Is there a God?

Healthy skepticism of ALL worldviews is good. Skeptical of non-belief like found in Atheism? Post your challenging questions. Responses are encouraged.
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Furstentum Liechtenstein
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Re: Is there a God?

Post by Furstentum Liechtenstein »

Byblos wrote:
Stardust wrote:To answer the question, is there a god?
Yes, but it only exists in believers minds.
God is imaginary, if anyone can demonstrate god existing outside of their mind I'd like to see/hear it.

First you'd have to prove you have a mind.
I appreciate the joke! Stardust does have a mind but it is extremely perverted. I don't think you'll get anything intelligent out of him.

I was wondering if the increasing number of single mothers in society is augmenting the number of atheists as well. All those kids with a poor example of a father can't help them accept their Father in heaven. Also, today's atheists seem unusually angry and not well read. (Ivellious is an exception, as is - perhaps - this new girl, audie.)

Ideas?

FL y:-?
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If they had a social gospel in the days of the prodigal son, somebody would have given him a bed and a sandwich and he never would have gone home.

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Re: Is there a God?

Post by Stardust »

Furstentum Liechtenstein wrote:
Byblos wrote:
Stardust wrote:To answer the question, is there a god?
Yes, but it only exists in believers minds.
God is imaginary, if anyone can demonstrate god existing outside of their mind I'd like to see/hear it.

First you'd have to prove you have a mind.
I appreciate the joke! Stardust does have a mind but it is extremely perverted. I don't think you'll get anything intelligent out of him.

I was wondering if the increasing number of single mothers in society is augmenting the number of atheists as well. All those kids with a poor example of a father can't help them accept their Father in heaven. Also, today's atheists seem unusually angry and not well read. (Ivellious is an exception, as is - perhaps - this new girl, audie.)

Ideas?

If you can't prove god exists outside of your mind then why reply?
Your god is imaginary, by definition, it's something you'll just have to deal with, it's no ones fault.



FL y:-?
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Re: Is there a God?

Post by Starhunter »

Jesus stated the reason why people prefer to name themselves atheists or by whatever else they worship, in John 3.
After telling the kernel of the gospel Jesus said "men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil."
And He explains that they are afraid of being exposed and reproved.
It is interesting though that when we come to God in the name of Jesus, that instead of finding condemnation we find acceptance of the greatest kind. It is the "goodness of God that leads to repentance."

The ungodly will not approach God through this door, the only door that gives true evidence of God, and so they can never have any verification of God's existence through His creation, or any other proof, because they do not recognize any intelligence or goodness in anything.

But having made their own minds the criterion for measuring the world, that is all they get, the view of an animal.

The greatest evidence for God is hardly ever mentioned, but it has to do with giving a man the ability to overcome sin. When a person enters into a partnership with God, they begin to have victories over sin.

This is the reason Jesus said, the unbelieving will not be healed, because they are addicted to their sins and they cannot and will not let go.

Every time an atheist bellows against Christianity and God he or she is advertising that they are slaves to some vice.
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Re: Is there a God?

Post by 1over137 »

Stardust wrote:To answer the question, is there a god?
Yes, but it only exists in believers minds.
God is imaginary, if anyone can demonstrate god existing outside of their mind I'd like to see/hear it.
Maybe it is time for you to listen/read Christian testimonies. In your surroundings, on the web,...
But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.
-- 1 Thessalonians 5:21

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
-- Philippians 1:6

#foreverinmyheart
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Re: Is there a God?

Post by Audie »

Starhunter wrote:
Every time an atheist bellows against Christianity and God he or she is advertising that they are slaves to some vice.
Speaking as an atheist myself, from atheist family and generally the people I know well are also, I never remotely heard anyone "bellow" that there is no god.

Never heard someone say there isnt a god. It would be unintelligent and thoughtless to do so, after all. Something like saying "there is no planet with intelligent life' or, "there is no Bigfoot". Why make such an assertion when one simply does not know? Dumb!

I dont believe there is, much as I do not believe there is a Bigfoot. Its not all the same as saying "there is no...". Perhaps a subtle seeming distinction, but it is important.

Perhaps you have heard people bellow about no god, and have determined that they are slaves to vice? I sort of doubt it, but... have you?

As for myself, I live a boringly clean life. Christians that I know, some do and some do not do clean living.

I hope you are not suggesting that atheists are somehow inherently 'slaves to vice"?
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Re: Is there a God?

