Question for atheists?

Question

If there is no God, then how come a cat can predict death? At a nursing home there is cat that can predict if someone is going to die. There is NO scientific explanation for this. It has puzzled everyone. How do you explain this?

Answer 1

My pet rattlesnake can do the same thing. No one knows why. Hmm?

Dude, you should lay off the peyote.

Answer 2

Aloha John,

I apologize that your suggestion is not being taken seriously, especially since I believe there is some validation for your point. You might have received more quality answers had you made two changes in your question though:

1) Not listing supporting documentation for such an incredible claim - which I've provided below.

2) Assuming it had NO scientific explanation and thus must be proof of God's existence. This is a common mistake theists make - if they don't know the answer to something, it must be God! That is partly why you were ridiculed by many.

What you are referring to might fall under the category of animals - dogs especially having a keen sense of smell - which documented studies have shown - can actually "smell" cancer in their owners before it's even been diagnosed. This is legit guys: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canine_cancer_detection

'Canine cancer detection is an approach to cancer screening that relies upon the olfactory ability of dogs to detect very low concentrations of the alkanes and aromatic compounds generated by tumors."

"Although the first suggestion of this approach in a medical journal dates back to 1989, there was little further investigation for the next decade. However, two studies (one published in 2004 and one in 2006) had promising results, with the 2006 report claiming a 99 percent accuracy in detecting lung cancer, although both studies were preliminary and involved small numbers of patients."

Now whether the same is true in cats is unknown. Dog are known for their incredible sense of smell, cats are not. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olfaction#Olfaction_in_non-human_animals

"Dogs in general have a nose approximately a hundred thousand to a million times more sensitive than a human's. Scenthounds as a group can smell one to ten million times more acutely than a human, and Bloodhounds, who have the keenest sense of smell of any dogs, have noses ten to a hundred million times more sensitive than a human's. They were bred for the specific purpose of tracking humans, and can detect a scent trail a few days old. The second most sensitive nose is possessed by the Basset Hound, which was bred to track and hunt rabbits and other small animals."

The moral of the story is just because we don't know the science behind something (yet), doesn't mean we should just assume "God" is behind it. Joseph Lewis said: "Is it not better to place a question mark upon a problem while seeking an answer than to put the label "God" there and consider the matter closed?" Otherwise, scientists would never have discovered a potentially new cancer-screening technique.

"Men think epilepsy divine, merely because they do not understand it. But if they called everything divine which they do not understand, why, there would be no end of divine things."
— Hippocrates; (ca. 460-377 B.C.E.), Greek physician, regarded as the father of medicine

Answer 3

There is no explanation *yet* is what you mean. Your question is a very primitive version of the "god of the gaps" argument, which states that anything we don't know must have a supernatural "explanation."

This worked for a long time when it came to rain gods and thunder gods, because it took humans a long time to figure out where rain and thunder came from - and suddenly the need for those gods disappeared once and for all.

The latest hypotheses for how the cat can tell someone is dying have to do with body temperature and the way someone smells when close to death, things which cats would be much more sensitive to than humans. The story never impressed me as spooky in the least - but you do.

Answer 4

I suspect that this is a matter that has been very confused or made up, but I can give a general explanation. The fact that science can not explain this or that particular thing is not a reason for believing in God. That is called "God of gaps." It has been used by believers since the dawn of mankind. And every year science explains more and the number of gaps dwindle. Which one is fruitful, science or religion?

If there truly is a God who performs miracles, it would be trivial for him to prove his existence. Let him move a mountain range halfway across the earth in an instant. Or have somebody fly through the air like superman. Every supposed miracle contains ambiguity. Why? Is this not what we would expect in a world where there is no God or where God does not intervene?

Answer 5

We can’t hear some sounds in a particular decibel but some other animals can.

We have lots of joints, nerves, cells etc and before death, these things one by one will die’. Like some animals can hear the sounds which we can’t, same way they will have some other senses.

But I am sure, if there is cat like that. It can’t predict and accident.

Anyway, it has nothing to do with God. If religion is an utter crap, God is a beautiful concept. Just a beautiful concept... Nothing more..!

Answer 6

How does a cat prediction of death prove god? (and there is a scientific explanation)

Answer 7

20 bucks says you're this "cat predicting death". Or Jimmyco's right - which would be the single funniest thing on the planet. I'll cross my fingers.

Thanks for the 2 points, my friend.

Answer 8

A cat can smell the hormonal and other physical changes before death occurrs, much like Gambian rats are used in some countries to detect Tuberculosis.

Answer 9

Haven't you heard the saying 'The animals always know first.'

I believe thats true and I'm totally against religion of any kind.

Anyway, God has nothing to do with a cat predicting death.

Answer 10

The bible tends to demonize cats. The ancient Egyptians worshiped them.

Fact is almost every creature has senses beyond our comprehension. It's their nature, and when humans work in cooperation with nature we are indeed closer to God.

Please refer to website below. These idiots give biblical reasons not to have a cat as a pet. They spout fear and superstition. They fail to recognize the special gifts God gave this beautiful creature.

Answer 11

You really don't get it, do you? It makes more sense to try to discover why things are the way they are than to make something up because it fulfills some pathetic, childish need. Even if you could disprove every scientific discovery it would not prove the existence of a god or gods -- yours or anyone else's.