Posts by John

210

Morality Without Deity

by cofty in

one of the most persistent arguments for belief in god centres on the necessity of an ultimate law-giver and epitome of goodness.. a softer version is seen in the genuine concern that a loss of faith will result in a corresponding loss of a moral compass - a more strident argument links the existence of good and evil with proof of the reality of god.

it is often asserted that without god, moral decisions degenerate to nothing more than personal preferences and the victory of "might is right".. i want to succinctly lay out my response as an atheist, and show that a supreme being is not required for objective morality.. it is helpful to distinguish between absolute morality, objective morality and subjective morality.

christian apologists frequently conflate the first two, and secular debaters often fail to point out the difference.. theists who disagree on everything else, are unanimous that god is perfectly good.

John_Mann

I'm, afraid I don't support anything that is detached from matter - for me thoughts are material, imagination is material etc

I know what you mean but thoughts are immaterial. Immateriality doesn't mean something is metaphysical. Computer software is immaterial for instance. That's why materialists prefer the term physicalism.

What materialists/physicalists disagree with theists is that some immaterial properties in our minds are produced by something metaphysical (soul).

Theists defend that this soul is not just immaterial but immortal and independent from the physical body. And is active even after the death of the physical body (and some immaterial properties of the mind that are dependent on the body) .

The theistic view I support says that soul is not our whole minds but is attached to our minds and give it the property of consciousness (and Qualia for example) . We believe this entity (soul) was infused (directly by God) in Homo sapiens not so much time ago (about 4000 bC). Before that Homo sapiens were not conscious but they had a very sophisticated mind able to develop writing and civilization, you can read more about how this is possible in the psychological thesis of Bicameralism by Julian Jaynes.

210

Morality Without Deity

by cofty in

one of the most persistent arguments for belief in god centres on the necessity of an ultimate law-giver and epitome of goodness.. a softer version is seen in the genuine concern that a loss of faith will result in a corresponding loss of a moral compass - a more strident argument links the existence of good and evil with proof of the reality of god.

it is often asserted that without god, moral decisions degenerate to nothing more than personal preferences and the victory of "might is right".. i want to succinctly lay out my response as an atheist, and show that a supreme being is not required for objective morality.. it is helpful to distinguish between absolute morality, objective morality and subjective morality.

christian apologists frequently conflate the first two, and secular debaters often fail to point out the difference.. theists who disagree on everything else, are unanimous that god is perfectly good.

John_Mann

In ourselves we can recognise that we can spend quite a while in this space/pause/hesitation.

Exactly, and this ability (among several others) is derived from the sense cofty mentioned: that we are more than just matter, something in us is very ethereal and detached from matter.

210

Morality Without Deity

by cofty in

one of the most persistent arguments for belief in god centres on the necessity of an ultimate law-giver and epitome of goodness.. a softer version is seen in the genuine concern that a loss of faith will result in a corresponding loss of a moral compass - a more strident argument links the existence of good and evil with proof of the reality of god.

it is often asserted that without god, moral decisions degenerate to nothing more than personal preferences and the victory of "might is right".. i want to succinctly lay out my response as an atheist, and show that a supreme being is not required for objective morality.. it is helpful to distinguish between absolute morality, objective morality and subjective morality.

christian apologists frequently conflate the first two, and secular debaters often fail to point out the difference.. theists who disagree on everything else, are unanimous that god is perfectly good.

John_Mann

We have a sense that we are somehow separate from the rest of us as if we were something ethereal that inhabits and controls our own minds and bodies.

This is what the "High Priest" of Atheism Daniel Dennett called "Zombic Hunch" and he admitted to feel it too.

I'm very surprised you admit to sense that too.

You say that this sense is just an illusion but you must agree that this very sense is a paramount in ours minds.

If you pay attention to this sense you'll notice that it's not just an instinctive mechanism. Because we can sense it when we are not in real danger and we can think about it and extrapolate it to a lot of other senses, like morality.

