A beginner's guide to being an atheist, by Richard Dawkins

[Into the Night]

Humans have been doing astronomy, mathematics, horticulture, observing animal behavior, animal migration patterns, weather and seasonal patterns for thousands of years.

It's hard to believe you thought Bronze Age humans did not use reason and inference to observe and understand patterns in nature

The spiritual and ritual side of human life is what atheists completely reject

That's not an explanation for why you insinuated that my OP was chock-full of misrepresentations and mischaracterizations, but then repeatedly failed to justify your accusation .

Illiteracy: Nouns used as verbs. Human life is not a ritual. RAAA.

 

[Into the Night]

cooperation is more beneficial for advanced species.

So you consider ants or termites an advanced species?

 

[Into the Night]

It seems odd to me and akin to survivor's guilt. If the laws of our universe didn't work as they did, we could never exist. It's like sperm that never made it to the egg.

If there are infinite universes, then it seems some have laws that don't allow life. Ours does.

Paradox. Irrational. You cannot argue both sides of a paradox, Sybil.

 

[Into the Night]

That's almost a religious or teleological argument.

True, but there is zero evidence of multiverses or that physical laws can vary.

Even if that were true it doesn't answer the fundamental question.

The mathematical laws and constants of physics transcend matter and energy. They are an immaterial organized set of mathematical rules that govern the behavior of matter and energy. No one knows why they exist or where they came from. Why would highly organized immaterial mathematical rules just pop into existence? Even the eminent theoretical physicists Aleksander Vilenkin and Alan Guth both said that the mathematical laws of physics seem to exist in an immaterial Platonic realm that even predates the creation of the universe.

Plato did not create the Universe.
The purpose of any natural constant in any law of science is to convert the relation to our system of measurement. That's all.
WE created that system of measurement. There are many systems. The natural constant in such a relation changes depending on what system is in use.

 

[Into the Night]

"While Dawkins is not a geneticist and his ideas have been criticized for being outdated, his work remains highly influential in popular science and evolutionary thought, especially regarding the "selfish gene" concept. However, it is important to remember that modern genetics has advanced significantly beyond his core contributions."

Google AI

The Theory of Evolution is not a theory of science.
Science is not a religion.

 

[Into the Night]

I would say there is zero empirical evidence of a creator.

But empirical (observational) evidence is not the only kind of knowledge. Reason (logic) is another perfectly valid way of acquiring knowledge.

We know the universe universe had a beginning.

Who is 'we'? You are only one person.
It is not known if the Universe had a beginning at all.

A beginning logically requires a cause.

None possible. That creates a paradox, since the only 'cause' must exist where existence is not possible because there is no Universe.

We know from experience that order, design, lawful organization do not just appear from inanimate random chance. Order and design logically point to a designer.

Who is 'we'? You don't get to speak for everyone. Omniscience fallacy.
The Theory of Creation is not a theory of science. It is not an 'experience' either.

Some people think it is logical to infer a purposeful organizing entity underlying the universe based on those premises.

Paradox. A cause cannot exist in nonexistence.

 

[Into the Night]

Oozed? Sounds like a legitimate scientific term, lol
The mathematical laws of physics were there from the first fraction of a nanosecond.

Now that you're running away from physical materialism, scientism, matter-and-energy explaining it all, you basically have betrayed atheism, and are now confused about whether you are actually an agnostic, a pantheist, or a panentheist.

Atheism is not betray-able. IBDaMann is an atheist. One of the few that actually are.

Many religious fundamentalists claim they are atheists, when they are instead quite religious (even fundamentalist).

 

[Ichabod Stain]

Kinda late to decide that! Nuclear bombs are already created.

Despite all the nuclear weapons in the world, MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) has worked. No nuclear bomb has been used against people since Nagasaki.

horrible and dumb idea.

 

[Ichabod Stain]

So you consider ants or termites an advanced species?

fairly.

a lone ant is fucked.

 

[Cypress]

If it really mattered I could show you my diploma that actually states Bachelor of Science, Zoology, College of Basic Sciences
I could then show my transcript.
LSU discontinued the degree in 1997 (along with Botany) so everything I took would be called something different.
Washington State University, e.g. does have a degree program in zoology

• Coursework and experiences designed to prepare students for graduate and professional schools.

Sounds similar to what LSU had in the 70’s.


What’s yours in? Googling?

So here we get an admission that you are not a professional zoologist, and despite taking undergraduate classes in zoology, you don't have any experience as a professional zoologist, and aren't in a position to say what they do.

Every famous zoologist widely known to the public* was famous for studying some aspect of animal behavior, which includes population dynamics, distribution, interactions with the environment.

