Why do so many Athiests / Agnostics / ect....

[Axeman]

Why do so many of them forget one simple fact?

99% of the time , we can attribute a lack of faith to the luxury of a good life...

[Broken Pope]

If by 'the luxury' of a good life you mean 'education', I never forget it.

If everybody understood the basic tenets of Darwinism and cosmology there would be fewer people clinging to creation myths as a means of explaining their physical and social environment.

I used to think that religion was a harmless crutch for the stupid, weak-minded and ill-informed. Since September 11th 2001 I have come to think it is a dangerous indulgence to allow these people to hold irrational and baseless beliefs.

[Cluny the Scourge]

Why do so many of them forget one simple fact?

99% of the time , we can attribute a lack of faith to the luxury of a good life...

It's certainly true that people who live in physical hardship are more likely to need some kind of "spiritual" solace to make up the difference and prevent them from going insane, yes. Take that pressure away and it becomes easier to think clearly about such matters.

Plus, as Pope says, there is the link between ignorance and religious conviction, and the link between prosperity and education. Wealthier social groups will have more widespread education and up to a more advanced age-level - and more education means less of a willingness to accept irrational forms of reasoning.

[Nutsack]

It's certainly true that people who live in physical hardship are more likely to need some kind of "spiritual" solace to make up the difference and prevent them from going insane, yes.

Because I'm an atheist, I consider God non-existent, therefore technically having a "spiritual" solace in the first place is insanity.

I don't know if this adds to any points made, or is even relevant to the topic. I'm tired and can't concentrate right now.

[Bond]

Why do so many of them forget one simple fact?

99% of the time , we can attribute a lack of faith to the luxury of a good life...

all rich people aren't atheist

as to your question why they "forget" i think it's merely over looked. "luxury of a good life" is not why atheist question the idea of a god/gods.

[Medicus]

No, we can attribute atheism/agnosticism to a thorough examining of faith and religion, and an ultimate rejection of it.

[jankren]

Come on, if you were raised without believing in any religion and I came up to you and say, "I talked to a talking bush on fire or a talking snake." Would you laugh at me or believe in what I said?

[Father Jack]

Come on, if you were raised without believing in any religion and I came up to you and say, "I talked to a talking bush on fire or a talking snake." Would you laugh at me or believe in what I said?

I would laugh at you and tell you to stop telling fairly tales or i would direct you to the nearest lunatic asylum. Then again I was raised with christian parents but i would still laugh.

[basics]

" If everybody understood the basic tenets of Darwinism and cosmology there would be fewer people clinging to creation myths as a means of explaining their physical and social environment."

Broken Pope,

And if Darwinism and Cosmology could explain how a bunch of atoms could by an explosion convert into DNA within an organic body or anything else for that matter, like water, gold, oil never mind humans, trees etc, that might go some way to eradicate the absurdity of it all, but it can't.

Perhaps this collider, when the various atoms make what you hope is a big bang, will then show us how what will still be atoms, how this wonderful conversion takes place. This I very much doubt.

[Broken Pope]

And if Darwinism and Cosmology could explain how a bunch of atoms could by an explosion convert into DNA within an organic body or anything else for that matter, like water, gold, oil never mind humans, trees etc, that might go some way to eradicate the absurdity of it all, but it can't.

Exactly like Shyam Popat said: don't jump to supernatural conclusions. Wait until the evidence is in.

In the meantime, go with the unlikely (but less preposterous) assumption that matter slowly coalesced into increasingly complex states in the billions of years after the big bang and that somehow, somewhere, at some point in a period of 10 billlion years or so some molecules of amino acids converged in such a way as to make a primitive life-form.

I know its improbable. But it must be more probable than the spontaneous materialization of a sentient and perfect super-being with matter-generating properties, a well defined moral compass (and a fondness for choral music).

[Medicus]

But it must be more probable than the spontaneous materialization of a sentient and perfect super-being with matter-generating properties, a well defined moral compass (and a fondness for choral music).

I have never understood that. If I was a supernatural deity with the power to crush my followers like ants, I'd demand a weekly tribute of beer and women.

