Argument against Atheism?

Question

From some debates I've had with Atheist's and most questions I've seen on here, the Atheist argument seems to be "There is no evidence of anything past death, so there must be nothing past death." (btw, i'm Atheist in that I don't believe in god but I do believe in an afterlife and most Atheist's tend to not believe in both) I find a few things wrong with this argument against an afterlife,

1. the only thing you're really saying is that your body dies so you must die too, so you're also saying all of our feelings die too? I wasn't aware feelings could die, you can stop feeling something sure, but the ability to feel it again is never lost but if you lose an arm, you can't get a new real arm to replace it, you can only get a fake arm, like when you dream, all you're doing is feeling something and it's not your body you're feeling, you don't need to eat/ drink/ rest in dreams and your body is barely moving, unless you toss in your sleep.

So how do you propose to convince me that your feelings and spirit die with you? And please don't say "give me evidence", try to think of something better then making all your debates go in circles "I have personal experience of the afterlife"
"Well, i have personal experience of no afterlife, is my experience not as important as yours?" the best anybody could do with a faulty argument is mirror the opposition's and make it a stalemate. You may be able to bring it to a draw but i've never seen someone push it beyond that. Try to give an intelligent answer please.

Answer 1

You'll never win an argument like that with them. It's pointless.

What we need to do is remind them of things, like athiests killed 100 million people under communism when they say things like "When have athiests ever killed anybody? The inquisition, blah, blah, blah,"

And also refer them to C.S. Lewis, who was an athiest and became a Christian...and not easily dismissed.

Answer 2

In general my argument against both god(s), the human soul and an afterlife is the same: in the absence of any proof, the most simplest working explanation is probably correct. Since no soul, gods, or afterlife is required for the universe to work in a natural fashion, why bolt one on?

You would also get complicating questions like where do they come from and where do they go (these souls). Does every living thing have a soul? The list of unanswerable question you generate by postulating a soul and an afterlife is endless.

"you're also saying all of our feelings die too"

well, let us examine feelings. What are feelings? Since our brain is a big electrochemical generator this is where feelings originate. This also happens to be where we do our thinking, and store our memories and what we like to think of as our personality. It is already proven that drugs, accidents, and damage to the brain can radically alter our personality and thinking and even memories. Since these feelings and indeed our personality are generated and contained within the brain, it seems reasonable to assume that when it dies, so does everything contained within. The chemical reactions stop, decomposition sets in.

Your whole rambling statement about lost arms and dreams I don't really get. But I am fascinated, why do you reject god(s) and accept an afterlife? Examine your motives. Are you sure you are not trying to force a 'point' or 'goal' on nature? (because really, there is none and us humans like to have one). Also, are you sure you are not trying to elevate us humans to some 'special' status (everybody likes to feel special)

As an afterthought, it seems to me that if you want to suppose something for which there is no available evidence, proof or solid data the burden of proof should be on your side.

Answer 3

When one disavows a supernatural god, the rest of the supernatural goes with it. Souls, ghosts, heaven, hell & the like are part of that supernatural mythology.

When the body dies, and the electrical impulses cease, so do feelings. Feeling a lost limb is a psychological condition. Your body is used to having it, and is trying to cope with its loss.

As for emotional feeling, that's just the result of bio-chemical impulses and responses in the body. The warm and fuzzy feelings of love have been proven to be caused by the same chemical reactions that heroin and chocolate produce...an increased endorphin rush. Again, these cease with the body.

From my experience, most after-life beliefs come from one of two sources: a fear of complete oblivion in death (don't worry, you're brain no longer functions, so you're unaware of it), or a coping mechanism for life's difficulties.

Answer 4

The reason I don't believe there is an afterlife is too long to explain it here. If you learn thoroughly about the brain and the nervous system and the way they work you'll know why I don't believe we'll have feelings after our body dies. I believe that when our brain stops working that is the end of it for us.

