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Donating = Loving
Bringing you atheist articles and building active godless communities takes hundreds of hours and resources each month. If you find any joy or stimulation at Atheist Republic, please consider becoming a Supporting Member with a recurring monthly donation of your choosing, between a cup of tea and a good dinner.
Donating = Loving
Bringing you atheist articles and building active godless communities takes hundreds of hours and resources each month. If you find any joy or stimulation at Atheist Republic, please consider becoming a Supporting Member with a recurring monthly donation of your choosing, between a cup of tea and a good dinner.
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7. Can you explain evolution to me?
If I can't, does that prove that God did it?
8.Can you LOGICALLY explain evolution to me?
If I can't does that prove that God did it?
9.Tell me about the missing link in human evolution.
No. You have the same resources to hand as I do. Don't be lazy.
10.How did life start?
Why should I care?
13.What proof do you have that there is no biblical God?
None. What proof do you have that there is??
New to this community!
I was raised in a Jewish family. Judaism doesn't really ever concern itself with pleasing God and, in doing so, you'll be granted into some heavenly Club Med. Judaism, as far as I can tell, really just wants people not to be dicks.
Unfortunately, this did not stop certain members of my family from being abusive, sometimes violent, and always emotionally damaging. I often felt that if I could have been a first-born child or maybe born on the same date as someone who chose me as a target for her rage, I would not have experienced such a profound disbelief that there is a God that ever gave a flying shit about me.
Alas, that's where I ended up.
I have seen the Wizard of Oz numerous times. Such an enjoyable movie. Do you all remember the part where Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man and Scarecrow walk up to the dotty old man behind a curtain, pushing all of those buttons, and looking completely baffled as to how to make them do what they should do? That's the way I see God. I haven't really come up with where Jesus Christ fits into that scene...all that I do believe is that because I cannot get behind the whole "Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead", I feel absolutely forsaken.
I put myself through a Masters Program three years ago, and have been having such awful issues in finding a job that I can help to support my family with. It feels like absolute hell when the phone rings, not with someone I have applied to calling to offer me a job, but a bill collector calling me to threaten hellfire and damnation for not paying them. I try so hard, but I just seem to encounter asshole after asshole after asshole. With my current position, I am left just having to accept that this is the way things are, and just do the best work that I can. As far as any sort of God cutting me some slack, I just am left thinking that God and Jesus left the scene of the crime eons ago and are busy playing some sort of celestial golf game, completely unconcerned with people who feel so foolish for ever believing in them. Imagine how painful is has been to hear that "God and Jesus sees all and God and Jesus hears all." If they see and hear everything that happens to people on this planet, then they both have a pretty fucking sick sense of humor at letting people struggle. So, what I am left with is that everyone has had the wool pulled over their eyes on this one.
I do not, however, believe that there is absolutely nothing out there. Maybe it's just my need to believe that there is still something in the driver's seat in this universe. What that would be though? I just do not know.
I guess the best way to conduct my life is to be a good person, don't be cruel, be generous when I can afford to be and not get too terribly hung up on "things". This is more a Buddhist way of things. This works for me. Believing that "God" loves me does not.
Anybody interested in being a member of the Church of Being Good to Your Fellow Man?
@ LMSW2019
Welcome, pull up a chair and watch the fun! Join in where you like.
The rules are good and the theists , well, you will see! Have fun!
@LMSW2019
Welcome, from Sunny South Australia where it is currently overcast and 13 C, which is considered chilly.
Glad you've jumped in. I hope you find some like minds here.
"Anybody interested in being a member of the Church of Being Good to Your Fellow Man?''
Church? did you say Church?
I don't think so, besides the concept seems a bit too ambitious to me. I also tend to side with Groucho Marx when it comes to joining things.
Here in Oz (short for Australia) we only have one rule about how one should treat others; don't be a cunt.
Have some fun,.
Psssst.... Hey, Cranky.... Check the dates. LMSW is a ghost... *giggle*...
Tin-man
"Psssst.... Hey, Cranky.... Check the dates. LMSW is a ghost... *giggle*..."
