I appreciate that. I have no trouble if you guys want the thread split, I just thought it was very handy having dialog on a relevant theme here since there will be plenty of times where discussion might overlap between atheism and theism, that is just the nature of these discussions. Since my answers as an atheist are a direct result of my experience of religion then I am not sure how we should go about it?
what do you make of our universe having a beginning?
A foreign event to be sure if it started at all. What was that event particularly, is something I am not sure about. I imagine a force, it could may very well be a God, who can say for sure? Its all hypothesis for now.
Or how about our "self" -- are our actions and consciousness simply determined by the physical world of atoms,
This would only matter if you believe that God determines each of our actions, in lack of which I must find a determining factor as justification of my actions. But if there is no God, then our actions could be consequential at best, I am not sure why they need to be determined unless they fall upon a natural tendency for instance, a chemical firing in our brain like serotonin, which can make us feel happy.
For example I read someone saying in another thread (I think it was someone called jalay not sure) that without God, if I, an atheist loves my child, then that is no more important than an elephant fart. That is a very typical YEC line, one which the member here used quite freely. Perhaps you may think the same or not, I don't know, I hope you don't. But if you do, then you may also think that without a God, there is no such thing as love or happiness, true? Perhaps there is no objective reason to love or be kind or be happy or why even live? I mean why not I jump off a cliff if life has no objective value? I have heard that many times and perhaps by the tone of it, which you will agree is totally devoid of any love (I imagine christ and the disciples going around telling people to believe in him or else jump off cliffs) it never seems to hit the point for me. I see insult but I don't see love or care. But anyways, to your point which I am thinking would lead to the idea that love or similar actions cannot have value without God is something I don't find very true.
We godless people are not heartless chaps you know, we don't push our kids under the cars just because we don't believe there is a God. I may not have any christian justification of my love for my child but again, who says I need one. Even Paul in Romans 2, say that gentiles have the "law of God" written on their hearts? why do you think that is written like that? Is it because the having conscience is just natural for humans (even if its God ordained)? So if there is a God and you do believe there is one, then you don't need to ask this question because I assume you believe your scriptures to be true to the word. How in your world view does asking this question helps?
And that member who calls atheists' loving their children "elephant farts" needs to stop doing that too.
But I do understand and accept the fact that life is a strange marvel of nature. That its unique in many ways and that I am totally awed when I look across the universe. Do I see God, I see the possibility of one? But with no connotations of any kind, for now. You think your God is true but nearly all religions say the same.
or are we to at least some degree really free and responsible beings?
No one is really free in one way. I mean we all die. So we are all tied to chemistry or biology in one sense. But we can make choices too, like killing ourselves, drinking water, swimming etc, none of which needs to be hardwired like breathing as a reflex. So I don't think all actions can be swept under one word, as being determined or not.
Are we responsible? I am not sure I follow, responsible for what? I am sure we are free to do things we can, and not free at all to do things that are beyond our grasp.
If I you have more questions please feel free to let me know.
, just tell me what you expect me to put out because I have no idea.
. I know many atheists who are open to possibility of God, just don't find him. Early christians were accused of being atheists by the romans because they did not believe in Zeus or Apollo. Anyways I am not big on labels, I don't mind you calling me an agnostic atheist, as long as you don't think I am still a christian, (I have been called that too by folks who still think I am a child of God having full pardon and an everlasting life).