A few questions

[scameter]

If you would like to know more about my motivations for writing this topic, feel free to view my topic in the Introductions page. But I'll just say I'm asking these questions out of a genuine desire to know the truth through deliberated and careful reasoning, study and contemplation, and to avoid having a belief that is merely comfortable to me or that I assume is true without actually studying it. Ok, to get to the questions (which I will limit to five for now):

1. Do you think it is possible to know why the universe exists?

2. How do you think morality can exist without objective authority or verification?

3. If there is no afterlife, what motivation would/should anyone have for living any particular way, such as trying to live ethically, civilly, healthily, or any specific way?

4. If there is no afterlife and no essential or ultimate meaning to existence, why should an atheist care if someone believes in a religion and, indeed, if believing in a religion would make their life easier, would that bother you as an atheist?

5. Can you be absolutely certain, without a doubt, that God or something supernatural does not exist?

As a note: please try to answer the questions themselves, not ask questions in response or deviate from them, and please try to refrain from insult or assumption towards me in your replies. Thank you.

[Demonaura]

1. Nope, Agnostic. I do however think that there does not need to be a reason. We as humans just have a hard time understanding that things do not revolve around us or exist simply because they exist.

2. I beleive that morality is partly a part of our humanity (a result of evolution), and partly a result of our upbringing. Some people lack morals, not in the sense that they literally have no morals but, they choose to do bad knowing bad.

3. Because a video game cannot be continued past the ending why do you play it? This life is my one and only chance at living, I want to make the best of what I have. I value life enough that I wish everyone could live a full, happy life and try to do what I can so that I do not disrupt others lives in a bad way. That said I hate to watch others throw their lives away in ridiculus religious bombings, spending their lives on their knees in fear of another persons lies told to them or spending their life on drugs and other substances.

4. See above, religion is like alchohol, it feels like a positive but, ultimately it remains a negative thing. Religious thinking spreads a lack of critical thinking, holds back science, including medical science and provides people with false hope. So my first point would be that superstitious beleifs hold back our society, you are praying to yourself when you might have grown up to be a doctor that saved lives or a scientist that developed an amazing technology. Religion even interupts actual grieving by telling you that people are in heaven and you will see them again. You don't need false hope, you need closure and to greive properly.

Point two is that often religious people think they are on a mission to convert us and I for one am sick of hearing about it or walking past three churches with big signs telling me I'm going to hell because I don't donate to their church every sunday.

5. No, again I am agnostic. I deny your (every religions) claims about a deity and see no evidence to support the existance of any personal god of gods. I could not possibly proove 100% that there is not a god anywhere because I do not know 100% of the things in the universe. If someone had evidence to demonstrate the existence of a god I'd be very interested to see it, however not one of the gods or deities conceived of to date has met the burden of proof.

Hope that gives some insight, some topics are not 100% to the point because that would defeat the point entirely. Yes or no answers are useless except for gathering statistics.

[leo-rcc]

1. Do you think it is possible to know why the universe exists?

Why is in my opinion the wrong question because it presupposes a purpose for it. I see no evidence that it needs one.

2. How do you think morality can exist without objective authority or verification?

Empathy. You don't like it if your stuff gets stolen, so you can empathise with people that also don't want their stuff to be stolen. So you make an agreement amongst each other not to steal each other's stuff. Same goes for killing, raping, etc.

Besides, how do you determine that this "objective authority" is indeed objective and an authority at all? You would need to determine if the "lawgiver" is indeed correct in its foundation.

3. If there is no afterlife, what motivation would/should anyone have for living any particular way, such as trying to live ethically, civilly, healthily, or any specific way?

Because we live as a society with other human beings and we are interdependant on eachother. Do you really need a carrot and a stick to do the right thing? How sad would that be.

4. If there is no afterlife and no essential or ultimate meaning to existence, why should an atheist care if someone believes in a religion and, indeed, if believing in a religion would make their life easier, would that bother you as an atheist?

It wouldn't, not in the least. If a person wants to worship volcanoes that is his or her choice. However if that person wants to teach in science classes that humans come from the big manatoa on the center of the island, that I do have a problem with. You want to believe in a god, that is fine by me, but do not pass off this belief without any evidence for it as "absolute truth" and have it thaught as a science, it is not.

Furthermore, you think a belief in a religion is easier, I have yet to see any evidence of that.

5. Can you be absolutely certain, without a doubt, that God or something supernatural does not exist?

No, proving a negative is a fultile endeavor. Can you be absolutely certain that God does exist?

As a note: please try to answer the questions themselves, not ask questions in response or deviate from them, and please try to refrain from insult or assumption towards me in your replies. Thank you.

