Question for the Atheist

officerripley said:
As an atheist, I have no beliefs, not in a supreme being, ghost, angels, devils, the afterlife, etc. I've never thought of myself as more rational than someone because they do believe in the supernatural (in any of its forms). I myself spent many years trying to believe in a god because most of the people around me did and I thought I should too. It took me way too long to realize that I'm just not a believer. I don't even like to use the words believe or belief; I prefer to use the word "think"; as in "I think there is (or is not) enough evidence to support that theory." Having faith or belief in something for which there is no proof is just not the way I am.
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I was brought up to believe you were either "saved" or went to hell. From my earliest memories I questioned religion. What makes one religion right and hundreds of others wrong? Having read the bible, I found it to be the most horrific fictional book I have ever read. There have been hundreds if not thousands of gods presented to the human race. What makes one the "true" God and all of the others false?
The writings of Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens literally saved me. I just finished Richard Dawkins most recent book, Outgrowing God which was excellent.
I believe in science and facts. Not gods, devils, faries, angels or any other made-up beings.
 

Kir7 said:
Though I am an atheist, I realize that I do not stand on the firm basis of conviction, absolute certainty. Because some supreme being from the universe can probably come to us and it will turn out that believing people will be more right than we are. That's what atheist scientists have been writing about. Ants don't know that humans have smartphones and satellites.

I agree, let the supreme being be Jesus, Allah, Odin, or even his alcoholic son, Thor. The main thing is that we don't get Thanos. :confused:
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You sound very much like a member of the direction in which I lean — Agnosticism. An Agnostic is one who believes that the existence of a God is unknowable, but not impossible. The universe is infinite in age and dimension beyond our understanding. Personally I prefer to leave the God argument there, rather than presume to tell the religious among us that they are wrong. In fact I admit to a bit of envy when I see people lined up to attend a church service.
 

MarkD said:
Deity is not a well defined term and people are likely to understand it in different ways. That there is a dictionary definition isn’t much help when we’re not talking about anything concrete.

I don’t have any use for that term but whether or not I think such ac’thing’ exists depends entirely on what is being talked about.
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Don't ask why, but I've recently become fascinated by ancient Egypt. They had thousands of gods. They realized that all these gods had one thing in common-they were all "divine". They weren't sure what that was, but it was what made a god, a god. They called it "neter". It's almost what you stated.
 
Paco Dennis said:
In this case, saying that "science was the god of Galileo, Newton, and Darwin" could be misleading. While these scientists made significant contributions to our understanding of the natural world, and they were undoubtedly passionate about their work, there's no evidence to suggest that they literally worshiped science as a deity.
Perhaps a better way to phrase it would be to say that science was their "passion" or their "life's work." This would more accurately convey their dedication to scientific discovery without implying a religious or spiritual component. 😊🔬
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:) Thank you! I've been thinking about this, and it does seem like calling science 'their god' might be taken as a pejorative. Looking at it in that sense, I think 'guiding light' is a better phrase. I believe these men were seeking only the truth.
 
ElCastor said:
The universe is infinite in age ...
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Scientists say the universe is only about 13.7 billion years old. Just a toddler really when you consider that a billion is only a thousand thousand. (But consider this: the US National Debt is pushing $35 trillion. Pondering this number has taught me that I have no conception of numbers.)
 
gruntlabor said:
Scientists say the universe is only about 13.7 billion years old. Just a toddler really when you consider that a billion is only a thousand thousand. (But consider this: the US National Debt is pushing $35 trillion. Pondering this number has taught me that I have no conception of numbers.)
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With a national debt like that, I definitely believe in the punishment of heaven... 🫤
 
gruntlabor said:
:) Thank you! I've been thinking about this, and it does seem like calling science 'their god' might be taken as a pejorative. Looking at it in that sense, I think 'guiding light' is a better phrase. I believe these men were seeking only the truth.
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That is a good clarification. One can place their faith in science in such a way that they cannot imagine a world in which science would fail to answer necessary questions. What ever we believe in colors how we experience the world and what in it we attend to, forming a feedback loop which constitutes our personal reality.
 
gruntlabor said:
Scientists say the universe is only about 13.7 billion years old. Just a toddler really when you consider that a billion is only a thousand thousand. (But consider this: the US National Debt is pushing $35 trillion. Pondering this number has taught me that I have no conception of numbers.)
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Current thought on the age of the universe is 26.7 billion years, nearly twice the number you quoted, and even that only tracks the age of the Big Bang.
New research puts age of universe at 26.7 billion years, nearly twice as old as previously believed

Is our Big Bang the entirety of the universe, or is Space infinite In size and age? The jury is still out on that one.
 
Mr. Ed said:
Do you have a need to worship/support a higher power?

Do you replace god with something else?

Do you believe in spirituality?

Can you be spiritual and not believe in god?

Do you have/attend a formal group for discussion and socialization?
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Do you have a need to worship/support a higher power?

I am in awe of the reality I observe and yet I know that my observation is my interpretation of what my senses offer me. That means that reality is awesome, and I hold it in reverence. It is beyond me, but I know that other people have managed to identify the laws or habits of nature, so I am also in awe of that. I also suspect that our ability to be in awe is an inherent potential of reality, and so I’m in awe of that.

