Important Questions For Atheists: No. 1

[Khandro]

Why is there something instead of nothing ?

[andy-hughes]

Khandro - by virtue of your responses, and your usual fall-back on some talking head who backs up what you want to believe, you prove once again that your question is pointless.

It only involves everyone admiting that they have no idea, followed by you wanting to prove yet again for the umnpteenth time that you do have some idea, which puts you ahead of the rest, and then you get techy when people either disagree, or fail to take you seriously.

I should have known from the section in which you posted - Religion - and the tone of your OP - 'Impotant Questins For Atheists ...' that this was another wheel-spinning exercise grinding itself to a standstill, as they all do.

There are not 'importan questions' about religion for atheists, we have too much fun thinking about just about anything else but religion.

You should try it - you might be less serious, and enjoy yourself a bit more.

 

And stop posting answerless questions on here, so you can show off your large collection of dubious videos that prove nothing whatslever.

[ClareTG0ld]

I expect my CV would pale in comparison, but that's not relevant at all. In the first place, at least I'm not reliant on hiding behind other people's purported genius in order to offer anything to a discussion. Secondly, rushing to obtain a definitive answer to everything is a sure way to get it wrong. 

I don't know what consciousness is, for example, and I'm comfortable with that uncertainty. I hope one day we can understand it better, but "kicking the can down the road" is an ignorant way to express the truth that some problems are incredibly complex and have to be broken down over generations -- as opposed to, say, a 20-minute YouTube video that's a second-hand interpretation of an already dodgy set of points.

 

[andy-hughes]

Clare - Khandro is inordinately fond of his talking heads videos, he honestly believes that they add weight which his arguments singularly lack, and he gets very vexed.

The fact that he and his video spouters know absolutely nothing more than you or I, or anyone else, us something Khando has failed to accept all the time he has bee on here.

So don't be upset at his attempts to belittle you personally, or the valid arguments you offer, it's his standard reaction to being challenged, and it never changes.

Unfortunately. 

 

[Khandro]

andy-hughes //It only involves everyone admiting that they have no idea, followed by you wanting to prove yet again for the umnpteenth time that you do have some idea, which puts you ahead of the rest,...//

Quite true, thank you! 🙂

When I come across a very clever scientist (see above) advisor on science to three US Presidents, who is an atheist & changes his position to become a Christian and is prepared to give his reasons for doing so by giving not only scientific support but moralistic ones too, I am naturally interested, and it seems reasonable to suppose that any thinking atheist might be curious too.

The reaction by you and others though prove otherwise, and demonstrate how lacking in curiosity and entrenched you are. 

 

 

[naomi24]

Khandro, some of the people who disagree with you aren't lacking in curiosity.   Some, like me - and I think Nailit too -  started from the other perspective.  Curiosity is what changed my mind.

[naomi24]

//And stop posting answerless questions on here//

 

Khandro, please don't heed that instruction.  R&S is a mere shadow of its former self.  All questions are capable of generating discussion - something that R&S badly needs.

 

PS.  I'm an atheist, but unlike andy-hughes I do think about religion.  He doesn't speak for all.

[andy-hughes]

Khandro - //

When I come across a very clever scientist (see above) advisor on science to three US Presidents, who is an atheist & changes his position to become a Christian and is prepared to give his reasons for doing so by giving not only scientific support but moralistic ones too, I am naturally interested, and it seems reasonable to suppose that any thinking atheist might be curious too.

The reaction by you and others though prove otherwise, and demonstrate how lacking in curiosity and entrenched you are. //

I am certainly not lacking in curiosity - I simply reserve my curiosity for things that actually interest me.

Religion has long ceased to be one of them.

 

But I only ever speak for myself, so please don't lump all athesists together, any or all of them can speak for themselves, if they are interested in doing so.

[andy-hughes]

naomi - //

/And stop posting answerless questions on here//

 

Khandro, please don't heed that instruction. //

It was not an 'instruction' - I leave such high-handedness to others on the site who deem themselves able to offer 'instructions'.

And secondly, that statement followed on from this -

// You should try it - you might be less serious, and enjoy yourself a bit more. //

The message being, if Khandro was to lighten up, he would stop posting answerless questions.

But as you, and I, and Khandro, and everyone familiar with his posts knows full well, a light-hearted suggestion that he may take life a little less seriously is about as likely to be heeded as me being invited to enter the Miss World contest!

It was said with the full expectation that it would be ignored, and of course, I was not disappointed.

 

  R&S is a mere shadow of its former self.  All questions are capable of generating discussion - something that R&S badly needs.

[andy-hughes]

naomi - // PS.  I'm an atheist, but unlike andy-hughes I do think about religion.  //

Please don't presume to state that I do not think about religion - I do, when I attend Mass, which is most Sundays.

[Khandro]

Confused?  - you will be when you read andy-hughes.

[mibn2cweus]

For good or evil, religion has a profound influence on human behavior. For that reason alone discussing and debating the merits or drawbacks of that influence and its impacts on human behavior, survival and well being are as important today as they have ever been. Something obviously exists and our own existence is conditional on getting what that something is right.

[andy-hughes]

mibn - // Something obviously exists and our own existence is conditional on getting what that something is right. //

It may be 'obvious' to you - would you like to enlighten the rest of us?

[andy-hughes]

Khandro - // Confused?  - you will be when you read andy-hughes. //

Speak for yourself - but then again, your long history on here does demonstrate that confusion is something you live with on a daily basis.

[mibn2cweus]

andy-hughes

mibn - // Something obviously exists and our own existence is conditional on getting what that something is right. //

It may be 'obvious' to you - would you like to enlighten the rest of us?
----------
No need to read between the lines Andy. It's right there as printed on the label. Existence is the most fundamental premise in philosophy. There's no point in attempting to reason with those who do not except the premise that existence exists. Everything else, consciousness, reason, what exists, et al, must follow from this most basic and essential premise.

What does exist is another question.

[naomi24]

Andy-Hughes, no presuming here.  You said 'we [atheists] have too much fun thinking about just about anything else but religion'.  
 

Perhaps if you reined the instant aggression in a bit you wouldn't get quite so confused about what you have or haven't said.  

[andy-hughes]

'Instant aggression'???

That's original!!

Wrong, but original!!!

[Atheist]

Naomi; I have to say that you are not free from aggression yourself. You may well deny that vigorously, but I do perceive you as 'pushy'. :-)

[naomi24]

🙄

[Atheist]

Naomi; I should have said 'a bit pushy.'

[naomi24]

What you should have done is contributed to the conversation.  All you have managed to do is jump in to criticise me on a personal level.  No change from you there, atheist.