Ask an Atheist

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

Creating this thread so that we can discuss questions and topics brought by you. I invite other skeptics from TA to participate as well.



Atheism

Disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.

Origin

Late 16th century: from French athéisme, from Greek atheos, from a- ‘without’ + theos ‘god’.

[Annie999]

Don't you think it's more realistic to be an agnostic than an atheist?

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

Don't you think it's more realistic to be an agnostic than an atheist?

Many people who identify themselves as agnostics are in fact atheists. It is easy to get confused since both concepts are different but also non-exclusive.

Most atheists do not believe in the existence of any deities but they don't necessarily assert that there is none. The burden of proof is on those who say there is a god.

An agnostic individual according to the Oxford dictionary is defined as "a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God."

This gives me the impression that an agnostic person feels that there is a 50/50 chance of god existing or not. If I thought there was a 50/50 chance of winning the lottery today, I would bet on it.

So if your stakes are that high, maybe you should seek for evidence, pray, try talking with god or something like that and see if you can find the truth within those paths. If you never even thought or considered doing that or it sounds futile to you, then you most likely are just an atheist, someone who doesn't believe in deities and someone who believes that the burden of proof is on those who claim that there is a god.

[Graham]

How can nothingness turn into something?

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

How can nothingness turn into something?

I don't know (and there's nothing wrong with not knowing) :lol: I guess that is a good question to pose a physicist like Krauss but even if it's completely impossible for something to come from nothing, this doesnt mean that it necessary an extra entity like a god until we establish that there ever was actually "nothing". Just because the explanation is not known it does not mean there is no possible explanation, so to take the lack of an answer as an argument that its impossible without a god is an argument from ignorance.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UemhCsaeGgc

[Porn Master]

whats the most close to you, christianity or paganism?

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

whats the most close to you, christianity or paganism?

To me personally? I think neither is close to me. I find paganism to be as irrational as any other prominent religion such as the Abrahamic ones. The main difference though is that presently they are not significantly organised religious forces with the potential to affect world matters.

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

If you were asking about sociological and cultural aspects then I was raised in a roman catholic family. I am a lot more familiar with christianity rather than paganism, though I don't adhere to any.

[SvartVarg]

Why does an atheist not believe in the existence of any deities?

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

Why does an atheist not believe in the existence of any deities?

There are a staggering number of reasons on why someone would not believe in the existence of deities or a god but to put it in a very simplistic and straightforward way, most atheists believe that there is no reliable evidence for god's existence.

[Zroota]

How did become an atheist and when did that happen?

(I'm an atheist myself btw :))

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

How did become an atheist and when did that happen?

(I'm an atheist myself btw :))

I was born atheist just like everyone else, unless you believe that kids are born believing in a god or a religion :) They don't, they are just indoctrinated.

I guess I realized it when confronting religious beliefs and deities extraordinary claims. Extraordinary claims should require extraordinary proof.

[Catarinense1998]

I was born atheist just like everyone else, unless you believe that kids are born believing in a god or a religion :) They don't, they are just indoctrinated.

I guess I realized it when confronting religious beliefs and deities extraordinary claims. Extraordinary claims should require extraordinary proof.

Viriato, How do you explain the fact about the Jesus resurrection?ITS impossible someone reborn from death like Jesus Christ.Your are worng man, God exist.

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

Viriato, How do you explain the fact about the Jesus resurrection?ITS impossible someone reborn from death like Jesus Christ.Your are worng man, God exist.

I agree, it is impossible.

[Catarinense1998]

I agree, it is impossible.

I understood the sarcasm

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

I understood the sarcasm

How can you believe in that though?

[Catarinense1998]

How can you believe in that though?

Ele realmente ressuscitou, e existem muitas provas que apontam para tal fato:

Primeiro: O túmulo no qual ele foi enterrado estava aberto 3 dias após a morte dele.Quando os discípulos foram ver o túmulo onde o corpo morte de Jesus fora previamente depositado, ele estava vazio. Todos os quatro evangelhos narram que o sepulcro foi achado vazio. Os discípulos de Cristo não foram embora para Atenas ou Roma pregar o Cristo ressurgido dos mortos; eles voltaram direto para a cidade de Jerusalém onde, se o que eles estavam ensinando fosse falso, a sua mensagem seria contestada.
A ressurreição não poderia ser mantida por um momento em Jerusalém se a sepultura não estivesse vazia. Se os judeus tivessem conseguido mostrar o corpo de Jesus, isso teria derrubado a reivindicação de seus seguidores de que ele havia ressuscitado. Mas o túmulo estava vazio.

