If We All Became Atheists?

[Nakosis]

Your continued deflection is adorable.

Adorable things make me happy.

I didn't even need your permission, but thanks anyway.

My pleasure.
Full service debater.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Like theism is a sickness?

Sick in mind? Believing in things that have no evidence? Yeah, it is close to it.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

Right now I am thinking about something, it could be anything.
Do you lack belief of that something I am thinking about?

Yes.

 

[1213]

Neither are non-human animals.

Really, so you think animals have free will and do what they want, not what they are programmed/determined to do?

Doesn't what show that in atheism people are animal level?

Atheists say humans are animals. That means humans are in animal level.

 

[1213]

Do you know what an animal is? An animal is a member of the kingdom animalia. Humans fit the criteria.

If you think humans are animals, am I correct when I say in atheism humans are just animal level? If yes, thank you for confiming my case.

 

[1213]

They did it because an important part of human nature is to explore, to try new things, to delve into secrets, to learn.

Is that what they says was their reason? They did it, because their human nature made them to do it?

I don't understand the question. What does the Bible and God have to do with trying to prevent children from dying?

I meant, if Einstein and Hawking would not have needed to say God is not the reason, would they have had the need to make alternative explanations for universe? Without the idea of God, all would think that everything just came into existence by chance and no need for explanations.

Believing without reason to believe is all too often a foolish thing.

I don't believe anything without reasons.

 

[1213]

If you want to be educated you learn that humans evolved along with other life forms,

I don't want to be indoctrinated to believe the modernized mother earth cult theory.

and our species is part of the animal lingdom. Having read your posts many times I understand you have been wrongly influenced by obsolete Christian ideas about humans, and you seem to resist learning facts about what we humans are.

Why accept your beliefs as facts?

 

[Heyo]

If you think humans are animals, am I correct when I say in atheism humans are just animal level?

No, you aren't. Atheism has no opinion about humans being animals.
Science, especially cladistics, has made that conclusion, based on observations.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Really, so you think animals have free will and do what they want, not what they are programmed/determined to do?

I'll guess by "animals," you are talking about non-human animals. If there is actually "free will," non-human animals have it to the same extent that humans do.

I find the idea that non-human animals being programmed laughable.

Atheists say humans are animals. That means humans are in animal level.

Not only atheists, but also any theist that has bothered to pick up a science book or pay attention in class. Also me.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

Atheists say humans are animals.

No. Biologists and educated people say that. Regardless of their religious beliefs.

That means humans are in animal level.

No. It means they belong to the kingdom of animalia.
Humans are animals just like humans are mammals.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

If you think humans are animals, am I correct when I say in atheism humans are just animal level?

No.

If yes, thank you for confiming my case.

Your case is nothing but a ridiculous strawman drowning in some type of species narcisism.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

I meant, if Einstein and Hawking would not have needed to say God is not the reason, would they have had the need to make alternative explanations for universe? Without the idea of God, all would think that everything just came into existence by chance and no need for explanations.

This makes no sense whatsoever.
First, gods as creators of the universe are just bare claims with zero explanatory power.
Secondly, why things wouldn't need an explanation because one doesn't accept such bare claims with zero explanatory power is ... I don't even know how to respond to that, frankly. It's just a bizar thing to say.

I don't believe anything without reasons.

It doesn't look like that is the case.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

Why accept your beliefs as facts?

Because they demonstrably are facts.

 

[PureX]

Err, no. There's plenty of research showing very clearly that most complex animals are prone to superstition (= the assumption of patterns where there aren't any, aka "magical thinking").

You should read up.

Training and then tricking a dumb animal does not mean they are superstitious. You should try thinking a little instead of just spewing whatever nonsense you think makes you look smart.

No, this is false thinking.
We are more intelligent / have more complex imagination. So our assumption of patterns follows suite and we tend to invent elaborate stories / scenario's around it. The basic underlying trait is the same though: superstition.

Call it whatever you think will disparage it most. But it is an innate universal human trait that no other life forms exhibit (contrary to your idiotic assertions about phantom patter perception).

