Reply to Do atheists fancy themselves as nonconformists?

Forum Index » Religion

Reply to "Do atheists fancy themselves as nonconformists?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Atheists seem to have no problem believing in their own self-awareness and consciousness but as consistent materialists an atheist's self-awareness and consciousness is a contradiction in terms.  You're all just programmed sacks of protoplasm exhibiting somewhat interesting behaviors from time to time.  Yet you have no way to prove that what you claim to be your self-awareness or consciousness isn't any less of an imaginary illusion than Santa Clause is.[/quote]

I experience self-awareness and consciousness.  I don't "believe" it.  I can't explain it either.  That's honest - not contradictory.[/quote]
+1

Saying I believe I my own self-awareness and consciousness is like saying I believe in the sandwich I ate for lunch. I experienced it; it was there. There's no faith or supernatural deed behind it. As far as I know, my awareness and consciousness are the product of electrical impulses going through my brain. That doesn't make them any more or less important than anyone else's.

-Humanist Jew[/quote]

No it's not the same at all.  Other independent observers can see an object called a sandwich and watch you engage in the behavior of consuming it.   To believe that there is a sentient intelligence with self-conscious awareness behind the words you have typed, requires us to take it on faith.  Maybe a squirrel has been jumping around on a computer keyboard somewhere and typed "your" words.  It requires a pure exercise in faith to believe otherwise.  No different than religious belief at its core.[/quote]
Ok. I just had dinner with my husband and son. My son observed me making dinner. The three of us had a conversation while we were eating. None of those observations takes a leap of faith or a belief that those interactions were being led by anything spiritual.

Beyond that, the chemistry and electric impulses in a brain can be directly linked by scientists to specific observable behaviors and actions. Again, this doesn't require a leap of faith or a belief in a higher spiritual being.

-HJ[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics