lso,

[bb7403]

Hi! I'm a theist, but I've always been curious about what atheists believe about life, origins, etc. I was wondering if some of you could answer some (really) basic questions for me:

How did the human race/world originate?

What, if any, intrinsic value do we have as a species (in other words, is there something special about human beings that makes us different from other species?)?

What meaning, if any, does life have?

Where, if anywhere, does the idea of right and wrong come from?

What happens to people when they die? Do they just cease to exist, or does something else happen (maybe an electric discharge that gets recycled somehow)?

Also, I was wondering a little how atheists feel about Christians (I know the party line I get from the churches in the Bible Belt where we live, but I wanted to talk to atheists themselves to see what they think).

Finally, I'm sure a lot of you have been approached by Christians to join their faith. What was your experience with that, and was anyone convincing?

These really are just curiosity questions. I've always been a theist, bit I have a lot of respect for atheists and have enjoyed talking with the (very) few I've met.

[Kayenneh]

Hello and welcome to the forums!

How did the human race/world originate?

You know, when mommy apes and daddy apes love each other very much..

What, if any, intrinsic value do we have as a species (in other words, is there something special about human beings that makes us different from other species?)?

The human DNA.

What meaning, if any, does life have?

It's personal. Life itself has no other meaning than you give it.

Where, if anywhere, does the idea of right and wrong come from?

From humans.

What happens to people when they die? Do they just cease to exist, or does something else happen (maybe an electric discharge that gets recycled somehow)?

The body disintegrate one way or the other, and in the words of Mufasa it's part of the circle of life.

Also, I was wondering a little how atheists feel about Christians (I know the party line I get from the churches in the Bible Belt where we live, but I wanted to talk to atheists themselves to see what they think).

Who are we talking about? For instance, I really like Frods and Chad, I nurse a deep loathing for any WBC member.

Finally, I'm sure a lot of you have been approached by Christians to join their faith. What was your experience with that, and was anyone convincing?

I have had a few JWs and they weren't convincing at all and a couple of really loud nutters at the street corner, who were even less so.

[pocaracas]

Hi! I'm a theist, but I've always been curious about what atheists believe about life, origins, etc. I was wondering if some of you could answer some (really) basic questions for me:

It is customary to introduce yourself with a thread in the intro area of the forum, before you bring out you high-school/uni research paper questions...

But I don't care for that, so let's look at your questions...

How did the human race/world originate?

The human race originated in Africa, apparently, through the evolution of some archaic primates which developed in that environment...

What, if any, intrinsic value do we have as a species (in other words, is there something special about human beings that makes us different from other species?)?

We have larger brains... generally speaking.
Opposable thumbs help, but are not only present in our species.

What meaning, if any, does life have?

42, everyone knows that!

Where, if anywhere, does the idea of right and wrong come from?

Your upbringing.

What happens to people when they die? Do they just cease to exist, or does something else happen (maybe an electric discharge that gets recycled somehow)?

In some cultures, they get buried or cremated.
Some other cultures mummify the body.
Others just burn it.
Others leave it for the animals to eat.

Some also offer body parts so that other people can make good use of them.

Also, I was wondering a little how atheists feel about Christians (I know the party line I get from the churches in the Bible Belt where we live, but I wanted to talk to atheists themselves to see what they think).

"the party line"? Being from Europe, I don't know what that is... care to explain?
How do I feel about christians? The same as I feel about other believers in mythology.... poor deluded people... still, most are nice people.

Finally, I'm sure a lot of you have been approached by Christians to join their faith. What was your experience with that, and was anyone convincing?

If they had been convincing, I wouldn't be an atheist!

Actually, I've been approached by very few people with that idea in mind and I managed to deflect it after a maximum of one minute... Around here, a simple "not interested" suffices to get others to lay off.

These really are just curiosity questions. I've always been a theist, bit I have a lot of respect for atheists and have enjoyed talking with the (very) few I've met.

What I said about the theists, also tends to apply to atheists: most are nice people.
Being nice does not correlate with religiosity.

[Simon Moon]

Welcome!

Hopefully you won't the typical 'hit and run' theist we get around here.

Hi! I'm a theist, but I've always been curious about what atheists believe about life, origins, etc. I was wondering if some of you could answer some (really) basic questions for me:

How did the human race/world originate?

There are mountains of evidence that point to humans originating from archaic hominids in Africa.

The world (Earth?) originated from the the accretion disk that surrounded the Sun after its formation. Gravity is the main engine that drives planet formation.