OOOPS
.No giggling.
Didn't your mother ever tell you it's wicked to mock the elderly?
@Cranky Re: "Didn't your mother ever tell you it's wicked to mock the elderly?"
It is entirely possible that she did, but I cannot remember specifically. My memory just ain't what is use to be. Ahhhh.... The joys of growing old...
1. What exactly do you mean by "I am an Atheist"?
-I have not seen sufficient evidence that a god, let alone a specific one, exists.
2. What is Atheism by definition?
-Hard atheism is a fallacy. It states “There is no God” which adopts a burden of proof. I define it as, “I have not seen sufficient evidence that a god exists.”
3. Can you simplify the definition of Atheism so anyone would understand?
-I did, twice.
4. What compelled you to become an Atheist? (feel free to skip this if its too personal.)
-I realized there is not sufficient evidence that a god exists.
5. Do you know about the Biblical God?
-Raised Catholic
6. What do you know of the Biblical God?
-I was raised Catholic. I know the Catholic god the best but all gods fail to provide evidence.
7. Can you explain evolution to me?
8. Can you LOGICALLY explain evolution to me?
-Same questions. Evolution is the change which happens to a species over time. Not to be confused with Natural selection which is the driving force behind evolution. A random change in DNA will either affect 1) no outward effect on the creature. The vast majority of changes in DNA fall into this category. 2) A negative effect on the chances for that creature to contribute to the DNA pool. The creature is not able to procreate before death. 3) Beneficial effect. The creature has a better chance of procreating than others of the same species, ensuring that subsequent generations have the same beneficial mutation.
9. Tell me about the missing link in human evolution.
-There is no missing link,
10. How did life start?
-We don’t know and that is the only right answer.
11. How do we have DNA?
-It evolved
12. If what you believe is true, that there is no Biblical God or god of any kind, then why do Atheists protest against religion so much?
-Because people who make far reaching laws which affect millions of people are making decisions based on the faulty presupposition that a god exists.
13. What proof do you have that there is no Biblical God?
-The burdon of proof is on those who make a positive assertion. You say “There is a god.” This requires proof. I say “I haven’t seen any evidence in a god.” It’s a declarative statement on what I have or haven’t experienced. Either the statement is true or I’m a liar.
"7. Can you explain evolution to me?
8. Can you LOGICALLY explain evolution to me?
-Same questions. Evolution is the change which happens to a species over time. Not to be confused with Natural selection which is the driving force behind evolution. A random change in DNA will either affect 1) no outward effect on the creature. The vast majority of changes in DNA fall into this category. 2) A negative effect on the chances for that creature to contribute to the DNA pool. The creature is not able to procreate before death. 3) Beneficial effect. The creature has a better chance of procreating than others of the same species, ensuring that subsequent generations have the same beneficial mutation."
The most compact definition of evolution I have seen is "descent with modification". It really says it all. You can of course elaborate indefinitely on this, but the essence is there.
1. I live without any unjustified belief in any deity, power, entity, force, or other claim to the supernatural.
2. Living without any unjustified belief in any deity, power, entity, force, or other claim to the supernatural.
3. Hopefully the above has accomplished that.
4. Like everyone else who ever lived, I was born that way, and in my nearly 50 years I've yet to have a reason to think otherwise.
5. I live in a predominantly Christian culture, so yes, I have been exposed to that god.
6. This isn't the best format to answer that question.
7. Yes
8. Evolution is the very best explanation for ALL the available empirical evidence concerning the development of life on earth.
9. The what? You'll need to be more specific.
10. There are several hypotheses concerning abiogenesis, some of which have been tested with experiments that have produced basic amino acids. But there is no accepted scientific theory at this time.
11. I'm sure people more well versed in biology can answer this.
12. I lack belief. That said, I consider religion to be a form of medical thinking that sometimes runs counter to observed reality. This makes it difficult to address our collective problems with realistic solutions. (e.g. God gave humans dominion over the earth, which means we can use the resources as we see fit without worry as to the consequences of that use)
13. I think that no the fact that no god has ever been observed or demonstrated by anyone, anywhere on earth, at anytime in history is a good reason to not hold belief that any god exists.