If your questions is unclear or insufficient we have every right to ask a question in return.

[Kyuuketsuki]

1. Do you think it is possible to know why the universe exists?

Probably not but a more interesting "take" on that is, "Does there actually have to be a why?"

2. How do you think morality can exist without objective authority or verification?

Morality is a system of ethics, ethics are social and variable so yes.

3. If there is no afterlife, what motivation would/should anyone have for living any particular way, such as trying to live ethically, civilly, healthily, or any specific way?

Because it makes sense to treat others fairly, it means they will tend to treat you the same, it means you have a "right" to expect that kind of treatment and it tends to help social animals like hums get along with each other without biting each other's heads off all the time.

4. If there is no afterlife and no essential or ultimate meaning to existence, why should an atheist care if someone believes in a religion and, indeed, if believing in a religion would make their life easier, would that bother you as an atheist?

Because it's a waste, because the time spent believing and praying is time that could be spent to the betterment of the human race and because it's f***ing irritating that belief without reason is held in a position if greater respect than being an objective rationalist.

5. Can you be absolutely certain, without a doubt, that God or something supernatural does not exist?

Nope, no more than you can be certain one does! Can you be certain there isn't a cream cake (the great mystic cream cake of creation) at the centre of the Earth?

Kyu

[Tiberius]

1. Do you think it is possible to know why the universe exists?

I think it is possible, but only if the universe has an objective purpose (and I honestly don't see one). If the universe had an objective purpose, then there must have been a "creator" to give that objective purpose to it, and so if it were possible to contact that creator we could find out the "why". However I do think the "creator" poses more problems that it solves.

2. How do you think morality can exist without objective authority or verification?

The same way our legs can exist without objective authority or verification. It evolved to serve the purpose of us living together as a group, the same way it has evolved for other packs of animals.

3. If there is no afterlife, what motivation would/should anyone have for living any particular way, such as trying to live ethically, civilly, healthily, or any specific way?

It gives us more reason. We have only one chance at life, so we shouldn't mess it up. Given that society punishes people who do not live ethically, I don't see how committing a crime and ending up in jail would benefit my life.

4. If there is no afterlife and no essential or ultimate meaning to existence, why should an atheist care if someone believes in a religion and, indeed, if believing in a religion would make their life easier, would that bother you as an atheist?

Have you seen the things that religions get up to these days? They rape children (Catholic/Islam), they ostracise people (Gay/Abortion, etc), and they preach violence and hate (Islam...actually pretty much all religions do this). If you have a religion and it makes you feel better, then that is fine by me, you are welcome to it. However if you use this religion to interfere with other people's lives then I have a MASSIVE problem with you. We shouldn't have organised religion, we should have privatized religion.

5. Can you be absolutely certain, without a doubt, that God or something supernatural does not exist?

It depends on which "certainty" you are talking about. If you are being objective, then the answer is no. We cannot know for certain that there are no gods. However your question was in the subjective form, which is based on a person's mental state. In regards to this, I would answer yes. I am (personally) 100% certain there are no gods, just as I am 100% certain that it is light outside if I drew my curtains back. The difference with this kind of certainty is that it can be completely wrong, hence why I am an agnostic atheist. I don't claim to know anything about the existence of gods, but I don't believe in them either.

[bozo]

If you would like to know more about my motivations for writing this topic, feel free to view my topic in the Introductions page. But I'll just say I'm asking these questions out of a genuine desire to know the truth through deliberated and careful reasoning, study and contemplation, and to avoid having a belief that is merely comfortable to me or that I assume is true without actually studying it. Ok, to get to the questions (which I will limit to five for now):

1. Do you think it is possible to know why the universe exists?

2. How do you think morality can exist without objective authority or verification?

3. If there is no afterlife, what motivation would/should anyone have for living any particular way, such as trying to live ethically, civilly, healthily, or any specific way?

4. If there is no afterlife and no essential or ultimate meaning to existence, why should an atheist care if someone believes in a religion and, indeed, if believing in a religion would make their life easier, would that bother you as an atheist?

5. Can you be absolutely certain, without a doubt, that God or something supernatural does not exist?

As a note: please try to answer the questions themselves, not ask questions in response or deviate from them, and please try to refrain from insult or assumption towards me in your replies. Thank you.

Answers:
1. Doesnt need a reason " why ".
2. Morality is no more than a human concept.
3. What has afterlife got to do with it? We choose to live our life as we see fit.
4. I don't care if people choose to sign on to superstition, for that is how I see religious faith. But I'd rather they didn't.
5. The probability is that a divine being doesn't exist.