Do I ascribe this all to a higher power? I wouldn’t know one if I saw one.

Do you replace god with something else?

How do I replace something if I don’t know what it is? I can only substitute something I have some power over, and since I don’t know what god is, I have no power to do anything at all.

Do you believe in spirituality?

Believing “in” something sounds complicated. I believe that there are realms of life that a materialist perspective can’t grasp. There are things we can see, but not with the eyes. There are things we can hear, but not with the ears. There are things that we can feel, but not with our senses. Is that spiritual?

Can you be spiritual and not believe in god?

What is spiritual and what is god?

Do you have/attend a formal group for discussion and socialization?

I’m here for discussion and social chit-chat – is it formal?
 
Stoppelmann said:
Do you have a need to worship/support a higher power?

I am in awe of the reality I observe and yet I know that my observation is my interpretation of what my senses offer me. That means that reality is awesome, and I hold it in reverence. It is beyond me, but I know that other people have managed to identify the laws or habits of nature, so I am also in awe of that. I also suspect that our ability to be in awe is an inherent potential of reality, and so I’m in awe of that.

Do I ascribe this all to a higher power? I wouldn’t know one if I saw one.

Do you replace god with something else?

How do I replace something if I don’t know what it is? I can only substitute something I have some power over, and since I don’t know what god is, I have no power to do anything at all.

Do you believe in spirituality?

Believing “in” something sounds complicated. I believe that there are realms of life that a materialist perspective can’t grasp. There are things we can see, but not with the eyes. There are things we can hear, but not with the ears. There are things that we can feel, but not with our senses. Is that spiritual?

Can you be spiritual and not believe in god?

What is spiritual and what is god?

Do you have/attend a formal group for discussion and socialization?

I’m here for discussion and social chit-chat – is it formal?
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How’s the weather where you are? Oops wrong thread. But I know you were going to a better place and I’ll bet whether there will be nice. Welcome aboard.
 
I’m here for discussion and social chit-chat – is it formal?

Formality of one's reality
 
Sounds cool, you asked if it was formal. Formal reminds me of formalwear, reality?
 
I identify as Agnostic. I do not NOT believe....just have not seen the ultimate proof that all in the Bible is anything other than a historic telling of events in our past.
I have not belonged to a church in years. I like the way a friend described things many years ago. Everyone can have a Higher Power. It may be the sky...sun..or that tree outside your window. Something you DO respect and believe in.
When I did attend church services I realized that what I was looking for was a gathering of peers...people who cared about each other and shared many life events
Found that here where I am living now.
I do not deny or disrespect the beliefs of others,,I just realize they are not always my own
 
Just so we know "who" were talking about. :)

images
 
Marie5656 said:
Everyone can have a Higher Power. It may be the sky...sun..or that tree outside your window. Something you DO respect and believe in.
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Yes, I like that. If we think about it, we are always using metaphors to name or describe something we see, so it wouldn't be unusual for us to latch onto something that gives us the impression of being something special, even if it is a symbolic gesture. People hug trees because they feel an affinity with them, and others try to respect nature generally. I am in awe of the beauty that nature offers, but I also have deep respect for the hierarchy of animals, and accept that if I get in the way, it can be dangerous. But, if we understand, we can hold reverence for every life form.

This was the case for millennia, but at some point, people started writing down their impressions—often in a very imaginative way. Some clever man said that these writings reveal that ancient humanity felt caught up in a huge drama. At some point, there came a paradigm change, and people started questioning that perspective.

As has always been the case, the following generations thought they understood it better than others and used whatever force they could to settle the argument. That is why there is so much unnecessary strife today, because some people feel superior in some way, although we are all so very similar. If there was some higher power, it would unify us, I think.
 
Stoppelmann said:
Do you have a need to worship/support a higher power?

I am in awe of the reality I observe and yet I know that my observation is my interpretation of what my senses offer me. That means that reality is awesome, and I hold it in reverence. It is beyond me, but I know that other people have managed to identify the laws or habits of nature, so I am also in awe of that. I also suspect that our ability to be in awe is an inherent potential of reality, and so I’m in awe of that.

Do I ascribe this all to a higher power? I wouldn’t know one if I saw one.
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I glossed over this when you first wrote it as I was so focused on your being in Madeira, a place of wonder for me .. at least before hearing what a lot of trouble you've had there.. ;)

I agree with you that the specificity of what science has been able to reveal about nature is awe inspiring. But if or how any of what science reveals is the product of a 'higher power' is beyond my ken. I'd always thought that last expression derived from the German word kennon for knowing of the kind reserved for the complexity of persons and places which resist summarizing in finite list of facts.

Stoppelmann said:
Do you replace god with something else?


How do I replace something if I don’t know what it is? I can only substitute something I have some power over, and since I don’t know what god is, I have no power to do anything at all.
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Likewise. I've only recently become open to the idea that the mystery of existence can be referred to as God. But on my best day I cannot imagine that what that is is anything like a person or a being apart who brings about the universe we know through deliberate effort.
 

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