Ask an atheist anything! (seriously, anything)

[John10]

Hello and welcome,

I just hope you keep an open mind and if you take things seriously follow the path where evidence and common sense leads you to.

I can tell you I would not like living on Earth if I did not belief in the Catholic God, it would be very depressing and even impossible to really live. I do understand some people (not saying you are one of them to be clear) reject Catholicism because it’s “inconvenient” and not easy, but I have never honestly met anyone who could reasonably refute in a convincing way the major parts of Catholicism and Christianity.

Will pray so that our Lord will open your mind to His Truth.

God Bless

 

[BT3241]

A human being can only see approximately. 0035% of the light spectrum - we are actually blind to what’s there so how can a person believe in only what they can see.

 

[Pattylt]

To anyone that has been mocked, insulted and denigrated by atheists, I’m very sorry that has happened. I know many are like that and they tend to be very vocal. There really isn’t any excuse for it and it is shameful behavior.

Usually, those that come across like that have been harmed in some way by their religion. The more recently they’ve left, the worse they tend to be. Time mellows much of their anger…but not always.

Some are reacting to religious people telling them how awful they are, they just want to sin, they are mad at God, etc. They’re tired of being told why they’re atheists rather than listening to their own reasons. Having religion shoved down their throats has happened. Having religious laws pushed on them has happened. Having family throw them out has happened. They are lashing out…and it’s wrong for them to do so but it’s also a human reaction.

I’m sorry and ashamed when atheists talk or write this way. Please remember, not all are like this and they may not be like this after some time has passed. I realize forgiving this behavior is hard. I’ve had some forgiving to do, too. Perhaps we’ll soon see them understanding and accepting of religions…some really need to!

 

[Finn]

figured that I’d start by allowing others to ask questions of me

If you were given the choice between two different realities to exist within, either a Christian God created or a godless universe, which would you choose & why?

 

[blackforest]

I once heard a proverb about a couple of Russians, an astronaut and a brain surgeon. The astronaut asked, “How can you believe in God? I’ve been to space multiple times and have never seen Him?” The brain surgeon replied, “I’ve operated on many brains and have never seen a single thought.”

Positivism is uniquely Western and can be self-limiting.

 

[po18guy]

OK. What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

You did say anything…

 

[snarflemike]

If you were given the choice between two different realities to exist within, either a Christian God created or a godless universe, which would you choose & why?

Very interesting question.

 

[St.Bede]

I’m just curious, have you ever felt (even once) the love of GOD or the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life? Or perhaps experienced divine intervention, which you might have discredited due to being an agnostic, but knowing full well that it came from a supernatural source?

If yes, I’d be glad to hear your story on this. For all you know, your testimony might even inspire many of us here, including me. Remember, GOD works in a mysterious way.

Peace, my friend!

 

[AlNg]

A human being can only see approximately. 0035% of the light spectrum - we are actually blind to what’s there so how can a person believe in only what they can see.

And of course there is the Buddhist story of the 4 blind men and the elephant. The four blind men try to determine what an elephant looks like.But they can only judge by touch alone and the elephant is so large that each man can feel only a small part of the elephant. The one who feels the trunk says that the elephant must look like a snake. the one who touches the tail says the elephant looks like a rope. The one who feels the tusk says that the elephant looks like a spear, while the one who touches the ear says that the elephant must be like a hand fan. Unfortunately the four start quarreling among themselves with each claiming that the other three are wrong and don’t know what they are talking about.

 

[Wozza]

That wasn’t the point so I don’t know why you mentioned that. I was responding to STT’s post about people who asked God for something and weren’t ‘answered’ by showing that people are answered, just not sometimes with the answers they ‘want’ or expect.

If you are suggesting that ‘any result at all is an answer to your prayers’ - and it certainly appears to be what you are suggesting, then that would also apply to me praying to Zeus or the FSM.