Post by Kurieuo »

Audie wrote:
Starhunter wrote:
Every time an atheist bellows against Christianity and God he or she is advertising that they are slaves to some vice.
Speaking as an atheist myself, from atheist family and generally the people I know well are also, I never remotely heard anyone "bellow" that there is no god.

Never heard someone say there isnt a god. It would be unintelligent and thoughtless to do so, after all. Something like saying "there is no planet with intelligent life' or, "there is no Bigfoot". Why make such an assertion when one simply does not know? Dumb!

I dont believe there is, much as I do not believe there is a Bigfoot. Its not all the same as saying "there is no...". Perhaps a subtle seeming distinction, but it is important.

Perhaps you have heard people bellow about no god, and have determined that they are slaves to vice? I sort of doubt it, but... have you?

As for myself, I live a boringly clean life. Christians that I know, some do and some do not do clean living.

I hope you are not suggesting that atheists are somehow inherently 'slaves to vice"?
Hi Audie,

I've been following your posts a little since our short exchange, where possibly we got off on the wrong foot?
Perhaps, given your Chinese cultural heritage (?) that you are different from the majority of other Atheists who often drop in.

In any case, I'm not going to speak for Starhunter.

Understand that it is not that you or others who are non-Christian can't be moral. It is not that Christians are morally superior.
Many a non-Christian can and do put a Christian to shame morally across a range of issues.

Rather, the issue to explain for anyone who embraces right and wrong, is the existence of any morality.
What grounds morality? Who says what is morally good or bad? Why does that matter?

Are you familiar with CS Lewis' Mere Christianity? Free PDF copy here. It's become a classic.
Although it wouldn't necessarily be light reading for many, I'd endorse it as a foundational read for any thoughtful Christian (or non-Christian for that matter who debates/is exploring Christianity).

Here is a relevant and classical extract. Perhaps you can relate to a degree?
And, of course, that raises a very big question. If a good God made the world why has it gone wrong?
And for many years I simply refused to listen to the Christian answers to this question, because I kept
on feeling "whatever you say, and however clever your arguments are, isn't it much simpler and easier
to say that the world was not made by any intelligent power? Aren't all your arguments simply a
complicated attempt to avoid the obvious?" But then that threw me back into another difficulty.

My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this
idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line.
What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad and
senseless from A to Z, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in
such violent reaction against it? A man feels wet when he falls into water, because man is not a water
animal: a fish would not feel wet.

Of course I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my
own. But if I did that, then my argument against God collapsed too— for the argument depended on
saying that the world was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my private fancies.
Thus in the very act of trying to prove that God did not exist—in other words, that the whole of reality
was senseless—I found I was forced to assume that one part of reality—namely my idea of justice—was full of sense.

Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should
never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and
therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.
"Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13)
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Re: Is there a God?

Post by Kenny »

Kurieuo wrote:
Audie wrote:
Starhunter wrote:
Every time an atheist bellows against Christianity and God he or she is advertising that they are slaves to some vice.
Speaking as an atheist myself, from atheist family and generally the people I know well are also, I never remotely heard anyone "bellow" that there is no god.

Never heard someone say there isnt a god. It would be unintelligent and thoughtless to do so, after all. Something like saying "there is no planet with intelligent life' or, "there is no Bigfoot". Why make such an assertion when one simply does not know? Dumb!

I dont believe there is, much as I do not believe there is a Bigfoot. Its not all the same as saying "there is no...". Perhaps a subtle seeming distinction, but it is important.

Perhaps you have heard people bellow about no god, and have determined that they are slaves to vice? I sort of doubt it, but... have you?

As for myself, I live a boringly clean life. Christians that I know, some do and some do not do clean living.

I hope you are not suggesting that atheists are somehow inherently 'slaves to vice"?
Hi Audie,

I've been following your posts a little since our short exchange, where possibly we got off on the wrong foot?
Perhaps, given your Chinese cultural heritage (?) that you are different from the majority of other Atheists who often drop in.

In any case, I'm not going to speak for Starhunter.

Understand that it is not that you or others who are non-Christian can't be moral. It is not that Christians are morally superior.
Many a non-Christian can and do put a Christian to shame morally across a range of issues.

Rather, the issue to explain for anyone who embraces right and wrong, is the existence of any morality.
What grounds morality? Who says what is morally good or bad? Why does that matter?

Are you familiar with CS Lewis' Mere Christianity? Free PDF copy here. It's become a classic.
Although it wouldn't necessarily be light reading for many, I'd endorse it as a foundational read for any thoughtful Christian (or non-Christian for that matter who debates/is exploring Christianity).

