainwashing. Personally, though, even if we did crap all over the place, I think I'd still prefer a toilet since I can't imagine the ground offering that same comfort and relaxation that you get when you sit on a toilet and pass the time. That's just my opinion though.