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[DonasaurusRex]

I believe theres a God, and Im not him. Religions are indeed a coping mechanism, it helps us deal with life, and helps us deal with death because both are ongoing mysteries. I know alot of "believers" dont like to hear that but seriously every religion is a leap of faith, there is no certainty that you are right in what you believe. I think thats what people need the most , the assurance that they are right even if the path their belief leads them on is an uncertain destination. Christianity offers peace of mind. Even though i fear many who practice religion thinks it offers the right of dominion because they "know it all". I have no problem with people questioning the concept of a God, nor does the bible, paul said you must come to your own conclusions about your faith in your own heart. And thats all that counts cause God knows your heart. The bible comes down to one verse, and everyone considering that one verse, Gen 1:1 in the begging God. I believe its a possiblity.

believer +1

 

[Maxwell House]

Put me down as another atheist.

 

[isamu]

Put me down as another atheist.

question for you atheists.....if there is no God, how do you explain us human beings and what we have been born with? How do you explain the capabilities of our minds, and the power of thinking? How do you explain what we feel in our souls...emotions...instinct?

How do you explain having a concious? Guilt? Regret? What motivates you to do right from wrong? Caring for one another? Is evolution responsible for this?

How do you explain the fact that the earth just happends to be perfectly aligned with the sun and rotates at the perfect distance that we are able to survive and live without burning up or freezing to death?

Do you think these things are simply "evolution"? Something to think about.

 

[Drexon]

What are you talking about? Are you saying you're lumping your opinion of the bible and your stance on God all in one? Shows how much you've thought about things.

You don't have to know the bible, but you don't have to believe in it to believe in God...

They're sorta interlinked. And 99% of the religiousness in my community is about christianity. So yeah, I'm lumping 'em together.

 

[XS+]

I'm not an atheist. I don't subscribe to any particular philosophy that seeks to dispel the idea of god. I just don't live my life acknowledging the existence of god. Save for instances when the concept of god is invoked by others, I don't think about it.

 

[Drexon]

Oh yeah, here a juicy one.

question for you atheists.....if there is no God, how do you explain us human beings and what we have been born with? How do you explain the capabilities of our minds, and the power of thinking? How do you explain what we feel in our souls...emotions...instinct?

It's aaall scientific baby. Let's begin at a cellular level, say the first life. This needed to evolve (let's not go there though) and start adapting to the enviorment. It continued to evolvo to such a point that it created a thinking organ for itself, something that acts outside of the flesh, and controls it, the brain. An example. On a cellular level you can't control say a cut to your skin, it's automatic, done by cells. And if cells have a better use of protecting the body and increasing the chances of surviving as a whole by creating a brain than that's the logical way to go.

So now we have a lump of cells with a brain. What should the brain do? Well, if it creates emotions, states of minds during special kinds of situations, it can react better and smarter than on a cellular level. Let's skip ahead a little. The lump of cells have created eyes and fins, and is now swimming instead of floating around absorbing what energy it comes across. If a threat, a cell blob eater is near it can avoid it, by the brain training itself to sense fear when it percepts this cell blod eater. That's basically the reason for fear. Stay away and you'll survive longer. And the reason I can prove this? Well, we Have fear! The only reason we have the emotion fear is because our ancestors (sp?) found a use for it and managed to live so long that they could reproduce and by that means implant the emotion fear into their genetics.

This goes for ALL the emotions and instincts. Survival of the fittest survive, and by trial and error with emotions you'll eventually get something that develops counciousness. I could describe the path of basically all the emotions, but I hope you can do that yourself.

How do you explain the fact that the earth just happends to be perfectly aligned with the sun and rotates at the perfect distance that we are able to survive and live without burning up or freezing to death?

Trial and error again. There are BILLIONS and TRILLIONS of stars and galaxies. Why life only (well, we don't know this) appear on planets that are just the correct amount of length from the sun is probably because water is allowed to stay liquid there. Basically the planet earth was lucky, and life sprouted here.

 

[XS+]

question for you atheists.....if there is no God, how do you explain us human beings and what we have been born with? How do you explain the capabilities of our minds, and the power of thinking? How do you explain what we feel in our souls...emotions...instinct?