Here is a relevant and classical extract. Perhaps you can relate to a degree?
And, of course, that raises a very big question. If a good God made the world why has it gone wrong?
And for many years I simply refused to listen to the Christian answers to this question, because I kept
on feeling "whatever you say, and however clever your arguments are, isn't it much simpler and easier
to say that the world was not made by any intelligent power? Aren't all your arguments simply a
complicated attempt to avoid the obvious?" But then that threw me back into another difficulty.

My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this
idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line.
What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad and
senseless from A to Z, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in
such violent reaction against it? A man feels wet when he falls into water, because man is not a water
animal: a fish would not feel wet.

Of course I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my
own. But if I did that, then my argument against God collapsed too— for the argument depended on
saying that the world was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my private fancies.
Thus in the very act of trying to prove that God did not exist—in other words, that the whole of reality
was senseless—I found I was forced to assume that one part of reality—namely my idea of justice—was full of sense.

Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should
never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and
therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.
The problem with CS Lewis, is he seems to be under the impression that in order for there to be a standard, it has to come from something beyond mankind. This is typical theistic belief. The atheist recognizes there is nothing beyond mankind (that we know of) thus any standard, weather it be moral, immoral, good, bad, MUST come from mankind. When two people disagree on what is right or wrong; because the two people are equal, society has to decide via laws, and the person who disagrees with societies laws is free to either leave society, or suffer the consequences of breaking societies laws. Usually the one who disagrees with societies laws will put up with the law even though he disagrees with it in order to continue being a part of the society, because humans are social creatures; and require human companionship.
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Re: Is there a God?

Post by Kurieuo »

Kenny, the problem is you do not get it.
Certainly CS Lewis as an Atheist got it.

If what "society says" sets the standard, then is there ever such a thing as moral reform?
Towards what moral standards can a society morally reform itself?

Who is morally right and wrong on the following? Please justify your response.
- Hong Kong self-governance or Chinese dictatorship?
- Russian occupation or Ukraine / Europe?
- Syrian Government or Rebels?
- ISIS or it's opponents?

Maybe we should all bow down to the UN and their so-called "International Law".
Or perhaps we bow down to the Supreme Court of the US who declared many Nazi soldiers guilty of war crimes although they were just following orders.

The thing is, even if all of mankind turned around tomorrow and said it's fine to kill Kenny -- I'm certain that you would have a strong moral objection.
What would you appeal to? Morality? No. It's good to kill Kenny. Everyone agreed. They do it in South Park and it's funny!
So you would just have to admit your objection is morally wrong and try plead for your life in some other way.
Interesting huh?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1vkyb8ioWg[/youtube]
"Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13)
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Re: Is there a God?

Post by Audie »

Kurieuo wrote:
I've been following your posts a little since our short exchange, where possibly we got off on the wrong foot?
You could say that. I would not have used the passive voice though.
Perhaps, given your Chinese cultural heritage (?) that you are different from the majority of other Atheists who often drop in.
That could be.
Understand that it is not that you or others who are non-Christian can't be moral. It is not that Christians are morally superior.
That is obvious.
Rather, the issue to explain for anyone who embraces right and wrong, is the existence of any morality.
What grounds morality? Who says what is morally good or bad? Why does that matter?
There is only one way that can go after a person has assumed there is a god. So I dont think those are even real questions in this context.

Are you familiar with CS Lewis' Mere Christianity?
I read some CS. He writes with a popular style, doing a good enough but overly wordy presentation of common ideas.
The idea that morality has to come from a supernatural entity is one that no doubt can be presented with tight logic, very rational. Ive seen it done.

It makes me think a bit of the history of the nuclear arms race, odd analogy that it seems at first.

Each decision about throw weight, mirvs, star wars, whatever, was utterly rational, in the wider context of complete insanity.

Not that I consider a belief in a god to be insane, so dont take the comparison wrong.
I think tho, that the rationality breaks down in category error. A person who does philosophy could say if I used the correct word.

The wider context of the morality thing is "is there a god in charge' and trying to solve that from within the morality context does not work either. Not for me.

The origin of morality seems obvious enough to me, and as for "meaning", I did note with some disgust your comment that my values have no meaning. It is the sort of thing that keeps me from wanting to have much contact with the Christian community.

I understand what within your context that makes rational sense. I see your religion as a subset within a much larger context, and your comment to be, well, I wont say it.
Maybe you can figure out how it would look from a larger context.
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Re: Is there a God?