Segunda: Há muitas evidências que provam que ele foi visto após à ressurreição.Em 1Coríntios 15.3-5 Paulo afirma que Jesus apareceu a Pedro e aos demais discípulos, e prossegue dizendo: “Depois disso apareceu a mais de quinhentos irmãos de uma só vez, a maioria dos quais ainda vive, embora alguns já tenham adormecido. Depois apareceu a Tiago e, então, a todos os apóstolos; depois destes apareceu também a mim, como a um que nasceu fora de tempo” (1Co 15.6-8). Essas informações de Paulo foram escritas muito próximas aos eventos e, por isso, não podem ser lendas. A maioria das quinhentas pessoas que viram Jesus ressurreto poderia ser questionada para comprovar a história.

A segunda explicação eu tive que copiar, porque eu não me lembrava de cabeça.Mas basicamente é isso aí - e eu aposto que deve ter mais explicações ainda.

[Drusilla]

Ele realmente ressuscitou, e existem muitas provas que apontam para tal fato:

Primeiro: O túmulo no qual ele foi enterrado estava aberto 3 dias após a morte dele.Quando os discípulos foram ver o túmulo onde o corpo morte de Jesus fora previamente depositado, ele estava vazio. Todos os quatro evangelhos narram que o sepulcro foi achado vazio. Os discípulos de Cristo não foram embora para Atenas ou Roma pregar o Cristo ressurgido dos mortos; eles voltaram direto para a cidade de Jerusalém onde, se o que eles estavam ensinando fosse falso, a sua mensagem seria contestada.
A ressurreição não poderia ser mantida por um momento em Jerusalém se a sepultura não estivesse vazia. Se os judeus tivessem conseguido mostrar o corpo de Jesus, isso teria derrubado a reivindicação de seus seguidores de que ele havia ressuscitado. Mas o túmulo estava vazio.

Segunda: Há muitas evidências que provam que ele foi visto após à ressurreição.Em 1Coríntios 15.3-5 Paulo afirma que Jesus apareceu a Pedro e aos demais discípulos, e prossegue dizendo: “Depois disso apareceu a mais de quinhentos irmãos de uma só vez, a maioria dos quais ainda vive, embora alguns já tenham adormecido. Depois apareceu a Tiago e, então, a todos os apóstolos; depois destes apareceu também a mim, como a um que nasceu fora de tempo” (1Co 15.6-8). Essas informações de Paulo foram escritas muito próximas aos eventos e, por isso, não podem ser lendas. A maioria das quinhentas pessoas que viram Jesus ressurreto poderia ser questionada para comprovar a história.

A segunda explicação eu tive que copiar, porque eu não me lembrava de cabeça.Mas basicamente é isso aí - e eu aposto que deve ter mais explicações ainda.

Are you a Catholic?

[Catarinense1998]

Yes

[Catarinense1998]

Are you a Catholic?

Yes

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

Ele realmente ressuscitou, e existem muitas provas que apontam para tal fato:

Primeiro: O túmulo no qual ele foi enterrado estava aberto 3 dias após a morte dele.Quando os discípulos foram ver o túmulo onde o corpo morte de Jesus fora previamente depositado, ele estava vazio. Todos os quatro evangelhos narram que o sepulcro foi achado vazio. Os discípulos de Cristo não foram embora para Atenas ou Roma pregar o Cristo ressurgido dos mortos; eles voltaram direto para a cidade de Jerusalém onde, se o que eles estavam ensinando fosse falso, a sua mensagem seria contestada.
A ressurreição não poderia ser mantida por um momento em Jerusalém se a sepultura não estivesse vazia. Se os judeus tivessem conseguido mostrar o corpo de Jesus, isso teria derrubado a reivindicação de seus seguidores de que ele havia ressuscitado. Mas o túmulo estava vazio.

Segunda: Há muitas evidências que provam que ele foi visto após à ressurreição.Em 1Coríntios 15.3-5 Paulo afirma que Jesus apareceu a Pedro e aos demais discípulos, e prossegue dizendo: “Depois disso apareceu a mais de quinhentos irmãos de uma só vez, a maioria dos quais ainda vive, embora alguns já tenham adormecido. Depois apareceu a Tiago e, então, a todos os apóstolos; depois destes apareceu também a mim, como a um que nasceu fora de tempo” (1Co 15.6-8). Essas informações de Paulo foram escritas muito próximas aos eventos e, por isso, não podem ser lendas. A maioria das quinhentas pessoas que viram Jesus ressurreto poderia ser questionada para comprovar a história.

