I am a Christian and would like to know what an average Atheist's idea for these subjects are:
1. Thoughts
2. Emotions
3. Life after death
4. Start of life (where you propose the materials for the "big bang" came from)
5. Love
6. Greed
7. Moral values
Note: As for #4, you might say something like: "Well, where did your God come from?" All I have to say about that is who can create the Creator and there are mysteries for every belief that have to go unanswered.
There is nothing in your brain that can triggered by losing a close one that can make you sad, no matter what excuse a scientist can come up with. And don't take my "there are mysteries for every belief that have to go unanswered" out of context. Atheism puts full reliability on science, which is a constantly changing thing. We Christians put our faith on the never changing Creator and Sustainer of the universe.
1. brain activity
2. biochemical response to stimulus
3. doesn't happen
4. i don't know, see science section or look up "singularity"
5. see #2
6. unhealthy for society, a survival instinct gone awry
7. every body's got them, morality is subjective to culture
I also want to add that there is no reason to ascribe supernatural explanations to natural processes when natural explanations will do just fine.
1 Brain activity
2 Brain activity
3 Nope
4. The Big Bang happened about 9.5 billion years before life. Which are you asking about?
5. See #2 - Exact same question
6. See #2 - Exact same question
7. Morals are rather obvious survival strategies for the whole species...which is what evolution selects for.
And so you know...your retort to us pointing out that saying geddit doesn't really answer anything is practically the definition of a Special Pleading Logical Fallacy. I don't see how you think it helps unless you are totally logically challenged.
3. You misunderstand the big bang. Obviously life did not start there, since there were materials that created the big bang. The big bang is just an event in history.
1. A product of brain structure and metabolic activity in the brain
2. See 1
3. No reason to assume it occurs. Since the personality is a product of the brain's structure and processes it seems unlikely that it persists after the brain dies.
4. The Big Bang has nothing to do with the start of life.
5. One of the evolved mechanisms by which pair bonds and group bonds are formed and maintained.
6. Selfishness is an evolutionary trait
7. "moral values" are simply the laws which help us live as a group.
I am not atheist, I am a Muslim and I want to contribute:
I believe in all religions sent from Allah: Jewish, Christ and Islam.
Science deals with observed physical world. One question that science tried to answer is how we are here? How did this universe exist?
Theories based on scientific findings came up to explain some issues. This should be cleared. Two famous theories initially explain the mechanism or the process behind our existence; these are the big bang and evolution. Although both of these may help explain the mechanism, they cannot explain the creator. Let's discuss the following scenario:
If I asked how I am here now? Some will tell me that billions of years were enough for the preliminary picture of life to evolve to what we are now.
How did preliminary picture of life exist? Some will tell me that the special stormy atmosphere in Earth or elsewhere was enough for reactions to take place and make this preliminary picture of life.
How did Earth or elsewhere exist? Some will refer this to big bang.
What does big bang state? 1st it is pr oven scientifically. 2ND it states that the whole universe was condensed then it exploded and expanded and still expanding.
I agree with all of these - evolution and big bang. But there must be a starting point to this big bang.
What is this starting point?
I want to refer the origin of this starting point to God. Some wants to prove God existence. And OK. But you should understand this issue: that nothing is similar to God. God is not bounded by our physical rules such as time and space; because if he does, he will no longer be God then. I mean that God cannot be measured by scientific tools. He is not electricity to be measured by galvanometer, for example!
So science cannot tell us much about God except that He does exist proved by this universe which shows great consistency, great accuracy in design and great balance in itself; this consistency, accuracy in design, and balance are scientifically proved.
1,2,5,6,7 Evolved with these facilities as a balance between them all play a role in a social species like ours. Which as you can see is a very successful combination.
3. There is no evidence of one.
4. It is unknown.
7. Additional to having evolved, morality is also jointly decided by society as a whole, which is why it is always changing and improving. A society cannot function without some morality. It is a combination of social decisions and instinct.
