The Friendly Atheist has asked atheists to reply to a few questions that are often asked by theists of atheists. He also asked for simple and short answers. So here goes:
* Why do you not believe in God?
There is absolutely no evidence that any God exists or has ever existed.
* Where do your morals come from?
"Morality" is about 90% genetic (it is hardwired in us) and 10% nurture (cultural values that are taught to us).
* What is the meaning of life?
The meaning of life is purely subjective and differs from one person to the next. We make life meaningful as per our priorities, and they change over time as well.
* Is atheism a religion?
Atheism simply means not believing in God. There are no rules, philosophies, or places not to worship attached with being an atheist.
* If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
Reflect mostly.
* Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
When separation of church and state is involved or religious bigotry becomes an issue, I think it is my duty to let people know that there is no evidence of God.
Note: This currently gives my life meaning.
I can't disprove God, but my message is stop acting like an idiot because there is no evidence God exists.
* Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
First off, Hitler was a theist or at least a deist. No atrocities were committed on the basis that God doesn't exist. Pol Pot and Stalin had political beliefs strongly influenced by the cultures they lived in, not by atheism. With over 650 million atheists in the world today, there is bound to be a couple of bad apples.
Other than Stalin and Pol Pot, almost every other major atrocities that have been committed in recorded history, had believers behind them.
* How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
I think we are hardwired to accept the supernatural as an explanation for things that we can't understand or don't want to understand. It kept our ancestors from going crazy since they were without many scientific explanations.
* Why does the universe exist?
There is no purpose in nature. But there is a scientific explanation as to why it exists, we just don't have all the answers yet. We will in the near future.
* How did life originate?
Again, we don't know for sure, but it was most likely a chemical reaction in a very hostile environment that produced the first one celled life form.
* Is all religion harmful?
Not always. Only when a religious person hurts or hinders someone (and that someone could also be religious too) because of their own beliefs. By hurt, I mean physically or emotionally. Like shunning gays. Hindering someone would be trying to force someone else from learning real science, or imposing non science in science classes.
* What’s so bad about religious moderates?
There is usually a form of bigotry that has its root in religion that comes out of even religious moderates.
* Is there anything redeeming about religion?
It might keep the odd nutball from murdering people, because religious people often say that without belief in God, nothing would hold them back from doing ugly things.
Also, many humanitarian reliefs are associated with religious organizations.
* What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
I'd love to ask him or her why he or she didn't put any evidence of his or her existence here.
* Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
No. Those who deny reality (evolution and an ancient earth) should be mocked because it is those types of beliefs that are the root of all religious bigotry.
* Are atheists smarter than theists?
In general, I would say yes. 65% of Americans who dropped out of high school believe in Young Earth Creationism versus 25% of Americans who graduated from college. The nations with the lowest IQs tend to have the highest percentage of believers as well.
* How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
Up to around 4 years ago, I just thought he was just another dude. Now, I doubt he ever existed. I think Paul put a name to the Gnostic God that was starting to become worshiped around his time.
* Would the world be better off without any religion?
Yes. I think an enlightened world would arise from it. Less bigotry and less conflicts.
* What happens when we die?
We become worm food.
H/T God Is For Suckers
Also, for a laugh, read Oh, The Hilarious Comments People Make...
Sorry the comment is so long, but you made me think!
ReplyDeleteRe: Morals:
I thought they mostly came from nurture and environment. We are raised to accept or scorn certain actions. I also hate this argument and find it one of the most moronic that ever existed; basically they are admitting that the only thing stopping them from going postal is that they are afraid of divine punishment, and they actually have no compassion or moral compass at all.
Re: Atheists are smarter than theists:
I'd say the average atheist is smarter than the average YE creationist, and certainly more open to learning. But there are always idiots, and some of the most intelligent people I know are quite religious. Not all religions scorn science, and not all atheists have a clue what they're talking about-- try reading a religious flamewar on a site like fark.com.
Re: Would the world be better off without religion?
I bet if everyone was an atheist, there would still be a LOT of wars and a lot of misery on earth, because people suck. There are racist, homophobic, misogynistic atheists. The best advantage would be that at least people would accept science, except for the conspiracy nuts.
I'm personally of the belief that religion should be used for providing personal comfort, and morality, understanding of the universe, and desire to learn should be totally separate from that, though I'm a theist (I, personally, am comforted by the idea of a higher power-- but I don't let it affect my everyday life).
But sometimes I wonder if you ever talk to someone about religion who isn't a crazy nutjob. I know those are the easiest to find, but there are plenty of people who are accepting and open-minded and willing to learn despite believing that some dude rose from the dead several thousand years ago.
Why do you not believe in God?
ReplyDeleteThere is absolutely no evidence that any God exists or has ever existed. Being limited to scientific evidence is a narrow way to look at things.