A segunda explicação eu tive que copiar, porque eu não me lembrava de cabeça.Mas basicamente é isso aí - e eu aposto que deve ter mais explicações ainda.


Do you really think that the bible can be taken as reliable evidence? The bible is just a collection of manuscripts selected by humans, like you and me.

[Sacrificed Ram]

How do you feel about atheists being responsible by the death of 200 millions of people during communism? How do you live with people seeing you as potential murder,assassin, genocide, pedophile, asexual, suicidal?

[Catarinense1998]

Do you really think that the bible can be taken as reliable evidence? The bible is just a collection of manuscripts selected by humans, like you and me.

And Why do this humans would lie?

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

How do you feel about atheists being responsible by the death of 200 millions of people during communism? How do you live with people seeing you as potential murder,assassin, genocide, pedophile, asexual, suicidal?

Were they committed in the name of atheism or for political, racial and nationalistic reasons? I guess you have your answer there.

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

And Why do this humans would lie?

And why would you believe in the rebirth of Christ and not in Muhammad who flew to heaven on a winged horse according to Quranic inscriptions? Why would they lie?

[Catarinense1998]

And why would you believe in the rebirth of Christ and not in Muhammad who flew to heaven on a winged horse according to Quranic inscriptions? Why would they lie?

I never read any page of the Qoran.But is very impssobile someone flew to heaven on a winged horse.Problably this is a lie.

[Sacrificed Ram]

Were they committed in the name of atheism or for political, racial and nationalistic reasons? I guess you have your answer there.

...and no one has prove of these numbers anyway.

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

...and no one has prove of these numbers anyway.

I don't think any atheist denies that Stalin, Mao Zedong and Pol Pot were atheists. They did not do their deeds in the name of atheism though, but in the name of their own dogmatic and extremist variant of Marxism.

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

I never read any page of the Qoran.But is very impssobile someone flew to heaven on a winged horse.Problably this is a lie.

Do you understand that you feel so because you were brought up in a catholic family? It is just an arbitrary coincidence that you were born geographically in Brazil. Had you been born in Saudi Arabia you would probably feel differently.

[Catarinense1998]

I don't think any atheist denies that Stalin, Mao Zedong and Pol Pot were atheists. They did not do their deeds in the name of atheism though, but in the name of their own dogmatic and extremist variant of Marxism.

Exactly.Curiosly, in North Korea the goverment help and promote the Budism, because, according to them, the Budism "do part of the Korea Culture".

[Catarinense1998]

Do you understand that you feel so because you were brought up in a catholic family? It is just an arbitrary coincidence that you were born geographically in Brazil. Had you been born in Saudi Arabia you would probably feel differently.

Following your logic, you, for born in Portugal, should be Catholic too.But you dont is catholic.I guess that I undertood you point: You think that Jesus must be admired as Human, not by be son of God.He was a good person - this anyone can corrupt.But if you want to see him only as a simple man that wanted help the humanity, OK.

[Yaglakar]

At what age did you finally realize there was most certainly no God? How do you identify yourself when people ask you about your religious beliefs? Are your parents religious?

In my case it was a long process of back and forth that spanned for more than 5 years. I always say I'm non-religious when asked because I don't identify with most Atheists who seem to think that organized religion is inherently evil and that its dissolution will solve most of the world's problems. I see religion as a catalyst which worsens the situation but is in no way the root or source of problems. Many atheists also seem to be 'indoctrinated' by irreligious parents/social circles, because many of them know very little if anything about organized religions, how they came to be and how they evolved.

[WillyWonka]

Have you ever caught yourself asking help from God or a higher power without thinking about it, because you had a bad time at some point in your life?

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

Have you ever caught yourself asking help from God or a higher power without thinking about it, because you had a bad time at some point in your life?

No, I don't delude myself with false hopes but I understand that religion has the capability of giving emotional confort to people.

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

At what age did you finally realize there was most certainly no God? How do you identify yourself when people ask you about your religious beliefs? Are your parents religious?

In my case it was a long process of back and forth that spanned for more than 5 years. I always say I'm non-religious when asked because I don't identify with most Atheists who seem to think that organized religion is inherently evil and that its dissolution will solve most of the world's problems. I see religion as a catalyst which worsens the situation but is in no way the root or source of problems. Many atheists also seem to be 'indoctrinated' by irreligious parents/social circles, because many of them know very little if anything about organized religions, how they came to be and how they evolved.

Sorry for the late reply.