What, if any, intrinsic value do we have as a species (in other words, is there something special about human beings that makes us different from other species?)?

Social animals always give priority to members of their own species. In the scheme of the universe, humans do not have any intrinsic value over any other species. An asteroid could destroy earth tomorrow, and the universe will go on without notice.

The reason we are different than other species is our obvious intelligence. Our intelligence is our main survival tool, no different than a cheetah's survival tool is their ability to run at 120 KMH.

What meaning, if any, does life have?

Everyone imbues their life with the meaning they choose.

Where, if anywhere, does the idea of right and wrong come from?]

This goes back to our evolutionary past. As social animals, humans depend on others of our species for survival. Things like: kin selection, empathy, altruism were necessary for our survival when we lived in groups of 100. Our closest relatives, Bonobo chimps exhibit many of the same attributes that could be called 'right and wrong'.

What happens to people when they die? Do they just cease to exist, or does something else happen (maybe an electric discharge that gets recycled somehow)?

Our entire bodies get recycled.

As far as we can tell, there is nothing more after death. Whatever makes us, us, disappears when the brain dies.

I did not exist for 14.7 billion years and didn't seem to care. I imagine it will be much the same when I die.

Also, I was wondering a little how atheists feel about Christians (I know the party line I get from the churches in the Bible Belt where we live, but I wanted to talk to atheists themselves to see what they think).

I have many friends and family that are Christians. I love them.

My problem with beliefs in any god/religion is that people's beliefs inform their actions, I think that the world would be a much better place if everyone based their actions on rationality and evidence.

Finally, I'm sure a lot of you have been approached by Christians to join their faith. What was your experience with that, and was anyone convincing?

I usually politely tell them I am not interested.

For the vast majority of atheists, their atheism is a provisional position. I am open to the existence of a god, all I requires is demonstrable evidence, reasoned argument, and valid & sound logic to support the claim one exists. If any theist was convincing, I'd be a believer.

There is not a single convincing argument that ANY god exists, let alone the Christian god. Kalam's Cosmological argument, TAG, Ontological argument, Teleological argument are ALL fallacious.

[Praetorian]

As to the origin of life specifically, science has not yet explained how it happened. Scientists have some ideas, and I think the most widely accepted one so far is that RNA (the predecessor to DNA) got assembled in undersea volcanic vents a long, long time ago.

This is a huge simplification of the hypothesis, and I'm not qualified to give you the details. You can hit up Wikipedia for a better description.

However, it's almost universally accepted among scientists that once the first self-replicating cell existed, it became the ancestor of all life on earth.

Some of the other answers I'd give would be redundant, but as for Christianity specifically:
I used to be an evangelical fundamentalist. The process of deconversion was incredibly painful and the only Christians to ever try to talk to me about Christianity since then has been my family, and usually not on good terms. I would probably be a little more pressing than others here if approached by a Christian at random simply because I understand the language and belief system so well. I don't think most Christians are bad people or do bad things, but I do think they're wrong.

[bb7403]

Hello and welcome to the forums!

Thank you!

You know, when mommy apes and daddy apes love each other very much..

lol

It's personal. Life itself has no other meaning than you give it.

Words to live by.

Where, if anywhere, does the idea of right and wrong come from?

From humans.

So, would you say that morality/ right versus wrong is socially constructed (something we make up ourselves in order to get along with others), or is it perhaps part of our DNA, something we may "sense" on a subconscious level? (Or perhaps a little of both?)

I really like Frods and Chad, I nurse a deep loathing for any WBC member.

Who are Frods and Chad? What is WBC? (Sorry, I know it's probably a newbie question. )

---

It is customary to introduce yourself with a thread in the intro area of the forum, before you bring out you high-school/uni research paper questions...

Sorry about that, I probably should have introduced myself before jumping on here. Come to think of it, I haven't even finished up my profile yet--guess I was just eager . . .

42, everyone knows that!

Fellow Hitchhiker's Guide fan, huh? Cool!

"the party line"? Being from Europe, I don't know what that is... care to explain?

Sure. Usually, the line I hear around here is that atheists are bitter loners who are angry at God or angry at Christians (but just think they're angry about God). I know this isn't the case (I'm sure all of us could fit into the "bitter loner" category at some point in our lives), but it tends to be the assumption in the region where I live.

If they had been convincing, I wouldn't be an atheist!

lol

I guess that does lead me to a follow-up question, though. What, if anything, would convince you that a being/god/whatever does exist? Is there any kind of evidence that would convince you?

Being nice does not correlate with religiosity.

I agree.

