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Originally posted by traditionaldrummer
Frankly, my lack of belief in an afterlife inspires a similar desire for good morality. If there's no gods and nothing beyond death the most important thing has to be this life. Why not make the most of it and do the best for yourself and for others?
Originally posted by adjensen
You say that lack of faith inspires a desire to do good here on Earth. While I commend you for that attitude, I would like to ask where you believe that desire comes from? What motivates it? When you say that you want to do the best for yourself, I understand that, but why would you want to do the best for others?
Originally posted by adjensen
In "Animal House", the Dean famously tells Flounder "fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son," but I would counter that, if we're nothing more than meat that ends when we die, maybe that's exactly how you should go through life. Live for yourself, because you are all that there is. Spend your $50 on a nice steak or good bottle of scotch and enjoy, because tomorrow you might be in oblivion, and the pleasures of steak or scotch will be gone.
Originally posted by jokei
reply to post by traditionaldrummer
This is a typical atheist response and I hazard to point out an incorrect one as well. Firstly black is not a colour, it's a tone, the absence of colour. This is no doubt in line with your absence of god (light) and a fixation on general negativity and all things morbid.
It is however, somewhat slimming.
Originally posted by Archirvion
reply to post by traditionaldrummer
I couldnt have cared less what the Atheist believe or do not believe in. The general Atheist is narrowminded and closes off some of some of the parts of his brain.
They are a futuristic version of our ancestors cavemen, less-intelligent.
Originally posted by pondrthis
People inherently have morality and attribute it to faith, not the other way around.
Originally posted by ptmckiou
many atheists will still not believe because it doesn't fall into their comfort zone. Many people fear the unknown or concepts that are not familiar and will deny things, even though, there is proof. Quite sad how many people operate their lives.
Originally posted by traditionaldrummer
Originally posted by pondrthis
reply to post by traditionaldrummer
The problem is people are seeing a living being as an energy CONTAINER rather than an energy CIRCUIT. We aren't a tub, we're more like a capacitor.
We're constantly taking in (mostly chemical) and releasing (mostly heat/kinetic) energy. Shortly after we die, we stop taking in energy and continue to release energy as heat until there's nothing left. JUST like a capacitor.
100% agreed. The mistaken belief in "souls" combined with rudimentary scientific literacy is responsible for too many misbeliefs and pseudoscientific bunkum.
Originally posted by ptmckiou
Originally posted by traditionaldrummer
Originally posted by pondrthis
reply to post by traditionaldrummer
The problem is people are seeing a living being as an energy CONTAINER rather than an energy CIRCUIT. We aren't a tub, we're more like a capacitor.
We're constantly taking in (mostly chemical) and releasing (mostly heat/kinetic) energy. Shortly after we die, we stop taking in energy and continue to release energy as heat until there's nothing left. JUST like a capacitor.
100% agreed. The mistaken belief in "souls" combined with rudimentary scientific literacy is responsible for too many misbeliefs and pseudoscientific bunkum.
AAAAAhhh, give quantum physicists another 10 years and I'll bet you'll be eating your words. We have only but begun to explore the quantum world and how all matter works within it.
Originally posted by ptmckiou
AAAAAhhh, give quantum physicists another 10 years and I'll bet you'll be eating your words. We have only but begun to explore the quantum world and how all matter works within it.
Then again, what if there are no deities?
Those are subjective requirements dreamed up due to the lack of objective evidence.
Ask him to come to this thread.
Atheism is not a hypothesis. It's only a certitude formed from the lack of evidence. It appears you have a desperate need to itemize it as a belief because your entire argument against atheism rests on that premise. Non-beliefs are not beliefs, they are the lack thereof
Originally posted by traditionaldrummer
Originally posted by Romans 10:9
'Self-evident' in that these things are objectively true and undeniable, sir.
And not to bring up the tired and worn out Pascal but, you had better be right.
If you operate as a theist you are by default employing subjective interpretations as there remains no objective evidence to support the existence of a deity.
Pascal's Wager is without question one of the worst philosophical premises with which to live your life. I could devote an entire other thread to the inherent problems with his proposition. But let's just say that it's an astonishingly unpersuasive suggestion.
Originally posted by juveous
- what are your views on the self?
science and philosophers still consider consciousness a hard problem. Do you believe the neuron networks in the brain are aspects causality? Or do you believe we are first causes?
If you believe the latter, wouldn't this conflict with most scientific views of the natural universe?
Originally posted by dominicus
The only certitude you can say is "you dont know"! Lack of evidence of something does not negate that thing ...it simply could mean not all the evidence is in yet.
Originally posted by Romans 10:9
The recorded history of Jesus Christ (backed by evidence) is not a subjective interpretation.
A moral law (backed by conviction) that runs throughout mankind and only slightly alters it's course in various cultures is not a subjective interpretation.
The theory (backed by evidence) of time and the universe having a definitive beginning is not a subjective interpretation.
And Pascal's wager is no reason to believe on it's own.......but there's no denying that you are indeed rolling the dice with your own possible eternity, and where you might spend it.
Originally posted by traditionaldrummer
Originally posted by ptmckiou
AAAAAhhh, give quantum physicists another 10 years and I'll bet you'll be eating your words. We have only but begun to explore the quantum world and how all matter works within it.
The scientific world does change and perhaps one day we will find some such thing. If there is such a discovery it will almost certainly not come from the pseudoscientific charlatans currently validating the existence of souls through the exploitation of the mysteries of quantum mechanics.
Originally posted by Monts
1. Being an atheist, do you believe that death is the final end? And if so, how do you find comfort and solace realizing that as soon as your biological countdown clocks out, your existence is permanently terminated?
2. What are your opinions concerning altruism?