How do you explain having a concious? Guilt? Regret? What motivates you to do right from wrong? Caring for one another? Is evolution responsible for this?

How do you explain the fact that the earth just happends to be perfectly aligned with the sun and rotates at the perfect distance that we are able to survive and live without burning up or freezing to death?

Do you think these things are simply "evolution"? Something to think about.

Who cares, really? Why do you attempt to take hold of the ungraspable, that which has perplexed legions since the birth of mankind? What is IS. That's how I look at it. Like Christians, I could ascribe greater significance to a dog, deifying it to no end. Will I? No, because I don't require that kind of hollow validation. If there's a god, good for it; if there isn't a god, my life is unchanged. Life is fleeting, a brisk trip that has only one destination. Live it and stop harping on something as arcane and, ultimately, inconsequential as god's existence.

 

[maharg]

Actually, I've found the distinction to be practically useless. The concept, in and of itself, has merit, but I've found that most "weak atheists" are really of the "I'm 99.99% sure that gods don't exist, but would rather not argue my position" type. Strong atheists, meanwhile, usually say "I'm about as sure that gods don't exist as I am that space aliens aren't kidnapping people to sodomize them, and here's why..."

What about the ones who don't believe in god but DO believe space aliens are kidnapping and sodomizing people? I bet they feel mighty marginalized at the moment.

fallout:
There's a reason those other churches are called 'protestant.'

How do you explain having a concious? Guilt? Regret? What motivates you to do right from wrong? Caring for one another? Is evolution responsible for this?

A conscience can be considered an evolutionary adaptation, where people who are more likely to work together for a common good thrive while pathologically individualistic people would tend to die out, as they are competing with large groups for resources, or be killed by the larger groups (see: stonings, hangings, etc).

That said, things that are right to do can be determined logically with no old book to guide you. They are instilled in all societies, christian, or otherwise, because they tend to cause societies to thrive. Doing things that harm others harms society. Doing things that help others makes society thrive.

I think the real question is, why do you think you need faith to understand the dynamics of a functioning society? Do you really believe that in the absence of your faith, you would become an 'evil' person doing nothing but harming others? I find that idea highly disturbing.

 

[Mumbles]

question for you atheists.....if there is no God, how do you explain us human beings and what we have been born with? How do you explain the capabilities of our minds, and the power of thinking? How do you explain what we feel in our souls...emotions...instinct?

How do you explain having a concious? Guilt? Regret? What motivates you to do right from wrong? Caring for one another? Is evolution responsible for this?

I really don't bother. These can be understood in terms of biology (as other animals show many of the same traits that we do,), or in terms of sociology, or psychology - in other words, the same way you would explain hatred, herd mentality, and those who show no conscience or dysfunctional emotions.

As for what we feel in our "souls", that's a religious concept, so it's got nothing to do with me. And I don't see how positing a god even addresses these questions, since you're asking for a "how" instead of a "who", and your "who" doesn't really point to much of anything to begin with.

How do you explain the fact that the earth just happends to be perfectly aligned with the sun and rotates at the perfect distance that we are able to survive and live without burning up or freezing to death?

If it weren't, you would never have existed to answer the question. IOW, this isn't really something that needs explanation to begin with - life formed on the earth because the earth was a good environment for life, but that does not imply that earth, or the universe, was created with life in mind.

 

[Stele]

I'm atheist to the point I look down on religious people, especially clergy -- what a wealth of knowledge and wisdom thy possess, on fabulous myths and things that are not real.

Do you think these things are simply "evolution"? Something to think about.

Or maybe you're just scared of the notion of "blinking out of existence" when you die.

 

[pnjtony]

I welcome that blink

 

[Gek54]

agnostic

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

i do believe there's something that occurs after death, and i lean in favor of being reborn.

There are some interesting stories of reincarnation, and I'm probably more open about the possibility than most people. However, if so I envision such things as being natural processes we have little understanding of, rather than implying a deity.

What about the ones who don't believe in god but DO believe space aliens are kidnapping and sodomizing people? I bet they feel mighty marginalized at the moment.

On behalf of xenobiosodomists everywhere, I salute you.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Okay, maybe Bertrand Russel isn't a pussy in general, but calling somebody an agnostic because they don't have an absolute belief in a lack of god, thats hedging.