why are atheist obsessed with 'evidence'?

Question

you cant base everything in life in evidence and science. where is the evidence that people have a right to freedom? where is the evidence of justice? take the entire unirverse apart down to its basic atoms and show me the elements that make up democracy? not everything can be based on science and 'evidence' somethings have to come from human emotion if people lose the ability to have faith and hope then why would they be able to concieve the things that really matter

Answer 1

values or philisophical beliefs may not be based on evidence. physical facts such as birds, guns or gods existing should be. one shouldn't claim to know that a physical fact like the creator of the universe is real without evidence. We know that faith is real in the sense that people experience it, what needs evidence is the claim that the fact people have faith in is itself real.

We can have moral views without gods, I certainly do.

Answer 2

Okay, why can you not use evidence for everything. We believe democracy is the best governmental form on the basis of evidence. Let us try freedom. Although freedom is a philosophical concept, it is expressed in the real world. Its antithesis is equality. We have equality based societies out the ears and we have freedom based societies too, why not look at them? We also have some that provide for neither, which are both stratified and without freedom. We can look at individual welfare in each of these societies based upon a variety of measures.

Now as to a "right to freedom," that cannot be based upon evidence because it is inadequately defined. Do you have a right to freedom to kill annoying people, to smoke, to vote, to do what?

Finally, even emotion is well understood by science. I recommend reading on "Reversal Theory," in psychology. http://www.reversaltheory.org/

Religion does not provide hope any more than atheism does. In fact, I have a lot more hope and happiness now that I am an atheist. I thought I had hope and happiness before, but now I am much better off. Delusions, after all, are false representations of reality and they endanger true hope.

Answer 3

1. Justice isn't a state of being, it's something you feel or something you do something in the name of - it's more of an emotion than anything else.
2. Technically, the only thing that says we're free is the constitution - otherwise, you're right, who's to say we're free? Without the bible, who's to say there's a God? It's a two way street.
3. Faith isn't a human emotion - faith is the confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of something you may not be able to see or prove, but you still trust it's there.

I'm an Atheist and I have no faith or hope in God or a divine being who reached his hand down from the sky to create everything we see around us, but I won't let you tell me that I'm unable to conceive things that really matter. To you, something might mean a lot, and it may mean nothing to me - but even though I don't have the element of God, I can still pay attention to and conceive things that really matter.

Religion and God don't make you any better than anyone else who doesn't believe in God, and it certainly doesn't mean we're losing sight of the important things in life. Just because God really matters to you, doesn't mean we can't grasp hold of things that really matter to us - because in our eyes, there is no God, therefore, how can he rank any kind of importance?

My photo album of my Dad means a real, real lot to me, because I can never see him again, but I'm sure if you were to find it, it wouldn't mean much to you.

Put things into perspective. :)

Answer 4

Freedom, justice, and democracy are human concepts. As a society, we have decided that those ideals will be our aspiration.

Basing one's life on god, however, is a personal choice. Giving one's self over to this higher being should be a choice made with as much knowledge as possible. Knowledge, evidence, of god's existence would be a key, basic, elemental knowledge. I don't want to give my life over to something that isn't there.

Answer 5

Ma-a-a-ate; in a court of law everything is to do with the evidence and if your InvisibleSkyCritter thingy was judged according to law it'd be laughed outa court.

When it comes to dedicating my life to something like an ImaginaryBeing I'd like to be damn sure the sucker exists and based on the evidence (the lack thereof) I'm gonna save myself the trouble and decline the invitation.

You're obviously much easier to please and convince than I am.
Goodonya.

Answer 6

You are confused.

This is the weakest argument I have ever heard.

Are you trying to say that we should choose our beliefs based on emotional responses rather than physical evidence if it is available?

There is no universal right to freedom, democracy, justice. These are human constructs we have developed to ensure our own selfish happiness.

Answer 7

I am a man of faith, but using faith as an escape route from uncomfortable facts as you do is what I consider blasphemy. Evolution is right, deal with it! It doesnt prove anything regarding to a higher being! It is like saying "boats use sails to move, therefore propeller engines cant exist". Oh, and guess what the pope said about evolution? it doesnt compromise the catholic faith!

Answer 8

Nobody ever said that there are atoms that make up democracy, but there is certainly evidence that democracy exists and works. You're playing with concepts

Answer 9

where is your evidence that the bible comes from god... you ever read that thing part soap opera, part fairy tale and a lot of BS.... why is it so hard to beleive that they the church are the ones misleading you.... there is evidence out there proving that the church could be defined as evil compared to non church cultures.... as a mater of fact the church spends a lot of energy destroying non church cultures and civilizations just to keep itself in power.... bible thumpers you want to know your god.... look at the pope.... he is only the last in a long line of roman emperors calling himself god...... you might want to bow down to a man and call him god but don't expect the rest of the world to stay blind and do the same....... truth exists... evidence of truth exists.... volunteering to stay a blind slave to the pope and his church is not the way this battle is going to end...... WE WILL NOT LIE DOWN AND DIE AT HIS FEET BECAUSE MANY TELL US TO. WAKE UP.

Answer 10

we don't base everything on evidence.. but we try, mostly with the most extraordinary events, like God would be if He's to exists... .. on the other hand... Christians base their beliefs on faith, which won't get you anywere for sure. Faith is a lost highway..