Has atheism been proved?

[Chadillac]

Chad I can respect that you feel that way. Can you see how someone else might find just as much meaning without God?

No I can't. I think that any meaning an atheist tries to attach to life is just a self-delusion. In atheism there is no meaning.

[Chadillac]

I believe in a god of some form but to say my life without god would be without purpose is naive.

Then what is the purpose of life without God?

[Viking]

Then what is the purpose of life without God?

Do you have children? Can you look at them and hope for their best whether there's a god or not?

[TripletDaddy]

In Mormonism the ultimate purpose of life is to ultimately return back to Heavenly Father with our family. IMO, that's a lot to live for and gives purpose and meaning to this life.

Without God there is no purpose. We're the result of billions of years and chance. The entire human race will one day completely be erased and our Universe with either die a "cold death" or just cease to exist. That means that ultimately it does not matter at all what we do in this life because the outcome will be exactly the same regardless. The end result is exactly the same for the saint and the sinner. Besides a single lifetime of self-gratification, I don't see much to live for in atheism.

With all due respect, you sound like a nut job. Life can have meaning and purpose every day, even for those that don't believe as we do. Anyhow, go Cougars!

[Chadillac]

Do you have children? Can you look at them and hope for their best whether there's a god or not?

Yes I do. But in atheism their best is ceasing to exist. Because that is the ultimate end for all of us. Whatever their relative signifiance was while they were here won't matter in the end. On the large scale of things, what they do in this life will be irrelevant.

But of course no person can go through life believing that and actually be happy. Therefore the atheist has to assign there own meaning to life even though purpose does not exist. And this is of course completely inconsistent. The Universe does not have meaning just because someone says there is.

[Viking]

Yes I do. But in atheism their best is ceasing to exist. Because that is the ultimate end for all of us. Whatever their relative signifiance was while they were here won't matter in the end. On the large scale of things, what they do in this life will be irrelevant.

But of course no person can go through life believing that and actually be happy. Therefore the atheist has to assign there own meaning to life even though purpose does not exist. And this is of course completely inconsistent. The Universe does not have meaning just because someone says there is.

You have every right to believe what you do, and i hope it makes you happy and provides fulfillment to you.

[taekwondave]

Without God there is no purpose. We're the result of billions of years and chance. The entire human race will one day completely be erased and our Universe with either die a "cold death" or just cease to exist. That means that ultimately it does not matter at all what we do in this life because the outcome will be exactly the same regardless. The end result is exactly the same for the saint and the sinner. Besides a single lifetime of self-gratification, I don't see much to live for in atheism.

Man, I don't see it like that at ALL. There is DEFINITELY something to live for if there is no all-knowing grandaddy in the sky keeping track of everything we do. There is little more liberating and exciting than that. It's like the first time you play the Sims or Grand Theft Auto. You gotta admit, that's a pretty cool feeling

[UtahDan]

Then what is the purpose of life without God?

Why must there be any purpose? I actually think you are very close the mark when you say that an non-religious person must find her own meaning to attach to life. This is true. You only need to go a tiny step further to realize that so must everyone, and religion is simply one way this is accomplished.

[Chadillac]

Why must there be any purpose? I actually think you are very close the mark when you say that an non-religious person must find her own meaning to attach to life. This is true. You only to go a tiny step further to realize that so must everyone, and religion is simply one way this is accomplished.

I don't think that there is a need, I just believe that there is a purpose. And that's one of the reasons why I do believe in God.

There was a debate in South America about the purpose of the Universe that included people like Richard Dawkins and William Lane Craig. It's almost 2 hours long and the set up is quite akward (debating in a boxing ring), but I think I learned a lot from it. Some of it's in spanish, but the debates are all in english.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=p6tIee8FwX8

WLC and Rabbi David Wolpe present their arguments much better than I ever could and probably don't sound so "nut job" as I do. I don't mean to offend anyone.

[UtahDan]

I don't think that there is a need, I just believe that there is a purpose. And that's one of the reasons why I do believe in God.

There was a debate in South America about the purpose of the Universe that included people like Richard Dawkins and William Lane Craig. It's almost 2 hours long and the set up is quite akward (debating in a boxing ring), but I think I learned a lot from it. Some of it's in spanish, but the debates are all in english.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=p6tIee8FwX8

WLC and Rabbi David Wolpe present their arguments much better than I ever could and probably don't sound so "nut job" as I do. I don't mean to offend anyone.

I don't think you or your position are nuts. But life can be wonderfully meaningful for many of us all by itself, even if this is it. I'm not trying to persuade you to abandon your belief, just to consider that your nonreligious friends are not nuts or self deluded either. Our lives, at least to us, are full of meaning and wonder.

[Non Sequitur]

I don't think you or your position are nuts. But life can be wonderfully meaningful for many of us all by itself, even if this is it. I'm not trying to persuade you to abandon your belief, just to consider that your nonreligious friends are not nuts or self deluded either. Our lives, at least to us, are full of meaning and wonder.

No, his position is nuts. He doesn't realize that Pascal was drunk at the time and it wasn't so much a wager as it was a bar bet.

[Jeff Lebowski]

This thread reminds me of one of my favorite movie scenes:

[YOUTUBE]3Pa34orcwwA[/YOUTUBE]

[Viking]

This thread reminds me of one of my favorite movie scenes:

[YOUTUBE]3Pa34orcwwA[/YOUTUBE]

my 6-yr old, upon hearing the "tonight is going to be a good night" song or whatever said, "how do they know it's going to be a good night?" who told them? what if they're wrong?"

[TripletDaddy]

This thread reminds me of one of my favorite movie scenes:

[YOUTUBE]3Pa34orcwwA[/YOUTUBE]

That is such a great movie. One of my faves. Diane Keaton was just on Leno and after all these years, she is still answering questions and telling stories about that movie, about how she got the part, etc.

Well la dee da, la dee da.

[RobinFinderson]

Once again mocking religious sensitivity. Way to go.

Look, Dude, when you sign up for a church that declares that its message will roll forth 'boldly,' to every corner of the planet, you are just going to have to accept that some people will assume you aren't 'doing it right' when, as a grown man, you withhold information (on a mostly anonymous internet discussion forum) that could inspire others to see the world from your vantage, because you are afraid that someone (mostly anonymous) might make fun of you.

What you call 'religious sensitivity' looks indistinguishable from 'religious timidity,' or every-day-cowardice.

At least that is the way it looks from here.