Your reasoning is somewhat fallacious also. Just because all humans tend to be prone to a certain type of superstition, doesn't by any means therefor mean that there is something there other then superstition.

I can see that you really want to insist it's all only "superstition" as if that renders it meaningless, but it's far more then that, of course. It's a search for value, meaning, and purpose beyond physical and material satisfaction. It is humanity reaching out beyond the limitations of a dumb animal. And it is what makes we humans extraordinary. Both for good and for ill.

It's just human psychology.

"Just"?

Just because we are prone to gravitate towards certain types of beliefs, doesn't mean those beliefs are therefor true or accurate or even meaningful.

Truth is itself a belief. And is only as meaningful as we choose to make. The other life forms on the Earth have no concept of truth. And ask no questions in pursuit of it.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

Training and then tricking a dumb animal does not mean they are superstitious. You should try thinking a little instead of just spewing whatever nonsense you think makes you look smart.

There's no "training" involved.
Animals very successfully "trick" themselves in such behavior all the time. It's what superstition is.

Call it whatever you think will disparage it most. But it is an innate universal human trait that no other life forms exhibit (contrary to your idiotic assertions about phantom patter perception).

This is not me claiming this. This is what pretty much all experts who actually do research in such fields (psychologists in particular) concluded.
Pretty much every species that we extensively studied exhibited superstitious behavior. Oerang utangs, dogs, pigeons,...

I'll take the word of actual working and publishing experts over random internet folks such as yourself.

I can see that you really want to insist it's all only "superstition" as if that renders it meaningless, but it's far more then that, of course. It's a search for value, meaning, and purpose beyond physical and material satisfaction.

So? Just because there is such a search doesn't mean there is also something objective to find.

It is humanity reaching out beyond the limitations of a dumb animal. And it is what makes we humans extraordinary. Both for good and for ill.

If you say so. I don't see it that way at all.
I see it as a mere extension of psychology that is present across the animal kingdom to one extent or another.
Considering the evolutionary path of humans and the complexity of our social interactions and intelligence, I don't find it at all surprising that we take this stuff further then a dog or a chimp. I don't see why it would need any more of an "extra" explanation.

It's the same underlying traits and psychology that just manifests somewhat differently for logical reasons.

"Just"?

Yes.

Truth is itself a belief. And is only as meaningful as we choose to make. The other life forms on the Earth have no concept of truth. And ask no questions in pursuit of it.

So?

 

[Secret Chief]

Training and then tricking a dumb animal does not mean they are superstitious. You should try thinking a little instead of just spewing whatever nonsense you think makes you look smart.

Call it whatever you think will disparage it most. But it is an innate universal human trait that no other life forms exhibit (contrary to your idiotic assertions about phantom patter perception).

I can see that you really want to insist it's all only "superstition" as if that renders it meaningless, but it's far more then that, of course. It's a search for value, meaning, and purpose beyond physical and material satisfaction. It is humanity reaching out beyond the limitations of a dumb animal. And it is what makes we humans extraordinary. Both for good and for ill.

"Just"?

Truth is itself a belief. And is only as meaningful as we choose to make. The other life forms on the Earth have no concept of truth. And ask no questions in pursuit of it.

Regarding "superstitious" behaviour, this was covered in my psychology degree. I particularly recall one startling fact (established through operant conditioning experiments) and it was this: humans are more prone to maintaining superstitious behaviours than rats!

 

[Nakosis]

Regarding "superstitious" behaviour, this was covered in my psychology degree. I particularly recall one startling fact (established through operant conditioning experiments) and it was this: humans are more prone to maintaining superstitious behaviours than rats!

Meaning rats are more evidenced based than humans?

 

[We Never Know]

Yes.

So you lack belief in dogs. That's crazy.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

So you lack belief in dogs. That's crazy.

What's actually crazy is how you came up with that.

 

[Secret Chief]

Meaning rats are more evidenced based than humans?

Ever seen a rat reading an astrology book?