1.) The brain produces thoughts, and there are many different parts of the brain used for different types of thoughts.
2.) Emotions are a series of chemical reactions simultaneously happening in the brain cause by things like melatonin, dopamine, etc.
3.) There is none
4.) "...there are mysteries for every belief that have to go unanswered"
5.) See #2
6.) See #5
7.) Every ones moral values are different. It depends a lot on how and where you grew up. What was forced on you as a kid etc. so that isn't not an answerable question
1. geochemistryRy. brain eg amygdla fear response
3.none
4.I don't know but I don't need to throw god into that gap
5. phenylethalamine in the brain
6. survival of the fittest
7. living with others and developing empathy and a conscience
1. Yes I have thoughts because I have a brain.
2. Yes I have emotions.
3. I don't believe in life after death.
4. The universe has always been in existence.
5. It's an emotion.
6. Another emotion.
7. Morals are common sense, I don't need a book to tell me right from wrong.
1 - A product of the brain, developed through evolution.
2 - See 1.
3 - None.
4 - The 'big bang' came out of nowhere (see: quantum mechanics, M-theory). Life started as a natural consequence of the structure of reality.
5 - See 2.
6 - Is an innate quality, promoted by evolution.
7 - Are the result of evolving as complex social animals.
1, Thoughts are activities in your brain that are pretty well understood by science. I'm not sure what this have to do with atheism.
2. See #1, with addition of the science of psychology.
3. Life after death does not exist under any circumstance.
4. Start of life and big bang are completely separate areas in science. Both of them are well understood, but all the answers are not available yet. The rational thinker will wait for science to figure these things out from natural laws, rather than arbitrarily inserting a god based on myth and superstition.
5. See #2.
6. See #2.
7. Do what is right - what more is there to this>??
1. We are born with a brain, this is where our thoughts originate.
2. Emotions are a response to stimuli--also from the brain.
3. Energy is neither created nor destroyed...it merely changes form. This is what happens when we die.
4. I do not posit to know how or if the universe began....and I am certainly not going to say "Goddidit!"--which god.
5. Again...just the brain, and certain stimuli. The "heart" has nothing to do with it.
6. We live in a political/economic/religious system that promotes it. This was not the case in many aboriginal societies.--again, it is all a part of the brain, and the stimuli the brain receives.
7. Morals come from society and what are known as Normative Ethical Theories such as Utilitiarianism, which means doing what is right for the overall good--no gods required--again, it comes from the brain.
1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 are all biological. Morality, greed and emotions are all ways of interacting with our society which is essential for survival of the species. 3 does not exist and as for 4... I don't claim to know everything!
Hmmm. No such think as "an average atheist" in my opinion. I think we're all different to some degree, see? And I'm not sure what you're really asking here, your question is rather vague and general. Are you asking where these come from: 1,2,5,6,7? I'll do my best though.
Thoughts, emotions, love, and greed are a result of our physical brains and the chemical interactions therein.
There is no life after death. Death is the cessation of our physical self, which extinguishes our sentience. (Ask yourself where the flame goes after a match burns itself out. It doesn't go anywhere. It not longer exists, its fuel exhausted. Same idea with death.)
What existed before the Big Bang is unknowable. But because I can't answer this question doesn't mean there is a god. Yes?
The foundation of morality is genetics. Add to this cultural conditioning, personal experience. parental teaching, logic, empathy, and other characteristics, and we all develop a unique moral code. Can you name another Christian whose moral code is exactly like yours in every detail? Doubtful. And I would ask you the following: Is slavery moral or immoral? Is spousal rape moral or immoral? Is cannibalism moral or immoral? Where in the Bible does it say?
Nothing magical, mystical, or supernatural in any of this, really. All natural, no need for a god or gods.
1. Biochemical processes in the brain, allowing us to better perceive, understand, and categorize the world around us. The evolutionary benefits of being able to do this should be obvious.
