10 Questions

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Victor T
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10 Questions

Post by Victor T » Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:47 pm

I had been given an assignment in my religion course to ask a religion (I chose Confuciansim) 10 questions of my creation, and then compare them to my belief system, atheism. I thought that maybe some of you might want to have a crack at a few of them from an atheist perspective, might have some more insightful answers than myself. Here they are:

1) There seems to be a consensus that there are about ten thousand different religions available for the people of the world to follow. What would you say is the unique quality that makes your religion stand above the rest?

2) What would you say is the greatest virtue of your religion and why?

3) How does your religion describe the human condition?

4) How does your religion define spirituality?

5) There have been great advancements in transportation and information technology in the past century. These advancing technologies have bridged the gaps between cultures and made information available at incredible speed to everyone around the planet. So now we sit in a world of clashing ideologies and credos in constant friction. To the average person watching the local news it would seem that the issues between different religious groups are only getting worse. Does your religion promote balance between faiths and what would you suggest must be done to work towards creating equilibrium between all religions where we can all co-exist and have no worries of violence towards each other based on beliefs?

6) Does your religion practice the belief that God had created ethics and morality?

7) What does your religion see for the future of humanity?

8) Have you ever witnessed a miracle and why was this event a miracle as opposed to something that could have happened within the blind laws of the natural universe?

9) Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and philosopher from the 17th century is famously known for many achievements, one being Pascal’s Wager. Pascal suggested that even though the existence of God cannot be determined through reason, a person should wager as though God does exist and live their life accordingly because they would have everything to gain, and nothing to lose. Does your religion condone the practice of believing for fear of missing out on reaching a divine abode, or is paradise reserved for those who have leaped forward blindly into faith with only true and unquestioning love for God in their hearts?

10) Can God do what is logically impossible or is the creator bound by laws of possibility and do you see any relevance between your answer and the advancement of human capabilities?

phhht
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Re: 10 Questions

Post by phhht » Thu Feb 25, 2010 11:41 pm

The creationists have their stock questions for us atheists (If we evolved from apes, why are there still apes?, etc). I've come up with a couple of questions I want to ask in return.

1. If there can be a god without a creator, why can't there be a universe without one?
2. If it was a virgin birth, how did the god get his semen in there?

Any other suggestions?

T. Kari
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Re: 10 Questions

Post by T. Kari » Thu Feb 25, 2010 11:48 pm

Victor T wrote:I had been given an assignment in my religion course to ask a religion (I chose Confuciansim) 10 questions of my creation, and then compare them to my belief system, atheism. I thought that maybe some of you might want to have a crack at a few of them from an atheist perspective, might have some more insightful answers than myself. Here they are:

1) There seems to be a consensus that there are about ten thousand different religions available for the people of the world to follow. What would you say is the unique quality that makes your religion stand above the rest?
That it's not a religion.
Victor T wrote:2) What would you say is the greatest virtue of your religion and why?
That it's not a religion.
Victor T wrote:3) How does your religion describe the human condition?
It doesn't... except that we weren't made by a God.
Victor T wrote:4) How does your religion define spirituality?
It doesn't :levi:
Victor T wrote:5) There have been great advancements in transportation and information technology in the past century. These advancing technologies have bridged the gaps between cultures and made information available at incredible speed to everyone around the planet. So now we sit in a world of clashing ideologies and credos in constant friction. To the average person watching the local news it would seem that the issues between different religious groups are only getting worse. Does your religion promote balance between faiths and what would you suggest must be done to work towards creating equilibrium between all religions where we can all co-exist and have no worries of violence towards each other based on beliefs?
The best thing atheism does in this context is not containing any religious beliefs. And the best way to eradicate the tension between religions is to get rid of all the religious beliefs that are creating the god damn tension in the first place.
Victor T wrote:6) Does your religion practice the belief that God had created ethics and morality?
No
Victor T wrote:7) What does your religion see for the future of humanity?
Stuff is going to change for better or for worse as determined by chance and the laws of physics and as perceived by each individual.
Victor T wrote:8) Have you ever witnessed a miracle and why was this event a miracle as opposed to something that could have happened within the blind laws of the natural universe?
No.
Victor T wrote:9) Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and philosopher from the 17th century is famously known for many achievements, one being Pascal’s Wager. Pascal suggested that even though the existence of God cannot be determined through reason, a person should wager as though God does exist and live their life accordingly because they would have everything to gain, and nothing to lose. Does your religion condone the practice of believing for fear of missing out on reaching a divine abode, or is paradise reserved for those who have leaped forward blindly into faith with only true and unquestioning love for God in their hearts?
There are no beliefs and nothing to fear in atheism.
Victor T wrote:10) Can God do what is logically impossible or is the creator bound by laws of possibility and do you see any relevance between your answer and the advancement of human capabilities?
There is no creator, so there is no-one to do the logically impossible. If there was, the keyword is "impossible".

