Ask an Atheist Project: Crescent

And here we have the latest entry into the illustrious Ask an Atheist Project, an ongoing project of mine which is kept going by the contributions of fellow atheists who submit their responses to a series of questions. This latest entry is by a friend of mine who goes by the moniker "Crescent" here in the crazy online world of the internet. (HERE is a link to Crescent`s Gamepad on Gametrailers, where you can find his blogs, which are usually either rants, animé reviews, or rants about animé :)

So, here is his submission. Read, enjoy, laugh, cry, recoil in horror, whatever and then feel free to comment, and let him know what you think, where you agree/disagree, etc. And thanks very much to Crescent  for taking the time to do this. Btw, if anyone reading this wants to see the other entries, and/or enter their own submission, please click the link above. Thanks. (For now, though, you can have a link to my (magx01's) entry (hey, I started the damn thing!)

1) What is an atheist?/What do atheists believe?/Don't atheists worship Satan?/Can you prove that god does not exist?

Wait, this is FOUR questions. Anyway, first an Atheist is *PULLS OUT DICTIONARY* A person who lacks a belief in God.

Second, Atheists are only united in the fact that they lack a belief in God, other beliefs are not relevant.

Third, no, we don't believe Satan exists so how can we worship him.

And fourth, no we can't prove that god doesn't exist and that's not our job, those who are proposing a positive claim (Like God exists) must prove that claim. It's infinitely easier to prove something exists than not exists, it's call the Burden of Proof. 

2) Aren't there some things that science can't explain? Also, how can you trust science since it's always changing?

Maybe, but we are still learning so we don't know what it can explain and what it can't, and just because we don't have an answer now it doesn't mean we can't explain it in the future. 

How can I trust science? Because it becomes more accurate as it changes. Think of it this way, if you are asked the question 2+2=?, and you don't know the answer will you change your answer if it's wrong until it is right, like 2+2=6, 2+2=1, 2+2=3, 2+2=4, or will you continue to answer that same thing despite it being wrong, like 2+2=7, 2+2=7, 2+2=7, 2+2=7.

3) What evidence would convince you that god exists?

God appearing before me, doing things that can not have happen otherwise, giving me accurate and complete predictions (Like at 3 PM tomorrow a lightning bolt will strike Bruce Campbell in his car), and there is at least one (or preferably more) person there to witness the event.

Extraordinary claim require Extraordinary evidence.

4) Why is there something rather than nothing?

Well, how can you tell if there is nothing? You wouldn't exist to experience it. Maybe it's impossible for there to be nothing, maybe there was nothing and then something but since we can't experience the nothing we are unfazed by it. Bottom line, I don't know, and neither do you.

5) Where do atheists think the universe came from?

 I don't know, but that doesn't mean God HAD to do it. Perhaps the universe has always existed, just in one state or another

6) If you met god, what would you say to him?

 *POINT AT THE BIBLE* You have a lot of explaining to do.

7) Everyone believes in god, why don't atheists believe too?

Well, clearly not everyone believes in god otherwise there wouldn't BE atheists to ask this question. Besides, just because everyone believes in god doesn't mean he exists. At one point everyone believed the Earth was flat. At another everyone believed the Earth was the center of the universe. At another everyone believed that stars where just holes in a firmament. Besides, you all don't believe in the same God so don't act like a majority.

8) Where do morals come from, if not from god?

They came from evolution. In order for a population to survive the births in that population must outweigh the deaths, and since we had to work together to survive and kill greater animals then ourselves we needed trust among each other. So, don't kill one another, work together, and generally be nice where desired traits that started to get passed on and accumulated. Thus, the most cooperative where the most likely to survive, and became the backbone of our morals.

9) What's the point of living if you don't believe in god?

"And someday soon my friend, this ride will come to an end. But we can't just get in line again!"

Somewhere in the Between by Streetlight Manifesto http://www.youtube.com/wa...j4j2w 

10) If we came from monkeys, why are there still monkeys alive today?

If Americans came from Europeans, why are there still Europeans alive today? Humans branched off from monkey and became two separate paths, just like American branched off from Europeans.

11) Don't you atheists wish there was a heaven?

Hell no, life and happiness's value comes from how fragile they are. It takes very little to completely shatter either and thus we are protective of them. But if they are unbreakable like they are in heaven than they lose all meaning, and happiness and life become worthless. I'd rather that not happen.

12) Why blog, debate on forums, make videos, etc?

Because I want to encourage critical thinking, and saying God exists because he exists because I have faith, isn't critical thinking. The greatest tool to expanding knowledge isn't answers, it's questions. When you run out of questions then you stop learning.

13) Pascal's Wager basically states that even though the existence of God cannot be determined through reason, a person should wager as though God exists, because living life accordingly has everything to gain, and nothing to lose, whereas living as an atheist can possibly cost you everything but you gain nothing. Essentially, why don't you just believe, what do you have to lose?

You're right, I'll start believing in Izanagi right away! Or is it Odin? Or Thor? Jupiter? Zeus? Isis? Ra? Ladon? The Flying Spaghetti Monser? Chuck Norris? Megaman? The Giant Space Ninja? See my point? This is a false dichotomy, it assumes only two choices, God or Not God, when in reality it is Not God or hundreds of Gods we know about and countless Gods that we don't. This means that you are no more likely to be right than me and if we are both wrong than we both are doomed. Maybe the one true god is so incomprehensible that there is no way any of us can know his existence and thus we are all doomed. So is this wager still worth it? 

14. *Custom Question of the Participant's Choosing*

magx01's note: Participant failed to create and then answer a 14th question.