RE: Interview an Atheist
December 2, 2016 at 3:33 pm
(This post was last modified: December 2, 2016 at 3:35 pm by Simon Moon.)
(December 1, 2016 at 8:17 pm)Rader052612 Wrote: Hello,
For a class I am taking I am required to interview someone and learn about their personal world views and beliefs. This is in no way to demean or preach to them, but instead listen and learn about others world views. If anyone would be willing to let me listen to their world views I would greatly appreciate it! It will be 4 basic questions: Origin:where's do we come from? Morality: how do you determine right from wrong good from bad? Purpose: What is our purpose in life? Destiny: What happens once we die? Thank you!
I will go ahead an contribute my answers to the discussion.
Origin:where's do we come from?
If you mean the universe, then that answer currently is unknown. But just because there is no answer yet, does not mean that positing a god becomes the best answer, by default.
If you mean life, and humans, then the current best answer is, self replicating molecules lead to self replicating simple cells, then, via natural selection, became more complex over vast amounts of time.
Morality: how do you determine right from wrong good from bad?
HUmans evolved in relatively small groups of 50 to 100 individuals. As with all social species, our survival is dependant on cooperation, reciprocity, kin selection and, in more advanced species, empathy.
All I have to do to determine whether something is right or wrong, is to evaluate if my actions will have a detrimental, positive or null effect on the well being of other people. On a larger scale, since I want to live in a society where I am not likely to be harmed, killed, have my stuff stolen, etc, I will not harm, kill, or steal from other people.
Purpose: What is our purpose in life?
We make our own purpose.
This is one thing I really don't understand of the theist's position. No one wants to have some authority figure to chose their: hobbies, spouse, college, tastes, their career, etc, etc. But they are fine with an authority choosing their purpose.
Destiny: What happens once we die?
We most likely end up decomposing and going back into the ecosystem.
There is drastically insufficient evidence to support that there is anything to come after life.
I was nonexistent for billions of years before I was born, and was not the least put out. I will become nonexistent again after I die.
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.
