Ask an atheist

[Excited Penguin]

Are you openly atheist in RL and, if so, is there a general set of reactions from the community in which you live?

Boru

I am open about my atheism(as long as I'm asked about it or it comes up) and I'm happy to say I don't have much trouble with that. It might just be my personality, though, I don't know.

[Mystic]

I don't know what the true nature of existence is, but maybe I just don't understand the question. Could you elaborate on that?

I mean what is the nature of existence. Is it made of quarks that make up atoms and so quarks are the defining substance of existence? 

Independent existence is what exists by virtue of itself having that characteristic of being able to exist independently without anything causing it.

Do you believe quarks are such things? Or not?

What is your opinion on what is the true nature of existence and what has independent existence.

I'm not asking you to make a claim of knowledge. I'm asking what you think it is and why?

My next question is towards your " I don't know what the true nature of existence is".

How did you come to that conclusion? What makes you think you don't know this?

[Excited Penguin]

I don't know what the true nature of existence is, but maybe I just don't understand the question. Could you elaborate on that?

I mean what is the nature of existence. Is it made of quarks that make up atoms and so quarks are the defining substance of existence? 

Independent existence is what exists by virtue of itself having that characteristic of being able to exist independently without anything causing it.

Do you believe quarks are such things? Or not?

What is your opinion on what is the true nature of existence and what has independent existence.

I'm not asking you to make a claim of knowledge. I'm asking what you think it is and why?

My next question is towards your " I don't know what the true nature of existence is".

How did you come to that conclusion? What makes you think you don't know this?

I'm not a physicist. I couldn't tell you much about quarks. I'm not informed enough on the subject. Still, I don't think you're asking me about how plausible the current scientific explanation for how the universe works at a very small scale is, are you? Because in that case, I'm thoroughly satisfied with that explanation as the best one we have, by far.

Asking about the nature of existence is pointless, in my opinion. No meaningful answer could be given in this case. It's not like you can compare the whole of existence to something else, everything that exists is already included in that more general "existence" you're alluding at. If there were something else, it would be part of existence all the same, so to wonder about the qualities of existence is like eating your own tail(circular reasoning, I think, they call it).

I'm not trying to be obtuse, or mean, or anything. If I misinterpreted your questions, please set the record straight. In any case, this is how I view things, if I correctly understood what was asked.

[Cyberman]

Do you have any good recipes for leftover baby meat? I only have to cook for one and I don't have much of an appetite, so I can make one medium baby last a week.

Oh, and bear in mind I live in a tower block and we're not supposed to have barbecues on the balcony.