Atheism simply means you do not believe gods or god exist nothing else. Technically you can still believe in the supernatural and be an atheist many budhists are in fact atheists
Babies are delicious.
We love to sin and act like there are no limits to what we can do.
Of course we know there's a god and we're terrified of his anger so we hide it and try to ignore it.
Yes, we want your children and to cause the destruction of civilization.
post removed - I think I was caught off by sarcasm
@JohnL Re: "Babies are delicious."
Only if they are prepped and marinated correctly. Oh, and whether or not they are free-range also makes a difference.
Tin: Vealed toddler.. Chain them to the wall in a basement and feed them nothing but milk for 6 months before you marinade them. You have not lived until you have tried vealed toddler. The best part is, they are easy to catch. A rabbit snare and a lolly pop set up near a bush in the local park should net you 5 or 6 healthy specimens with just a morning's effort. Hunt for a morning and eat for a month. That's my motto.
Free range?
Here we call that 'feral' That usually means the meat has an unpleasant, gamey flavour.
@Cranky Re: "Here we call that 'feral' That usually means the meat has an unpleasant, gamey flavour."
Yep. Exactly. Takes a little extra prep work with those.
@Cranky: Everything tastes better with hot sauce on it.
Hi,
1. There are different branches of atheism and people often have a personal idea however the common thing between them is that they reject the existence of any god. I would describe myself as an anti-theist. Not only do I reject all gods and religions but I also believe that they are a very bad idea and cause untold harm that they should be challenged at every opportunity.
2. The non belief in gods or supernatural deities.
3. Don’t believe in god.
4. When I was six years old I asked the vicar of our local church who had come to our primary school that if the story of Adam and Eve was real then where did the dinosaurs fit in (I was very into dinosaurs as a kid) and he couldn’t answer me. From then I thought that if a grown man who is supposed to be an expert on his religion cannot answer a simple question from a 6 year old then everything else should probably be questioned. I gradually left religion behind throughout the rest of my formative years.
5. Yes I’ve read the bible and Koran (same god different prophets) and that only served to make me more secure in my conviction as an atheist. When reading these documents it is clear they were written to further the wants of men of the day. For example slavery is permitted but a woman who is not a virgin on her wedding day should be executed. I can hundreds of similar examples but that one will suffice for this comment.
6. See above
7. Evolution is caused by very small mutations in dna that cause either slight advantages or disadvantages. If the mutation causes an advantage then that subject is more likely to reproduce. The strongest genes in the gene pool are therefore propagated over time to cause the differences we see in the fossil record. It is the same mutations in DNA that can cause cancers, genetic birth defects etc. These mutations are not all positive.
8. By logical explanation I assume you mean simplified explanation. There can be very slight differences from parent to child which over millions of years add up to bigger changes. We can the process perfectly in the fossil record. There is no longer a debate on evolution it is fact. The evidence for evolution is as overwhelming as the evidence that the earth orbits the sun or that the moon orbits earth.
9. There isn’t one.
10. I’ll go one better here and answer how the universe started before moving on to life. The beginning of the universe was a singularity a single point in spacetime with infinite mass and infinite density. The Big Bang was the explosion of said singularity into the matter, space and time we have today. The present scientific consensus is that gravity is caused by the curvature in spacetime exerted by mass. Following the Big Bang clouds of particles, the more dense the more gravity, were then slowed in their expansion by gravity to form stars. The nuclear fusion happening in stars is what fused hydrogen atoms, 1 electron, together to become helium, then helium atoms fused to create the heavier elements. When the earth formed around 4.5 billion years ago we had all of the elements requires that had been created in stars many years before. Indeed the elements that make up you, carbon, calcium etc. we’re all formed in stars in the above way billions of years ago. Life began in the primordial soup of the earliest oceans where molecules known as hydrocarbons were chemically attracted to each other (we have recreated this effect and know it to be true) fused and became amino acids. These amino acids built together to become protein and chains of proteins formed the very first cell. The first life we’re amoeba or single celled organisms then over billions of years they evolved into more complex life that we see today. From your question it seems that the origin of life is a big mystery but it is not.
