I see no value in atheism

[McBell]

So how are you any better? Or do you only have snarky remarks?

I am not the one with posts like:

Of course. I don't know what I'm talking about. You know my life better than I do and can see what I see. Who are you to say that what they saw wasn't real?

I do have faith although I have more than just that. It's more than what you have.

You start off chastising another member for the very thing you end the post with.

 

[Theweirdtophat]

If I can just s

But that means that you are only believing in what you believe because it gives you hope, it just makes you feel better, if that's the case, you should ask yourself why am I frightened of life.

Life itself is not frightening. Why would I be afraid of something natural? I don't just believe in spirits I KNOW they exist and that there is an afterlife. Because I've seen it. You don't have to be dead to see it. Dreams play a part in this, too.

 

[psychoslice]

Life itself is not frightening. Why would I be afraid of something natural? I don't just believe in spirits I KNOW they exist and that there is an afterlife. Because I've seen it. You don't have to be dead to see it. Dreams play a part in this, too.

Dreaming certainly would play a part.

 

[Theweirdtophat]

I am not the one with posts like:

​

You start off chastising another member for the very thing you end the post with.

Perhaps you don't find the notion that he says that I haven't seen certain things rather rude. It's like if you told me that you saw a certain animal and I said "lol no didn't." I guess you forgot to quote his posts. And you have made posts that didn't display the best etiquette before.

psychoslice, dreaming does play a part. It isn't where you just see things, your spirit actually goes on a journey and can see spirits and the afterlife as well.

 

[outhouse]

There is energy that sustains us and that energy goes somewhere. It's like matter. It can't be destroyed, only changed.

Changed into dust. Anything else is unsubstantiated.

Its also a weak fallacy on your part.


If I take a car that produces energy, and I put it in a crusher, the cars ECU or brain quits working, and it cease to think ever again. The human body is no different in that respect.

 

[outhouse]

It's like if you told me that you saw a certain animal and I said "lol no didn't."

How honest is that???


YOU claimed there was an afterlife, and I claimed you don't know that, and that it was unsubstantiated rhetoric.

That's not rude, that is putting the ball in your court so you can try to substantiate that claim with something besides rhetoric.

You made no effort to substantiate a claim of afterlife, which is known to be born of mythology.

SO how and why are you so certain that this afterlife exist, what is your reasoning here?

 

[amorphous_constellation]

First off, I am going to explain something about atheism. When babies are born, I don't think we would even refer to them as atheists. Atheism is a disbelief in gods. But since these babies would not even have any disbelief at all since they are not even aware that there is no god for them to develop any sense of disbelief in the first place, then I don't think they would even be atheists. We might have to come up with a different term instead. I will just make up a term and call it "devoid theist."

I'm having some trouble with that term "devoid theist," I think the term you'd be looking for would be simply "devoid." Then again they baptize babies, so what do I really know. Anyway, it would be kind of hard to have adult people who are devoid of religion, because they consider it eventually when they hear or read about. Imagine if there was an island of English speakers where no one could have read or heard about God. Would they still look to the sky and consider it?

Animals all live just perfectly fine not being aware of their death (limited lifespan). As a matter of fact, if one of these animals were to be somehow suddenly aware of their limited life and that they are going to eventually die, then that would only serve to cause them depression, fear, rage, etc. So just as it is with them, we are also better off not being aware of mortality. But at the same time, not being aware of mortality would prevent us from trying to find a cure for it.

I think that may be inaccurate. Animals witness death all the time, like for example, the rabbit or the dear will work to quickly evade the tiger for a reason most likely dealing with mortality. Elephants mourn their dead. Animal behavior often changes as they get old or sick.

 

[Deidre]

I don't focus on the afterlife more than this one. The notion of simply dying and not going anywhere is not only depressing but I don't think it's true. I know the existence of spirits anyway. Life has a cycle so why is the idea of the afterlife having a cycle is implausible? There is energy that sustains us and that energy goes somewhere. It's like matter. It can't be destroyed, only changed.

Exactly. So why worry over it? Why be depressed over something you have no control over? Worshiping an invisible being that we conjure up in our minds won't change that.

 

[The Transcended Omniverse]

Exactly. So why worry over it? Why be depressed over something you have no control over? Worshiping an invisible being that we conjure up in our minds won't change that.

I think it would be because some people just want to live forever and find the greatest value in living forever. We are hardwired for survival after all. Living forever gives them and their human forms a sense of greatness in their own lives. Immortality is a compliment to these types of people and is like saying to them: "Since you are a great innocent person, then your human form and your life should also reflect that said greatness. In other words, just because you are a great person, then you deserve something of the greatest value which would be immortality. If you find immense value in this life you are living now, then you would obviously find the greatest value in living in that said life forever and even living on in an afterlife forever. This life is meant for all good innocent people which means that all good innocent people should get what they want as long as it is something that doesn't harm and demean others. For me to tell you that your human form will just rot out in the end like a rotting piece of meat would be offensive to you since it is like saying to you that you have this great innocent personality, but your human form is pathetic and inferior and doesn't adhere to that said great personality of yours. It is like saying you are not worthy of that immortal life which would be the life of greatest value to you."