Post by Kurieuo »

It seems you are hardly surprised that you have moral values.
Re: [moral] values without meaning? Consider it a prelude to my previous post to you.

I'm all open to you explaining what you tie moral values down to.
Tell me this larger context from which you are looking, for I'm feeling quite ignorant.
I can't help it, for as you know, I find it hard to see beyond the smaller subset of my religion.
But, I'm open to you explaining to me this larger context...?

Personally, I don't know why more Atheists don't bite the bullet on morality.
It has not been proven that morality exists, only that we have strong emotions about certain actions.
Heck, and we may not even be responsible for such actions any more than we are our physical make-up and environment.

Here would be my take as an Atheist. It is really the most logical I can see...
and actually I'd say it's how many live their lives when no one is looking.

Humans as social creatures evolved feelings of moral rightness and wrongness.
From the alpha dominance witnessed in primates, feelings evolved to the point that most modern humans value families and others.
However, having found out we evolved, why shouldn't we break free from these feelings? There is no ought to them.
Shaking off all sense of guilt and morality would mean we are free to live our lives how we want.
This is even an evolutionary advantage over others who have not yet realised morality is an evolutionary vestige.
Indeed, perhaps the next stage of the fittest surviving are those who first shake off their moral sense.

Morality and "values" are just an illusion brought about by evolution. Feelings. Nothing more.
An alpha wolf feels no remorse over killing rivals. Doing so allows it to extend its genes the best.
So, as far as it benefits you, be under no illusion -- right and wrong do not exist.
Only what is best for you.
If anything, what is right is therefore what is best us personally.
And what is wrong is anything that frustrates us from fulfilling what we personally desire in life.

And there you have it. Atheism is grounded.

But, can any of us really live with these conclusions?
"Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13)
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Re: Is there a God?

Post by B. W. »

I'll add to K's post above this...

Where folks miss it is this.

God intervened and sent forth the 10 Commandments as a guide to how we are to treat each other as a community of his believers. Simply summed up is this, Love and honor God and honor and love each other and we will do well. Without that intervention, ISIS, Nazism, dominance of the elites over all other, political pettiness, unbridled cruelty would be the supreme morality of humanity.

History has proven this. Take away a civilizations food, water, structure and that civilization's population will revert to violence and brutality. The acts of kindness first seen during the collapse will fade into a distant memory if basic needs are not first intervened to prevent the sliding into chaos. Likewise, God sent the 10 Commandments to intervene during the darkest and brutalist of times which point to him as the means - only means of keeping social stability from sliding into chaos.

He governs by grace and is patent with all humanities successive generations. The most good and noble moral codes derived by man fall into ruin and barbarism when social structures invite diversities division and debauchery in as accepted norms. Cast off God's restraints is not freedom but a slide into an dark abyss seen throughout human history. God get's a bad rap for man's inhumanity and his acts to stop it but stop it one day, he will.

The 10 Commandments are the moral rules showing how to live right before God and each other and there are only 10 of them. How many laws does your country, county, province, city, town have to govern you? Of the 2 sets, God's and ones created by man, which is easiest to follow?

Some folks contend that the golden rule is what all should follow and that it proves one does not need God. Yet, without God, what is golden for you to keep may not be golden to another to receive from you.

Without God's intervention, there would be no guide to define what right and wrong is.
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Re: Is there a God?

Post by Kenny »

Kurieuo wrote:Kenny, the problem is you do not get it.
Certainly CS Lewis as an Atheist got it.

If what "society says" sets the standard, then is there ever such a thing as moral reform?
Towards what moral standards can a society morally reform itself?

Who is morally right and wrong on the following? Please justify your response.
- Hong Kong self-governance or Chinese dictatorship?
- Russian occupation or Ukraine / Europe?
- Syrian Government or Rebels?
- ISIS or it's opponents?

Maybe we should all bow down to the UN and their so-called "International Law".
Or perhaps we bow down to the Supreme Court of the US who declared many Nazi soldiers guilty of war crimes although they were just following orders.

The thing is, even if all of mankind turned around tomorrow and said it's fine to kill Kenny -- I'm certain that you would have a strong moral objection.
What would you appeal to? Morality? No. It's good to kill Kenny. Everyone agreed. They do it in South Park and it's funny!
So you would just have to admit your objection is morally wrong and try plead for your life in some other way.
Interesting huh?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1vkyb8ioWg[/youtube]
Kuriuo
Kenny, the problem is you do not get it.
Certainly CS Lewis as an Atheist got it.