11. See above DNA strands are helically wrapped proteins made up of amino acids.
12. We protest because of how much harm religion causes. The deaths over the previous millennia to the little catholic girl who genuinely believes her Protestant best friend is going to hell and needs counselling when her friend dies. The harm of the authorities in religion molesting children. The terror attacks. The troubles in Northern Ireland. The honour killings. The shocking doctrine that a newborn baby is born with original sin and should feel guilty. The supposition of religion that god is supposed to love us all so much that he’ll burn us in hell if we happen to share a bed with someone of the same sex. That your god seems to be unwilling to help the starving children of Africa but is greatly interested with where Americans spend an hour of their Sunday. The list goes on.
13. Whilst a negative cannot be conclusively proven. I think the fact that we know how the universe started, no god, we know how earth formed, no god. We know how life started, get where I’m going with this. Everything we know about the origins of everything, none of it requires divine intervention. So if there is a god he hasn’t done much to require being worshipped. Moreover, if I am wrong and god exists and I meet him when I die then he will have to beg for my forgiveness and certainly not the other way around.
@alice442
1. What exactly do you mean by "I am an Atheist"?
A. I do not believe the claim any deity or deities exist.
2. What is Atheism by definition?
A. The lack or absence of belief in any deity or deities. (You can Google this?)
3. Can you simplify the definition of Atheism so anyone would understand?
A. The dictionary definition is perfectly simple. (See above)
4. What compelled you to become an Atheist? (feel free to skip this if its too personal.)
A. Nothing, I was born an atheist. I remain an atheist because the claim a deity exists is never supported by any objective evidence or rational argument, and I set that standard for all deities, and for all claims.
5. Do you know about the Biblical God?
A. I know the biblical claims about a deity, and they are unsupported by any objective evidence.
6. What do you know of the Biblical God?
A. Only what the Bible, Torah, and Koran claim.
7. Can you explain evolution to me?
A. The change in heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.
8. Can you LOGICALLY explain evolution to me?
A. Answered above, see A. 7.
9. Tell me about the missing link in human evolution.
A. It's creationist propaganda, based on their ignorance of the scientific theory of species evolution, often repeated in the misguided belief it discredited the established scientific theory. All fossils are transitional.
10. How did life start?
A. I don't know.
11. How do we have DNA?
A. Direct this to an evolutionary geneticist, like Francis Collins, head of the human genome project. He's also a born again christian btw.
12. If what you believe is true, that there is no Biblical God or god of any kind, then why do Atheists protest against religion so much?
A. Atheism is not a contrary belief to theism, it is the lack or absence of theism. A deity need not exist for theists and theism to have an effect in the real world that I might object to.
13. What proof do you have that there is no Biblical God
A. None, it is a logical fallacy to assume an assertion is valid because it cannot be disproved, this fallacy is called argumentum ad ignorantiam. Can you prove invisible garden fairies don't exist?
Check the date of the OP. Alice doesn’t live here anymore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umj0gu5nEGs
Ok....now I’m going to have that song stuck in my head for the next six hours! Thanks, doG!
@CyberLN: that song stuck in my head for the next six hours
Dr. Hook can cure that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEs0-gFVUWk
You know you want that song in your head.
"Check the date of the OP. Alice doesn’t live here anymore."
Yair. I fell for that.
@CyberLN
"Check the date of the OP. Alice doesn’t live here anymore."
Yair ,but Ellis seems new.
Nor sure I understand the reason for the post.I don't want to make any sweeping assumptions. However, first impression is of a theist looking for a fight. Why else all the questions? The answers to each are readily available online.
@Cyber
I noticed after I'd posted. I've given myself a stern talking to I can tell you...it wasn't pretty.
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