http://todaychristian.net/10-questions-every-atheist/
You'd think that the author of this would do a few minutes of searching the internet (Google is your friend) before re-asking these questions.
1. How Did You Become an Atheist?
When I was in grade 7 (I think, may have been earlier), the Gideons gave our school Gideon bibles.
This was great! I'll read the bible to become a better christian... from cover to cover!
I didn't even get through Genesis before I started to realize what non-sense the book was. I didn't know it then, but I had become an atheist. Still, I slogged through.
Since then, I've read many bibles, even wrote bible software for a time. I've remained, an atheist.
This is why I am an advocate for the distribution of bibles in schools. Someone might actually read the things.
Oh, as an aside, I'm cool with bibles in hotel rooms as well. I always take the time to sign them: "From Jesus, I wrote this for you, hope you like it!". In red, of course.
2. What happens when we die?
The same thing that happened before we were alive. Don't worry about it! We were fine for billions of years before we were alive, death can't be that bad(thanks, Samuel Clemens).
3. What if you’re wrong? And there is a Heaven? And there is a HELL!
Pascal's Wager... sigh... Please, please, before posing arguments, please, read the counter arguments first!
What happens if you're wrong, and Odin is supremely pissed that you were worshipping some minor hill god that couldn't deal with iron chariots(Judges 1:19)?
Pascal's wager presupposes that I could fool an omnipotent god by pretending to believe in it. I can't choose to believe things for which no evidence exists. In fact, I work very hard to rid myself of beliefs for which no evidence exists. Wouldn't an omniscient being realize that I was lying?
It also presupposes the existence of an afterlife, for which no evidence exists.
And Pascal's Wager is based on the threat of hell... How impressed would a god be that I only "believed" in him to avoid hell? Not any god worth worshipping.
How can I even *choose* to believe something? Especially without evidence?
For an fantastic dissection of Pascal's Wager watch Matt Dillahunty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBCDGohZT70
4. Without God, where do you get your morality from?
The same place you do. And that's not the bible! How moral is it
- to keep slaves(Leviticus 25:44-46)?
- to test people by asking them to sacrifice children(Genesis 22)?
- to test people by destroying their lives(Job)?
- to be intolerant of people that don't agree with your religion(Luke 19:27)?
so, I really hope you don't get your morals from the bible, and I hope you don't rely on threats from a god to be a good person... But, if you do need threats to be good to your fellow humans, please don't give up your religion!
5 a. If there is no God, can we do what we want?
I pretty much do the things that I want to do. I go sailing, write software, discuss religion, travel...
Why would a god want to stop me from doing those things?
5 b. Are we free to murder and rape?
I don't want to murder or rape. And the god of the bible has done, ordered or condoned those actions on many occasions... Read your bible!
5 c. While good deeds are unrewarded?
I don't require rewards for the good that I do. I don't require threats to not harm people. It says a lot about people that need to be rewarded for just being reasonable human beings.
6. If there is no god, how does your life have any meaning?
I don't require the existence of a god to make meaning for my life.
7. Where did the universe come from?
I don't know, neither do you.. well, if you do please present your evidence, get it peer reviewed and accept your Nobel prize.
Now the "Big Bang model" talks about what happened shortly after the universe began... There's good evidence for the Big Bang model - it correctly predicted many phenomena that have since been observed:
- the abundance of light elements
- the cosmic microwave background
- large scale structure
- Hubble's Law.
all of these phenomena, and many more, were predicted before they were observed. This demonstrates the validity of the theory. What's even better, is that as cosmologists learn more about the universe, they'll update the theory and make it better.
What about them? I've seen no evidence of any miracle.
8 b. What all the people who claim to have a connection with Jesus?
There are lots of people that claim to have a connection with aliens or ancient gods. Just because someone claims something, doesn't mean I need to believe it without evidence.
8 c. What about those who claim to have seen saints or angels?
Again, anecdotal claims are not evidence. There are lots of people who claim to have seen flying saucers, and aliens.. Do I need to believe their claims? There are many people who have claimed to have seen Djinn and leprechauns... Do I need to believe them?
9. What’s your view of Dawkins, Hitchens and Harris?
I like them. I agree with some of what they say, and disagree with other things they say.
Dawkins explains himself very well, and has taught me a great deal about nature.
Hitchens was a fantastic journalist and had a great sense of humour. His writing makes me want to learn much more about the subjects he writes about.
Harris is a wonderful science and philosophy popularizer. I enjoy his discussions on faith and applications of science to problems of morality.
10. If there is no God, then why does every society have a religion?
Your premise is incorrect, the Piraha people of Brazil had no religion.
Even if everyone had a religion, that still isn't evidence that a god exists.
In fact, it's a wonderful counter argument! Why are there so many different religions! Even within Christianity there are at least 41000 different denominations(according to the Pew Forum)! If there were one god, why are there so many religions, let alone denominations within religions...