* Jane Goodall, Diane Fossey, Charles Darwin, Alfred Wallace, Richard Dawkins, Farley Mowat.​

Carl Linnaeus was famous for classification and taxonomy, but that's just basically accounting, not hard science. If aliens came to earth to study animals, they would come up with their own nomenclature and classification schemes. So classification and taxonomy are just human conventions that don't tell us anything fundamentally real.

 

[Ichabod Stain]

That's almost a religious or teleological argument.

True, but there is zero evidence of multiverses or that physical laws can vary.

Even if that were true it doesn't answer the fundamental question.

The mathematical laws and constants of physics transcend matter and energy. They are an immaterial organized set of mathematical rules that govern the behavior of matter and energy. No one knows why they exist or where they came from. Why would highly organized immaterial mathematical rules just pop into existence? Even the eminent theoretical physicists Aleksander Vilenkin and Alan Guth both said that the mathematical laws of physics seem to exist in an immaterial Platonic realm that even predates the creation of the universe.

they don't govern.

they merely describe.

you're so very dumb.

 

[Ichabod Stain]

religion properly understood is about morality.

cypress doesn't understand shit.

he's a war pig determined to stop world peace.

 

[Ichabod Stain]

Kinda late to decide that! Nuclear bombs are already created.

yes. previous humans have done poorly.

Despite all the nuclear weapons in the world, MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) has worked. No nuclear bomb has been used against people since Nagasaki.

yet.

 

[Ichabod Stain]

An obvious lie.

People can find emotionally satisfying and rationality in any religion. Atheism can also be quite rational, though it tends to lack the emotional satisfaction of a religion.

most atheists refuse to admit their demoralization agenda.

 

[Cypress]

they don't govern!

they merely describe!

you're so very dumb!

ftfy

"[The] laws of motion include those that govern the movement of the planets in the solar system and the expansion of the universe itself. Whether you're using general relativity or the original Newtonian version of gravity"

- Paul M. Sutter, astrophysicist at SUNY Stony Brook​

​

​

What makes Newton's laws work? Here's the simple trick.

Lagrange found that the difference between an object's kinetic energy and potential energy unlocked something deeply profound about the universe.

www.space.com

 

[domer76]

If it really mattered I could show you my diploma that actually states Bachelor of Science, Zoology, College of Basic Sciences
I could then show my transcript.
LSU discontinued the degree in 1997 (along with Botany) so everything I took would be called something different.
Washington State University, e.g. does have a degree program in zoology

• Coursework and experiences designed to prepare students for graduate and professional schools.

Sounds similar to what LSU had in the 70’s.


What’s yours in? Googling?

Living in Baton Rouge and you don’t have cancer yet? Wow, talk about dodging the bullet!

 

[domer76]

most atheists refuse to admit their demoralization agenda.

Atheism is freedom. Freedom from the guilt of sin. From the fear of eternal damnation. Wondering why my prayers don’t work. Whether I’m praying hard enough. Giving enough tithe.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

QOL can measure broad statistical patterns perhaps, but I doubt you could get individuals to broadly agree on what makes a flourishing life

That's the thing about statistics, they tell us nothing about individuals.

Agree with you that morality is not based on science or pure unsentimental logic.

As JPP proves daily, about half the population are idiots. The people who think vaccinations cause autism, live in a dilapidated single-wide rental and are in debt up to their eyeballs for a brand-new pickup truck plastered with Trump stickers.

Again using JPP as an example, although it lists over 1800 members, my guess is that only 50 or so are active, discounting the nutjobs with multiple socks. While it's difficult to assess each member accurately simply through their posts, they can be grouped and statistically analyzed by their posts and associations over time.

Remember when all the MAGA morons discounted polls even though every election campaign uses them? The BLS uses stats. The Census uses stats. The apportionment of House Representatives uses stats. Gerrymandering uses stats. In short, statistics are an essential tool for analyzing human society.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

Atheism is freedom. Freedom from the guilt of sin. From the fear of eternal damnation. Wondering why my prayers don’t work. Whether I’m praying hard enough. Giving enough tithe.

As Trump, an atheist, is proving in his mass murder of South American fishermen. This includes eugenics by aborting, both pre- and post-birth, defective babies.

It's also why, when the civil war starts, I'll have no problem executing MAGAts as domestic enemies of the Constitution. BAMM!! One shot in the back of the head. Merciful, quick, painless. No need to be cruel.

 

[Ichabod Stain]

ftfy

"[The] laws of motion include those that govern the movement of the planets in the solar system and the expansion of the universe itself. Whether you're using general relativity or the original Newtonian version of gravity"

- Paul M. Sutter, astrophysicist at SUNY Stony Brook​

​

​

What makes Newton's laws work? Here's the simple trick.

Lagrange found that the difference between an object's kinetic energy and potential energy unlocked something deeply profound about the universe.

www.space.com

"describe" is a more accurate word.

your argument for god is just a word game.