A talk with a Christian: To Know means nothing: by Reverend AtheiStar. What are your thoughts on this convo?

Question

Body: ----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Reverend AtheiStar
Date: Oct 13, 2006 11:42 PM


Whether I "know" or not is irrellevent. Muslims "know" they are going to paradise to have continuous sex with 72 renewable virgins after they die their martyr's death. Ancient Norsemen held comfort in "knowing" that after they died in battle they'd be drinking mead by a roaring fire with Odin in Valhalla. You, just like them, surely "know" that you'll spend your eternity with Yahweh and Jesus. You see, to know means nothing.

I believe that all gods and goddesses are imaginary. Conversely, I also lack belief in them. Why? Because science has proven that the mythological accounts of creation -- there are tens of thousands -- are false by proving their own: cosmic evolution, chemical evolution and biological evolution.

There are plenty of other reasons for not believing in any form of theism. No religion has ever mentioned the dinosaurs -- which is funny considering said deities would have to have known! The people who made them up, however, did not. Too bad for them. There are no souls as science has shown that the brain needs nothing more than itself to provide consciousness. The mind is what the brain does. They have even reproduced the so-called Near Death Experince in the lab through various methods such intravenous ketamine and magnetic stimulation of certain areas of the brain.

I believe what is proven by evidence. No religion in existence has anything even approaching something I would call convincing. They're all just mythology.

~RAS
www.reverendatheistar.com

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: Yohan (AIM/Yahoo - YohansInTheHouse)
Date: Oct 13, 2006 10:28 AM


How do you know you're right about your BELIEFS concerning the Lord?

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: Reverend AtheiStar
Date: Oct 2, 2006 10:00 AM


I can't say I want to be a part of a group that's devoted to "saving" me. I don't need saving. Since souls, gods, goddesses, afterlives and all the rest are just imaginary, the whole procedure is pointless. To paraphrase Dan Barker, ex-Christian preacher of 19 years turned Atheist, "It's like they're cutting you just to sell you a bandaid!"

But, as an Atheist of ten years, I'm always interested in debate with theists, whatever religion you may happen to be -- the world contains over 10,000! Stop by my blog. There is plenty there to talk about. See you there.

~RAS
www.reverendatheistar.com

Answer 1

Well-- I can only believe what I've experienced first hand... and the reason I like religion (Christianity and Islam) is because it challenges me to be a better person in general.

Answer 2

Great to hear from you again, Atheistar. Keep up the good fight.

In the conversation, I would have also pointed out that there is much evidence to back up your beliefs about his "lord". There is the history of the religion which points to the writings being man made and written long after the supposed events. There is also evidence that it was written to match old prophecies, even ones they misinterpretted or read wrong. That's how Jesus was made to ride into town on two asses, BTW.

Also study of the brain and what happens to the mind as the brain is damaged has strong evidence in the lack of any afterlife. The symptoms we see would be much different if there was a part of us that couldn't be damaged and could survive death. As it is, any part of our personality can be erased, from our emotions to our memory to our ability to reason, with damage to specific parts of the brain.

I also think that religion makes you morally lazy. It doesn't encourage you to be a better person. It encourages you to follow a list of rules blindly without really thinking about why you're following them. Most theists I know can't even say why they think something is wrong without just defaulting to "God said so". In contrast, an atheist tends to think about morality because they don't necessarily have any leader spoon-feeding it to them. Thinking is how you become a better person.