If what "society says" sets the standard, then is there ever such a thing as moral reform?
Towards what moral standards can a society morally reform itself?

Ken
Society sets the standard, and society decides when to reform morality via new standards. Did God get rid of the Jim Crow law? No; society did.

Kuriuo
Who is morally right and wrong on the following? Please justify your response.
- Hong Kong self-governance or Chinese dictatorship?
- Russian occupation or Ukraine / Europe?
- Syrian Government or Rebels?
- ISIS or it's opponents?

Ken
Society decides.

Kuriuo
Maybe we should all bow down to the UN and their so-called "International Law".
Or perhaps we bow down to the Supreme Court of the US who declared many Nazi soldiers guilty of war crimes although they were just following orders.

Ken
Bowing down aside, that’s the way things work in the real world. The problem with trying to let God decide is God doesn’t give a consistent message to mankind thus mankind is left to interpret what God says and nobody agrees on what he wants or who is representing him correctly. Ever wonder why the most backwards arsed countries in the world are the ones who are claimed to be run by Gods laws? That's not a coincident my friend. The quickest way to get nowhere fast is to wait for God to fix it.

Kuriuo
The thing is, even if all of mankind turned around tomorrow and said it's fine to kill Kenny -- I'm certain that you would have a strong moral objection.
What would you appeal to? Morality? No. It's good to kill Kenny. Everyone agreed. They do it in South Park and it's funny!
So you would just have to admit your objection is morally wrong and try plead for your life in some other way.
Interesting huh?

Ken
Years ago, society decided it was okay for white people to kill black people if they wanted to. Like it or not, that’s the way things work in the real world. It ain’t perfect; but that’s all we’ve got! Pretending something else is out pulling strings won’t get cha anywhere.

Ken
PS Cute video
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Re: Is there a God?

Post by RickD »

B. W. wrote:
God intervened and sent forth the 10 Commandments as a guide to how we are to treat each other as a community of his believers. Simply summed up is this, Love and honor God and honor and love each other and we will do well. Without that intervention, ISIS, Nazism, dominance of the elites over all other, political pettiness, unbridled cruelty would be the supreme morality of humanity.
Gman? Gman is that you?

Hey B. W., I think Gman hacked into your account and posted. The 10 commandments were given as a guide for believers? :shock:

Signed,

RickD-President of JFC* inc.

y:-/





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John 5:24
24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.


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Re: Is there a God?

Post by Audie »

Kurieuo wrote:
It seems you are hardly surprised that you have moral values.
Re: [moral] values without meaning? Consider it a prelude to my previous post to you.
There were a couple of previous posts that caused me to be disinclined to talk to you. You may want to specify which one you refer to here.

I'm all open to you explaining what you tie moral values down to.
Tell me this larger context from which you are looking, for I'm feeling quite ignorant.
I can't help it, for as you know, I find it hard to see beyond the smaller subset of my religion.
But, I'm open to you explaining to me this larger context...?
The snarkiness of another poster was very off putting, I wont engage on that level.
Same goes for you. Please refrain, its tacky.

If one sees (his) religion, his god as the be all and end all, everything subsumed under that heading then of course, everything goes under that heading. I see Christianity as but one of countless invocations of the supernatural in a universe of profound mysteries.



Personally, I don't know why more Atheists don't bite the bullet on morality.
It has not been proven that morality exists, only that we have strong emotions about certain actions.
To "bite the bullet" is to endure a painful or otherwise unpleasant situation that is seen as unavoidable.

I dont see anything in your statement but non sequitur, sorry. Prease exprain.

Heck, and we may not even be responsible for such actions any more than we are our physical make-up and environment.
Some people are not responsible for their actions. I am, but then I am not a sociopath.


Here would be my take as an Atheist. It is really the most logical I can see...
and actually I'd say it's how many live their lives when no one is looking.
Jim and Tammy, say. My sense of honour says I dont do differently just because I wont get caught. Too bad for those whose honour is too weak and need a threat to keep them in line.

Humans as social creatures evolved feelings of moral rightness and wrongness.
From the alpha dominance witnessed in primates, feelings evolved to the point that most modern humans value families and others
More or less.

However, having found out we evolved, why shouldn't we break free from these feelings?
Seriously? Do you need me to say something about that?
There is no ought to them.
Of course there is.
Shaking off all sense of guilt and morality would mean we are free to live our lives how we want.
I was raised to believe that there is no freedom without responsibility.

