Welcome, welcome!
Since this is not in the intro forum, we can just skip the pleasantries, roll up our sleeves and get down and dirty.
Beware of the hounds!
god-did-it? That leaves open a hole so big that it becomes far more than a nagging feeling...
Where did god come from?
What is god made of?
How did god do any of those things?
How does god work?
What does god work with? (like a carpenter works with wood)
How would any person on Earth come to know anything about god?
Some theories posit that space-time (at least the space-time within our universe) began to exist with the big bang. This means that prior to the big bang (whatever prior means here, because there would be no time for events to unfurl), there was also no space... so, effectively, the Universe would have come from literally nowhere.
Other theories posit that the space-time within our universe is a tiny subset of the infinite space-time. Under these, there would be a definite location in space and time for the Universe, although the big bang prevents us from ever measuring anything about that... or even from knowing it.
So, yes, in actuality, we cannot say for certain.
Can you?
Can a simple belief in a deity assert for certain the origin of the Universe?
Is belief the single factor in the reality of what is believed upon?
Many disciplines are involved with the "how" we got here, starting with the big bang, through stellar evolution, planetary evolution and biological evolution. But a "why" is something I can't tell.
That is what is typically called a loaded question.
My life has meaning... lots of meanings, actually.
An ant's life must have its own meaning - the betterment of the colony, at least.
Whatever meaning an individual life's has, why would the belief in the existence of a god not be what you describe as "imaginary meaning in your brain"?... only you'd be unable to identify it as such, given your bias brought on by the belief itself.
good:
adjective
1. morally excellent; virtuous; righteous; pious: a good man.
2. satisfactory in quality, quantity, or degree: a good teacher; good health.
3. of high quality; excellent.
4. right; proper; fit: It is good that you are here. His credentials are good.
5. well-behaved: a good child.
6. kind, beneficent, or friendly: to do a good deed.
7. honorable or worthy; in good standing: a good name.
evil:
adjective
1. morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked: evil deeds; an evil life.
2. harmful; injurious: evil laws.
3. characterized or accompanied by misfortune or suffering; unfortunate; disastrous: to be fallen on evil days.
4. due to actual or imputed bad conduct or character: an evil reputation.
5. marked by anger, irritability, irascibility, etc.: He is known for his evil disposition.
Very broad words, wouldn't you agree?
There are good actions, a typical example is helping others; and there are evil actions, a typical example is causing harm to others.
If you were to build a society, a tribe, a family, wouldn't you prefer to keep around people who exhibited good actions, instead of evil ones?
To prevent them from harming the rest of society, thus preventing them from harming the future of mankind.
I think it's more illogical to accept an unverified answer as true, instead of understanding why and how we don't know some things, and how we can't know them (yet).
Specially, when the particular answer that is touted as true has been heralded since times of particular ignorance and imagination by humanity.
Since this is not in the intro forum, we can just skip the pleasantries, roll up our sleeves and get down and dirty.
Beware of the hounds!
(December 19, 2014 at 7:06 am)Antikytherian95 Wrote: I have a nagging skepticism about atheism since it leaves unexplained the most basic questions of our existence and the existence of all things.So, how would theism answer any of those questions?
god-did-it? That leaves open a hole so big that it becomes far more than a nagging feeling...
Where did god come from?
What is god made of?
How did god do any of those things?
How does god work?
What does god work with? (like a carpenter works with wood)
How would any person on Earth come to know anything about god?
(December 19, 2014 at 7:06 am)Antikytherian95 Wrote: Q- Where does the Universe come from?"Where" presupposes space.
Dogmatic atheist- We don't know
Some theories posit that space-time (at least the space-time within our universe) began to exist with the big bang. This means that prior to the big bang (whatever prior means here, because there would be no time for events to unfurl), there was also no space... so, effectively, the Universe would have come from literally nowhere.
Other theories posit that the space-time within our universe is a tiny subset of the infinite space-time. Under these, there would be a definite location in space and time for the Universe, although the big bang prevents us from ever measuring anything about that... or even from knowing it.
So, yes, in actuality, we cannot say for certain.
Can you?
Can a simple belief in a deity assert for certain the origin of the Universe?
Is belief the single factor in the reality of what is believed upon?
(December 19, 2014 at 7:06 am)Antikytherian95 Wrote: Q Why are we here?"Why" presupposes an intent.
Dogmatic atheist- We don't know
Many disciplines are involved with the "how" we got here, starting with the big bang, through stellar evolution, planetary evolution and biological evolution. But a "why" is something I can't tell.
That is what is typically called a loaded question.
(December 19, 2014 at 7:06 am)Antikytherian95 Wrote: Q Is there any meaning to life?Define "meaning".
Dogmatic atheist- We don't know but you can just make up an imaginary meaning in your brain (thus living a delusion)
My life has meaning... lots of meanings, actually.
An ant's life must have its own meaning - the betterment of the colony, at least.
Whatever meaning an individual life's has, why would the belief in the existence of a god not be what you describe as "imaginary meaning in your brain"?... only you'd be unable to identify it as such, given your bias brought on by the belief itself.
(December 19, 2014 at 7:06 am)Antikytherian95 Wrote: Q Is there good and evil?"good" and "evil" are well defined, absent of a deity:
Dogmatic atheist (Dawkins)- There is no good and evil, we all dance to the tune of our DNA
good:
adjective
1. morally excellent; virtuous; righteous; pious: a good man.
2. satisfactory in quality, quantity, or degree: a good teacher; good health.
3. of high quality; excellent.
4. right; proper; fit: It is good that you are here. His credentials are good.
5. well-behaved: a good child.
6. kind, beneficent, or friendly: to do a good deed.
7. honorable or worthy; in good standing: a good name.
evil:
adjective
1. morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked: evil deeds; an evil life.
2. harmful; injurious: evil laws.
3. characterized or accompanied by misfortune or suffering; unfortunate; disastrous: to be fallen on evil days.
4. due to actual or imputed bad conduct or character: an evil reputation.
5. marked by anger, irritability, irascibility, etc.: He is known for his evil disposition.
Very broad words, wouldn't you agree?
There are good actions, a typical example is helping others; and there are evil actions, a typical example is causing harm to others.
If you were to build a society, a tribe, a family, wouldn't you prefer to keep around people who exhibited good actions, instead of evil ones?
(December 19, 2014 at 7:06 am)Antikytherian95 Wrote: Why then do we put "evil" people in jails? ("evil" is a religious word)To keep them away from the rest of society.
A truly honest Dogmatic atheist- We don't know
To prevent them from harming the rest of society, thus preventing them from harming the future of mankind.
(December 19, 2014 at 7:06 am)Antikytherian95 Wrote: There are so many questions Ive asked atheists over the years, and their answers just seem illogical, and leave me even more skeptical about atheism.
Thoughts?
I think it's more illogical to accept an unverified answer as true, instead of understanding why and how we don't know some things, and how we can't know them (yet).
Specially, when the particular answer that is touted as true has been heralded since times of particular ignorance and imagination by humanity.
