some things that I don't get as an atheist/agnostic...no preaching please?

Question

the whole faith thing doesn't make sense to me, was a xtian, long story short overall it didn't make sense to me, however life isn't any clearer on the other side as an atheist & agnostic.

*consciousness...really where does it come from? how can evolution explain that? It just doesn't make sense.

*the time that we live in...why here, why now, why was I born in a certain country with certain parents?

I'm open to all views.

Answer 1

I won't pretend to know the answers either, but at least I won't make up some BS story to try to make you think that I do. Life is a mystery to everyone.

Answer 2

"*the time that we live in...why here, why now, why was I born in a certain country with certain parents?"

It seems that karma explains this better than saying that you didn't exist before you were born and that you were just arbitrarily created and given random circumstances of your birth. Everything that happens occurs because of previous causes and conditions. Why would the circumstances of one's birth be any different?

The fundamental mind is uncreated, unborn, indestructible. It doesn't exist in a particular place nor does it have a particular shape or color. It is not a "thing" and is therefore not created by something else. The Buddhists call it the nature of mind, Buddha Nature, or absolute bodhicitta. It is fundamental to Gnosticism and Hinduism as well. Look into the perennial philosophy and mysticism for similarities, too.

Answer 3

Ok, even though you don't believe in God, you got to at least agree with me that the bible is a good book, for its history accuracy, and philosophical statements. If you don't believe me, just search for what atheists believe. In the bible it says that faith is believing in things you cannot see. So we, as human beings, regardless of the fact that we do or we don't believe in God, can believe in things we can't see. Take air for example, we don't see it but we know it is there, or a feeling, or even hope is a sort of faith. So if you ever believed in love, or had hope you would do well on a test or even stood on a beach shore and felt the breeze, you know and you have experienced faith.
You as atheist/agnostic have more faith then many Christians. That is because it takes as much faith to believe that God or a god doesn't exist as it takes to believe that It exists. It doesn't matter what you believe, you need faith, even evolutionism, they have a gap that they need to have faith or believe in what they had not seen, and that is how evolutionists explain consciousness. Now on the matter of why were you born and why in this country, and why your parents has may different answers. If you believe in evolutionism, and don't believe in a Creator, you live where you live and have what you have by coincidence. Same thing that happens to people that won the JackPot, it could happen to anyone, but it happened to them, and you are nothing more then a better version of your ancestors. Now if you believe in God (and that is why many do), you believe on a higher plane, a divine one where God put you where you are with the parents you have, and the life you have, even me writing to you now would be part of a bigger plan.

I hope I didn't "preach" to you, I just stretched the surface, there is much more to it. One advice I give you is that even being agnostic or atheist, you should study Christians as well, just so you can increase in knowledge, and have a better understand on different points of view.

Take care

Answer 4

Not preaching here. ;-)

The first thing you need to realize is that, if you're going to ask questions of meaning, you won't find any answers in atheistic evolution. Evolution assumes that everything is ultimately random and that life is a cosmic accident, the product of matter+time+chance, nothing more. There can be no objective, universal meaning to anything in that worldview, as meaning presupposes purpose, which you cannot have without someone to provide that purpose. If you seek after meaning, the best you can do in that frame of reference is to decide what you want your life to mean and then go chase after it.

As far as consciousness is concerned, the only answer you'll get from an atheistic, evolutionary frame of reference is that your "sense of self" is a function of the synapses of your brain. What else can it be? Atheistic evolution can only acknowledge material things, and the soul is immaterial (as are your emotions). If you feel that you really are somehow more than the sum of your physical parts, neither atheism nor evolution can help you.

In a Christian worldview, however, such questions can be answered. You can have an objective meaning to life in that frame of reference because the Christian God created the universe and everything in it for a specific purpose. Also, the concept of a soul, a spiritual side to man can actually make sense because God Himself is a spirit and made us in His image.

If you have more questions about this, I would recommend reading "Can Man Live without God?" by Ravi Zacharias. http://www.amazon.com/Can-Man-Live-Without-God/dp/0849945283/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198740374&sr=1-1

Or you can message me.

Answer 5

Faith isn't a product of logic, yet most people in almost every society seem driven to faith of one sort or another. Perhaps it's something innate to the human nervous system. Christians believe that God created us with a yearning for faith.

I define faith as "being convinced something is true without having evidence or proof." By this standard, atheism is every bit as much a matter of faith as Christianity, or perhaps even more so. Proving a negative - that God doesn't exist - is impossible, you jet have to take it on faith.

It seems to me that only agnostics have a position that does not require faith - since we can't know for sure if God exists or not, being indecisive doesn't require faith.

