Positive Atheism

[Violet]

You possess an essence, and you exist. The essence of you exists but how?

A table posses an 'essence' because it is so 'table-y'. Essence is entirely based upon perception. However, for something to be perceived: it must first exist.

Take a brick wall for instance. To me, it is a brick wall... it is solid, I can't walk through it, it has specific colors and defining features that all help me describe what it is.

To a small neutrino though... the atoms of what I call a 'wall' are mostly empty space... are likely colorless, and are likely without many features by which the neutrino can use to define it.

To the player of our video game... the wall is a special wall that his main character must walk through to reach the next save point. The wall that is red/orange/brown colored to me... is a green wall to his perception. His entire perception of our world could be far different than our perception of it.

The essence (the description of how something exists) is preceded by the fact that it exists. Essence is completely subjective to the perception point, circumstance, and how able the perception point is able to perceive. Existence on the other hand, is the single objective reality of all things (that all things exist). Even non-existence exists.

That is why existence precedes essence.

Edit: Richard Dawkins said it very well (among other things):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1APOxsp1VFw