Atheists, I have a few questions to ask you?

Question

1)Do you believe time is perceived reality or natural force? Why?
2)Why do bees dance?
3)What are your thoughts on the Divine Ratio aka the Golden Number?
4)What happens to the energy in the body after it dies?
5)Did you have a bad experience with religion or with a religious person? Be honest.
6)Were you brought up in a certain religion? At what point did you abandon that religion?
7)Why is Atheism NOT a religion? Can you prove that there is no God, higher power, etc.? How is your faith that there is no god different than people's faith that there is one.
8)Explain human consciousness.
9)Explain dreams.
10)Explain human/animal instinct.

These are all I can think of for now. Thanks

I want to thank everyone who answered. You've given me evidence for a theory that I have that Atheists don't really understand or know about those things given as evidence of the Divine. They just choose to dismiss or ignore it. So far not one person could answer every question.

I do respect Atheists, but obviously not all as as "free thinking" as they thought they were. Otherwise, you'd investigate before giving up so easily.

It's fine if you want to dismiss the evidence of Divinity. But, I've seen more and more Atheists become radical and militant against those who choose to believe in the Divine. I'm not defending those people who use their religion to judge and harm others, but I mean those people who continue to be spiritual seekers.

Answer 1

1) Perceived reality. Based on the Theory of Relativity, and human perception. Try this: find a digital clock that indicates seconds. First, relax and stare something in the room for about a minute, then quickly shift your gaze towards the clock. The second mark should stick for what appears to be about a 1.5 to 2 seconds, then resume to normal time. If it doesn't work the first time, repeat.
2) Bees dance for communication purposes.
3) It's existance in many aspects of the nature world is very cool, but not divine. I tend to think of it more like an underlying constant (even though it's not), similar to constants like gravity.
4) What kind of energy do you refer to? I hope you mean fundamental energy or biological chemical energy, in which case both are redistributed into the enviroment.
5) Yes, many. My parents told me to figure things out for myself, they didn't give me many black and white answers to my questions. Religion kept trying to tell me about absolute truths, but after a while such ideas started to seem childish and not amendable to new discoveries. I find religion to be too dogmatic to be healthy for a rational mind.
6) Sort of, I was baptized as an Anglican, but never attended church with my parents. However I did attend many church services with friends when I was between 6 and 11.
7) I don't have faith in the non-existance of God, I have confidence. It seems more logical that men created God to cope with unanswered questions in the days before science. If someone can scientifically prove his existance, I'll reverse my transgression.
8) There are approx. 100 billion neurons in the brain, interconnected to a degree of complexity that is ironically difficult to comprehend. Consciousness is the product of hightened self awareness which is the result of such complexity. It evolved to help us cope with complex social interactions, as social behavior provided us a better chance of survival.
9) I refer to the beginning of number 8. I'm not a neurobiologist, but from what they seem to reason, dreams are necessary to sort out what is experienced and learned during the day . Sort of like defraging a hard drive.
10) Instincts are the basic instructions which allow an animal to survive. Again, I'm not an expert, but Richard Dawkins has some interesting insight in the Selfish Gene, basically saying that genes program animal brains with basic actions to be taken for a given set of circumstances. Genes for both appropriate and inappropriate actions exists throughout the genepool at any given time, but only the appropriate ones survive to reproduce and replicate themselves.

*Edit*
Atheist is based on skepticism; not knowing everything is the basic tenet of skepticism! Having absolute truths embedded in the mind prevents the acquisition of new knowledge. You can't prove the existance of a divine power by posting ten examples. Each must be divine beyond a resonable doubt, if an answer that postulates a non-divine origin is proposed, the divinity of such evidence is in doubt. Please, please educate yourself about skepticism and rational thought before you declare that we give up on looking for the divine without investigation. We're always investigating, and until the day we find proof of God, we'll be atheists.