This is even an evolutionary advantage over others who have not yet realised morality is an evolutionary vestige
No, there is not, this is, sorry, but very typical of the misrepresentations of science that are used by those who want to make some religious point but do not know what they are talking about.

Indeed, perhaps the next stage of the fittest surviving are those who first shake off their moral sense.
As above.
Morality and "values" are just an illusion brought about by evolution. Feelings. Nothing more.
An alpha wolf feels no remorse over killing rivals. Doing so allows it to extend its genes the best.
So, as far as it benefits you, be under no illusion -- right and wrong do not exist.
Only what is best for you.
If anything, what is right is therefore what is best us personally.
And what is wrong is anything that frustrates us from fulfilling what we personally desire in life.
I got it the first time you expressed this error.
And there you have it. Atheism is grounded.
I see some words but they make no sense to me.
But, can any of us really live with these conclusions?
The conclusions are your own, they are not mine nor are they good science.

If you wish me to explain why, I will.
Audie
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Re: Is there a God?

Post by Audie »

Audie wrote:
Kurieuo wrote:
It seems you are hardly surprised that you have moral values.
Re: [moral] values without meaning? Consider it a prelude to my previous post to you.
There were a couple of previous posts that caused me to be disinclined to talk to you. You may want to specify which one you refer to here.

I'm all open to you explaining what you tie moral values down to.
Tell me this larger context from which you are looking, for I'm feeling quite ignorant.
I can't help it, for as you know, I find it hard to see beyond the smaller subset of my religion.
But, I'm open to you explaining to me this larger context...?
The snarkiness of another poster was very off putting, I requested that he refrain from addressing me, tho I see he did, for the lurkers I suppose, I didnt read it. I will not have anything to do with him, I wont engage on that level.
Same goes for you or anyone. Please refrain, its tacky.

If one sees (his) religion, his god as the be all and end all, everything subsumed under that heading then of course, everything goes under that heading. I see Christianity as but one of countless invocations of the supernatural in a universe of profound mysteries. I dont see any religion as having much to do with reality, other than that they express an aspect of the human psyche. Thats a pretty small subset.

Personally, I don't know why more Atheists don't bite the bullet on morality.
It has not been proven that morality exists, only that we have strong emotions about certain actions.
To "bite the bullet" is to endure a painful or otherwise unpleasant situation that is seen as unavoidable.

What painful situation is that?

Heck, and we may not even be responsible for such actions any more than we are our physical make-up and environment.
Some people are not responsible for their actions. I am, but then I am not a sociopath.


Here would be my take as an Atheist. It is really the most logical I can see...
and actually I'd say it's how many live their lives when no one is looking.
I kind of dont think many religious people know what it is to be an atheist.

nobody looking...
Jim and Tammy, say.
My sense of honour says I dont do differently just because I wont get caught. Too bad for those whose honour is too weak and need a threat to keep them in line.

Humans as social creatures evolved feelings of moral rightness and wrongness.
From the alpha dominance witnessed in primates, feelings evolved to the point that most modern humans value families and others
Sort of.

However, having found out we evolved, why shouldn't we break free from these feelings?
Seriously? Do you need me to say something about that?
There is no ought to them.
Of course there is.
Shaking off all sense of guilt and morality would mean we are free to live our lives how we want.
I was raised to believe that there is no freedom without responsibility.
And, for that matter, that 'freedom' is hardly the highest value.

This is even an evolutionary advantage over others who have not yet realised morality is an evolutionary vestige
No, there is not; this is, sorry, but very typical of the misrepresentations of science that are used by those who want to make some religious point.

Indeed, perhaps the next stage of the fittest surviving are those who first shake off their moral sense.
As above.
Morality and "values" are just an illusion brought about by evolution. Feelings. Nothing more.
An alpha wolf feels no remorse over killing rivals. Doing so allows it to extend its genes the best.
So, as far as it benefits you, be under no illusion -- right and wrong do not exist.
Only what is best for you.
If anything, what is right is therefore what is best us personally.
And what is wrong is anything that frustrates us from fulfilling what we personally desire in life.
I got it the first time you expressed this error. You and CS need not belabour an obvious point. :D
And there you have it. Atheism is grounded.
I dont follow you, at all, but then the premise is flawed anyway.
But, can any of us really live with these conclusions?
The conclusions are your own, they are not mine nor are they based on good science.

If you wish me to explain why, I will.
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