Critical thinker, skeptical about atheism.

[The Grand Nudger]

I have a nagging skepticism about atheism since it leaves unexplained the most basic questions of our existence and the existence of all things.

Well.....I could just explain them to you, if you'd like....so long as the accuracy of the explanation is of no consequence to you. That said, why should atheism answer these questions....and how -would it-? I'm not so sure what you're skeptical -about-.

Q- Where does the Universe come from?
Dogmatic atheist- We don't know

Well, we don't. I could make shit up for you if it would be more satisfying...but I'm guessing, you're being a skeptic...that it wouldn't.

Q Why are we here?
Dogmatic atheist- We don't know

Meh, I know why -I'm- here.....but of course I would...since I decided that for myself.

Q Is there any meaning to life?
Dogmatic atheist- We don't know but you can just make up an imaginary meaning in your brain (thus living a delusion)

To mine, sure. Again, I decided that for myself - it's difficult to see why that makes my meaning imaginary, or a delusion. I made the choice, now I live it. Is there actually a wrong answer here?

Q Is there good and evil?
Dogmatic atheist (Dawkins)- There is no good and evil, we all dance to the tune of our DNA

Meh, I have no trouble distinguishing good from evil.

Why then do we put "evil" people in jails? ("evil" is a religious word)
A truly honest Dogmatic atheist- We don't know

In a perfect world, for the public good/safety. It doesn't really matter what we think of a persons actions - with regards to jail. There are already plenty of things you and I might cvall unethical or even evil that -are not- illegal, and they should remain that way. On the other hand, there are things that are illegal that perhaps you and I do not see as unethical or evil and just might have nothing to do with the public good/safety. We could probably jail far fewer people than we do, regardless of whatever justification we offer.

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?

If you could point to something illogical regarding atheism itself..then maybe I could understand the skepticism directed at atheism. I don't believe in god...are you skeptical about whether or not I am telling the truth? That's all atheism is. It does not encapsulate my position on the origin of the universe, why I'm here, the meaning of life, the status of good and evil (or what is good relative to what is evil), or whether or not we should imprison any given person or why. However much satisfaction I might get from an answer does not, to me, indicate whether or not that answer is accurate. There are many unsatisfying realities in the world, imo.

-If, instead, you're skeptical of whether or not we have an answer to the origins of the universe.....good...because we just don't know, and any explanation offered deserves skepticism.

-Why we're here and what the meaning of life may be seem to be questions with no right or wrong answers - objectively (nor do I see why there would be a requirement that they did have right or wrong answers). I don't see what that has to do with atheism.

-Similarly, the issue regarding our prisons would be something that does not hinge upon atheism. Good, evil...what should or shouldn't be illegal, what we should or shouldn't jail people for - this is a secular concern that all parties may opine on and being an atheist or a theist or an agnostic couldn't reliably predict anything about a persons opinion - nor would the status of their belief be a valid operant in any function flowing from them. For example. If you were a theist, and believed that god says "x" is evil...that's still no justification to imprison them....we're a secular country. If you're an atheist, and you feel that "x" is evil...that's still no reason to imprison them, because "evil" =/= "illegal".