I'm following Katie's lead and posting my list of answers to Hemant's atheist questions:
* Why do you not believe in God?
No evidence, and we would expect to see some evidence if there were a God.
* Where do your morals come from?
This can be answered on several levels: From having compassion. From realizing I have no more metaphysical importance than anyone else. From nowhere, because it's impossible to derive a statement about what we ought to do from only statements about the world.
* What is the meaning of life?
42. Or, "the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally." No, seriously, what does this question even mean?
* Is atheism a religion?
Depends on how you define religion?
* If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
Say to myself, "I should do something about this." And sometimes I do do something about it.
* Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
If they feel like it. But mainly, there are other doctrines in orthodox Christianity and Islam that are much more dangerous and deserving of our attention.
* Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
Some. Not all. Stalin rejected Darwinian evolution--thought it was too capitalistic. What's your point?
* How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
Because they make the mistake of thinking that if everybody around them believes something, it's likely to be correct.
* Why does the universe exist?
It's not clear that that question is even answerable in principle.
* How did life originate?
Slowly building up from simpler to more complex forms. See here: http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/abioprob/abioprob.html#Globule
* Is all religion harmful?
No. But, contrary to what some people want to believe, just because something is harmful doesn't mean it doesn't count as a real religion.
* What’s so bad about religious moderates?
Because the majority of them believe absurd things about religion that serve to give cover to the dangerously orthodox. Examples: "all religion is good," and "it's wrong to criticize someone's religious beliefs."
* Is there anything redeeming about religion?
No. Why do you think there would be?
* What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
Liberal/deistic God: pleasantly surprised. Orthodox God: hoping I'd have the guts to tell him off.
* Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
Should all political ideologies be respected? Should all claims about science be respected?
* Are atheists smarter than theists?
In absolute terms, no. Statistical averages, I have no idea.
* How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
Probably, he deceived himself into believing he had miraculous powers and that he had been given the job of heralding in the end of the world (just read Mark 13).
* Would the world be better off without any religion?
Yes. Some religious beliefs are extraordinarily harmful and none have any benefits.
* What happens when we die?
Stop assuming so much about personal identity.
5 comments:
I think you mistake religion for church, and what people do in the name of religion for religion, which means, roughly , recall the logo/word the thought of god.
Religion is a science of God: how to know god.
Is democracy bad ( a set of rules) because someone confuses it with religion (an ideolgy) and kills innocents in its name ( bringing democracy to Iraq)?
Conclusion: all democracy is bad?
Can you expect material evidence, provided by eyes for this world of appearances, or by instruments of materials, to give evidence for its creator without employing logic, in the absence of perception without eyes. Material science is looking at matter. Knowing is beyond material science. Knowing is perceptive, a sense.
Some logical consequences of materialist demands for spiritual proof:
How can a material thing (meaning something that appears and then dissapears of this world) serve as proof of it's creator, unless merely its existence is proof enough of a non-material creator?
If it has no non-material creator, then how can a material thing create a material thing, originally?
If no creator outside creation, did you or I create it?
If not, then it doesn't exist except as your hallucination. How can you expect your hallucinations to prove the existence of anything real?
If the creator (god) was in this world, god woul d appear normal - you woul d require a sense of something immaterial, or transcendantal. But you don't have those senses, and you deny those that say they do. A miracle is the uncoomon mnaipul
aon of matter. How can any manipulation of matter prove the existence of a creator. (it might make you belive of supernatural events, but they are only relative to the order we have in this material world).
Reports of uncommon happenings are dismissed by unbeleivers. Common happenings, like birds flying are not supernatural.
There is no material evidence for my future death; therefore I will not die.
There is no evidence for my having feelings, therefore I do not have feelings, I am programmed to say I do (surface behaviour of Watson).
There is no evidence you have feelings. There is no eveidence your children have feelings therfore paedophiles are not criminal.
You did not choose to be born or will you choose to die. hereore you are not your body. Therefpre you do not exist, only tour body does, a temporary thing. Bodies exist, people is an imputation, only, afiction.
Imputations do not exist, there is no evidence for it, merely speech that makes claims.
Because these claims are false, I do not understand them, or can anyone. Because I do not understand claims about god, god is false.
That's OK. You must be right. Modest too: just all our forefathers are a bit foolish, silly. idiots.
I would say you have evolved more, but then you don't exist, only what you say is what you say, but I don't understand that speech, about what doesn't exist, because threre is no evidence for it.
Bolly
Good idea and nice answers. I stole it: http://butchbailey.com/?p=570
>>Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?<<
Atrocities are committed by people who are selfish, greedy, and above all else, *certain*. They are absolutely certain that their point of view is correct; or that their goal is justified by anything.
The details of their beliefs are completely irrelevent.
Cool answers, Chris. I gave it a try.
Why do you not believe in God?
Please define God.
Where do your morals come from?
Please define morals. If the ultimate moral comes down to the Golden rule, (I prefer the negative version: Don’t do to others what you don’t want done to yourself) then I’d say evolution shaped our morals.
What is the meaning of life?
What is the meaning of the afterlife?
Is atheism a religion?
Is believing that things fall up and repel each other a definition of gravity?
If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
Think things through, vent my concerns with those I love.
Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
If you mean to evangelize atheism, no. But atheists should become more vocal whenever possible.
Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
Yes, but not under the name of ATHEISM. If someone were to prove to me that Stalin had said, “I’ve killed all these people because I don’t believe in God and for no other reason.” I would change my answer.
How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
Which God?
Why does the universe exist?
Would we be talking if it didn’t? And, Did it matter to you before you were born?
How did life originate?
Science is working on that as we speak, and the short answer is still: We don’t KNOW and neither do you.
Is all religion harmful?
Only the parts that co-erce.
What’s so bad about religious moderates?
They’re only bad if they ‘respect’ religious fanatics.
Is there anything redeeming about religion?
Only the parts that exalt the golden rule, and then that wouldn’t be religion (strictly speaking) now would it?
What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
Which God? (Wait for answer, then counter with an opposing God or Gods)
Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
Including the command of killing all in a battle? (See pretty much any battle commands of the Old Testament)
Are atheists smarter than theists?
Only if you feel reason is better that blind faith, and only in that particular area.
How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
How do you deal with the historical -Insert any other historical figure- ?
Would the world be better off without any religion?
Best guess: slightly better.
What happens when we die?
What were you like before you were born?
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