[Edwardo Piet]

1. Do you think it is possible to know why the universe exists?

I do not absolutely know whether it's possible 'to know why' but I have no reason whatsoever to believe it is. I know of no evidence whatsoever that there is 'purpose in the universe' so why would I ask why? Why would I ask 'why the universe exists' if I know of no evidence for a '"Why?"' question - because there's no evidence of purpose?

If there was evidence of purpose in the universe then I'd wonder 'why', then I'd ask a '"Why?" question' - until then there's no point because there's no reason to believe, there's no evidence that there is a "why?" to the universe.

2. How do you think morality can exist without objective authority or verification?

Morality has evolved, it's a thing we share. Some are more moral than others - it doesn't need to be objective, it's based on feelings, on empathy. On caring about others - just because it's not objective doesn't mean that some people don't care more than others, and some people are 'nastier' some people are 'nice', etc, etc, etc. That's pretty much obvious.

It pretty much boils down to empathy, really.

3. If there is no afterlife, what motivation would/should anyone have for living any particular way, such as trying to live ethically, civilly, healthily, or any specific way?

Because it makes this life special. The real life (the only life that there's actually any evidence of whatsover); it also means you have no chance wasting this life on behaving so you can get into another life (and the 'good side' (heaven) rather than the 'bad side' (hell) that there is no evidence of whatsoever; that there's no reason to believe exists.

Like I said - it makes this life extra special, if you're not living for another one instead (that there's no evidence of whatsoever)

I'm very fond of this quote; and I think it's always appropriate to this matter:

"That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet." - Emily Dickinson

4. If there is no afterlife and no essential or ultimate meaning to existence, why should an atheist care if someone believes in a religion and, indeed, if believing in a religion would make their life easier, would that bother you as an atheist?

Because religion, believing in "God(s)", the supernatural, etc, etc - are delusional because there's no evidence whatsoever for these beliefs - and these delusional beliefs can be very harmful, potentially. Just look at the Crusades, the Inquisition, just look at 911.

People can do bad things because they're driven by religious beliefs that are very harmful and they literally believe it.

Yes people can be comforted by religion like a placebo. And if someone totally harmlessly believes and it gives them comfort, fine. But I'm not going to agree with them, not am I going to pretend I do, I'd give them my own view. And the point is that you do not need[/b] religion for comfort, religion as a placebo - only if you believe you do. You [i]can have a great life without believing in supernatural bullshit.

5. Can you be absolutely certain, without a doubt, that God or something supernatural does not exist?

No; because that's a logical fallacy. You can't prove a negative. I don't need to know - I'm as sure that "God" doesn't exist as I'm as sure that the Tooth Fairy doesn't exist. I cannot disprove God and absolutely "know" he doesn't exist, but nor can I with the Tooth Fairy either! I'm agnostic in that sense, but there's absolutely no reason whatsoever to believe something as ridiculous as the Tooth Fairy exists, or something as ridiculous as God exists either. There's no evidence in either case and they are both complexities that would need evidence and an explanation for me to even consider believing.

EvF

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

1. Do you think it is possible to know why the universe exists?

I have no idea,nor do I care.

2. How do you think morality can exist without objective authority or verification?

Morality is a cultural construct,which varies. It is pragmatic and self interested.The the motivation is survival of the individual and of society.There are no outside moral authorities,other than the group/society

3. If there is no afterlife, what motivation would/should anyone have for living any particular way, such as trying to live ethically, civilly, healthily, or any specific way?

Why does one need a reason to accept what simply is.? Why does everything need an answer?

As atheist I make no claims about anything whatsoever,nor am I obliged to. I assert ONLY "I do to believe in god(s)". Some of my views may correlate with my atheism,but there is no causal connection.

4. If there is no afterlife and no essential or ultimate meaning to existence, why should an atheist care if someone believes in a religion and, indeed, if believing in a religion would make their life easier, would that bother you as an atheist?

"Should" is an irrelevant moral question. "To care" is an emotional response ,not a rational decision,it requires no explanation. Nor is there an atheist position on the matter. An atheist,I REALLY don't care what others believe. (so long as the religious stay out of my face, and don't try to impose their values on me and society generally.EG anti abortionists (I refuse to call them "pro life") and anti euthanasia advocates give me the fucking shits)

5. Can you be absolutely certain, without a doubt, that God or something supernatural does not exist?

NO; like Dawkins,on a scale of 1 to7, I'm a 6.9. My position is that human being can have personal certitude,but not certainty. Nor does science work on absolutes.**.

As a note: please try to answer the questions themselves, not ask questions in response or deviate from them, and please try to refrain from insult or assumption towards me in your replies. Thank you.