Answer 2

1) Einstein's theory of relativity deals with precisely this and shows that it is a natural force that is relative to the observer
2) To pass on information
3) It's interesting, but it's existence doesn't demand a supernatural explanation
4) If you mean actual energy, like kinetic energy or heat or any of the other measurable energies the physical body exudes, then it just moves on to other physical objects. Some of it becomes food for maggots (for what is food but energy?). If you mean some other sort of energy, this is a silly question as atheists don't necessarily believe there is a supernatural life force or something (though some do; one can be an atheist and believe in the supernatural; atheist solely means "without belief in a god")
5) Not until well after I became an atheist
6) I grew up in a fundamentalist christian household. I abandoned it when I began to investigate it deeper and found that it just doesn't hold together. I love my family and have always gotten along with them very well.
7) A religion is described as set of beliefs in a transcendental being or beings that are communicated with (or worshipped) through specific rites and rituals. None of these is true for an atheist. What you're talking about is faith, which is a component of religion, but not the defining characteristic of religion. There are many out there who consider themselves religious who don't have faith. And can I prove there is no god? No. But, the burden of proof lies on the person claiming there is one. Think of it as an experiment - what sort of experiment can I do to show the distinct absence of something I can not define? However, the believer has a definition of god and, as such, can conceive of experiments to show the presence of one.
8) I can't explain it, but that doesn't mean there's a supernatural being that created it. It solely means that I can't explain it. An explanation of consciousness would necessarily involve natural causes.
9) See above
10) See above

Answer 3

1. natural force. Newtonian theories.
2. It's not dancing in the sense that we dance, it's how they mate.
3.Don't understand the question.
4. Converts. Atheist are actually a big proponet of this, at least i am.
5. Yes, but more good than bad, and probably just as many outside of Christianity and other religions, so that has no bearing on my religion.
6. Atheism, then went to church when I was in high school because they were my friends and nice to me, just couldn't buy the rap.
7. I never said that it wasn't a religion.
8. If I could do that I would be writing philisophy books.
9. I don't know about you, but I never found anything mystical in dreams. Just rehashed **** from my day. Just my brain trying to rest and fix the problem on it's own I guess.
10. Brought to us through evolution.

I have questions for Christians too, but everytime I ask they don't understand. Secondly, I don't think Chrisitanity explains much of the above either.

Answer 4

try picking just one question if you want a half way decent answer from someone. Each one of your questions is quite complicated, and I would also ask you to venture your own answers before demanding answers from others.

I will answer #7

Atheism is not a religion because a religion by definition involves acceptance, worship of or deference to the supernatural. Since again by definition, atheists don't even accept the existence of supernatural beings, it is properly defined as a philosophy.

No I can't prove there is NOT a god or a higher power. It is logically impossible to disprove a negative. Neither can I disprove the existence of Santa Claus or Invisible Pink Unicorns. I think the chances of their existence are infinitly small, but I can't disprove it.

Of course, you can't prove the existence of god, either. Yet it would be so easy...one little obvious miracle. Miracles were good enough for your god in bible times. Why not now? (No cheap answers like "free will"...if he appeared to the Apostles after his death, what about their free will?) The onus is always on the claimer to prove the existence of something. The more extraordinary the claim (say the existence of the supreme creator of the universe, master of time space, all that is was and ever shall be...) the more extraordinary the evidence required.

I don't have FAITH in the non god theory. The null hypothesis is god does not exist. You have not disproven the null hypothesis. I accept that there are natural, scientifically proven explanations for all that we see around us...life, the universe and everything..as Douglas Adams put it.

I await and remain open minded for any valid evidence FOR WHICH THERE IS NO OTHER EXPLANATION BUT GOD.


See...this was just a quick answer to but one of your questions.

They are all interesting topics of debate, and I would be interested in hearing your thoughts .

EDIT
Your additional details show you didn't read any of the answers, several of which are very good and took your questions at face value, as if you were actually looking for serious answers. We both know that's not the case.

I'm sorry nobody was able to pass your precious pop-quiz. We are atheists, we make no claims on special knowledge in all fields of science...though most of us know more than you appear to. Oh well, this is why I don't usually bother with obviously insincere questions like yours. Lesson learned.