Re: almost every other major atrocities that have been committed in recorded history, had believers behind them. Does the fact of them being theists basically means that the motivations of their respective atrocities were limited to ecclesiastical ones ? According to my opinion, religion is more of an easy justification if the antagonists will not show critical thinking against superior authority.
Are atheists smarter than theists?
In general, I would say yes. 65% of Americans who dropped out of high school believe in Young Earth Creationism versus 25% of Americans who graduated from college. The nations with the lowest IQs tend to have the highest percentage of believers as well. Source ?
What happens when we die?
We become worm food. I find it difficult to acknowledge that you possess omniscience about the afterlife.
Would the world be better off without any religion? Yes. I think an enlightened world would arise from it. Less bigotry and less conflicts. From a pragmatic standpoint taking in consideration the human nature, this could be interpreted as a hilarious statement. I sincerely hope you don't think the contemporary conflict in the Middle-East is limited to a religious basis. Current Islamic propaganda could easily be adapted to a more nationalistic standpoint.
Why does the universe exist?
There is no purpose in nature. I am not aware of any scientific theories surrounding the existence of the universe, but I know for sure that the Big Bang theory is not canonical (figurative sense) fact. Only a hypothesis supported by empirical scientific evidence. Still, like I previously mentioned, it could be seen as a narrow viewpoint since the existance of the Universe involves theology, esotericism, and philosophy as well.
Where do your morals come from?
ReplyDelete"Morality" is about 90% genetic (it is hardwired in us) and 10% nurture (cultural values that are taught to us).
Now, hold on a second!
Man is NOT hardwired with principles, sense of justice, concepts of good and bad, re: morality!
__________________________
These concepts are LEARNED first thru observation and interaction with parents/caregivers, then thru teachers/role models/media and finally distilled as one comes of age.
Sheesh!
Perhaps you can tell me which genetic sequence confers right and wrong from the point of view of a Bhuddist compared to a nihilist skinhead from the Nazi Low Riders group? How about at 10 years old? 15 years old?
That's akin to stating ...we cant be evolved from primates like apes and monkeys 'cause if we were, there wouldn't be monkeys or apes around any more.
docgary
Basiorana, long posts are fine as long as they aren't cut and paste jobs that Fundy theists tend to like posting.
ReplyDelete45% of Americans are Young Earth Creationists. They are not open minded at all.
Mathieu:
1. I'm limited to reality. OK, what is your evidence?
2. I think most wars were for territory. Though, many today having to do with Islam are both.
3. Source
4. I don't. But I'm pretty sure. I didn't exist prior to 1961, and didn't seem to have a problem with it.
5. I said less. There still will be war and famine.
6. The universe doesn't involve anything but reality in my world. It doesn't include philosophy and theology as anything but debate points.
Doc Gary: How come apes do the right thing most of the time? How come they act "moral"
I strongly believe that other than psychotics (those with brain defects) most people including many skinheads and possibly even Hitler, knew they were doing bad things.
Look at ants or any social animals.
They do things that appear very moral within their society most of the time.
I think we evolved a sense of guilt and empathy. Some of it is learned and is cultural though.
But there is a scientific explanation as to why it exists, we just don't have all the answers yet. We will in the near future.
ReplyDeleteSounds like "faith" to me.
BEAJ:
ReplyDeleteThe source (point 3.) you mention deals exclusively with Americans, it says nothing about "nations with the lowest IQs". As regards the latter, apart from the fact that IQ is a spurious concept to begin with (and almost certainly culturally biased) the "lower IQ" position has also been used to explain just about anything, from economic prosperity to a justification for "scientific racism" and eugenics. It doesn't strike you as paradoxical that a nation like the US that collectively would consider itself to be among the smartest nations in the world, has such a high proportion of YECers? Clearly that would be the one data-point that would stick out like a sore thumb...
I'm pretty convinced that there would also be found a correlation between belief in YEC and disbelief in man-made global climate change (in the US). Here, the causal relationship might be that people of a certain political persuasion may rather blindly buy into the same set of ideas, without much scrutiny or thought.
"But there is a scientific explanation as to why it exists, we just don't have all the answers yet. We will in the near future."
It might not be faith but it sure sounds "faithy" to me...
Few scientists worth their salt really believe that science will solve all the mysteries of the universe. Some theories may be beyond experimental verification. Other phenomena may simply defy rational explanation. Already, one of the most elegant and successful scientific theories, quantum physics, yields results which appear not only counter-intuitive but which are also completely paradoxical. We nonetheless accept the theory because of its extraordinary powers of prediction. And, it remains somewhat incompatible with Relativity...
The possibility that science may not have the answers to all questions is often used by theists as some evidence of God's existence but that's the "God as a gap-filler" position, neither satisfactory to the religious, nor to atheists. It may be so that science approaches truth in an asymptotical way, in the same manner an asymptote never quite reaches the axis which it starts to approximate some way into its journey...