Did you never considered this sense can be a real thing? Why do we have this intricate sense and not just a simple instintictive fight-or-flight response in danger situations?

... the conviction that there is a real difference between a conscious person and a perfect zombie — let’s call that intuition the Zombic Hunch — leading them to the thesis of Zombism: that the fundamental flaw in any mechanistic theory of consciousness is that it cannot account for this important difference.

... and many other philosophers of mind don’t just feel the tug of the Zombic Hunch (I can feel the tug as well as anybody), they credit it. They are, however reluctantly, Zombists, who maintain that the zombie challenge is a serious criticism.

Daniel Dennett, The Zombic Hunch: Extinction of an Intuition?

210

Morality Without Deity

by cofty in

one of the most persistent arguments for belief in god centres on the necessity of an ultimate law-giver and epitome of goodness.. a softer version is seen in the genuine concern that a loss of faith will result in a corresponding loss of a moral compass - a more strident argument links the existence of good and evil with proof of the reality of god.

it is often asserted that without god, moral decisions degenerate to nothing more than personal preferences and the victory of "might is right".. i want to succinctly lay out my response as an atheist, and show that a supreme being is not required for objective morality.. it is helpful to distinguish between absolute morality, objective morality and subjective morality.

christian apologists frequently conflate the first two, and secular debaters often fail to point out the difference.. theists who disagree on everything else, are unanimous that god is perfectly good.

John_Mann

In no way does this lead to nihilism.

Of course not! Because is already nihilism. You know that! You're an intelligent man!

Sam Harris supports eliminativism and that means consciousness is just an illusion. It's not just elimination about some especific spooky sense of transcendence but the whole Self is just an illusion. In this talk he's clearing refuting reducionism and promoting eliminativism.

Don't fool yourself cofty. You know by killing God you kill yourself too. If God is an illusion so are you. There's no point arguing about "differences" between illusions.

I know in your mind you'll never accept that you are just an illusion, and this will bring a lot of pain in your soul.

I know that not so deep in your mind, when you think about your own death, automatically comes a steady sensation that someway somehow clinical death is not the end.

Don't let bad experiences with false prophets (JW's and Pentecostals) fill your soul with revolt against God.

210

Morality Without Deity

by cofty in

one of the most persistent arguments for belief in god centres on the necessity of an ultimate law-giver and epitome of goodness.. a softer version is seen in the genuine concern that a loss of faith will result in a corresponding loss of a moral compass - a more strident argument links the existence of good and evil with proof of the reality of god.

it is often asserted that without god, moral decisions degenerate to nothing more than personal preferences and the victory of "might is right".. i want to succinctly lay out my response as an atheist, and show that a supreme being is not required for objective morality.. it is helpful to distinguish between absolute morality, objective morality and subjective morality.

christian apologists frequently conflate the first two, and secular debaters often fail to point out the difference.. theists who disagree on everything else, are unanimous that god is perfectly good.

John_Mann

Catholics doesn't view God as a human male too. It's only a simple way to describe him.

Even JW's share this view.

But God is Spirit so He can't be male or female or both. Even though now God took a (glorified) human male body into Trinity, Jesus Christ. But the Godhead still is Spirit in nature.

I think only Mormons view God literally as a human male.

We only know by revelation the Three Persons of God. But God itself is a complete mystery.

Just like we know by experience what is past, present and future. Past is time, present is time and future is time but time itself beyond the tripartition is not easy (or possible) to understand.

210

Morality Without Deity

by cofty in

one of the most persistent arguments for belief in god centres on the necessity of an ultimate law-giver and epitome of goodness.. a softer version is seen in the genuine concern that a loss of faith will result in a corresponding loss of a moral compass - a more strident argument links the existence of good and evil with proof of the reality of god.

it is often asserted that without god, moral decisions degenerate to nothing more than personal preferences and the victory of "might is right".. i want to succinctly lay out my response as an atheist, and show that a supreme being is not required for objective morality.. it is helpful to distinguish between absolute morality, objective morality and subjective morality.

christian apologists frequently conflate the first two, and secular debaters often fail to point out the difference.. theists who disagree on everything else, are unanimous that god is perfectly good.

