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Questions You've Always Wanted to Ask Atheists

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by thepandaboss, Jan 24, 2016.

  1. imnotreallysure

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    I understand where you're coming from. The idea of death terrifies me like nothing else precisely because I don't want to cease existing. When I was younger, I would spend sleepless nights worrying about death - what it entails, what it feels like.. I mean, how can I comprehend nonexistence? Is it like an eternal dreamless sleep? People say it's like before you were born - but that's not really helpful. I really wanted to believe that there was life after death.. that I'd be able to see my family and friends again - but that is the crux of religion, isn't it? It exists to comfort people. Death has terrified mankind for thousands of years - but it doesn't seem so scary if there is the promise of 'eternal salvation'. It's perfectly understandable that people turn to the idea of heaven in order to make themselves feel better about the prospect of eventual death - but that doesn't make those beliefs valid. You can ramble on all you want about it being depressing but tough shit - get over yourself. Death still scares me, but I'm not fooling myself by believing that there is anything more than what we have right now - and, if anything, it gives me the motivation to make the most of what I've got.

    I don't really believe in anything, but that doesn't mean I think life is ultimately meaningless. Like I said above, I want to make the most of the life given to me - some people aren't so fortunate. Some people never got the chance to live at all.

    My fear of death used to go both ways though - although I wanted to believe in 'heaven', and didn't want to die, the thought of hell scared me in equal measure. I'm glad that I'm not burdened with the task of trying to please a deity, or having to worry about being cast to the burning pits of eternal damnation.
     
    #101 imnotreallysure, Jan 26, 2016
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2016
  2. Euler

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    It seems you fail to understand the concept of non-existence or ceasing to exist. Death will be the same as the time before you were even conceived or born. Do you have traumatic experiences from that time? I find ceasing to exist more tempting than living eternally. At some point you are bound to get bored.
     
  3. Kinky

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    You sneaky! :roflmao:

    ---------- Post added 26th Jan 2016 at 03:58 PM ----------

    Yes, but in the end, I couldn't do it, I saved myself
     
  4. joshvolby

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    you are freaking inlove to a gril/guy but he/she is a religious type. will you marry him/her or prefer an atheist partner?
     
  5. Rydia

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    I had this exact experience with food poisoning once, but no I didn't call out to God. It was the only time I've had the serious thought that I might rather be dead though.

    ---------- Post added 26th Jan 2016 at 10:18 AM ----------

    I tell them, politely, that I'm not interested. If they persist, I release the hounds.
     
  6. joshvolby

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    im not an atheist but :***: is this?.
     
  7. Rydia

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    I don't think this is unique to atheists. People with different religions, cultures, backgrounds, economic status, country of origin, life experiences, etc. all form different ideas about morality, the only difference is the source. That's why most civilizations have some form of government that comes up with rules everyone has to live by or suffer the consequences, because everyone doesn't agree on what is right and what is wrong.

    Even people who go to the same church, read the same holy books and listen to the same holy man/woman, don't always interpret the teachings the same way, so I'm not sure why religious folk think religion is the key to having some kind of moralistic harmony.
     
  8. Quem

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    Atheists in general think that the universe cannot think, just like a rock cannot think. Would a rock bat an eye? No, it wouldn't. We see the universe as the same in this regard: it's inanimate.

    Look, even if life has no meaning in the very very long run, you can still enjoy life in the short run. If you conclude that (assuming the universe will likely cease to exist at some point) you should just not do anything, then that's your take on it. I for one do like life. I enjoy it. We've got one, it's how it is, better make the best of it when we're at it. =)

    Okay, I'll follow what you say. A ghost. Easy...

    ... in what form? Is it some energy form? We cannot measure ghosts yet. In fact, we can give explanations as to why people think they see ghosts (if you want to look it up, you might want to Google electromagnetic field ghosts or something alike). So how would this ghost of you look like? How will reincarnation work?

    Many atheists (me included) reject the concept of a soul at the moment because there basically is zero evidence for it. Why would I believe in something that hasn't been proven and that seems likely to not be proven at all?

    You give some understanding of science, but you're stuck at the energy thing. In fact, there are possible solutions to this problem. Those are very complex and not easy to be understood, but if you're interested in that topic.. I'd say, give it a go. Either way, the concept of some deity creating a universe only moves the problem. It doesn't solve it. Why? Because this deity has then "created" things. Like you said by your understanding, energy cannot be created nor destroyed. Moreover, you're stuck at explaining the deity because it'll be something other than a vacuum (otherwise the deity is what we describe with the word "nothing"). So, if it's not a vacuum, where did it come from? Not wanting to accept a sudden existance of a universe (which is only a selection of the available hypotheses) is illogical when you do accept a deity that has always been.

    You know why we don't reach out to those things? Because we think it's highly highly unlikely that they exist. I bet you wouldn't try to find a physical unicorn on Mars. Yet you give us something that isn't even physical. In all this time it hasn't been detected whatsoever nor is there any reasonable evidence to assume its existance. That's why.

