What good is atheism?

[Kingpin]

I won't parrot what others have already pointed out, but I do want to point out one quick thing from your original OP.  Your point #1 about how atheism leads to the advancement of science is just absurd.  You do realize that the founders of Modern Science like Newton, Kepler and Galileo were all believers (Deists) right?  As a matter of fact Newton wrote his Principa Mathematica so "others may believe".  Other great minds like Einstein were also Deists.  C.S. Lewis wrote that "men became scientific because they expected law in nature.  They expected law in nature because they believed in a law giver."

These brilliant minds were not "religious" per se, but they were definitely not atheists.

First off, I dunno why you'd quote C.S Lewis: he's not a scientist, just one of those very willing to make fallacious statements to favor his pet religion. What he says on this issue isn't important.

That said, "atheism leads to the advancement of science," is not the same thing as "you need to be an atheist to be a scientist." The former is true, while the latter is not: even theist scientists absolutely need to be atheists in their work. Why? Because one needs to be limited to only what can be detected and demonstrated when doing science. A scientist who'll seriously consider "hmm, maybe god intervened with this experiment because he wanted me to get the wrong result, so..." isn't going to get very far, and attempting to publish that result will result in quizzical looks at best, because if it's not demonstrable and replicable, it's not very good as an experiment.

Newton may have listed his beliefs as his motivation to do science, but for any of the good results he got he could never have listed his beliefs in practice. Each of those great believing scientists never allowed their faith to enter into their work, and that's sort of the point; attempting to inject religion as it is now into science is purely antithetical to the scientific endeavor.

I agree with this Esquilax but I was taking his statement as meaning only atheists can be scientists.  God has nothing to do with scientific advancement, the issue is irrelevant to the study.  If what he meant by his statement is that one cannot interject their beliefs on God to coincide with scientific study to hinder its advancement, then I agree.  But if he meant, one must be an atheist to contribute to the advancement of science, then I stick to my absurdity claim.

[Detective L Ryuzaki]

So that is the reason why I would choose to sacrifice all of my humanity in order to cure my depression/anhedonia and be in a good mood.

This anhedonia condition is demonstrably false as you seem to expend much effort to annoy the piss out of us with your bullshit. Why would anyone go to these lengths for something that wasn't pleasurable to some extent? We also established in a previous incarnation that your anhedonia is completely self-diagnosed. You're self-absorbed infantilism is annoying. Grow up already.

I don't intend to annoy you.  I intend to kill you. By revealing more and more about myself and the way I think through these constant postings, you will now have a full insight as to who I am. That being, I am someone who would put people like you on my hitlist (metaphorically speaking).

Growing up is also defined by the individual. For me, since my good moods are transcending and transcend me and my life into something greater, then that to me is being grown up. I find no good meaning whatsoever in being a moral individual. I only find good meaning being in a good mood. So there is no reason whatsoever for me to live most or my entire life depressed and/or anhedonic.

[Losty]

So that is the reason why I would choose to sacrifice all of my humanity in order to cure my depression/anhedonia and be in a good mood.

Wow, welcome back buddy. Good to see you again....I mean not really but welcome back anyways.

[Losty]

I don't intend to annoy you.  I intend to kill you.

What the fuck. I'm not sure but I don't think you're supposed to say this kind of shit.

[Kingpin]

I don't intend to annoy you.  I intend to kill you.  

What the fuck. I'm not sure but I don't think you're supposed to say this kind of shit.

Yeah, that was damn disturbing

[Losty]

What the fuck. I'm not sure but I don't think you're supposed to say this kind of shit.

Yeah, that was damn disturbing

I reported the post so hopefully Mozart will be on his way out again shortly.

[Cato]

I don't intend to annoy you.  I intend to kill you.  By revealing more and more about myself and the way I think through these constant postings, you will now have a full insight as to who I am.  That being, I am someone who would put people like you on my hitlist (metaphorically speaking).

Growing up is also defined by the individual.  For me, since my good moods are transcending and transcend me and my life into something greater, then that to me is being grown up.  I find no good meaning whatsoever in being a moral individual.  I only find good meaning being in a good mood.  So there is no reason whatsoever for me to live most or my entire life depressed and/or anhedonic.

Let me know if you have a size preference:

[Jackalope]

[houseofcantor]

Well, that was genius. 

[brewer]

I surprised he kept it together as long as he did.