You don't get to set conditions. Some questions require other questions, not answers.



TRIVIA: On TV last night: Part of Einstein's theory,relating to gravity and time (which I don't pretend to understand) is about to be tested for the first time.

[Dotard]

Oh what the hell, I'll jump in on this bandwagon also.

1. Do you think it is possible to know why the universe exists?

It exists for my pleasure. That's my opinion of 'why'. Beyond that, there is no 'why'.

2. How do you think morality can exist without objective authority or verification?

Who's morality? Mine, yours or the prevalent morality of the U.S. in the 1700-1800s?

3. If there is no afterlife, what motivation would/should anyone have for living any particular way, such as trying to live ethically, civilly, healthily, or any specific way?

Damn, you're right! Gosh, I got a lot of murdering, raping and plundering to catch up on. Can someone please put that carrot back on a stick so I won't wander in random directions? Or maybe I could become a christian and just proclaim Jesus as my savior thus assuring a place in heaven and insto forgiveness and then I can continue in a life of murdering, raping and plundering without fear because, well, you know, all sins are forgiven right? Long as I don't smack-talk that Holy Ghost.

4. If there is no afterlife and no essential or ultimate meaning to existence, why should an atheist care if someone believes in a religion and, indeed, if believing in a religion would make their life easier, would that bother you as an atheist?

I don't and no it doesn't bother me anymore than that 4 year old child believing Santa Claus exists.

5. Can you be absolutely certain, without a doubt, that God or something supernatural does not exist?

Yes I am absolutely certain with out a doubt that God or something supernatural does not exist.
This does not negate the possibility that I could be wrong.

[LukeMC]

Suppose I'll join in with this. I don't think my answers will add much to what has already been provided but I'll give my views.

1. Do you think it is possible to know why the universe exists?

I think it my be possible to know how the universe came to exist. Whether or not there was any divine intervention in this process is beyond me.

2. How do you think morality can exist without objective authority or verification?

Subjectively, of course. This question sort of depends on how you view morality. In many cases, morality is no more than a mechanism for control/oppression. It is immoral for blacks to marry whites, it is immoral for a woman to speak in church, it is immoral for two men to love each other, etc. In this sense, "morality" stems from a human desire for dominance and distaste towards anything different. However, I doubt this is the "morality" you were looking for. If what you meant was "kindness" and "do unto others...", then as previously stated by others, it is a useful mechanism for ensuring survival and will be favoured by natural selection. Of course, upbringing can often jeapordise this in the name of "morality" when a ridiculous cultural claim is taken to be divinely inspired (eg in culture A it is "wrong" to wear cotton, but in culture B it is an accepted practice, so culture A destroys culture B in the name of an issue which truly doesn't come down to "morality" at all). I hope I've made clear my views of "morality" and how a lot of issues are labelled falsely as such.

3. If there is no afterlife, what motivation would/should anyone have for living any particular way, such as trying to live ethically, civilly, healthily, or any specific way?

I believe somebody on this forum (is it Samson?) has a quote in their signature saying something similar to "morality is derived from intelligence". In a round-about way I agree with this. It's all about how much thought you put into things. Empathy is a great reason for acting kindly, but often we have to actually think about our actions to determine how each party will feel about them. I know that if I hurt somebody it will make them sad, and I know that I don't like being sad. For some reason or another, I'm able to make the connection and empathise with the victim. If I hide from my emotions and refuse to think about the consequences of my actions, I'm sure I would be capable of great evils.

Empathy is a good reason, rational thinking being its driving force. As for health- personal choice. If you value your life enough to want to keep it, you will treat your body with care.

4. If there is no afterlife and no essential or ultimate meaning to existence, why should an atheist care if someone believes in a religion and, indeed, if believing in a religion would make their life easier, would that bother you as an atheist?

Yes, it would bother me if someone turned to religion to make their life easier. Using what I believe to be fairy tales as a safety blanket just fills me with pity for this person. It's such a shame that they've been reduced to this. If however, a person turns to religion because they have thought clearly about all of the evidence (or lack thereof) and have evaluated it appropriately and believe it to be correct, I am fine with that. Just so long as these people refrain from spilling their beliefs into the school system, through my letterbox or into the government- which they oftentimes do, hence my distaste.

5. Can you be absolutely certain, without a doubt, that God or something supernatural does not exist?

No. The bottom line is that I can only be as certain about God as you can be about Allah, Zeus, Thor, Thumbalina and the Loch Ness Monster. My position is agnostic and I'm willing to change my mind in light of any evidence, but for the time being I live my life under the assumption that no deities exist.

Hope that helped.