Donkey's never-ending atheism thread (page 18)

donkey

Edited by - donkey on 21 December 2002 17:14:0

Soooooooo.....can we discern by this that 95% of humanity need therapy? I think mankind in history has believed in a type of God. Would you say since this is a flaw in thinking that this was an evolutionary ....mistake".???

donkey

Gumby,

I think mankind in history has believed in a type of God. Would you say since this is a flaw in thinking that this was an evolutionary ....mistake".???

You know what? That is one of the best questions anyone has asked on this subject. I have asked this of myself and of the evidence, research, fellow-atheists and evolutionists. And my short answer:

Evolution is about preservation of the species. In this case the species is humans. As humans we have sought for a purpose or a meaning to life - this is one of the key ingredients that separates humans from other life forms. If we don't have meaning/purpose/HOPE in our lives as humans then due to our intelligence we start to question :what is it all about? (refer to "The meaning of Life" from Mony Python). If you have paid attention to the threads some have put forth lately (I know you did Gumby) you will hear some of our fellow posters asking about the "nothingness" or the "void" that they were/are experiencing because they have lost HOPE. Having HOPE allows the species to "fight" to survive. Nothing says that the hope has to be based on reality - this is indeed something which I find fascinating.

I believe evolution has wired us as humans to have emotional hope as a survival mechanism. There are two areas to explore in this from a scientific basis: evolutional psychology and sociobiology, for you to research if you are truly interested in finding out more.

Hopefully this ASSessment helps...

If you are truly interested then

donkey

"God has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end." - Eccl 3:11

Great scripture. As an atheist this has meaning for me because it is a good description of the nature of humans and the way they are programmed (I believe by evolution) to have hope for the future. As youths we are invincible, we never contemplate death as the end to our existence - there is always tomorrow for us. Sadly, we are deceived and as we grow older we realize that we are running out of "tomorrows".

donkey

gumby

Having HOPE allows the species to "fight" to survive. Nothing says that the hope has to be based on reality - this is indeed something which I find fascinating.

Well if God put in man the desire to ..."know him" then he was a tad vauge to all wasn't he? One has to simply read of what others have thought of God to realize he have no specific details.......why wouldn't a loving God give specific details? Mans interpretation of what god is, is so diversfied that to consider all of the ideas presented, leaves a person cluless of what REAL truth is.

UnDisfellowshipped

Hi everyone,

I just saw this Thread, and I haven't read any of the posts, but I figured I just jump in...

I've always had a few questions for people who believe that there is no God:

Why do you believe that Stealing is wrong?

Why do you believe that Rape is wrong?

Why do you believe that Hurting Fellow Humans is wrong?

AlanF

I suspect that non-believers feel that stealing, rape and assorted forms of hurting their fellow humans are wrong simply because they wouldn't like it done to themselves.

Now, why do believers in God feel that these things are wrong?

AlanF

MrMoe

Why do you believe that Stealing is wrong?
Why do you believe that Rape is wrong?
Why do you believe that Hurting Fellow Humans is wrong?

Well, just because a person has morals does not mean they have to be bible or faith based. To harm fellow human beings is wrong, plain and simple. I don't get your point? So just because we do not believe in God means that our views are a no-holds-barred lifestyle? Come now, that doesn't make sense. Your religious leaders have done a mighty fine job of brain washing you. So, those who do not believe in god are thought of as "heathen" barbarics.

UnDisfellowshipped

Hi AlanF,

Thanks for your reply.

You said:

I suspect that non-believers feel that stealing, rape and assorted forms of hurting their fellow humans are wrong simply because they wouldn't like it done to themselves.

I agree. I think what I was getting at is, if we humans are simply higher forms of animals -- do apes feel that it is morally wrong to hurt (or steal from) other apes simply because they themselves do not want to be hurt (or robbed)?

If not, why did humans develop this?

Now, why do believers in God feel that these things are wrong?

I personally feel that those things are wrong for different reasons:

* The same as you (I don't want them done to me)

* My conscience

* God forbids those things

Edited by - UnDisfellowshipped on 28 December 2002 23:39:39

Donkey's never-ending atheism thread

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