1. How would you define atheism?
Lack of belief in gods. I do not believe there is evidence for any gods, so I don't pray to any.
2. Do you act according to what you believe (there is no God) in or what you don't believe in (lack belief in God)?
I don't make claims that there is no god, since that keeps the burden of proof firmly on the theist's shoulders.
3. Do you think it is inconsistent for someone who "lacks belief" in God to work against God's existence by attempting to show that God doesn't exist?
No. We need to point out the holes in the books and religious teachings to help people realize that believing in one god isn't any more sensible than believing in another.
4. How sure are you that your atheism properly represents reality?
Atheism is a result of skepticism towards religion. The only representation of reality might be the logical conclusion of the best way to find the truth in something. By really examining it and realizing that there is no concrete evidence for the supernatural.
5. How sure are you that your atheism is correct?
So far I'm quite sure that there isn't enough evidence to say that Yahweh exists any more than the dozens of other gods I know of.
6. How would you define what truth is?
I'm not sure how to answer that.
7. Why do you believe your atheism is a justifiable position to hold?
Claims without evidence can be discarded without evidence. It's so rarely a good idea to just follow something blindly.
8. Are you a materialist or a physicalist or what?
I'm not sure.
9. Do you affirm or deny that atheism is a worldview? Why or why not?
I don't think it's a worldview, since the fact that I'm an atheist doesn't have much effect on my life. I don't do things because I'm an atheist. I just happen to be an atheist who does things.
10. Not all atheists are antagonistic to Christianity but for those of you who are, why the antagonism?
Because they're antagonistic against everyone who isn't a christian. Their bible tells them to be. If someone comes to you and claims you have no morals, and possibly threatens to kill you, what would your reaction be?
11. If you were at one time a believer in the Christian God, what caused you to deny his existence?
There are a lot of things that made me disagree with the teachings of Yahweh, but what really made me think he and Jesus didn't exist at all was looking into older religions and stories. Finding out that Yahweh was originally a minor deity in a pantheon of gods, and Jesus wasn't the first person who was supposedly born of a virgin and rose from the dead three days after he was killed.
12. Do you believe the world would be better off without religion?
Yes.
13. Do you believe the world would be better off without Christianity?
Yes
14. Do you believe that faith in a God or gods is a mental disorder?
No. That would be nurture. Not nature. Aside from our inherent superstitious leanings, but I don't think being superstitious is a disorder.
15. Must God be known through the scientific method?
The scientific method is the best means of finding out anything. We don't know everything, but if it's out there then science can eventually find it. Yahweh really never seemed like the guy who would want to hide from the world, yet the only thing we've found out about him outside the bible doesn't speak well of him.
16. If you answered yes to the previous question, then how do you avoid a category mistake by requiring material evidence for an immaterial God?
If he has any effect on a material universe, there should be evidence of him. If he doesn't, he may as well not exist.
17. Do we have any purpose as human beings?
That's a personal question. I have purpose. Do you?
18. If we do have purpose, can you as an atheist please explain how that purpose is determined?
Do you want to continue living? If yes, think about why. That's your purpose. Like I said, it's a personal question. My purpose is not your purpose.
19. Where does morality come from?
Life experiences.
20. Are there moral absolutes?
I'm not sure.
21. If there are moral absolutes, could you list a few of them?
Maybe something that helps far more people than it hurts, or vice versa.
22. Do you believe there is such a thing as evil? If so, what is it?
I think good and evil exist, but it's subjective. Except perhaps in extreme cases.
23. If you believe that the God of the Old Testament is morally bad, by what standard do you judge that he is bad?
My own judgement, coupled with society.
24. What would it take for you to believe in God?
Someone doing something that defies known laws of nature.
25. What would constitute sufficient evidence for God’s existence?
As far as Yahweh/Jesus is concerned, I guess doing the things he's said to have done in the book. Part waters, and raise the dead.
26. Must this evidence be rationally based, archaeological, testable in a lab, etc., or what?
It must be falsifiable.
27. Do you think that a society that is run by Christians or atheists would be safer? Why?
Secular countries tend to be better than theocratic ones. This is demonstrable fact.
28. Do you believe in free will? (free will being the ability to make choices without coercion).
I think so, though it could be debatable.
29. If you believe in free will, do you see any problem with defending the idea that the physical brain, which is limited and subject to the neuro-chemical laws of the brain, can still produce free will choices?
If free will exists, the brain must allow for it.
30. If you affirm evolution and that the universe will continue to expand forever, then do you think it is probable that given enough time, brains would evolve to the point of exceeding mere physical limitations and become free of the physical and temporal and thereby become "deity" and not be restricted by space and time? If not, why not?
The brain relies on chemicals and impulses, so I'm not sure if there can be a mind without it. We have yet to find anything that says otherwise, right?
31. If you answered the previous question in the affirmative, then aren't you saying that it is probable that some sort of God exists?
no.
Lack of belief in gods. I do not believe there is evidence for any gods, so I don't pray to any.
2. Do you act according to what you believe (there is no God) in or what you don't believe in (lack belief in God)?
I don't make claims that there is no god, since that keeps the burden of proof firmly on the theist's shoulders.
3. Do you think it is inconsistent for someone who "lacks belief" in God to work against God's existence by attempting to show that God doesn't exist?