If you are an atheist, it seems to me the answer to the "why" question is: there is no reason at all. It's all random, and has no innate meaning. In that case, perhaps you should look to impose the meaning you desire on your existence. It may be random that you ended being you, here, and now, but what you make of your circumstances and gifts is not random, it is a matter of work, skill, and perseverance.

In the end, I want to live in a society that treats it's members well, and since I can only control the behavior of one member of society - myself - all I can do is be the best person I can, treat others as I'd want to be treated. Of course, now I'm just repeating the golden rule, one of the central tenets of Christianity, but you don;t have to be a Christian to realize that the more we all live up to that ideal, the better the society we make.

Answer 6

I'm going to assume that you mean 'consciousness' as self-awareness, here. That's an evolutionary trait that drives self-preservation. If you mean 'conscience' (as in the ability to tell right from wrong), that's a societal conceit.

As for the second...these questions are based on the conceit that life, inherently, has a meaning. The universe, as a whole, will continue to exist, whether or not humans are in it. We're just a microscopic part of the greater whole. You're existence in the here and now, in all honesty, is nothing more than the result of chance.

The question of 'why are we here' is one that has been debated by philosophers for millenia...and has yet to be answered. Your life has the meaning that you give it.

Answer 7

The universe and life and consciousness and all that, those are all full of mysteries. There are things that simply can't be known. Many very clever people over the centuries and millenia have had some ideas, and it's interesting to read what they thought, but you have to understand (and I think you do) that they really know no more about it than you do!

I think evolution does explain consciousness, at least partly. As life evolved, creatures had more and more consciousness. We humans evolved with larger brains, so we have intellectual capabilities no other beings have. But in a way this just makes up for our lack of abilities elsewhere--I mean we can't swim hundreds of feet under the water like a whale or fly like a bird or run 60 mph like a cheetah. Many of our abilities are pointed to in our close ancestors. But even dogs and cats, who have about 1/10 the brains we do, it's amazing how well they're able to figure certain things out.

Where you were born, and to what parents, is entirely a matter of chance. All of life is a lottery. You could have good chances, work hard and get rich. Or you could die of a childhood disease. Much of life is up to you but not all of it.

It's just human nature to want to believe in God. It takes a certain amount of courage to insist that you don't know. I think agnosticism is the only defensible position, because NOBODY really knows. People who think they do are only kidding themselves because they -want- so badly to know.

If there -is- a God, it's obviously part of his plan to keep himself well hidden. You can't know about him directly, only indirectly from those other people who are so sure -they- know. Obviously God wants us to doubt, to think about it on our own, to figure it out for ourselves. If he exists. If not, then you HAVE to figure it out for yourself.

Answer 8

fact is that my mother was christian for a long time her dad died and she just lost all hope basically for her there is no God. well u ask good questions because if you study the history of how we some how came to be through a science perspective then the idea of consciousness is not explained at all take a jelly fish for isstances it has no brain yet it can still hunt and eat and see explain it.. what you cant explain is proven throughout life by faith and example.. i have had countless times of God interveining on my life and i would love to share them with you.. these experiences were more than just coinsodense.. i to am confused about church and God but i keep my faith in him to guide me. im not trying to preach to you but scientists have their own god they just call her mother nature... you are right you are here for a reason with certain parents in a certain that was planned if you take the time to have patience and just ask for help you dont have to beg God i just talk normally to him... i cant explain to you in perfect detail of all kknowledge but i will tell you something i heard along time ago... it is better to believe in God all your life and he not exist in the end than to not believe in Him and in the end he be real...i hope you figure it out God bless

Answer 9

Try www.figu.org (English Discussion Forum) - there is the Spiritual Teachings there. That will do for starters.
I cannot believe in the Middle Eastern origin religions in particular - because of all their preaching and slanted claims.
When the packaging and content are so bad - my digestion says it is not what they claim it to be, etc etc.
Proper answers are found at the above site - where there is no religion attached to it. It is food for thought...

Answer 10

The consciousness comes from the fact that the soul becomes empathetic to the wants and needs of the mind/body and creates a self.

you are here because you are here and your parents are your because they are. here's a simple analogy: if i get a deck of cards shuffle them and you cut the deck. i deal out a hand. what are the chances i would deal that exact hand? 52 cards in a deck and 5 cards in a hand so the odds were against me. but i did it anyway. it is that way because it is that way.

atheist

Answer 11

Consciousness comes from various realizations...not from just opening your eyes. I don't believe that you need evolution or God to explain that. It just is. And it is different for everybody. I look at evolution like "improvements to prototypes" I look at the idea of God as "a sense of comfort".
As for where you live and where you come from. You are a product of a sperm and an egg uniting and your mothers love to give you life. That is a wonderful gift. Use it well.