It's not a silly example, it's just one of many examples of how beliefs impact choices.  There are many more mundane examples.  For example, I'm about to play Ring Fit Adventure, because I believe it will help me lose weight, which I believe will make me more confident, which I believe will give me a better chance with girls.  The choice I make is based on beliefs.  I don't think it's an exagerration to say that most, if not all, of our choices are informed by beliefs.  So beliefs are kind of important.

I don't know exactly what your beliefs are, so I can't say if they are harmful, but I would argue that the closer your beliefs conform to reality the more likely you are to make good choices.  If there is no reason to believe in a god or an afterlife, I'd say that believing in that will lead, in most circumstances, to better choices. 

If someone turned to Islam and found that it improved their life, would that be proof that the claims of Islam are true?

If I shuffle a deck of cards, the odds of the deck ending up in the order I shuffled them are 1/80,658,175,170,943,878,571,660,636,856,403,766,975,289,505,440,883,277,824,000,000,000,000

So, let's say I play a game of poker during which the deck is shuffled 50 times.  The odds against that particular sequence of shuffles would be so astronomical that I'm pretty sure I couldn't fit them into a message here in standard notation.  But, does the fact that the sequence did in fact occur despite such unfathomably small odds mean that someone or something designed it to happen that way? 

Yes.  And that doesn't matter.  If we shuffle the deck a quadrillion times, the odds of getting a particular result would be well beyond human comprehension.  But still some result would have to come out.  No matter how many times you shuffle the deck you will have to get some result, and no matter how absurdly small the possibility gets, you can get there without any higher power.  There is no point where the result becomes so unlikely that a god would be needed to achieve it.  

The only reason you think this result required a higher power is because it seems special.  You are biased by the fact that you like (I hope) existing.  But, that doesn't mean this is some sort of special result.  As a neutral observer, there is no reason to assume this result was the result of a particular intent, and if we're trying to get to truth, we should treat the scenario as neutral observers.

You're not squaring impossibility with circumstances.  Nothing impossible has happened.  Something incredibly unlikely happened.  But, that's the point of the card example. Every time you shuffle a deck of cards the result you get is so unlikely that your brain can't really process how unlikely it is (or at least my brain can't fathom what 1/8with like 100 zeroes would be).  The universe has many more variables, so it is certain that whatever we get would HAVE TO be astronomically unlikely.  It would be IMPOSSIBLE to get a "likely universe".  

But of course, if all that still doesn't convince you, and you still think both positions require a leap of faith, then why take a leap of faith either way?  There is always "I don't know" which is an answer that definitely requires no leap of faith, and is the correct answer to most questions that you can be asked. 

Yes.  And that doesn't matter.  If we shuffle the deck a quadrillion times, the odds of getting a particular result would be well beyond human comprehension.  But still some result would have to come out.  No matter how many times you shuffle the deck you will have to get some result, and no matter how absurdly small the possibility gets, you can get there without any higher power.  There is no point where the result becomes so unlikely that a god would be needed to achieve it.  

The only reason you think this result required a higher power is because it seems special.  You are biased by the fact that you like (I hope) existing.  But, that doesn't mean this is some sort of special result.  As a neutral observer, there is no reason to assume this result was the result of a particular intent, and if we're trying to get to truth, we should treat the scenario as neutral observers.

You're not squaring impossibility with circumstances.  Nothing impossible has happened.  Something incredibly unlikely happened.  But, that's the point of the card example. Every time you shuffle a deck of cards the result you get is so unlikely that your brain can't really process how unlikely it is (or at least my brain can't fathom what 1/8with like 100 zeroes would be).  The universe has many more variables, so it is certain that whatever we get would HAVE TO be astronomically unlikely.  It would be IMPOSSIBLE to get a "likely universe".  

But of course, if all that still doesn't convince you, and you still think both positions require a leap of faith, then why take a leap of faith either way?  There is always "I don't know" which is an answer that definitely requires no leap of faith, and is the correct answer to most questions that you can be asked. 

talk about Islam

if that's what you believe then you had the wrong influences, in Christianity we are all imperfect in the eyes of God, and we are forgiven as long as we acknowledge and regret the pain our actions have caused, and if we truly understand the consequences of course we will not do it again, in Christianity God judges purely based on intentions not on knowledge, God loves atheists and gays regardless

Jesus teaching serves as a guide on how to avoid bad actions and avoid the pain these may cause to others and ourselves

the basic entry to Heaven are the 10 commandments, the first and most important orders from God to humans in the Old Testament, the rest is a guidance on how to best avoid causing pain on ourselves and others, otherwise we would end up in hell no matter what :P

Jesus teachings are a free gift for everyone and a guide to a better life, they changed the world, and the fact that they still apply today is the best and most meaningful evidence one could ever ask for

it would be proof that Islam is closer to the truth than what their previous belief was

*assuming of course that the person is fully aware of his belief by having read the holy book of Islam and whatever his previous faith was if any

and still, there are many influences and fake believers, both Islam and Christianity are quite philosophical and up to interpretation, one is best to aspire the type of believers he/she finds as an inspiration for him/herself, we will find out eventually but until then no one knows for sure


for Christianity it is simpler as Jesus lifestyle is what the absolute believer should at least try for

and no Jesus did not discriminate gays, atheists or bitches, he had no slaves, never committed stoning or asked for war for Christ's sake

ahahha crazy yes but there are people in here that are brainwashed enough to believe this is what Christianity is about, the smart, open-mind new generation everyone

Human reasoning hasn't gotten to the unicorn level either.

can't tell if you are serious but if you are then it is your reasoning you have to check

I understand not trusting Jesus unless he comes to you to prove that he is real, but comparing him to a useless 'unicorn' is probably the most crappy argument an atheist can possibly think of