---

Hopefully you won't the typical 'hit and run' theist we get around here.

No promises--last time I was on a discussion board like this one, I got married (still recovering from that one 6 years later . . . ).

My problem with beliefs in any god/religion is that people's beliefs inform their actions

I agree, and though I am on the other side of the "does God exist" argument, as it were, I get a little frustrated with people who expect me to adopt X ceremony or Y personal practice simply because it's traditional or socially accepted, rather than basing their arguments on something logical.

[pocaracas]

It is customary to introduce yourself with a thread in the intro area of the forum, before you bring out you high-school/uni research paper questions...

Sorry about that, I probably should have introduced myself before jumping on here. Come to think of it, I haven't even finished up my profile yet--guess I was just eager . . .

See where that leads to when you're with a woman...

"the party line"? Being from Europe, I don't know what that is... care to explain?

Sure. Usually, the line I hear around here is that atheists are bitter loners who are angry at God or angry at Christians (but just think they're angry about God). I know this isn't the case (I'm sure all of us could fit into the "bitter loner" category at some point in our lives), but it tends to be the assumption in the region where I live.

AH... the angry at god thing... -.-'
I'm going to type the usual comparison: It's like being angry at Darth Vader, or Voldemort, or Dracula... pick your [fictitious] monster.

I guess that does lead me to a follow-up question, though. What, if anything, would convince you that a being/god/whatever does exist? Is there any kind of evidence that would convince you?

So many threads on that, so little time...

What would make me accept that such an entity exists? I guess, that it shows up to me and everyone else on the planet.
You know, unequivocally.
I like a god to be unequivocal. Makes it believable, you know?
And if everyone else on the planet has the same experience, then any problems with my mental sanity can be ruled out. Also, we'd get worldwide acceptance of the deity. Win-win!

Instead, we get accounts from ancient times...
If it managed to show up to a few people in the past, as is documented in the "holy books", then it shouldn't have that much of a problem repeating for everyone... don't you think?
Unless... unless... those few people that had contact were actually... no way!!... could they be having some psychotic episode, like all the loonies we get nowadays?!?!!?!?!!

Damned loonies make it so hard to lend any credence to those old, old, old accounts...

[bb7403]

As to the origin of life specifically, science has not yet explained how it happened. Scientists have some ideas, and I think the most widely accepted one so far is that RNA (the predecessor to DNA) got assembled in undersea volcanic vents a long, long time ago.

This is a huge simplification of the hypothesis, and I'm not qualified to give you the details. You can hit up Wikipedia for a better description.

However, it's almost universally accepted among scientists that once the first self-replicating cell existed, it became the ancestor of all life on earth.

Interesting--I've never really heard a full explanation of origins from an evolutionary perspective, though I did get a basic introduction to it in school and hung around a few evolutionists in grad school.

I used to be an evangelical fundamentalist. The process of deconversion was incredibly painful

I hear you. I did the fundamentalist church thing, including youth groups and college ministry, and stepping out of that mix was very difficult. At this point, I think it's fair to say I'm "spiritual but not religious," but I still describe myself as a Christian (though some people in my life cast doubt on that).

[Ryantology]

How did the human race/world originate?

Evolution, and the accretion of solar material in a nebula, according t my best understanding.

What, if any, intrinsic value do we have as a species (in other words, is there something special about human beings that makes us different from other species?)?

There is (perhaps) something special in us, that we can acquire, store, and pass on knowledge. At least, we're a lot better at it than any other creature we've studied. Does that make us intrinsically more valuable? I would guess not.

What meaning, if any, does life have?

Whatever meaning you decide it has.

Where, if anywhere, does the idea of right and wrong come from?

People.

What happens to people when they die? Do they just cease to exist, or does something else happen (maybe an electric discharge that gets recycled somehow)?

We rot, and return to that which we came.

Also, I was wondering a little how atheists feel about Christians (I know the party line I get from the churches in the Bible Belt where we live, but I wanted to talk to atheists themselves to see what they think).

I think most Christians are decent human beings, in spite of the deceptively malicious nature of their religion.

Finally, I'm sure a lot of you have been approached by Christians to join their faith. What was your experience with that, and was anyone convincing?

I have not had much experience with it, in truth. Though, it does seem to happen on here several times per day.

[Kayenneh]

Who are Frods and Chad? What is WBC? (Sorry, I know it's probably a newbie question. )

No worries, I didn't think you would get that reference. Fr0d0 and ChadWooters are two of our theist members here on AF and WBC is an abbreviation of Westboro Baptist Church.