aha! You rejected it because it "sounds kind of odd-ball". I'm assuming that it was as a result of your thinking, no matter how brief, that you decided it was "kind of odd-ball" and not the result of a toss of coin.
"I might give some odd-ball ideas some thought" Yes, indeed. If you heard it or saw it, no matter how briefly, and then rejected it then you have given it thought. Whether the thinking was reasoned or not is a different issue.
If you asked the person to put the idea in an envelope and you rejected it as an odd-ball idea before reading it then yes you decided that without thinking about the idea that was actually in the envelope.
There really is no point in trying to eliminate atheism. That would be like trying to eliminate singlehood. Atheists are the people from whom saints are called. And they do a lot to point out when mouthy Christians haven't learned what they are trying to teach.
'Atheists are people from whom saints are called' you mean like atheists give up any holiness and closeness to God they may have had and give to help create sainthood for certain people? Fine I can do without that anyway I am sure.
Atheism is not a thing to destroy or build. It is a belief system. It is not ours to judge or destroy. Probably not any belief system is. It goes of its own accord. And usually what it is drawn to is enlightenment.
When a person is ready to become enlightened, he is drawn to the light of that. Poof, no more atheist. God blesses him either way.
Every person has a list of rules by which to judge things right or wrong, good or bad, logical or illogical. Those rules are invisible and therefore supernatural, "above nature". How do they determine what those rules should be? Well, that is the purpose of preaching, schooling, indoctrination, upbringing.
There are no alternatives. Each rule is a law of the universe in the mind of the person who holds it. Each rule is subject to modification if the circumstances are correct, but if the circumstances are not correct then that person will go to his/her grave without changing anything.
Q "What would be a good way to eliminate atheism? NOT atheists because that would not be nice - just atheism."
I wouldn't eliminate atheism. I would make it more potent, more active and more effective in challenging blatant deceptions, blind beliefs, unsound reasoning and circular arguments which are astoundingly still with us in the 21st century.
Anyway, what is far more astounding to find with us in the 21st century and which has grown to become infinitely more dangerous, lethal and destructive is our primitively violent instinct to kill and destroy perceived threats. It is costing us trillions in manpower and technology, millions in lives killed, maimed, thrown into despair and made refugees, and trillions in damage caused. This menace is growing out of control. There is no potent force to arrest, let alone reverse, the growth of this extremely savage instinct and to force mankind to use and develop more civilised methods. A civilised approach combined with just a fraction of the resources now being poured into the current insanity would transform the prosperity of the whole world.
So is that your explanation for "why we need a god?" I would find your god more convincing if he was able to stop such idiosy before it grew into war. Why dont he ?
"So is that your explanation for "why we need a god?" " >>>> I don't think I set out to explain why we need a god and the question isn't about explaining why we need a god, so I'm lost.
What if, as a father, you came back home to find the children had caused a storm-like damage, would you accept the following statement appropriate: "I would find you more convincing as a father if you were able to stop such idiocy before it grew into such a mess. Why don't you?"
To the day I die ,I will never understand why grown adults with minds of their own believe in such evil tripe ... The Vatican is a haven for peadophilles with so many evil perverts hiding there and being protected by the church.... In Hampstead NW London the head Rabbi got arrested for molesting his own grand daughter.....the first girl child is also treated like a slave as well...
The latest thing in England is Sports coaches sexualy abusing young male children...
We we have the same problem in England......so many police officers think and act like Gods......it only takes a few to tarnish all of them I'm affraid .
But an atheist is not someone who believe in no god the way theists believe in whichever God or gods they hold to. We have no rulebook/bible where we think we find the 'proper rules' for how to believe in no god. If we want rules, we have to make them ourselves. And we do you know. Only difference is that when we dislike a rule and want it to be thrown away, we have to argue our case, and if we argue well enough that rule may get thrown out. And frankly I consider that MUCH better than having to argue against what is in a rulebook that is held to be The Absolute Truth, and a sacrilege to say anything less than flattering about.
Kittigate 