Answer 5

1) Whats the difference. Natural reality is often perceived reality for an atheist. Not completly understood but REALITY none the less
2) Have no idea. Probably a mating thing
3) Very interesting. Maths is not science but PHI is still interesting. No doubt is more to do with our own human mind, not the divine
4) Absorbed by other life forms, like sun light
5) Yes plenty. Not my reasons for being atheist though
6) No although had a wicked christian step mother for some time
7) Atheism is without belief in a God or Gods. therefore is not religion
8) Have no idea about it
9) lol. ummm Probably just the brain sorting of some kind. Linked to our current feelings.
10) Something often passed down through the DNA and is linked to the evolution of that particular creature

Atheist does not mean "Know everything".

I could be wrong with any of the above. I am atheist, therefore I am teachable. I can accept that I dont know many things when compared to all that can be known.

Answer 6

1) Time is a dimension in our perception.
2) That's how they communicate. They don't have vocal cords, so they have sign language instead.
3) There's nothing special about it, and it's not found in nature like so many people keep claiming - at least not as more than a round-off.
4) What energy are you talking about? Kinetic, potential, physical energies? Those we can measure and describe. Spiritual energy? Please prove it exists before asking where it is.
5) No. I just finally realized that it didn't make sense, had no proof, and was logically flawed. And that was enough for me to stop going to church.
6) My mother tried to bring me up Catholic, but it didn't take (see above). I did go to Catholic school though, it was the best private school in the area and the public school didn't offer many honors or AP classes.
7) Because it doesn't rely on the supernatural, and that's what relgion means. I don't have to prove there isn't a god; you make a claim, you prove it. It's not up to me to disprove something silly that I hear. Can you prove I don't have a unicorn? No. Do I? No. If I claim I did, would you have to believe me since you can't prove me wrong? Of course not.
8) Chemicals.
9) More chemicals.
10) And still more chemicals.

Answer 7

Alright, well I'm an agnostic, but I'll go ahead and attempt to answer your questions anyways.
1)I'm not sure what you mean (because you worded your question badly), so I'll just tell you that I believe (and could provide more proof) that time is simply values we assign to certain points of the earth's rotation, and to the earth's position in it's revolving cycle around the sun.
2) What the hell?
3) Perhaps you can e-mail me, informing me what the divine ratio has to do with religion. The account I am currently logged on to is [e-mail]
4) Well you certainly don't have much energy left once you're dead... but basically, your body will decompose and the cells will merge with other organisms.
5) No. I made up my mind after studying religion in a catholic school for many years, from kindergarten to grade 11 (current). For many years I was a strong believer, thinking I would go to hell if I did wrong, and yet, after giving it much thought, the path of an agnostic that I would eventually choose made much more sense. Why is it so important to participate in rituals, believe in a divine being, or attend religious services? Why can I not simply be a good person in my life, respect others, be generous, helpful, etc.? Is it so important that I follow the beliefs of an institution (Christianity, in this case) that forced their's on people long ago, in order to rise to power? I simply consider my life, and the lives of others, to be far more important than anything else in this universe.
6) Yes, Christianity, Roman Catholic to be specific. I was not, however, ever forced to go to church, I went a few times, by choice, but was never a steady attendant. My immediate family never went, anyways, it was simply a few times with my grandmother, and I could never (and still don't) see the necessity in attending a place of worship, even if you are a strong believer, rather than simply worshipping in your own home.
7) Atheists are not all like-minded individuals. They do not gather together at one place, and all think alike. There is no code of conduct that they live by, and they do not all share similar beliefs. It is not an institution, but rather, a choice not to believe. I cannot prove that a god does not exist, just as you cannot prove that one does. I also, however, do not have the intention to disprove the existence of a divine being, for if that is what brings you happiness in this life, then let it be so. This, however, is because I do not believe that there is no god. I am an agnostic, as I said earlier. I am simply indifferent when it comes to a belief in a divine being, which is different than both believing/not believing in the sense that I simply possess no opinion on the matter; choosing would have no effect on me, due to the way that I think.
8) What do you mean? Explain how I know I am human, or that I know I exist? I do not know this, but as René Descartes said, "I think, therefore I am." If I do not really exist, I at least have the illusion of existing, which must be something, correct? Even if my real form is not how I see it, I still must be something. "Nothing will come of nothing" (Shakespeare - King Lear: Lear), afterall.
9) Perhaps I am not the best person to explain this, but I do not see how one could argue that a divine being is putting thoughts into our mind. If you would like to debate that, go ahead and e-mail me ([e-mail]), though since you cannot provide any actual evidence, there's not much to debate. I would assume, however, as a simple (and not well-researched, just so you know) guess, that dreams are experienced through the focus on our subconscious. I'd imagine that by focusing on this, our brain gives us the illusion of having the use of our senses in our thoughts themselves. I am, however, interested in your theory on dreams, so please e-mail me.
10) You could go on all day about this, and what can I say, we adapt to our societies. Perhaps I have not researched the human body enough to be able to explain how instincts work, but I'm sure that anyone who has studied biology in enough detail could give you a good explanation.

Once again, one of my e-mail addresses (the only one I will give out) is [e-mail]
Please contact me if you would like to debate any of my answers, and tell me how you feel about everything you asked, so I may see things from your perspective too.

P.S. - Your attitude appears slightly passive-aggressive, sorry if that's just a misinterpretation of your wording.

Answer 8

1) It is another dimension to space - Don't get all the math, but Einstein said it and predicted a number of things with it. You can get time differences by moving really fast.
2)Not a biologists, and really don't care.
3)It is rather like Pi-what are you even asking here?
4)It dissipates into the atmosphere like a glass of hot water. If you mean supernatural energy, you can't measure it, so it is made up.
5)Only after becoming an atheist.
6)Methodist. About the same time I figured out about Santa. I was about 13 before I was actively able to describe what I thought and why.
7)It is the lack of religion. No evidence of existence is proof. I have evidence on my side.
8)Can't yet. In about 15 years we will have computers with the same power, ought to be interesting.
9)Your brain on vacation.
10)Evolution - You are much more likely to survive with some built in knowledge.

Answer 9

1.) I don't really know. Perhaps both?
2.) I assume it is instinctual, and that it serves a specific social function--even if it is a function we don't understand yet.
3.) I don't really have any profound thoughts on it, actually.
4.) It depends on what happens to the body. It goes into the ground through the process of decomposition, or it goes into the fire burning the body, or it goes into the animals consuming the body, etc.
5.) Not particularly; at least, not enough to "caused" atheism.
6.) My family is predominantly Christian. I never truly bought into it, and began admitting my atheism to myself as a teenager.
7.) My version of atheism (weak or agnostic atheism) is not a religion because it is not based in any way on faith. I see no evidence for a god, and so I do not believe one exists. Note I do not say that I believe there is no god, just that I don't think the evidence supports the belief that one is out there. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
8.) Which part of it? This is entirely too broad a question to delve into here.
9.) Not even psychologists can fully explain dreams; why do you assume I can? The theory that makes the most sense to me is that dreams are the result of random firings of neurons in the brain; while the brain is sorting through material, doing basic housekeeping, neurons fire and we experience things which we call dreams.
10.) Which ones?!? Really, this is a book in and of itself, isn't it? The most basic way of explaining it, I suppose, is that each animal species, including our own, developed ways to survive. As the species developed, so did those survival impulses that we call instintual. If looked at correctly, nearly every animal impulse can be brought back to survival, either of the individual or the species.

(If you are the same BlueFireWitch as from Wondir, hello! The board has gone to crap, you should come back occasionally.)

Answer 10

2) What are you talking about, bees don't dance.
3) The divine number is in art because people thought it was beautiful, its in pentagons by math.
4)The energy in the body is returned to the earth, after the body decomposts, it becomes nutrients that plants can grow on. This is where dirt comes from.
5) No, I haven't have a bad experience.
6) I was not brought up in a certain religion although one of my parents was religious.
7) Atheism is a religion. We worship the concept of nothing.
8) Go read a medical journal on consciousness.
9) Your imaginations. (Does this have anything to do with God?)
10) Humans/animals evolved to survive, animal instinct is a result of wanting to survive.