2. Biochemical processes in the brain, allowing us to better interact with and empathize with others of our own species. Being social creatures with pathetic natural defenses, being able to work together is a huge boon to survival.
3. There's never been an indication that there is one, there's no reason to think one is required, so no, I've got absolutely no inclination to believe in one.
4. Who said these materials had to 'come from' anywhere? Time is an inherent dimension of the universe, and therefore to discuss what came 'before' the universe is nonsense. As such, it's reasonable to state that the universe, and everything in it, has 'always' been here, 'always' meaning 'for all time'.
5. See #2, with a twist. Love helps facilitate choosing a viable mate, and also forges a connection between parent and child. This reduces the chances of helpless children being abandoned in times of social duress, thus allowing for greater survival rates.
6. An innate competition for food, sex, and other resources that we see in almost ALL other species. The more resources we have, the more likely we are to survive and pass on our genes.
7. See #2 again. Humans are social creatures. As such, behaviors that favor the individual over the group (such as theft, murder, etc) would be evolutionarily selected against, since allowing them endangers the survival of the whole group.
"All I have to say about that is who can create the Creator and there are mysteries for every belief that have to go unanswered."
I don't mean to be mean, but that's a weak, useless, cop-out answer. You're basically saying 'I don't want to answer your question, and am stubbornly going to insist in my belief in the face of scrutiny'. So I'll ask again: If you're so convinced that the universe HAD to have had a creator, then why does God get a free pass?
EDIT: "Atheism puts full reliability on science, which is a constantly changing thing. We Christians put our faith on the never changing Creator and Sustainer of the universe."
Which is another point for science, really. We freely admit when we're wrong, and update our information as appropriate. Y'know, that's how you learn things about the universe. You toss out what turns out to be wrong, and keep what's provable. The fact that your God is unchanging is a weakness, not a strength.
Also, an eternal, unchanging God is impossible. If you assert that he's existed backward in eternity, and then one day decided to create the universe, well, what caused God to make that decision? What was wrong with the eternal nothingness he evidently was in before? God CHANGED, and evidently decided that a universe was more preferable than nothingness. So your definition is inherently self-contradictory. So... why am I supposed to believe this again?
1 brain
2 brain
3 some loony made that up from his fucked up brain
4 dint know .no one does..no one is that brainy yet
5 brain
6 brain
7 brain
isn't the human brain awesome
1. Firing of synapses in the brain.
2. Firing of synapses which in turn trigger the release of various hormones and such.
3. None
4. That's two separate questions. Abiogenesis required an energy source and the right chemical composition. Lightning provided the energy for simple self-replicating cells to form.
4.5. The big bang describes what happened directly after the universe came into existence. We're not yet sure where the material for it came from, although there are several interesting ideas.
5. See 2.
6. Greed is a survival instinct. Take what you can now, because you might not get enough in the future.
7. Game theory 101. Cooperation is good in the long term for everyone. Selfishness is a losing strategy. Morals are socially enforced cooperation.
1. I'm all for them, I suggest others try.
2. Not as fond of them as thinking, but still they have their place.
3. Doesn't happen.
4. Don't know, I'm not a theoretical physicist specializing in cosmology, I'm a glorified security guard.
5. Does happen, enjoyed it while it lasted.
6. Does happen, generally a wise thing to avoid.
7. I'm in favor of them, wish Christians used them and didn't lie about the number of questions they are asking.
I love your cop out on #4. If there is a God, it would have evolved just like all else. Things don't just poof into existence, they evolve over eons of time. And NO I don't know what was before the "Big Bang" and you have no ideal how your God came to be either. That proves nothing!!! That means nothing also!!!
And for #7 . . . who in their right mind would ever opt for God's immorality as their own??? My imperfect and flawed morality is 10 times more noble than that of the Christian God's. Have you ever read The Old Testament???
And about #6 . . . have you ever looked at the splendor of religious leadership. Just look at the riches of the Catholic Church or the wealth of the all white male Mormon leadership, the insane arrogance of Scientology, the wealth of JW's leadership. Those who own the oil fields in the Middle East, pale in comparison!!!
