Ask an Atheist

There was one in basil before, but that forum is incapable of discussing things without flamewar. I will answer your questions with my best knowledge and maybe quote people who are wiser than me.

I'll try to post all the questions and answers to this page.

Keep it clean. If you have nothing to contribute, then don't.


Q: What do you think happens to your consciousness when you die? Obviously your body is gone, but how about your consciousness? Would it pass on to an invisible non-corporeal being (like a ghost, spirit, etc.)? I know that's a stretch, but having my consciousness when I pass away just disappear is completely unfathomable.

 Spoiler

A: Atheism in general doesn't usually take a stance on subjects that aren't logically approachable. I'm willing to believe that there's atheists that think that the human is completely gone after death and atheists who believe in some sort of afterlife.
In a way, we live in our kids and their kids. Dreaming could be some sort of afterlife reality too. I don't know so I don't make assumptions.

Myself, I hope for the best and accept the worst.

Q: How do you explain Thomas Hobbes' concept that in our entire universe there are being with higher degrees of perfection than others, so much so that eventually there must exist a being with the maximum possible degree?

 Spoiler

A: Perfection is impossible. If God existed, I believe that he would have told me about his existence. Either way, I agree with Fiel here. Greater level of perfection =/= God. Because here's a problem that still exists with God. How can anything create itself out of nothing?

Q: Why don't you think any form of deity exists?

 Spoiler

A: When believers understand why they deny existance of all the other deities(of other religions), they understand why I deny the existance of any deity at all.

Our wolrd spins around probabilities. What's the probability of something that has no evidence behind it? If we simply use logic that what we can't prove exists, then we will have to question the whole existance of this universe. We couldn't trust any of our senses. Only thing we could prove is our own, personal existence cause we are able to "think". We would certainly fall into deep state of paranoia and anxiety. Humanity would be lost.

Q: Do atheists fear for their soul at all? It's easy to claim to believe only in logic when you're young and your mortality isn't ever on your mind. But science doesn't explain everything, and as human beings, we fear the unknown. So logic aside, are you comfortable with the idea that humans are nothing more than a certain arrangement of atoms, and that your consciousness doesn't exist? Do you foresee your views possibly changing in the future?

 Spoiler

A: Most likely many do. Personally? Yes I do.

I'm not confortable with it. But that isn't the question. Question I ask myself is; "Do I want to join an organization born out of the fear of death and unidentified?" I want to control my own life, with my own morals and reason. I don't need beliefs and rules of someone else.

side note: Before you get on my skin, the reason for religion to exist is quoted from a famous Atheist (google it if you want). I agree to it, but you don't need to.

Q: What is your definition of a God/deity?

 Spoiler

A: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictional_character

Q: Why do you not believe in one/more God(s)/deity(-ies)?

No, I do not feel satisfied with the answer "When believers understand why they deny existance of all the other deities(of other religions), they understand why I deny the existance of any deity at all.", so I'd like you to explain to me why believers deny an existence of other deities and what that has to do with your decision.

 Spoiler

A: Exactly. Why does a single religion deny existance of deities created by other religions? What makes them so confident? There's thousands of religions and no evidence to make one better than other.

I had another argument in the answer too. read it.

Interesting thread.

I guess I may as well start things off.


What do you think happens to your consciousness when you die? Obviously your body is gone, but how about your consciousness? Would it pass on to an invisible non-corporeal being (like a ghost, spirit, etc.)? I know that's a stretch, but having my consciousness when I pass away just disappear is completely unfathomable.

Yes, I believe my consciousness will disappear when I die.

As for unfathomable... that's subjective. I find the idea of "just disappears" much easier to fathom than the idea of it going someplace where it parties forever (or is tortured forever) as if it still had my body. Or the even stranger idea of it going on to animate another body (human or otherwise) with no memory (or almost none) of "me". Or any of the other bizarre (to me) notions of other belief systems.

What do you think happens to your consciousness when you die? Obviously your body is gone, but how about your consciousness? Would it pass on to an invisible non-corporeal being (like a ghost, spirit, etc.)? I know that's a stretch, but having my consciousness when I pass away just disappear is completely unfathomable.

Your consciousness is located in the RAS of the brain. Since the brain is deactivated when death happens, the RAS is gone. Your thinking processes, your actions, and most of your high leveled thinking is located in the Frontal Lobe, which is also deactivated towards death. Therefore.. it just disappears.

I don't know how this thread will work, since most people are confused whether they're agnostic or atheist. Which is quite silly to be honest. An atheist completely rejects the belief that any deity exists. While an agnostic says that there will never be proof if a deity exists or not, but we shouldn't waste our time arguing towards it. An agnostic is basically just sceptical of the existence and is willing to accept the fact it exists or it doesn't. Not only is the misconception and misinterpretation of Atheism vs Agnosticism a problem, but the fact that it seems like a good portion of the community in the internet seems to be classified in those two categories makes this topic somewhat lacklustre.

What makes you certain that it's right for you to share your beliefs?

I'm atheist because I have no need for god. My life isn't so bad that I have to lay blame for it elsewhere. I'm not some disenchanted ex-believer, and I'm not someone taught to be atheist. With that mindset, I don't feel like personal beliefs should be allowed to get in the way of interpersonal relationships, and too often anyone indoctrinated into any religion by anyone who isn't herself is bigoted against anyone who holds different beliefs. So unless someone cares enough to be curious about my beliefs, it isn't worth talking about.