[Playfishpaste]

" If everybody understood the basic tenets of Darwinism and cosmology there would be fewer people clinging to creation myths as a means of explaining their physical and social environment."

Broken Pope,

And if Darwinism and Cosmology could explain how a bunch of atoms could by an explosion convert into DNA within an organic body or anything else for that matter, like water, gold, oil never mind humans, trees etc, that might go some way to eradicate the absurdity of it all, but it can't.

Perhaps this collider, when the various atoms make what you hope is a big bang, will then show us how what will still be atoms, how this wonderful conversion takes place. This I very much doubt.

Darwinism and cosmology can't, but physics and chemistry? Sure can! What would you like to start with? There's quite a few processes you've brought up there, but for starters, there was no explosion, unless you were using that metaphorically.

[Pious Agnost]

Darwinism and cosmology can't, but physics and chemistry? Sure can! What would you like to start with? There's quite a few processes you've brought up there, but for starters, there was no explosion, unless you were using that metaphorically.

Perhaps physics or chemistry can explain how this matter in a non-religious (Used broadly) world can explain how the matter has existed for an infinite period of time backwards, or if it hasn't, how matter has suddenly began to exist from nothing, this isn't an attack, just you must have a decent understanding of them both :hmmm:?

[Playfishpaste]

Perhaps physics or chemistry can explain how this matter in a non-religious (Used broadly) world can explain how the matter has existed for an infinite period of time backwards, or if it hasn't, how matter has suddenly began to exist from nothing, this isn't an attack, just you must have a decent understanding of them both :hmmm:?

Yup, and no offense taken man, it's a very good question. If we rely on thermodynamics, we could say that the multiverse has existed through a series of big crunches and big bangs, and this is the most common atheistic assertion for why it exists. This is a bit of a copout though because it relies on how time doesn't necessarily have to be linear or non-relatavistic (as there is no time, only spacetime, yay einstein). If you think of it in terms of "creation" we already know how matter can be generated, and since energy is it's equivalent we can say the same for energy as well, the Higgs boson. Now before anybody jumps on me and says quantum physics also goes by thermodynamics, I use the term generated loosely. The higgs is already a massive particle, and according to supersymmetry all particles in the standard model have a huge counter part as well, this is how I'm assuming how inflation could have been kindled at the big bang, or how all the mass for other universes that are created (by events) is supplied. The LHC will bring us more on that though, and if the higgs isn't found, we'll have to do a lot of revamping.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

I think that America would prove you wrong Axeman.

And if Darwinism and Cosmology could explain how a bunch of atoms could by an explosion convert into DNA within an organic body or anything else for that matter, like water, gold, oil never mind humans, trees etc, that might go some way to eradicate the absurdity of it all, but it can't.

It is better to wait until we can understand it than label it as a divine miracle.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Why do so many of them forget one simple fact?

99% of the time , we can attribute a lack of faith to the luxury of a good life...

No, just that those with a harder life are less likely to have access to genuine education.

[chriscase]

A few hundred years ago, abiogenesis would have been on equal footing with celestial mechanics and the basic mechanisms of cellular reproduction as teleological argument. Now it's not, because those phenomenae have been explained. In time, so will abiogenesis, and some other mystery will be called upon to take its place. Since each of these unanswered questions - if sufficiently specific - will ultimately become less mysterious, none of them are valid.

[Glabro]

Why do so many of them forget one simple fact?

99% of the time , we can attribute a lack of faith to the luxury of a good life...

Your point being...?

If you are arguing for religious beliefs, you just failed utterly and provided an argument AGAINST your beliefs.

[Dayman]

Why do so many of them forget one simple fact?

99% of the time , we can attribute a lack of faith to the luxury of a good life...

I had a rough life, by American standards, growing up.

I was always to skeptical to be bought of with promises of a better life after I was dead.

[Chaigidel]

yeah but rough life doesnt exactly equal the kind of lives faced by people who need religion in order to help motivate survival.

even if lack of faith is a luxury it certainly doesnt point to the existence or nonexistence of god only that we have amazing power to shape our will no matter what the situation we are in; in extreme situations extreme psychological icons are necessary-- hence religion benefitting the desperate, and less so the opulent.