RE: Intro
April 26, 2009 at 10:59 am
(This post was last modified: April 26, 2009 at 11:22 am by erniesam.)
Hi Giff,
Thanks for your message.
I agree with you, that within the natural world (the world which we experience) there's absolutely no evidence for the existence of God. You can argue that what is within the reach of our senses is the only reality that exists. There's simply nothing more. Even when we "experience" somthing supernatural, it's simply a phenomenon which we do not understand yet. But, as soon as something is within the reach of our senses, it becomes part of the natural world, although we may not understand it yet.
My question is: since the world of our experience grows by the day (mostly thanks to science), there must be elements in the unknown perhaps "waiting" to be discovered. But we don't know if there are elements, because we can't see into the unknown. Based upon our growing of the world of our experience we logically can assume that this world is likely to grow further. However, there will always be a limit to our knowledge and experience, i.e. there will always be a border surrounding us. I like to see this border as a projection screen for our fantasies and desires.
So, I am an atheist, for I do not believe in a god. Furthermore, I flatout dislike the idea of a god watching over us, who decides what's right and wrong etc. I like my own imagination which include my family and friends. I'd like to make my own movie to project on the screen, instead of a prewritten doctrine which is violent, discriminatory, racist, harmful and inconsistent. Still, I do believe that the border of our sensory world and the unknown (a border which moves forward) will always remains a mystery. Any claim you make about this mystery doesn't have any meaning in the natural world whatsoever. You simply can't say anything of the unknow, because if you do, it means you know something about it.
I thank you for your message, because it urges me to take a stand, which is atheism.
Hi Adrian,
Thanks for your message. I must say, you have thought about it. I think you are right about the fact that atheism itself does not deny the existence of a god perse, but that it is simply a lack of belief in a god. Although there are ateists who do deny the existence of a god, the term itself does not refer to such a claim. I guess you are right about the fact, that atheism doesn't make any claim whatsoever.
You said something interesting about agnosticism: it isn't a cowardly position, but on the contrary a very sensible one: you believe that the existence of a god can't be proven or disproven, since it is supposed to be in the unknown. I agree with that. Still, I do have a question: if a god, which supposedly finds itself in the unknown, is unknowable to us, how can you speak of it in the first place. By stating: you can't prove or disproven the existence of a god you are saying something about the unknown.
I hope you do not take this as an arrogant commentary, for I do find your position very interesting. I'm curious about how you perceive your own position and maybe can tell me a bit more about it.
Thanks for your message.
I agree with you, that within the natural world (the world which we experience) there's absolutely no evidence for the existence of God. You can argue that what is within the reach of our senses is the only reality that exists. There's simply nothing more. Even when we "experience" somthing supernatural, it's simply a phenomenon which we do not understand yet. But, as soon as something is within the reach of our senses, it becomes part of the natural world, although we may not understand it yet.
My question is: since the world of our experience grows by the day (mostly thanks to science), there must be elements in the unknown perhaps "waiting" to be discovered. But we don't know if there are elements, because we can't see into the unknown. Based upon our growing of the world of our experience we logically can assume that this world is likely to grow further. However, there will always be a limit to our knowledge and experience, i.e. there will always be a border surrounding us. I like to see this border as a projection screen for our fantasies and desires.
So, I am an atheist, for I do not believe in a god. Furthermore, I flatout dislike the idea of a god watching over us, who decides what's right and wrong etc. I like my own imagination which include my family and friends. I'd like to make my own movie to project on the screen, instead of a prewritten doctrine which is violent, discriminatory, racist, harmful and inconsistent. Still, I do believe that the border of our sensory world and the unknown (a border which moves forward) will always remains a mystery. Any claim you make about this mystery doesn't have any meaning in the natural world whatsoever. You simply can't say anything of the unknow, because if you do, it means you know something about it.
I thank you for your message, because it urges me to take a stand, which is atheism.
Hi Adrian,
Thanks for your message. I must say, you have thought about it. I think you are right about the fact that atheism itself does not deny the existence of a god perse, but that it is simply a lack of belief in a god. Although there are ateists who do deny the existence of a god, the term itself does not refer to such a claim. I guess you are right about the fact, that atheism doesn't make any claim whatsoever.
You said something interesting about agnosticism: it isn't a cowardly position, but on the contrary a very sensible one: you believe that the existence of a god can't be proven or disproven, since it is supposed to be in the unknown. I agree with that. Still, I do have a question: if a god, which supposedly finds itself in the unknown, is unknowable to us, how can you speak of it in the first place. By stating: you can't prove or disproven the existence of a god you are saying something about the unknown.
I hope you do not take this as an arrogant commentary, for I do find your position very interesting. I'm curious about how you perceive your own position and maybe can tell me a bit more about it.