I love how Satellite made the thread but other atheists are coming in to be like "YES ME I HATE GOD HE'S FAKER THAN MY LOUIS VATONE BAG LET ME ANSWER."

How do you explain Thomas Hobbes' concept that in our entire universe there are being with higher degrees of perfection than others, so much so that eventually there must exist a being with the maximum possible degree?

How do you explain Thomas Hobbes' concept that in our entire universe there are being with higher degrees of perfection than others, so much so that eventually there must exist a being with the maximum possible degree?

Hobbes? That theory was proposed by Aquinas centuries beforehand.

And there can be greater degrees of perfection without requiring the existence of a God. I think you'd get more places with the unmoved mover.

Oh yeah. Aquinas. LOL.

But the unmoved mover question supports that God doesn't exist, AKA working for the atheists. Bad question for them.

"Can god make an unmovable object?

-No. = He is not perfect

-Yes. - Can he move it?
-No. He's not perfect.
Yes. There is a flaw in his original design then and it's full of lies@@@."

But the unmoved mover question supports that God doesn't exist, AKA working for the atheists. Bad question for them.

"Can god make an unmovable object?

-No. = He is not perfect

-Yes. - Can he move it?
-No. He's not perfect.
Yes. There is a flaw in his original design then and it's full of lies@@@."

Have you actually done any research into the things you're saying? It's like you don't understand the arguments or who made them. Go do some research on the unmoved mover line of reasoning. This is not the Burrito Postulate.

Oh yeah. Aquinas. LOL.

But the unmoved mover question supports that God doesn't exist, AKA working for the atheists. Bad question for them.

"Can god make an unmovable object?

-No. = He is not perfect

-Yes. - Can he move it?
-No. He's not perfect.
Yes. There is a flaw in his original design then and it's full of lies@@@."

I don't think you know what an unmoved mover is.
Either that or I don't. I always thought the unmoved mover was the thing that set the universe in motion.

lol fiel beat me to it.

Interesting thread, honestly. I'm an Atheist, myself. Though I've read books on Buddhism to enlighten my knowledge a bit more, so I broaden my views a bit more. I'm not too close-minded when I speak about religion, since I like to listen to what other people would have to say first. I was actually taught to 'accept' others for their religions or views, even if I disagree, all this came from a book about Buddhism written by Thich Nhat Hanh. So I guess I have Buddhism insights even if I'm an Atheist, though in all honestly, I believe in the ideology of Buddhism, but follow the rules for what the word Atheist means: "Not believing in a higher being / deity"

My parents are Buddhists, I am not. While my mom looks down upon me for this, she'll have to live with the fact that her 1st son is one that doesn't want to believe in a higher being. I never asked my little brother about his view on religion(s), maybe I should.. hmm.

@Shikage: Your consciousness just dies. In my head, I only have one life to live anyways, and once my body shuts down one day, everything that I know and remember will also shut down. Every grain of thoughts will be erased, but I know I won't die in vain. Somewhere out there, I might have changed someone's life in a positive way somehow, because I possibly have done something in the past that have helped a person. That's how I look at life, personally. I want to be remembered, just for a small moment. A bit off-topic, oops. Haha. I get carried away sometimes..

I love how Satellite made the thread but other atheists are coming in to be like "YES ME I HATE GOD HE'S FAKER THAN MY LOUIS VATONE BAG LET ME ANSWER."

The thread is entitled "Ask an Atheist", not "Ask Satellite".

How do you explain Thomas Hobbes' concept that in our entire universe there are being with higher degrees of perfection than others, so much so that eventually there must exist a being with the maximum possible degree?

I don't?
I have no idea how Hobbes defines "perfection", nor why he believes that just because various degrees of it exist, a being of maximum perfection must also exist. Sounds patently fallacious to me.

Simple question for Atheists: Why don't you think any form of deity exists?

2 questions answered. Keep it coming

Your answer to my question implies I myself believe in a deity (or deny the existence of others) which isn't exactly a very clear answer.

What makes you certain that it's right for you to share your beliefs?

I'm atheist because I have no need for god. My life isn't so bad that I have to lay blame for it elsewhere. I'm not some disenchanted ex-believer, and I'm not someone taught to be atheist. With that mindset, I don't feel like personal beliefs should be allowed to get in the way of interpersonal relationships, and too often anyone indoctrinated into any religion by anyone who isn't herself is bigoted against anyone who holds different beliefs. So unless someone cares enough to be curious about my beliefs, it isn't worth talking about.

I'm an atheist more to this way, I decided myself to be an atheist and what that would represent to me. "Ask an atheist" is kinda of vague since there is no centralizing organization that says what atheists should believe in, there could be different answers for different atheists.

Your answer to my question implies I myself believe in a deity (or deny the existence of others) which isn't exactly a very clear answer.

I now removed that problematic "you" word. I also added more detail in my answer. Sorry. I was in a hurry when I first writed it.

Nevermind locked beat me to it.

Nevermind locked beat me to it.

What do you mean? I don't see anyone here saying what you said. You said that Atheism means "I'm young and I don't care". I'm glad that you realised how absurd your post was.

Do atheists fear for their soul at all? It's easy to claim to believe only in logic when you're young and your mortality isn't ever on your mind. But science doesn't explain everything, and as human beings, we fear the unknown. So logic aside, are you comfortable with the idea that humans are nothing more than a certain arrangement of atoms, and that your consciousness doesn't exist? Do you foresee your views possibly changing in the future?