:cheers:

Victor T
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Re: 10 Questions

Post by Victor T » Thu Feb 25, 2010 11:57 pm

When I made the questions I was under the assumption that I was going to be able to ask a Christian, so I was really looking forward to the last one, about impossibility. They really have no idea what the word means.
Last edited by Victor T on Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:04 am, edited 1 time in total.

Victor T
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Re: 10 Questions

Post by Victor T » Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:03 am

phhht wrote:The creationists have their stock questions for us atheists (If we evolved from apes, why are there still apes?, etc). I've come up with a couple of questions I want to ask in return.

1. If there can be a god without a creator, why can't there be a universe without one?
2. If it was a virgin birth, how did the god get his semen in there?

Any other suggestions?
If we evolved from a single celled organism, why are there still single celled organisms?
I like the first one. Our class also has a discussion board, its all online, a college elective class. Everyone is the class is Jesus crazy, complete fanatics, if anyone has any great questions you would like me to pass along I would do so happily. Most of them ignore me now though because I bite back hard with logic and reason. I wrote one in a deconstruction philosophy manner and a guy threw proverbs 10:14 at me.

Victor T
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Re: 10 Questions

Post by Victor T » Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:09 am

Victor T wrote:4) How does your religion define spirituality?
It doesn't :levi:


I believe that atheism can have a form of spirituality, it just doesn't involve magic. The human spirit is what over comes obsticales, creates works of art, creates democratic goverments. And it dies with you when you die.

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Boadacia!
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Re: 10 Questions

Post by Boadacia! » Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:32 am

But surely you cannot answer this if you don't have one? :ask:
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RD: Science is very interesting, and if you don't agree, you can f*ck off! - And take your MODS with you! :whip:
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week15
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Re: 10 Questions

Post by week15 » Fri Feb 26, 2010 2:51 am

Victor T wrote:
9) Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and philosopher from the 17th century is famously known for many achievements, one being Pascal’s Wager. Pascal suggested that even though the existence of God cannot be determined through reason, a person should wager as though God does exist and live their life accordingly because they would have everything to gain, and nothing to lose. Does your religion condone the practice of believing for fear of missing out on reaching a divine abode, or is paradise reserved for those who have leaped forward blindly into faith with only true and unquestioning love for God in their hearts?
An omniscient god might notice that I'm lying to people about believing in Him. I'd also run an equal chance of pissing of any number of other deities that might take offense to my belief in Him and not them. Honest ignorance is a better defense to any of these deities (even Yahweh) than the dishonest, self-serving profession of beliefs I do not in fact hold.
In other words, my religion values brutal honesty over hedging your bets.

Victor T
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Re: 10 Questions

Post by Victor T » Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:48 pm

What about #5? All religion must go?

T. Kari
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Re: 10 Questions

Post by T. Kari » Fri Feb 26, 2010 2:03 pm

Victor T wrote:
Victor T wrote:4) How does your religion define spirituality?
It doesn't :levi:


I believe that atheism can have a form of spirituality, it just doesn't involve magic. The human spirit is what over comes obsticales, creates works of art, creates democratic goverments. And it dies with you when you die.
Atheists may be spiritual themselves, but there's nothing in the lack of a belief in God, which is all atheism really is about, that would indicate any sort of spirituality. And I don't like the word "spirit". A spirit is usually defined as something transcendent, and I believe the human capacity for art and socialization comes from the brain.

Victor T
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Re: 10 Questions

Post by Victor T » Fri Feb 26, 2010 2:59 pm

I read a book not to long ago called "The little book of atheist spirituality." It was a very good book, on the philosophy of being an atheist. I do not like the idea that the world spiritual is for only the religious, the word can mean many different things to many different people, and I believe that we should take it back. It is not about a soul or a ghost, to myself it is a word that describes the power of capabilities.

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