But for an atheist who finds immense value in this one and only life, then it is different. So it's all just a matter of different people having different tastes in life. Some people value living on forever as the greatest life and they would never go bored or insane from such a life while others would go bored and insane from such a life. It all just depends on your preferences.

But as I said before with the implicit atheists, they already do have a sense of living on forever and find the greatest value in that said life since if you are unaware of death, then the only thing you are aware of is living on forever. The same thing applies to animals in that they are aware of nothing but living on which means that they are aware of nothing but living on forever and they find the greatest value in that life.

 

[Theweirdtophat]

I don't think anything lasts forever but the universe is eternal, if that makes sense. We all go to the afterlife, but we later reincarnate into other life forms. Everything basically gets recycled. Our lives are but one of many we will have in the journey of life.

 

[Deidre]

I view death as the great equalizer...when all pain is gone, all suffering is gone...and we are all identical in that 'state.' As a Christian, I was taught that there would be souls who would of course have an elevated ''status'' of sorts, those bound for heaven. And then those who didn't quite pass the tests properly on earth in following their deity...would be hell bound. This is why death becomes a scary thought for so many theists. It was once a scary thought for me, but maybe this is the one and only life we get...and we need to do our very best to be our very best. And when death comes, it comes. And it becomes the great equalizer...and we will all be equal, then.

Maybe.

 

[ImmortalFlame]

But for an atheist who finds immense value in this one and only life, then it is different.

But this position is not required of atheism, nor is it exclusive to atheism. There are many people who are theists and don't believe in an afterlife, and many atheists who do. What's more, I am an atheist, and while I see tremendous value in my only life on this planet, I would still quite like to find some way to avoid it ending one way or another. I have no major personal or philosophical opposition to immortality. In fact, I think it's one of the end goals of human endeavour.

But as I said before with the implicit atheists, they already do have a sense of living on forever and find the greatest value in that said life since if you are unaware of death, then the only thing you are aware of is living on forever.

How did you reach that conclusion? What about implicit atheism leads to ignorance of death?

 

[Mycroft]

Seeing no value in atheism doesn't mean there is no value in it.

 

[Valjean]

I see no benefit in not believing in an invisible pink unicorn, but it remains a viable position.
I don't form my opinions based on their utility.

 

[JoStories]

But babies are atheist, they are not theist and therefore atheist. What is the difference?

Actually, that is not quite correct. Babies are born tabula rasa. They have no beliefs and atheism does imply choice. One must be able to understand the abstract concepts implied in theism to reject them. It is not until the age of abstract thought, roughly around 10 that they can make a reasoned choice.

 

[JoStories]

How does focusing on a life ''other than'' this one, provide you with hope? Why is the idea of an afterlife so much more appealing to theists than living as best they can...in this life?

I can't agree here. For some, the idea of having more gives hope, however misplaced, it is not up to anyone other than the person to decide what gives them solace or hope. And frankly, how does it hurt? As long as there is no fanaticism involved and it is merely the hope of something more, who does that harm?

 

[JoStories]

If I can just s

But that means that you are only believing in what you believe because it gives you hope, it just makes you feel better, if that's the case, you should ask yourself why am I frightened of life.

Why does having hope in something more imply fear? I live my,life to the fullest and try to follow Buddhist principles of living. How does that involve fear of any kind?

 

[Bunyip]

Actually, that is not quite correct. Babies are born tabula rasa. They have no beliefs and atheism does imply choice. One must be able to understand the abstract concepts implied in theism to reject them. It is not until the age of abstract thought, roughly around 10 that they can make a reasoned choice.

But atheism does not infer such a rejection - it is simply the position of not being a theist. Babies are atheist in that they are not theist and therefore atheist.

 

[JoStories]

But atheism does not infer such a rejection - it is simply the position of not being a theist. Babies are atheist in that they are not theist and therefore atheist.

I continue to disagree. Accepting or rejecting a belief implies choice. Babies are incapable of that. I was raised to understanding many POV and faiths, including atheism. However. It was not until I reached puberty that I truly 'got it' and made my own choices.

 

[Bunyip]

I continue to disagree. Accepting or rejecting a belief implies choice. Babies are incapable of that. I was raised to understanding many POV and faiths, including atheism. However. It was not until I reached puberty that I truly 'got it' and made my own choices.

Babies are capable of not having a belief. Atheism is the position of not having a belief in theism. It is not a rejection as such that must be considered, it is simply the absence of a theistic belief. Something I assume is true of babies.