Question to Atheists

[Glacier]

Is Aayan Hirsi Ali a hard liner?

A lot of liberally minded folks don't like her views (both theist and atheist). eg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08EYqwyns-k#t=4m15s

[JLives]

What is your evidence?

No evidence = no deities. Should the evidence change so does the conclusion. Pretty basic stuff.

[1nick]

A lot of liberally minded folks don't like her views (both theist and atheist). eg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08EYqwyns-k#t=4m15s

She is definitely a hard liner against Islam.
I like her.

[WeatherWoman]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... tific.html

Atheists 'have higher IQs': Their intelligence 'makes them more likely to dismiss religion as irrational and unscientific'

[1nick]

Does that mean I can't be an atheist anymore?

[Sneaksuit]

No evidence = no deities. Should the evidence change so does the conclusion. Pretty basic stuff.

The fundamental problem with this argument is that a deity might have created the universe but provides no evidence of itself, making inherent reasonable doubt of its existence. Of course, this is no argument that there exists a deity, but critically puts the atheist in a position of faith - the same position as the theist.

A potential second problem might be rooted in your notion of evidence. What is evidence to you?

[Glacier]

Atheists 'have higher IQs': Their intelligence 'makes them more likely to dismiss religion as irrational and unscientific'

Depends which religion you're comparing against (further to the right means a higher IQ).

IQ vs. Religion.jpg

[Omnitheo]

The fundamental problem with this argument is that a deity might have created the universe but provides no evidence of itself, making inherent reasonable doubt of its existence. Of course, this is no argument that there exists a deity, but critically puts the atheist in a position of faith - the same position as the theist.

It's possible, though it's also possible the universe was created inside a computer, and everything is just a simulation, with evolution being a program installed recently on the Earth server..

But there's no evidence at all of that, so why base my life around such a belief? Extra-ordinary claims require extra-ordinary evidence. There is no evidence for a deity, and thus no belief. "Oh but there still could be" well yes but virtually every other unknown was once caused by a god. Thor creating lightning etc. we now enough about how electricity works in order to have built our entire lives around it. If we've found natural explanations for all these other mysteries, then any unknown now, such as the birth of the universe, is just as likely to be a natural cause which we just haven't figured out yet, no supernatural entity required. So in the meantime, I will subscribe to the primary theory of the Big Bang, which is the best supported theory with the facts we have available, and I will eagerly await any evidence to support counter theories.

[averagejoe]

Atheists 'have higher IQs': Their intelligence 'makes them more likely to dismiss religion as irrational and unscientific'

Yes but like I said before that atheists are the least trusted people......read about this awhile ago.

Atheists are one of the most disliked groups in America. Only 45 percent of Americans say they would vote for a qualified atheist presidential candidate, and atheists are rated as the least desirable group for a potential son-in-law or daughter-in-law to belong to. Will Gervais at the University of British Columbia recently published a set of studies looking at why atheists are so disliked. His conclusion: It comes down to trust.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... -distrust/


Given the increasing religiosity of American culture, it's perhaps not too surprising that a new study out this month finds that Americans are not fond of atheists and trust them less than they do other groups. The depth of this distrust is a bit astonishing nonetheless.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1786422

[fluffy]

If we're talking about "God" in the traditional sense, a conscious intelligence of some description with his/her/its fingers on the buttons of the universe then it would be safe to count me among non-believers. However I'm of the mind that that particular God concept is fast becoming just another out-dated used-to-believe that is soon to take its place on some dusty shelf with the flat earth. A more metaphorical God, one that loosely personifies all that we have yet to discover is fast taking it place among spiritualists who are open to the thought there is something deeper, wider and more pervasive than our current understanding has shown. Something a little more Obiwan-Kenobi-ish if you will. So for starters I'd like to challenge the self-proclaimed atheists here to describe just what God it is that they choose not to believe in. For that matter, the "believers" could chime in on the same subject. Put a face on your God/no God for all to see. For me it's not as much about believing or not believing as it is about being open to possibilities and admitting that we have a lot to learn.

[1nick]

Yes but like I said before that atheists are the least trusted people......read about this awhile ago.

Atheists are one of the most disliked groups in America. Only 45 percent of Americans say they would vote for a qualified atheist presidential candidate, and atheists are rated as the least desirable group for a potential son-in-law or daughter-in-law to belong to. Will Gervais at the University of British Columbia recently published a set of studies looking at why atheists are so disliked. His conclusion: It comes down to trust.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... -distrust/


Given the increasing religiosity of American culture, it's perhaps not too surprising that a new study out this month finds that Americans are not fond of atheists and trust them less than they do other groups. The depth of this distrust is a bit astonishing nonetheless.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1786422

So what's your point?
'muricans are afraid of atheists so god exists?

[Captain Awesome]

Depends which religion you're comparing against (further to the right means a higher IQ).

Wow, you gotta be smart to be Jewish.

Also, you need lots of money.

[Sneaksuit]

But there's no evidence at all of that, so why base my life around such a belief?

As pointed out in my previous post, your argument of having no evidence goes both ways. How do you reconcile that?

So in the meantime, I will subscribe to the primary theory of the Big Bang, which is the best supported theory with the facts we have available, and I will eagerly await any evidence to support counter theories.

The Big Bang is a theory about what happened, nothing at all to with how it came about in the first place or why. In other words, it is irrelevant to this debate. It is like asking someone why they threw a ball at you, and they answered "because the force of my arm projected it towards you after my decision to throw it."

[1nick]

I once read Stephen Hawking say he was most interested in the time/space? immediately following the big bang.
Perhaps he knows it's folly to try and understand the time/space??? prior to the big bang.

[Glacier]

Wow, you gotta be smart to be Jewish.

Also, you need lots of money.

You're reading the graph wrong. Jews are right in the middle of the bell curve at near average intelligence. Atheists are slightly above average, and Shintos are the smartest. I do not vouch for the the accuracy of the graph, only that the graph exists on the internet somewhere.

Lots of other interesting graphs out there too.