    As for the why question: many atheists don't believe in things like destiny. So, there simply is no "why" to ask here. It's by chance. Why does Earth exist where it does? By chance.* But assuming the Big Bang, things can be explained. If you're interested in those things, I suggest you look it up. I know things, but I'm no expert.. You probably are more interested in exact and complete information rather than my limited knowledge of astrophysics and the like.

    * Chance is the sense of having a probability from zero to one (excluding zero and one).

    ---------- Post added 26th Jan 2016 at 05:42 PM ----------

    This is no circular logic. One has to believe in Christ (and evangelised) to be saved. Not believing and/or evangelising means damnation. Where's the circular logic here? There's none.

    Besides that this doesn't make sense, it's not a form of circular logic.
     
  9. AKTodd

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    It would depend on the person and how militant they are in their faith, I suppose.

    If they wanted to be involved in a church or something, then it's their time to spend as they wish. If they want to try to convert me or have me participate in their religion then that's not going to happen and the relationship would fail long before marriage was ever a consideration.

    My husband is more spiritual and not at all religious so this is not/was not an issue for us.

    Todd
     
  10. kageshiro

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    I'll never understand anyone who likes the idea of eternal life after death, it sounds like hell to me. The limited amount of time we have is what gives meaning to the way we chose to spend it. It's the nature of the universe that nothing, not even the universe itself, is permanent, I don't accept eternity as the natural succession to this reality and would refuse it if offered to me. I dont want to go before my time but when it comes I want to fade out of existance with the closure of a permanent ending.
     
    #110 kageshiro, Jan 26, 2016
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  11. Quem

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    It never mattered to me. =) I fell in love with my boyfriend when he was still religious and it never bothered me. :icon_bigg I'll marry him anyways, as long as we can talk about religions and discuss them together openly, that's what's important to me. :slight_smile:

    Kageshiro, you raise a point I've seen a few times. It's very interesting. Infinity is so immensely large, it's difficult to comprehend. I'm not sure whether I would find it "too long". I think that given a random day t, I'd like to be there on day t+1.. Meaning I'd probably not get tired of it. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
     
    #111 Quem, Jan 26, 2016
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2016
  12. kageshiro

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    Eternity detracts from anything that is worth fighting for in this life. From my point of view its the abrahamic visions of life after death that essentially make our lives here meaningless in that you can just do whatever and as long as you believed all is forgiven. There's no getting around the fact that our lives and struggles are ultimately inconsequential because the sun does not revolve around the earth and humans are not the center of the universe (Not even the galaxy) so at this point you may as well believe in nothingness because then you can at least decide the meaning of your own life for yourself.
     
  13. AKTodd

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    I wouldn't mind living forever - watching the trees grow, the moutains rise and fall, the continents move, the galaxy turn, the stars be born, live and die. Not to mention humans and other minds restructuring the universe or perhaps eventually making new ones.

    In time perhaps the technology of immortality will be developed. Most likely not in my lifetime, but someday:slight_smile:

    Todd
     
  14. Fighter694

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  15. bookreader

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    This is a very interesting thread.
    Question: How long have most of you guys been atheists?
     
  16. DreamerBoy17

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    Since preschool. I'm not even joking. My nun teacher was reading bible stories to us, and I literally raised my hand and asked, "These are all just fairy tales, right?"
    Religion never struck a chord with me. If it works for you, then that's great. It is a large comfort to many and I respect that. It just isn't for me. :slight_smile:
     
  17. Distant Echo

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    I remember refusing to go to church with the school when I was five...
     
  18. AKTodd

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    Don't remember the exact age, but somewhere between 8 and 13yrs old probably. Although that would just be the point at which I actively identified as specifically being an atheist.

    Religion never played any real role in my life as a small child. Our family was not religious at all and I was allowed to make my own choices on the matter based on my own observations.

    Todd
     
  19. joshvolby

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    a fictional question. How an atheist react when suddenly God appears in front of you and show how mighty and powerful he is?. like he can answer all your questions and prove that he is God.
     
  20. Quem

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    All nice and well, but where's the link of the study? Moreover, it doesn't prove that "poverty" causes religious extremism. What you describe is a genetic trait. In no way does "poverty" enter the equation, you just seem to conclude such a thing in the end. Your point is kind of vague, in what way does poverty cause religious extremism? You should elaborate more. =]

    Not raised in a particular religion, but I went to a religious elementary school (and middle school and high school). I remember I had to pray in elementary school, even though it wasn't mandatory I think. Either way, it always seemed odd to me and illogical why there would be a need to pray in the first place. I remember saying in elementary school that I believed in science. :lol:

    You mean the Biblical god Yahweh I assume? =) Well, I'd first question my sanity. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: But then I'd ask him all kinds of questions to help humanity progress. I want to know what exactly causes cancer and what can prevent it, what may cure it as well if it's possible. I want to know his opinion about time travel, about the speed of light and what we can do to travel faster through space.

    Yeah, kind of sciency I guess. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: Oh, and I'd ask some details from the Bible and ask him whether it happened or not and why it happened (if it did).