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Author | Topic: What happens after death for an atheist? | |||||||||||||||||||
DominionSeraph Member (Idle past 4785 days) Posts: 365 From: on High Joined: |
quote: What do you mean by 'death'? If you're referring to the cessation of biological functions, then either nothing happens, as there's no atheist for anything to happen to; or the atheist continues, and what happens is indeterminate.
quote: As I don't remember what I dream, the period of time that I am asleep is a blank to me. What I have is: MeMeMeMeMeMeMeMeMeMeMeMeMeMe--------------------MeMeMeMeMeMeMeMeMeMeMeMeMeMe As I can't access (or don't have) any memories of 'me' in that blank, it truely is empty to me.
quote: Again, if you're referring to biological death, whether there still is a 'me' is indeterminate (but highly unlikely). With no 'me', there cannot be anything for me.
quote: Yup.
quote: To live it.
quote: It's still fun. This message has been edited by DominionSeraph, 02-07-2005 01:14 AM
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DominionSeraph Member (Idle past 4785 days) Posts: 365 From: on High Joined: |
quote: If you want to be delusional, that's fine. However, most religious people fail to realize that their delusion only applies to them, and they try to dictate how everyone should live. Once they interfere with the right of others to be left in peace, their own right to be left in peace is forfeit. Action must be taken, so they are attacked mercilessly until they return to the pit from whence they came.Once they're back in their hole, peace is restored.
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DominionSeraph Member (Idle past 4785 days) Posts: 365 From: on High Joined: |
quote: This is problematic, though; as singling out religion would be inconsistent, thus irrational. And defining a method by which to determine whether a belief in a given proposition is warranted is beyond even my capabilities. For example, I believe that you're telling the truth when you say that you're annoyed and disturbed. Why do I believe it, though? I mean, I don't have any evidence supporting this specific proposition -- all I have is evidence supporting similar propositions, plus the ordinariness and inconsequentiality of the claim. However, evidence of similar propositions and the valuation as to the degree of ordinariness will vary, as people's experiences vary. The valuation as to the degree of consequentiality will vary depending on what consequences a given person predicts, and how they value those -- and at this point, all I can say is that that is dependent on personality, as the tree has grown too large to follow the branches. Oh wait... there's another factor in my belief that you're telling the truth. I know that you have access to the truth, as you'd know if you're annoyed and disturbed. But anyway, before we go off and try to regulate what beliefs should or should not be taught to children, we really need to determine an objective, quantifiable method by which probability calculations can be made; and determine an objective, quantifiable method by which a determination of a 'sufficient' level of probability can be made.While we both may agree that the theist is using a method by which the probability of being right is vanishingly low, and that the probability level that is required before belief is warranted is extraordinarily high; this doesn't free us from the task of decompiling our methods, and proving that our program is better.
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DominionSeraph Member (Idle past 4785 days) Posts: 365 From: on High Joined: |
quote: Yes, because 'faith' is also known as 'guessing', and guessing don't work too good.
quote: Evolution is in control of nothing. It's a theory.However, rational human beings are, for the most part, in control of schools. (I'll withold judgment on government, and society controls itself.) You seem to take issue with this, and seem to want equal time for the whackos. Sorry, but if you want your kids to learn nonsense, you're gonna have to teach them that yourself. Anyway, the evidence supporting evolution is readily available. I suggest you take a look at it, instead of getting your information from Fundies who are trying to buy their way into heaven by getting converts.
quote: You're speculating as to the motives of this hypothetical being-in-hiding. You've also just implied that it's not omniscient, as an omniscient being wouldn't need to wait to know anything. I can also speculate. This hypothetical being (limited in knowledge, like yours) is hiding to test people for gullibility. It got someone to make an unsupported assertion that it existed, and then went into hiding to see how many suckers believed. Those who believe show themselves to be mindless sheep instead of human beings, and they fail the test. Isn't this fun?
quote: Yeah, because it's highly improbable that any god named God exists.If something doesn't exist, I don't expect to find any evidence that it does. quote: I have. All I see are natural processes, plus the deficiencies in your reasoning.
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DominionSeraph Member (Idle past 4785 days) Posts: 365 From: on High Joined: |
quote: quote: Thank you for illustrating my point.I've made 15 total posts on these boards, and you seem to think you know me well enough to figure out what's going on in my head. This is what I'd expect from a person who has an emotional need for certainty -- one so strong that they cannot wait for verification, as they need their pacifier NOW! Does that describe you? If so, can I wager a guess on the argument you used to come up with that model of me? 1. The Bible is right.2. The Bible says, "Seek and ye shall find." 3. He did not find. 4. Therefore, he did not seek. Of course, (1) is unproven, so the conclusion is at an indeterminate truth value. Thus, any assertion that it's true based solely on the argument qualifies as a guess. Did you use that argument, or something similar? See what I'm doing? I'm asking you questions -- looking for verification that my tentative model is accurate. I don't demand that reality conform to my model -- I allow my model to conform to reality.
quote: quote: Children are no longer being taught the scientific method, or are being taught that the ToE isn't a scientific theory? Are they, perhaps, being taught that it came from God? Once you combine knowledge of the scientific method with knowledge that it's a scientific theory, there's no way around that it's open to modification if not downright disproof. You don't need stickers to tell you that -- never mind ones that use 'theory' equivocally -- since it's already in there.
quote: Or simply prefer the scientific method over some 'religious methods', such as: "We are right. If you don't agree with us, we won't sell your wagon train any supplies; then we'll dress up as Indians and kill everyone under the age of accountability, thus saving them through blood atonement."
quote: Appeal to authority?Too bad science isn't based off that. quote: Funny, I haven't heard of any petitions to shut down Sunday schools.
quote: You certainly sound like one.Why didn't you come out and name these 'certain individuals'? Afraid that they'd come after you? Or, more likely, afraid that you'd be laughed off the boards? quote: Some things should be left to the experts. It's not 'peer review' if you let idiots do it. Would you want me to have a veto over what gets said in your church?
quote: quote: And all that means is that it was somebody else's speculation. As for Minority Report, the entire premise was that the future could be altered. There was no omniscience involved, as the three freaks could be wrong. In fact, they were wrong every time they saw a murder instead of seeing what really happened -- a person getting arrested.For an analogue of omniscience, let's use the case of watching the movie. Take a human. Extend his lifespan. Now have him watch Minority Report a billion times. At this point, he should know every word, every breath, every eyeblink in the movie. He's omniscient as far as it comes to knowing everything there is to know about Minority Report. Now, why would he bother rewinding the movie, and watching it for the 1,000,000,001st time? This message has been edited by DominionSeraph, 02-20-2005 12:12 AM
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