vincentML
Posts: 9980
Joined: 10/31/2009 Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: CallaFirestormBW quote:
Isn't it true that atheism is not only the disbelief in gods but also the disbelief in the supernatural world including spirit and/or soul? I know that this isn't the case for me. I am a-theistic ("without god", as in, I don't believe, worship, follow, acknowledge, or seek out any gods), but I do believe that we are more than just a collection of conveniently compressed carbon molecules. I believe that the energy that makes us up has a 'memory', that this supply of energy is adaptable and manipulable, and that there is a part of us that extends beyond the physical shell in which we reside. I also believe in the theory of conservation of energy, and so, I believe that the energetic forces that power this shell and house its store of knowledge will not be lost when the body decays, but will be released to be recombined to meet other universal needs over time. Hello Calla; some responses if i may. 1. as far as i know no atheist has ever said we are just a collection of conveniently compressed carbon molecules. The neoAtheists are protegees of Charles Darwin. There is nothing "convenient" about the process of Darwinian Evolution. It is quite amazingly complex and hazardous; it has lead to a lot of errors; and it has required at a minimum 3 billion years on this planet. 2. I know of no evidence that energy has a memory. I suspect you are trying to equate energy-memory with soul or spirit. Speaking of the evolution of human brain function, Steven Pinker wrote "There is no ghost in the machine" meaning the brain is the totality of its interconnected neurochemical pathways, blood vessels, tissues, etc. I apologise if i misread your comments. 3. I agree. The part of us that extends beyond the physical shell is called creativity, imagination, curiosity, fear, love, loathing, inventiveness, and art (it is a long list)....we are truly amazing creatures of the evolutionary process. 4. I agree, the energy of our bodies will not be lost. It is constantly leaving and being renourished. I agree also it combines with other energy for other purposes over time. But those purposes are not determinative. The energy will be useful only if it falls into a purposeful formulation. There are no guarantees. It may just swirl in eternal chaos. 5. None of the above gives reason to expect that personality (ego) survives death of the brain. quote:
A-theism, strictly speaking, really only addresses the issue of whether or not one believes in or seeks out a god or gods... variations may stretch into nihilism or other variants, but a-theism has no requirement other than not believing in the existence of any god. (BTW, for those who say they aren't sure about whether there's a god, that fits into the category of 'a-gnostic' or "without knowledge") Strictly speaking doesn't work for me here. It is just a dictionary definition that has little real world application. Strictly speaking, there are too many follow up questions. If i believe in a god then i believe in a supernatural world, in the forces of a supernatural world, in what effect these forces may have on me, how may i appease or influence these forces, where is this supernatural world, what place do i have in it, when will i be in it, how should a believer live this life and prepare for the next, etc. If i disbelieve then what do i believe about the human condition, what is the basis of my morality, my ethics, what purpose can i find for my life, etc It all gets a bit more complicated when one closes the dictionary and begins to read either side of the issue. the question really is: What is human life with/without a god? Thanks for the opportunity to talk, Calla. I look forward to your reply.
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vML Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. ~ MLK Jr.
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