Critical thinker, skeptical about atheism.

[Antikytherian95]

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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?

[Alex K]

Yes - atheism is the absence of beliefs in god, of course "atheism" itself does not have an answer. You don't ask what the nutritional value of not being a cannibal is, either. What atheism means is that you reject certain simple answers to these questions because there are no good enough reasons to accept them.
P.s.
The questions you raise here are partly not well defined (where did the universe come from, can you tell me what thewe words even mean)? Others are deeply human questions. As an atheist I believe they do not have nor require an absolute answer and need to be figured out by us ourselves as individuals or a society. Accepting theologicap answers gives you an illusion of certainty which is ultimately dangerously deceptive.

[Whateverist]

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

Good answer.

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

Incomplete answer. We don't start off knowing but we kind of figure it out as we go. It is sort of a trick question.

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)

What are you talking about, pot? I'm not half as black as you.

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

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

We don't put evil people in jail. We put people who have proven themselves to be dangerous and unstable in jail for our own protection. Only 'god' punishes evil-doers .. or what's left of them once your kind gets through with them.

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.

It isn't that our answers are so illogical, they're just different than yours. Your's have a certain unified nature because you've plucked them from a single source without applying any thought of your own.

My answers too have internal logic you just lack the wit to see it. I can see yours, I'm just not at all tempted.

[robvalue]

There is no dogmatic atheism, and atheism does not claim to answer any questions.

Just because a question has not been adequately explained yet, that isn't a free for all for everyone to claim their guess has any merit. The wise thing to do is to wait until there is enough evidence. There may never be, but "I don't know" is always a better answer than
"Here's some shit I made up / was made up 2000 years ago". The latter stifles inquiry because you feel you already have the answer.

One of the reasons religion is so popular is people often aren't comfortable admitting uncertainty.

[Antikytherian95]

@ whateverist

So the logic is, we put people in jail, not for anything "evil" they have done, since "evil" doesn't exist,

its just so we, the "not-evil" people, feel "protected" to go on living meaningless lives that end in a hole in the ground.

Is that "logic"?

[robvalue]

No, that's dogmatic religion trying to trash secularism.

[Antikytherian95]

There is no dogmatic atheism, and atheism does not claim to answer any questions.

Just because a question has not been adequately explained yet, that isn't a free for all for everyone to claim their guess has any merit. The wise thing to do is to wait until there is enough evidence. There may never be, but "I don't know" is always a better answer than
"Here's some shit I made up / was made up 2000 years ago". The latter stifles inquiry because you feel you already have the answer.

One of the reasons religion is so popular is people often aren't comfortable admitting uncertainty.

Being dogmatic about uncertainty, is still dogmatism.

[robvalue]

We put people in jail as a deterrent against behaviour which we seem harmful to society, and to protect other people from dangerous ones.

---

There is no dogmatic atheism, and atheism does not claim to answer any questions.

Just because a question has not been adequately explained yet, that isn't a free for all for everyone to claim their guess has any merit. The wise thing to do is to wait until there is enough evidence. There may never be, but "I don't know" is always a better answer than
"Here's some shit I made up / was made up 2000 years ago". The latter stifles inquiry because you feel you already have the answer.

One of the reasons religion is so popular is people often aren't comfortable admitting uncertainty.

Being dogmatic about uncertainty, is still dogmatism.

Really? Already?

I am not atheism. Atheism has no dogma. Please don't play word games if you want a serious discussion. I was giving my advice, with reasons.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

There is no dogmatic atheism, and atheism does not claim to answer any questions.

Just because a question has not been adequately explained yet, that isn't a free for all for everyone to claim their guess has any merit. The wise thing to do is to wait until there is enough evidence. There may never be, but "I don't know" is always a better answer than
"Here's some shit I made up / was made up 2000 years ago". The latter stifles inquiry because you feel you already have the answer.

One of the reasons religion is so popular is people often aren't comfortable admitting uncertainty.

Being dogmatic about uncertainty, is still dogmatism.

I literally have no idea what you mean here.

Are your stating that being intellectually honest about a position one has inadequate data in which to draw a positive or negative concussion either way equates to dogmatism? ARe you thus inferring that saying something is true, say, without the data to back it up is preferable?

As above, saying 'I don't know' =/= atheism.

[Whateverist]

@ whateverist

So the logic is, we put people in jail, not for anything "evil" they have done, since "evil" doesn't exist,

its just so we, the "not-evil" people, feel "protected" to go on living meaningless lives that end in a hole in the ground.

Is that "logic"?

I applaud you for sticking around to make a second post.

But if you're going to earn your user name you've got to show some signs of reading what people write fairly and with an open mind. You don't really want to do that, do you? If not, you're not at all a critical thinker. Just the opposite, you're a dogmatic one uninterested in any feedback.

Evil isn't something I think about a lot. As I've shown, you don't need it to justify locking up dangerous people who have done dangerous things which are clearly against the law.

You can't seriously blame me for my life ending when they dispose of my body, can you? I haven't chosen that .. I've merely accepted the obvious. You know darn well that when you die your body too will go in the ground or be cremated, etc. You just think -without any proper evidence- that your subjective experience will go on in an even better place.

Enjoy your fantasy. I'm just choosing to embrace reality as I find it as much as possible. Admittedly though I also embrace fantasy bits here and there. To each his own.