I never really cared for what was indoctrined to me since an early age. I was always more eager to go out and play rather than having religious education like any normal kid. Children are born as irreligious beings and are indoctrinated later on to follow a religion.

I was raised in a Roman Catholic family, baptized, did the first communion and had the confirmation. I did what my parents required me to do untill I reached maturity and I am sure they had the best intentions when doing so.

I became more familiar with the concepts of atheism, skepticism and morality when I read Human, All Too Human by Nietzsche back in high school, it opened me an whole range of new bibliographical possibilities from other skeptical philosophical authors.

[Bobby Martnen]

When will you repent and come back to Jesus?

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

When will you repent and come back to Jesus?

Whenever you grow up so both possibilities are extremely unlikely to happen.

[Bobby Martnen]

Whenever you grow up so both possibilities are extremely unlikely to happen.

I am grown up.

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

I am grown up.

There is as much evidence of that as there is evidence that god exists. None so far.

[Bobby Martnen]

There is as much evidence of that as there is evidence that god exists. None so far.

I'm 20 years old, hence grown up.

[Massagetae]

I jizzzzzzzzzzz on religion.

Nothing more than man made fantasies.

[Kriptc06]

Ele realmente ressuscitou, e existem muitas provas que apontam para tal fato:

Primeiro: O túmulo no qual ele foi enterrado estava aberto 3 dias após a morte dele.Quando os discípulos foram ver o túmulo onde o corpo morte de Jesus fora previamente depositado, ele estava vazio. Todos os quatro evangelhos narram que o sepulcro foi achado vazio. Os discípulos de Cristo não foram embora para Atenas ou Roma pregar o Cristo ressurgido dos mortos; eles voltaram direto para a cidade de Jerusalém onde, se o que eles estavam ensinando fosse falso, a sua mensagem seria contestada.
A ressurreição não poderia ser mantida por um momento em Jerusalém se a sepultura não estivesse vazia. Se os judeus tivessem conseguido mostrar o corpo de Jesus, isso teria derrubado a reivindicação de seus seguidores de que ele havia ressuscitado. Mas o túmulo estava vazio.

Segunda: Há muitas evidências que provam que ele foi visto após à ressurreição.Em 1Coríntios 15.3-5 Paulo afirma que Jesus apareceu a Pedro e aos demais discípulos, e prossegue dizendo: “Depois disso apareceu a mais de quinhentos irmãos de uma só vez, a maioria dos quais ainda vive, embora alguns já tenham adormecido. Depois apareceu a Tiago e, então, a todos os apóstolos; depois destes apareceu também a mim, como a um que nasceu fora de tempo” (1Co 15.6-8). Essas informações de Paulo foram escritas muito próximas aos eventos e, por isso, não podem ser lendas. A maioria das quinhentas pessoas que viram Jesus ressurreto poderia ser questionada para comprovar a história.

A segunda explicação eu tive que copiar, porque eu não me lembrava de cabeça.Mas basicamente é isso aí - e eu aposto que deve ter mais explicações ainda.

how can you know this "fact" when your only source is the bible? why don't you take other books as proof as well? like Quoran or book of Mormon? manuscripts about Hinduism, and Buddhism? Does the bible say it is the only source in itself?

How do you explain other hominids such as neandertals? and dinossaurs in the bible? Native americans perhaps are in your book?

Another funny one, Did Adan and Eve's children had sex with each other and parents? What about Noah's?
oh, and did Noah put dinosaurs in his ark?

[Smaug]

Glad to see there are more atheists and skeptics on TA.

[taesolus]

What do you think of the prophecies of the bible that have come true?

I feel that they were derived from earlier works before the bible.

[renaissance12]

Following your logic, you, for born in Portugal, should be Catholic too.But you dont is catholic.I guess that I undertood you point: You think that Jesus must be admired as Human, not by be son of God.He was a good person - this anyone can corrupt.But if you want to see him only as a simple man that wanted help the humanity, OK.
Without Ressurection ChristIan Religion Would Have Not Begun At All

[Hexachordia]

Atheism and marxism are never really dialectical as they claimed to be, just whole lot of arguments, I also dislike religious factionalism and communist partisanism garbages, not cool, not sexy :rolleyes:
Just following feelings will just be fine, if it is not cool, it can not be right.

[B01AB20]

Do you believe, or at least you don't reject them absolutely, in extra corporal/sensorial experiencies?

Or in another words, can the mind/soul/spirit/loquesea 'exist' when it is not attached to a physical body?

[B01AB20]

Viriato, this thread of yours calls for 'ask an atheist', but you're not answering tio. :(