 

[RaisedCatholic]

I researched the topic. I looked at both Catholic arguments (which I initially agreed with) and atheist arguments (which I found myself agreeing with more and more.) For the past three years or so, I have identified as an atheist. In the technical sense, I am agnostic

Welcome to the forum. I give you credit you identify as an agnostic now, instead of an atheist. Being agnostic is more intellectually honest than being an atheist. To be an atheist, you would have to say God doesn’t exist (since atheists don’t claim to actually “believe” God doesn’t exist). On the contrary, Agnostics aren’t certain if God exists or not, but are open to the idea, given the evidence.

Dawkins’ comment is intellectually dishonest, because you cannot compare the possibility that an omnipotent God Who created the universe (which is both possible & probable) to unicorns & tooth fairies, which are impossible, since neither or historically possible & are based on folklore & children’s stories.

If God did not exist, we would not be having this conversation right now, because Nobody + nothing cannot result in everything. It is scientifically impossible for the universe to be external, since it is related to time & space. No time, no space, no universe. Plus, since time is linear, resulting in time being a sequence of events continuing forward in time, there would have to be the beginning of the time-space universe. Therefore, something (or Someone) outside of time, would have to create it. This is what theists call “God,” since He is non-physical & exists outside of space-time, and doesn’t require an explanation for His existence, since He is eternal without physical boundaries.

Since theism is more logical in terms of the etymology of the universe, the next question would be “which God?” When examining the majority of the world religions, 99% did not exist just a few hundreds years ago. The remaining 1% are limited to the major religions, like Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Daoism, Judeo-Christian faith, etc. Out of all of them, the Judeo-Christian faith is impossible to disprove, while the rest of them can be disproven.

So, if you are searching for the best religion or worldview has the best evidence of being true, Christianity rates at the top, while atheism ranks at the bottom since you would have to be omnipresent & omniscient yourself to say God does not exist, which would - in essence - make yourself to be God, which would negate atheism anyways.

 

[Wozza]

SomeGuyWithQuestions:

I researched the topic. I looked at both Catholic arguments (which I initially agreed with) and atheist arguments (which I found myself agreeing with more and more.) For the past three years or so, I have identified as an atheist. In the technical sense, I am agnostic

Welcome to the forum. I give you credit you identify as an agnostic now, instead of an atheist. Being agnostic is more intellectually honest than being an atheist. To be an atheist, you would have to say God doesn’t exist (since atheists don’t claim to actually “believe” God doesn’t exist). On the contrary, Agnostics aren’t certain if God exists or not, but are open to the idea, given the evidence.

Dawkins’ comment is intellectually dishonest, because you cannot compare the possibility that an omnipotent God Who created the universe (which is both possible & probable) to unicorns & tooth fairies, which are impossible, since neither or historically possible & are based on folklore & children’s stories.

I guess it will come as a surprise to you that Dawkins classes himself as an agnostic. After all, he is a scientist and generally baulks at anyone who declares absolute certainty in anything. And you should know that there are gnostic atheists and agnostic atheists.

To be pedantic, Dawkins belief would correlate with agnostic atheism, as would mine. Neither of us believes that gods exist but we can state quite categorically that it cannot be said with absolute certainty that no god exists.

But who wants to explain that every time you start a conversation? So a simple ‘atheist’ covers almost all contingencies.

 

[RaisedCatholic]

I guess it will come as a surprise to you that Dawkins classes himself as an agnostic.

Yeah, that is interesting, since in debates he has referred to himself as an atheist instead of an agnostic, and he is also classified as being part of the “New Atheists” alongside the late Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and others.

I agree there are really no true “hard atheists,” at least none who are intellectually honest. But Dawkins & others have said to Christians, “The difference between your atheism & mine is that I believe in one less god.” Plus, I’ve seen Dawkins described as an atheist on numerous Web sites.

Either way - atheist, agnostic, agnostic atheism, or whatever you want to call it, none of these worldviews is verifiable.

 

[Wozza]

Wozza:

I guess it will come as a surprise to you that Dawkins classes himself as an agnostic.

Yeah, that is interesting, since in debates he has referred to himself as an atheist instead of an agnostic, and he is also classified as being part of the “New Atheists” alongside the late Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and others.

I agree there are really no true “hard atheists,” at least none who are intellectually honest. But Dawkins & others have said to Christians, “The difference between your atheism & mine is that I believe in one less god.” Plus, I’ve seen Dawkins described as an atheist on numerous Web sites.

