I'm an atheist, but in place of spiritualism I have the mysteries of the universe.
Is the universe infinite? It appears to be based on existing evidence. And if not infinite, then being geometrically flat makes it unthinkably vast multiplied by unthinkably vast.
How did the universe even start? And how can that question make any sense at all without time? How can there be "before the beginning of the universe" when "before" is not a concept that exists?
Perhaps for students of theology/philosophy. For an atheist, having to debate them all separately creates a situation where the burden of debating each individual point (regardless of its logical soundness) is too exhausting of an effort and is unlikely to change anyone’s mind.
As such, for claims that haven’t or can’t be proven by the scientific method, the burden of proof should probably lay with the one making the claim, not the one defending against it.
Of course, in my experience, the scientific method is fundamentally incompatible with most modern religions. Hence, there is really no need to discuss these things, as much as I’d like to. You’re just going to come across as imposing and/or tone deaf.
a belief in god is not synonymous with religion and the former is orthogonal to the scientific method. questions that can’t be proven by the scientific method have no concept of a burden of proof. thus the failing of logical positivism.
The concept of God in Abrahamic mythology isn't about ancient beings that colonized the Earth. It's about a being that purposefully constructed our celestial sphere for our benefit. And most polytheist religions used gods as a proxy for natural phenomena that they couldn't explain otherwise (such as lightning, seasons, day/night, crop yield, etc).
This is the line of thought that got me to abandon strict atheism, as if we are in a simulation (something I allow to be plausible if not probable) surely the computer running the simulation would be God.
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I'm an atheist, but in place of spiritualism I have the mysteries of the universe.
Is the universe infinite? It appears to be based on existing evidence. And if not infinite, then being geometrically flat makes it unthinkably vast multiplied by unthinkably vast.
How did the universe even start? And how can that question make any sense at all without time? How can there be "before the beginning of the universe" when "before" is not a concept that exists?
Fabulous questions to ponder.
A genuine atheist, or an agnostic? If the former, why deny yourself another fabulous mystery?
I’m a deep atheist.
Nothing could convince me there is a god.
I simply don’t believe in any sort of god at all. No heaven, no hell. When you’re dead, you're dead.
You are welcome to your own beliefs. I won’t impose mine on you and don’t impose yours on me.
Heaven, hell, life after death are all completely unrelated to whether or not there is a God. Conflating them makes the question more prosaic.
Perhaps for students of theology/philosophy. For an atheist, having to debate them all separately creates a situation where the burden of debating each individual point (regardless of its logical soundness) is too exhausting of an effort and is unlikely to change anyone’s mind.
As such, for claims that haven’t or can’t be proven by the scientific method, the burden of proof should probably lay with the one making the claim, not the one defending against it.
Of course, in my experience, the scientific method is fundamentally incompatible with most modern religions. Hence, there is really no need to discuss these things, as much as I’d like to. You’re just going to come across as imposing and/or tone deaf.
a belief in god is not synonymous with religion and the former is orthogonal to the scientific method. questions that can’t be proven by the scientific method have no concept of a burden of proof. thus the failing of logical positivism.
I said most modern religions, and in my experience.
Isn’t it possible that incredibly advanced beings exist somewhere? And if so, what if they colonized earth long ago? Wouldn’t we call them “gods”?
The concept of God in Abrahamic mythology isn't about ancient beings that colonized the Earth. It's about a being that purposefully constructed our celestial sphere for our benefit. And most polytheist religions used gods as a proxy for natural phenomena that they couldn't explain otherwise (such as lightning, seasons, day/night, crop yield, etc).
What if we’re in a simulation? Couldn’t you reasonably call the creators gods?
This is the line of thought that got me to abandon strict atheism, as if we are in a simulation (something I allow to be plausible if not probable) surely the computer running the simulation would be God.
So perhaps universal god atheist, but local god agnostic?
The problem is then what created the local god? Another simulation?
Even if it's turtles all the way down you still have the problem why does the infinite turtle system exist at all?