#3 . . . neither of us knows if there is any kind of life after death . . . you just won't admit it!
#1.) My thoughts are seriously different from yours. I hate all religions because they are the only true evil I've ever encountered in my life. And you, of course, think Christianity is something god like.
#2.) Same
#5.) Atheists differ here in that we don't love and worship fairy-tales.
1. electrochemical signals in the brain - this is illustrated by using these signals to overcome deafness and to allow other disabled people to communicate. It can also be illustrated my the up an coming "brain controlled" devices.
2. Same as number 1. We know that various hormones or other stimulus will produce emotional responses that the subject will claim as real.
3. Non-existent and no objective reason to think that there is.
4. Matter/energy is neither created or destroyed at levels above the quantum level. In this light, it is logical to assume that matter/energy are infinitely more likely to have always existed rather than positing a god which depends on special pleading. At the quantum level, virtual quarks will pop into existence and will either contribute to matter or energy. I'll leave it to you to work out the implications of this.
5. Love is an emotion.
6. Greed is a form of self preservation.
7. Morality is present in most, if not all, social mammals and perhaps other social animals as well. Clearly a relatively complex social group needs some sort of accepted rules that encourage the survival of the group. This is the basis for what we consider morality.
Edit:
Yes science changes, but this is by design, i.e. it is designed to be self correcting and to continually test, retest and rethink what it "knows". This is a a rational approach to learning about a body of unknown knowledge. Religion on the other hand is forced to rationalize what their religion taught in years past to what they consider moral or know now, while maintaining that both the more accurate understanding of reality and more "enlightened" morality are supported by scriptures that clearly do not agree.
A good example of this is the commandments on slavery. Modern day Christianity often tries to rationalize these commandments by saying it was really "indentured servitude", but this was not common in the Christian community when I grew up (I always just assumed that it was accepted and never read or heard ) and was unheard of during or prior to the Civil war.
1. thoughts are warnings which of course is caused by the brain itself... when something happens to you, your brain reacts in a rational or non rational way and is exaggerated by imagination... often these thoughts keep us away from natural instinct...
2. result of irrational human thought
3. to me, life after death isn't important whatsoever... however, i have often wished that i could start over, and i (personally) believe in reincarnation a bit...
4. to me, the beginning matters every bit as much as the end! in my point of view though, i believe that's something we shouldn't even waste our time with researching... still, i believe in evolution, i don't know about the "big bang", but then again, I've studied christian/Hebrew religion and it makes every bit as much sense as the big bang does... point is, we as humans can only theorize... we'll never know until a new world is somehow created for us to observe how it is... the human mind is a powerful thing though... it creates good, bad, progress, setbacks, hope, war, religion... there were many religions even before Judaism... i wonder what really made Christianity/Muslim/Jewish faith so prominent...? (oh that's right! the majority of human mind~)
5. Love? eh.. that's not really something that has to do with atheism... THAT depends on the person; their emotions, the way they depend on others.... I personally don't believe in having a "lover"... i love and depend on my family alone, and I'll guard them till they're gone
6. Greed is human nature, but not animal nature... in that sense, it's one of the main things that sets us app art from animals: we desire and indulge instead of favoring our instinct
7. Moral values? i think i may have covered that in 4... i don't believe we all have a purpose in life though, i think we need to make one for ourselves... i have chosen the path of knowledge, all sorts of knowledge... when i die, hopefully it will be when my family is gone already, cause that too is my personal "purpose": to protect those i love as they've protected me~ (oh, i also believe in equivalent exchange whenever it's possible)
oh and NEWSFLASH!: not all atheists are all about science ya know... a lot of them are actually quite into philosophy and such... atheism is just a word to describe a non-believer in God... just as the word christian is just a word to describe a believer in Jesus... there are many types of athiests as there are christians...
I have a couple questions for Atheists.?
