BEST Qs to Ask an Atheist

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[kelvinloeb]

Like every other person ever born I was born an atheist

[saikoakuma]

10 queries, 10 answers.
1. Atheism is the disbelief of a theistic claim.
2. I first began to doubt at 15 and fully accepted the label at 24.
3. Yes, until the age of 15.
4. My whole family identifies as Christian and I love them dearly.
5. Evidence that convinces me.
6. Because the circumstances that led to the expansion and development of the universe also led to the formation of all known matter.
7. The ocean.
8. The brain.
9. The understanding that a social species works better when wellbeing is set as the minimal standard. All 'objective' values and rules can then be quantified from that basis.
10. Jesus is my cousin on my grandfather's side, twice removed.

[XDRONIN]

@SeanMcDowell
Well, I'm assuming you're asking on video for a reason, but ok, ...
1) What do you mean by Atheism?
Personally, to not believe or be convinced of the God/Gods idea

2) When did you become an Atheist?
That's an interesting question, it started when an evangelical teacher dedicated herself to cursing me to hell because I was the "Wrong" kind of Christian, and then fully atheist somewhere in my mid-20s

3) Did you ever believe in God?
Yes, I was raised believing it was a foregone conclusion of life

4) What's your experience with Christians?
Which Christians? A _Mix_ Experience

5) What if anything might cause you to re-considered your belief?
Testable & Falsifiable Evidence for any God/s
Something that *even the possibility of Human Error would be a lot more impossible to believe* than God

6) *Why there is something rather than Nothing?*
Is there a reason Nothing should be the default state of things?

7) Where does life come from?
Well, according to many many scientists, ... Life most likely started from Chemistry in the Oceans

8) What's the origin of Consciousness?
a) Define Consciousness
b) The evolution of life

9) Do "Objective Moral Values" and Duties exists?
No, we are Social Animals, we are conditioned and accept the "morals and duties" of the society around us as long as we do not see any harmful effects, especially toward us

10) Who is Jesus?
Probably an apocalyptic Jewish Rabbi who believed the End of Days was near within the first century, and his original religious set was changed and spread by his followers and later Paul, and that's how Christianity got started

🤔🤔🤔

[robertjordinelli]

Evidence. Where is it? WHY are we expected to believe without evidence?

[yumyum]

The second ser of questions has an obvious answer. We don't know and neither do you

[Iverath]

What I mean by atheism: it's a label I put on the fact that I don't believe in gods.

When did I become an atheist: My parents were uncaring atheists (they didn't care about religion, not that they had made an active choice to not believe), but they still sent me to sunday school.

Did I ever believe in god? Nope. But I've always been interested in religion.

My experience with Christians (offline) has been good. Christians are nice people like the rest of us.

What would cause me to reconsider: A credible miracle in front of me. Show yourself, Jesus!

Why is there something rather than nothing: No clue. But let me say this clearly: if you claim that you HAVE a clue about this (more than the experts in the subjects do), then you'll have to defend that.

Where life came from: Well, if we are made out of atoms, and atoms are not alive, then I see no problem with a naturally occurring abiogenesis.

Objective moral values: Please, Sean, first prove to me that there's such a thing as **objective** moral values. Tjump on youtube has one of the most unique moral theories on objective morality, so if I had to defend that I might go with what Tjump says.

---
Oh, and first ask the atheist if he wants to talk about your religion.

[gavinalex]

Be comfortable with not knowing things. If you dont get what im getting at u wont.

[Vivamexicocsbrones]

Everyone is born an Atheist. But our minds can be shaped. I've always been an Atheist.

[dertechl]

Why do you expect random atheists to know the answer to the latter questions?

[atheistcomments]

It's quite simple. Your God only exists as an imaginary character.

[radscorpion]

I honestly think if you had a real interaction with even a mildly capable atheist, like many who comment on your shorts, your arguments would be completely devastated. So many of your arguments, concerning objective morality or the origins of the universe, are deeply flawed just on a logical basis alone.

First of all you need to prove that objective morality exists, and for that you can not rely on what is honestly a very embarrassing proof theists use - argument from emotion. That is not a serious proof of anything.

Second, whether or not an atheist has an explanation for the origin of the cosmos has NOTHING to do with whether a God exists or not. That is the classic God of the gaps reasoning - that if we can't explain how something occurred, but God could conceivably fill that gap, then we just assert "God did it", or else somehow view that as evidence that God exists. The EXACT same fallacious reasoning exists with respect to the fine-tuning or teleological argument. Just because you find it difficult to explain the constants of the universe, does not mean you can just baselessly assert and believe that they were magically set to their values by a deity.

That is not credible science, and it is not logical reasoning. Just because you can not think of other alternatives does not mean that what you are left with is true. We need EVIDENCE or else some reason to think that any and all alternatives are logically impossible, or else that what you are claiming is logically necessary. Theists satisfy none of those requirements.

For all we know the origins of the universe are beyond are comprehension or ability to explain, either temporarily or permanently going into the future.

[iancampbell]

Best questions to ask a Christian "WHY ARE YOU COMPLETELY INSANE?"

[Potatoguy-qdei]

I feel like if you need the threat of an Eternal punishment to be a good person you're not a good person

[internetizmyhome]

1) I don't believe in any gods

2) Slowly over 8-12 years; it's hard to nail down because I'm not sure exactly when I started to lose my faith, when I lost my faith, and when I admitted to myself I had lost my faith

3) Yes, I grew up a believer

4) Depends on how hungry we are

5) I am constantly reconsidering my beliefs. One of my favorite proverbs (little p) is "A mind that hasn't been changed recently is a mind that hasn't been used recently."

~~big questions
1) I'm not sure "Nothingness" is possible

2) Self-sustaining chemical reaction systems

3) Consciousness is an emergent property of neural networks

4) Values, by definition, are subjective

5) A legendary figure likely based off an itinerant preacher who lived between ~100 bc and 40 ad

[_Sme__ne]

Conversely, ask all those questions inserting Christian, instead of atheist.

[jamesduncan]

First demonstrate the validity of your collection of rewritten, second-hand myths and legends called the Pentateuch. Your source material has some issues that I've never seen adequately addressed.

And yes, we have answers for your downstream questions. Except for "something from nothing." That's pure BS, and you've been at this long enough you know better than that.

[MankindDiary]

First few questions are really great, but those "big question" - why to even pose them? Atheism has nothing to do with the origin of life, ways to increase GDP of Ghana, or the best way to bake a cake. I can answer "I don't know" to any of your question and my atheism will still be as valid as before, because my atheism does not steam from knowing how to bake a cake, or how to explain consciousness, it steams from your side that constantly lacks any evidence that god is actually real and my lack of knowledge in other areas does not play in your favor.

[WE_R_DNA]

@SeanMcDowell So, you're finally copying what Matt Dilahunty and the crew have been doing for over 15 years with theist??? Sean does like atheists' approach of getting to know a theist. Matt and the crew always ask theist which god they believe in and why they believe and have encouraged other atheist to ask the same questions. It's awesome to see atheist influencing theist. This is a great sign. 🎉

[TheCheapPhilosophy]

The best evidence possible for any entity, is the entity. So, any God willing to be known by humans, will have himself as the best, and unique, evidence.
Every religion has prophets, prophecies, priests, packed, miracles and apologists.
They lack the God.

[peterbumper]

There are no good questions from theists to atheists.
I do not need to justify what I believe.
The only time evangelizing 'might' work is when the person is already questioning themselves about gods existence.
The more I hear about other people getting out of religion, or getting into religion, It was their own journey that they were taking. There never was a magic word or phrase that started them on their personal path.