Either way - atheist, agnostic, agnostic atheism, or whatever you want to call it, none of these worldviews is verifiable.

He confirmed his agnosticism in a recorded interview. Reported here: Richard Dawkins: I can't be sure God does not exist

"The philosopher Sir Anthony Kenny, who chaired the discussion, interjected: “Why don’t you call yourself an agnostic?” Prof Dawkins answered that he did.

An incredulous Sir Anthony replied: “You are described as the world’s most famous atheist.”

Prof Dawkins said that he was “6.9 out of seven” sure of his beliefs."

As I said, using the term atheist is a lot easier than having a long and involved discussion about epistemology, the burden of proof, the definitions of agnosticism, the meaning of God etc.

And one cannot verify a lack of belief in something. You just have to accept my word when I say ‘I don’t believe in God’. I can’t verify that statement.

 

[RaisedCatholic]

Prof Dawkins said that he was “6.9 out of seven” sure of his beliefs."

Honestly, I think 99.99% of all non-theists who would normally identify themselves as “atheists” would say this. Again, I don’t think there are any truly honest “hard atheists.”

And one cannot verify a lack of belief in something. You just have to accept my word when I say ‘I don’t believe in God’. I can’t verify that statement.

That is probably the most honest thing I’ve heard all day, which is why I could never be one.

 

[PickyPicky]

To be pedantic, Dawkins belief would correlate with agnostic atheism, as would mine. Neither of us believes that gods exist but we can state quite categorically that it cannot be said with absolute certainty that no god exists.

But who wants to explain that every time you start a conversation? So a simple ‘atheist’ covers almost all contingencies

Absolutely right. To be pedantic, that’s me too.

 

[Wozza]

Wozza:

Prof Dawkins said that he was “6.9 out of seven” sure of his beliefs."

Honestly, I think 99.99% of all non-theists who would normally identify themselves as “atheists” would say this. Again, I don’t think there are any truly honest “hard atheists.”

And I think I can say with some degree of confidence that the percentage of Christians who would say that there is a small percentage of doubt in their mind would be the opposite of that figure. Which is a testament to faith I guess. But prompts my favourite epigram by Voltaire:

Doubt is an uncomfortable position, but certainty is absurd.

 

[PickyPicky]

And I think I can say with some degree of confidence that the percentage of Christians who would say that there is a small percentage of doubt in their mind would be the opposite of that figure.

Actually I think there are many Christians who would say that they are occasionally affected by doubt, as a temporary thing.

 

[Wozza]

Wozza:

And I think I can say with some degree of confidence that the percentage of Christians who would say that there is a small percentage of doubt in their mind would be the opposite of that figure.

Actually I think there are many Christians who would say that they are occasionally affected by doubt, as a temporary thing.

I can’t think of one that I’ve talked to in the last few years of forum life that has admitted as such. I guess that many of them must. It’s human nature to have some doubt. But it’s human nature generally to avoid admitting to that. Something of a contradiction.

Although Mother Theresa comes to mind. I don’t admire the woman but I have to admit I admired her honesty.

 

[casslean]

Facts of life types of things.

Facts don’t require belief by their very nature. Gravity is real. Its existence is a fact. Even if I decide I don’t believe in it, it’s going to literally smack me in the face if I step off of a building.

But I can give you lots of non-religious things that are entirely based on belief - there is no conclusive scientific evidence one way or the other, which means that I can choose at any time to stop believing them.

1 - Life begins at conception
2 - Human nature is essentially good
3 - There are no aliens that have landed on Earth
4 - There is an afterlife
5 - Racism is an entirely learned behaviour
6 - Homosexuality is not a choice, but is an innate, immutable characteristic
7 - We have a social obligation to help those less fortunate than ourselves

Those are just BELIEFS. Mt religious belief might be a bigger belief, and it might have a wider impact on my life than, say, my certainty that aliens are not sorting mail at the post office, but it is still a belief. And so with no conclusive evidence one way or the other, whether or not I adhere to that belief is a choice.