Atheist, are you one??

[Wendigo]

Originally Posted by Jeff Vader

Question so - do animals have souls ? While we're on the subject of afterlife and that ?

As an atheist I don't believe there are any souls.

Originally Posted by Jeff Vader

I don't really 'get' the fear of dying. Everything that lives, dies. 'On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero'.

Look at the popularity of "bucket lists" maybe a hundred years ago people's expectations were a lot lower, they couldn't travel the world as easy as many of us can do nowadays. Many of us have things we want to do before we die, some are achievable and others much less so, it's fearing not having done all we wanted to do. Often due to illness and other matters beyond our control.

I also question the concept of a God who we are led to believe would choose an evil person who repents at the last minute over a decent person who lives a normal life but just not believe in a divine presence.

[dbailey]

It is Sunday morning, and here we all are, debating the existance of a god or souls or an afterlife on a porn forum instead of being in our best clothes and on bended knee in front of a wooden bench and some chap blah blah blah blah blah canonites.blah blah blah.

Souls, where to start? what are they? how can they be identified and categorised?

I have thoughts, I have morals does that give me a soul?

Is a soul the understanding of self?

I think, therfore I am?

When I am dead, I can no longer think, therefore I am not?

Altruistic behaviour, does this suggest a soul? or just the product of genetic survival

[Jeff Vader]

Originally Posted by dbailey

It is Sunday morning, and here we all are, debating the existance of a god or souls or an afterlife on a porn forum instead of being in our best clothes and on bended knee in front of a wooden bench and some chap blah blah blah blah blah canonites.blah blah blah.

Souls, where to start? what are they? how can they be identified and categorised?

I have thoughts, I have morals does that give me a soul?

Dogs can think, they can be sensitive to your moods, feel pain and loss.

Morals, well you can train a dog not to do something, so is that so different from morals we humans have which became laws or rules ? We don't kill each other because it's against the law and we're taught that it's wrong. Thus it becomes a moral code - or vice versa, the laws we have came from learnt behaviour perhaps.

This probably has it's origin in group behaviour. Our ancestors had to team up with each other to build shelter, find food, someone had to mind the children and a group is better able to defend itself from predators and enemies than a single individual. Would/could this be the origin of moral behaviour where an individual will do something to benefit the whole group and not just his or her own self ?

Is a soul the understanding of self?

I think, therfore I am?

When I am dead, I can no longer think, therefore I am not?

Altruistic behaviour, does this suggest a soul? or just the product of genetic survival

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAFQ5kUHPkY

Altruism and co-operation in monkeys

[billybunter]

Faith and a belief in an after life gives some people great comfort. As people age you tend to find they start going to church. One foot in the grave starts to scare them.

[General Halsey]

you know religions and faiths are not the problem, problem is the church

[MaxJoker]

Originally Posted by billybunter

One foot in the grave starts to scare them.

Well the show did start to become pretty repetitive after the third season


As for me i believe we`re all beings of undying energy that lives on even after our frail bodies have died.

Which is a great comfort.

Given how many people in the eyes of the law i`ve "technically" killed

[cicciobuki]

Originally Posted by billybunter

Faith and a belief in an after life gives some people great comfort. As people age you tend to find they start going to church. One foot in the grave starts to scare them.

Actually, that is not always the case.

My grandmom, who had always been moderately catholic (well she was raised catholic but never really brought it up) as she turned around 90, widowed and tired of life, she told me that she seriously doubted there was a heaven (and all the cliches that went with it).

[army1959]

i come from the Apache nation and follow the path of my people as we have no gods and have the spirits of our ancestors to guide us threw life ( our history ) was forced in to being a Christian at a young age in order to go to an American school so no don't believe in god !!!

[billybunter]

Originally Posted by cicciobuki

Actually, that is not always the case.

My grandmom, who had always been moderately catholic (well she was raised catholic but never really brought it up) as she turned around 90, widowed and tired of life, she told me that she seriously doubted there was a heaven (and all the cliches that went with it).

I did say "some people" but yes some stick to their guns until the end.
Before my Grandfather passed away he said, "I think i've lived too long" he was 88. Once he was unable to tend to his garden due to old age, he just lost interest in living

[Davemetalhead]

Originally Posted by billybunter

One difference about atheists is they don't worship any deity. And they keep an open mind.

"Keep an open mind"?!? Rubbish, complete and utter tosh.

Atheists are as close minded as religious fundamentalists.

Atheists are the ones that say God does not exist - that is not keeping an open mind.

Atheists are far more likely in my experience to be the ones condemning others for what they believe.