Answer 5

ok. heres an argument for you. :)
I have news for you. You arent athiest.
Athiest doesnt believe in anything.
You're one of those oddball, subcategorized agnostics for believing in life after death.
Kinda like me.
*But I am a 'Strong Agnostic'. I dont believe in life after death, but DO believe there may be some sort of God, whether he or it or what cares about us or eats us, or is here, or everywhere or nowhere, or just somewhere else currently is wide open to speculation. Im kinda the opposite of you in that regard.
I was baptized and raised under the ten commandments as a catholic until i was cognicent enough to rebel in catholic preschool. I feel the virtues of the wisdom and I am tainted by the ten commandments. and my singular basic belief is primarily just having a FEAR and ultimate respect in utter unknowing of God, and I do not assume God has a will for me to live by. But also I do not discount the possibility that there may be one. I do not prescribe to any other man's account of God. I am settled to knowing that when I go to the grave, or when my body is blasted to bits or whatever, there may/may not be some sort of devine experience afterward. I am content to know that men can only hope extremely much for the best to scapegoat thier shortcomings in this world and move ahead morally and ethically. Thus I respect all religeons for the virtuous effects upon people. but I spit on them when they try to sell to me.

* Now you, you believe in life after death but no God, and reading over the list and relating your words written here in statement of your beliefs and comparing to the list there I would call you 'Model Agnostic'.
This is because you believe in metaphysics. But not God.

Answer 6

Feelings are a product of our physical body. Why else would material substances directly effect them. Why would trauma to the head cause nice people to become angry mean spirited people, and why would lobotomies cause people to become zombie like.


When we look at several instances of head trauma we can narrow down that the brain is directly responsible for our memories, for our emotions, for our conscious, even our self identity. It is in these instances that I become convinced that the physical body is required for us to observe, react, and experience the world around us. With cessation of brain functionality we no longer are able to experience.


We could come up with many philosophical arguments, such as we exist in a dream, or that we exist in the matrix, or even time repeats. There are innumerable philosophical possibilities, but if looked at within reason they are all less plausible than we exist as a self aware entity conscious of our environment only while we are physically able to.

Answer 7

the brain is incredably complex and creates those "feelings" you are refering to. if a person is given a labotomy those feelings will no longer exist. its like they are dead. kill off part of a persons brain that that part dies so when the body dies, the brain dies, the feelings or spirit die. electrical stimulation to parts of the brain will invoke different patterns of feelings and thoughts. its all just electricity running through the brain. there is no reason for me to believe in the afterlife with the amout we now know of the physical brain

Answer 8

To me an argument for afterlife is that soul does not grow up or get older. How many of you can say that your soul, your perception of who you are, have changed during the years? I can't. As far as I remember I have always been myself and even as a small child, I have perceived things through that "me" perspective. Years go by, my body grows older, I don't look as pretty as before :-), but inside I am still the same old me. My soul hasn't grown older, just more matured, more sofisticated, more experinced - but older ?? - no way!!! And then why is just the thought of death so unacceptable and horrifying? Well, that pretty surely convinces me that my soul has that sense of immortality built in it and we will all get to know what really happens the moment we die.

Answer 9

I've stopped arguing with atheists. And thieves, and liars, and adulterers, and homosexuals, and witches, etc., etc. The simple fact is that there is a Bible - you either believe it or you don't. It's just a book to some people, but it's a way of life to others. It's based on nothing more than faith, and it's up to you whether or not you place your faith in God's word, or you don't.

Answer 10

the fridge, tv , needs electricity , without it there is no activity, human body needs the spirit to live , and the spirit comes from God, without the spirit the body is desintegrated in small particles and becomes part of the dust. Life comes from God.He is the Life.all the rest is created.

Answer 11

If you cut out one part of a person's brain, they become very stupid.

This means if you lose your brain, you're going to be very stupid.

Cutting or damaging other parts destroys the ability to think with rationality or logic.

This means if you lose your brain, you'll lose logical/rational thought.

If you cut out or mess with other parts of the brain, you can eliminate emotions...like a prefrontal lobotomy.

Ths means if you lose your brain, you will have no emotion.

If you lose your eyes, or visual cortex, you cannot see...if you lose your olfactory cortex you cannot smell, et-cetera. These effects, when done to the BRAIN, affect even memories of that sense, and imaginations of that sense.

This means if you lose your brain, you will not see, smell, feel, hear or taste.

Dying loses your brain (it rots)

so....being dead you have no intelligence, cannot sense, cannot think, and have no emotions.