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Originally Posted by Andy A.
I can't imagine living in a universe that has secrets that humans will never be able to figure out. The notion that humans are just not cut out to understand the 'really tricky stuff' bothers me.
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I think the progress of science is a continuous reminder that there is more out there to understand than can ever be understood.
As far as atheism, I'm atheist. I was raised catholic (and still am) but in recent years i've passed through different levels of agnosticism and now i am almost purely atheist. I think the matter of "what atheist is", which has been discussed a lot in this thread, is more complicated than defining "God". I also believe that a person can be atheist in certain ways, but not others.
For example, although I highly doubt the existance of an all-powerful spirit that created the universe we live in, I do not rule it out. It may not comply with scientific laws, but the concept makes sense.
I am 100% convinced that no afterlife exists - at least not in any way remotely resembling that which is depicted by various religions. I find that the existing ideas about an afterlife do not comply with logic. I use this arguement to pick apart the common idea of an afterlife:
- the common idea of an afterlife is that when we die our "spirit" move on to another life, but what is our "spirit"?
- if a spirit is supposed to be everything non-physical about us
- how would our memory be transfered, since our memory is stored as physical information in our brain?
- our personality is also the product of what is in our brain, would we lose that too?
- since everything that makes us "us" is stored physically in our brain, would our "spirit" just be a blank slate consisting of nothing but our stream of consiousness?
- if so,
- how could the supposed "final judgement" be passed upon all of these theoretically identical entities?
- would this even count as an afterlife, or is it just "recycling" the soul?
- if a spirit is supposed to be an imprint of our mind, rescued from our body before death
- what happens to the brain-damaged? are they eternally cursed to a less enjoyable afterlife?
- what about those who are braindead entirely? would they be able to experience their afterlife at all?
- what about people who die because their brain is destroyed? are they lost too?
i personally think that people believe in an afterlife because they are afraid of ceasing to exist when they die. i don't think that is really something to be afraid of.
i can tell you one thing: when i no longer exist, i won't care much, will i?