No. We need to point out the holes in the books and religious teachings to help people realize that believing in one god isn't any more sensible than believing in another.
4. How sure are you that your atheism properly represents reality?
Atheism is a result of skepticism towards religion. The only representation of reality might be the logical conclusion of the best way to find the truth in something. By really examining it and realizing that there is no concrete evidence for the supernatural.
5. How sure are you that your atheism is correct?
So far I'm quite sure that there isn't enough evidence to say that Yahweh exists any more than the dozens of other gods I know of.
6. How would you define what truth is?
I'm not sure how to answer that.
7. Why do you believe your atheism is a justifiable position to hold?
Claims without evidence can be discarded without evidence. It's so rarely a good idea to just follow something blindly.
8. Are you a materialist or a physicalist or what?
I'm not sure.
9. Do you affirm or deny that atheism is a worldview? Why or why not?
I don't think it's a worldview, since the fact that I'm an atheist doesn't have much effect on my life. I don't do things because I'm an atheist. I just happen to be an atheist who does things.
10. Not all atheists are antagonistic to Christianity but for those of you who are, why the antagonism?
Because they're antagonistic against everyone who isn't a christian. Their bible tells them to be. If someone comes to you and claims you have no morals, and possibly threatens to kill you, what would your reaction be?
11. If you were at one time a believer in the Christian God, what caused you to deny his existence?
There are a lot of things that made me disagree with the teachings of Yahweh, but what really made me think he and Jesus didn't exist at all was looking into older religions and stories. Finding out that Yahweh was originally a minor deity in a pantheon of gods, and Jesus wasn't the first person who was supposedly born of a virgin and rose from the dead three days after he was killed.
12. Do you believe the world would be better off without religion?
Yes.
13. Do you believe the world would be better off without Christianity?
Yes
14. Do you believe that faith in a God or gods is a mental disorder?
No. That would be nurture. Not nature. Aside from our inherent superstitious leanings, but I don't think being superstitious is a disorder.
15. Must God be known through the scientific method?
The scientific method is the best means of finding out anything. We don't know everything, but if it's out there then science can eventually find it. Yahweh really never seemed like the guy who would want to hide from the world, yet the only thing we've found out about him outside the bible doesn't speak well of him.
16. If you answered yes to the previous question, then how do you avoid a category mistake by requiring material evidence for an immaterial God?
If he has any effect on a material universe, there should be evidence of him. If he doesn't, he may as well not exist.
17. Do we have any purpose as human beings?
That's a personal question. I have purpose. Do you?
18. If we do have purpose, can you as an atheist please explain how that purpose is determined?
Do you want to continue living? If yes, think about why. That's your purpose. Like I said, it's a personal question. My purpose is not your purpose.
19. Where does morality come from?
Life experiences.
20. Are there moral absolutes?
I'm not sure.
21. If there are moral absolutes, could you list a few of them?
Maybe something that helps far more people than it hurts, or vice versa.
22. Do you believe there is such a thing as evil? If so, what is it?
I think good and evil exist, but it's subjective. Except perhaps in extreme cases.
23. If you believe that the God of the Old Testament is morally bad, by what standard do you judge that he is bad?
My own judgement, coupled with society.
24. What would it take for you to believe in God?
Someone doing something that defies known laws of nature.
25. What would constitute sufficient evidence for God’s existence?
As far as Yahweh/Jesus is concerned, I guess doing the things he's said to have done in the book. Part waters, and raise the dead.
26. Must this evidence be rationally based, archaeological, testable in a lab, etc., or what?
It must be falsifiable.
27. Do you think that a society that is run by Christians or atheists would be safer? Why?
Secular countries tend to be better than theocratic ones. This is demonstrable fact.
28. Do you believe in free will? (free will being the ability to make choices without coercion).
I think so, though it could be debatable.
29. If you believe in free will, do you see any problem with defending the idea that the physical brain, which is limited and subject to the neuro-chemical laws of the brain, can still produce free will choices?
If free will exists, the brain must allow for it.
30. If you affirm evolution and that the universe will continue to expand forever, then do you think it is probable that given enough time, brains would evolve to the point of exceeding mere physical limitations and become free of the physical and temporal and thereby become "deity" and not be restricted by space and time? If not, why not?
The brain relies on chemicals and impulses, so I'm not sure if there can be a mind without it. We have yet to find anything that says otherwise, right?
31. If you answered the previous question in the affirmative, then aren't you saying that it is probable that some sort of God exists?
no.
Poe's Law: "Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is impossible to create a parody of Fundamentalism that SOMEONE won't mistake for the real thing."
10 Christ-like figures that predate Jesus. Link shortened to Chris ate Jesus for some reason...
http://listverse.com/2009/04/13/10-chris...ate-jesus/
Good video to watch, if you want to know how common the Jesus story really is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88GTUXvp-50
A list of biblical contradictions from the infallible word of Yahweh.
http://infidels.org/library/modern/jim_m...tions.html
10 Christ-like figures that predate Jesus. Link shortened to Chris ate Jesus for some reason...
http://listverse.com/2009/04/13/10-chris...ate-jesus/
Good video to watch, if you want to know how common the Jesus story really is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88GTUXvp-50
A list of biblical contradictions from the infallible word of Yahweh.
http://infidels.org/library/modern/jim_m...tions.html
