Does an atheist have faith (What happens when you die, if you say nothing, what proof is there)?

Question

I'm not trying to convert anyone, I find believe in God a struggle. I just ask because I like logic a lot. I see people asking atheists if they have faith and they say NO.

So what happens when you die? If you say nothing, I ask you what proof?

Answer 1

This all hinges on the idea that there is some part of us - usually referred to as a 'soul' - which can survive even after our bodies cease to function and cease to exist.

So, what exactly is a soul? What properties does it have? What part of 'you' resides in the soul?

If it's postulated that consciousness, or awareness, or sense of self resides in the soul, it's difficult to see how this can be reconciled with the complete oblivion which accompanies general anaesthesia. How could a straightforward chemical, injected into the bloodstream, anaesthetise a soul so that it effectively ceases to exist during this time? If consciousness, in the form of a soul, were some kind of supernatural faculty, it would seem implausible that it could be completely disabled by a chemical.

How about some of the other things which we regard as essential parts of what makes a person what they are? How about love, compassion, reason, empathy, memory, conscious thought, character, 'spirituality' and so on? Well, there is really no plausible doubt that all these things are properties of the physical brain. We can alter all of these properties very simply with alcohol or other drugs, and observe how they change in people who have suffered significant brain damage - Previously placid people become uncontrollably violent, intelligent people become imbeciles, and so on. Stimulate the brain artificially, and the subject reports corresponding mental activity, e.g. 'religious experiences'. We can see from brain research that all these things - thought, emotion, sensation, character traits and so on - are correlated with activity in the brain, and some things can be identified with specific areas of the brain.

So, if all these faculties and characteristics of what we regard as the 'person' reside in the physical brain, as seems to be undeniably the case, and they all cease when the person dies, then what is left to be attributed to a 'soul'? As far as I can ascertain: Nothing. If there is no part of us that can continue after death, then there is no 'afterlife'... and if there is no afterlife, then most of religion is null and void.

Answer 2

Atheists have no proof as 2 what happens after death. The will just tell you that "when u die, that is it". Atheists are just pawns used by satan in an endless war between good & evil. They are part of a prophesy that was foretold thousands of years ago & that must be fulfilled. One of satan's ploys 2 amass his forces of evil is 2 convince people that he does not exist & neither do God. He uses education & logic 2 feed people this. You will notice that most atheists & agnostics are very educated. Satan uses this education 2 convince people that the belief in God & himself is illogical. Education is the knowledge of proven facts, or theories to confirm a fact. The more educated a person is the more they lean towards logic & fact, & stray from beliefs that encompass faith & the supernatural. In fact most atheists do not believe in spirits, voodoo, obeah, ghosts or any supernatural stuff. These things are not logical & hence do not exist for the atheists. Ask any atheist & u will also see that most of them have degrees & diplomas. I have too but I also have the added common-sense 2 use logic 2 see when the education that I have worked so hard 2 attain is being used as a tool against me. As I always say a person have nothing 2 lose by believing. He has much more 2 lose by not believing.

Answer 3

It is impossible to know the truth about any gods or afterlife, but logic dictates that a person shouldn't believe in something unless there is evidence supporting it. I don't go around believing in Santa Clause or leprechauns because there just isn't enough evidence. Faith isn't evidence, it's just a strong belief based on nothing. So, the default position is that nothing happens when you die. The proof in favor of this stance is the fact that once a person's brain stops, they no longer have any thought or feeling. Without these functions, there can be no sort of afterlife. Until there is any proof on the side of any type of afterlife, it would be illogical to say there is one.

Answer 4

If by faith you mean that unquestioning knowledge depite evidence to the contrary, then no atheists don't have faith; they question everything. Most atheists operate from the "it's really not likely that there's an all powerfull, all knowing diety of good" considering all the evil in the world. Also all the evidence contrary to the biblical "history".
If you're asking for proof that life ends, well just look at a dead corpse (no nerve resposes, synapses popping, or anything).

Answer 5

Well, you can be sure that something happens, we rot. But I guess your question goes more to the “spiritual” or “afterlife” kind of question, so, I won’t describe what happens to flesh and bones once we die.

The belief hold by some religions, like christianity, is in some kind of conscious afterlife, that is, a place where your cognitive processes somehow survive, some even believe you’ll see your relatives and loved ones, that implies, keeping memories intact.

I met this one guy when I was younger, he used to be a federal cop here in my country. He got caught by criminals, they put a gun in his mouth and shot, the bullet went through his skull. He survived. He lost part of his brain, but somehow his motor skills were intact, his behavior and personality weren’t. He acted a bit crazy and like a retard and he lost a good portion of his memories. I know people who has got brain damage or partial brain lost and they go through similar behaviors. It seems to me that the ability of an organism to store, retain and recall information is linked to the correct physical health of neurons, when some neurons are abruptly lost, certain characteristics of our memories and behavior can be gone with it. Why should I think those certain features survived in another kind of “realm”? Why should I think memories are attached to the soul, when they’re clearly attached to the physical body? So, I think all that information that makes us what we are, memories and behaviors, get lost when the physical body who store them is damaged or destroyed.

There is another thing we should consider, for example, if we jump from a building, I’d tell you that you’ll fall and it’s not faith, observed information tells me that will happen. But yes, a strange cosmic event can cause the gravity to be canceled in that very moment and you won’t fall, the “reasonable” position will still be “you’ll fall” even if the possibility of some strange phenomena exists. The same goes for afterlife, I see no evidence that memories and personality can survive neurons’ death, I see no evidence of “afterlife”, I see no evidence of “another dimension or realm”, is it a reasonable position to think such thing doesn’t exists as proposed by some christians? I think so, we don’t need to have 100% to affirm something, it’s about having reasonable evidence, we have reasonable evidence that memories do not survive the physical body, we have zero evidence of the afterlife and we have evidence that our body doesn’t disappear, it just turn into something else, but we have no evidence that our “persona” survives. So, there is no afterlife and this is a reasonable position, not faith, when nothing indicates the existence of that “afterlife”, I see no reason to think it’s possible, not to even entertain the question.

Answer 6

In my mind, i believe that an atheist may fall into some sort of mind-set where they see all the things in life which they loved, and can also interact with said things. Hopefully that is the case, cause that would be great! There is no proof in heaven or hell, therefore saying an atheist just lies there in the ground would be insufficient, we need to believe that the world and the afterlife is a good place, so hopefully its all something to look forward to,
for those who quoted the bible, please dont live upon that belief, the bible constantly patronises itself.

Answer 7

If You Die A Christian Beliver,The Second You Die You Will Be Resurected In Christ. And Go To Heaven.
If You Die In Satan,You Will Be Resurected And Then Locked Up In The Big Barbecue.(not the actual word but i wont say the real one)

Answer 8

You know inside what is right, humble yourself before God and he will help you.

Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Rev 6:4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

Answer 9

Nothing. The proof is that your body turns into dirt, and consciousness has been proven to be closly tied to the brain which is part of the body.

Not only that, but consciousness is not even continuous while we're alive, so the idea that it lives on without a body when it isn't even perpetual while you're alive is simply wishfull thinking.

Answer 10

of course athesists have faith.
1. We all have faith in something.
even if that is the belief of no God or believing that Christians are wrong..
2. The demons also believe and they tremble. James 2:19