John_Mann

Cofty did you saw the video?

"What I'm saying, however, is that the Self is an illusion". - Sam Harris at 3:05 of the video.

This is eliminativism and/or nihilism cofty, like you or not. And you said to me before you just accept "shit happens".

If you is just an illusion why bother with anything? Why "waste" time debating with nothing by nothing?

It's not only God being an illusion but you're an illusion too. You can't deny this logical conclusion. You can't have both ways and you know it.

Do you at least accepts that you're just an illusion like Harris (Dennett explicitly says that too) said?

210

Morality Without Deity

by cofty in

one of the most persistent arguments for belief in god centres on the necessity of an ultimate law-giver and epitome of goodness.. a softer version is seen in the genuine concern that a loss of faith will result in a corresponding loss of a moral compass - a more strident argument links the existence of good and evil with proof of the reality of god.

it is often asserted that without god, moral decisions degenerate to nothing more than personal preferences and the victory of "might is right".. i want to succinctly lay out my response as an atheist, and show that a supreme being is not required for objective morality.. it is helpful to distinguish between absolute morality, objective morality and subjective morality.

christian apologists frequently conflate the first two, and secular debaters often fail to point out the difference.. theists who disagree on everything else, are unanimous that god is perfectly good.

John_Mann

https://youtu.be/fajfkO_X0l0

210

Morality Without Deity

by cofty in

one of the most persistent arguments for belief in god centres on the necessity of an ultimate law-giver and epitome of goodness.. a softer version is seen in the genuine concern that a loss of faith will result in a corresponding loss of a moral compass - a more strident argument links the existence of good and evil with proof of the reality of god.

it is often asserted that without god, moral decisions degenerate to nothing more than personal preferences and the victory of "might is right".. i want to succinctly lay out my response as an atheist, and show that a supreme being is not required for objective morality.. it is helpful to distinguish between absolute morality, objective morality and subjective morality.

christian apologists frequently conflate the first two, and secular debaters often fail to point out the difference.. theists who disagree on everything else, are unanimous that god is perfectly good.

John_Mann

Sam Harris points out the difference between...

A nihilist quoting another nihilist about differences.

Sam Harris as an eliminativist says consciousness does not exist. It's not only about God not existing but we are just an illusion too. There's no God, no Self, no free will, no absolutes, just nothing.

There are no differences in nothingness.

How funny is that?

210

Morality Without Deity

by cofty in

one of the most persistent arguments for belief in god centres on the necessity of an ultimate law-giver and epitome of goodness.. a softer version is seen in the genuine concern that a loss of faith will result in a corresponding loss of a moral compass - a more strident argument links the existence of good and evil with proof of the reality of god.

it is often asserted that without god, moral decisions degenerate to nothing more than personal preferences and the victory of "might is right".. i want to succinctly lay out my response as an atheist, and show that a supreme being is not required for objective morality.. it is helpful to distinguish between absolute morality, objective morality and subjective morality.

christian apologists frequently conflate the first two, and secular debaters often fail to point out the difference.. theists who disagree on everything else, are unanimous that god is perfectly good.

John_Mann

You found the need of the big picture that others don't see.

I'm not saying that I can see what is the big picture. Actually it's very hard to see it. The problem of evil is the hardest theological problem.

I'm saying that I believe there is a big picture. Based in analogous experiences.

210

Morality Without Deity

by cofty in

one of the most persistent arguments for belief in god centres on the necessity of an ultimate law-giver and epitome of goodness.. a softer version is seen in the genuine concern that a loss of faith will result in a corresponding loss of a moral compass - a more strident argument links the existence of good and evil with proof of the reality of god.

it is often asserted that without god, moral decisions degenerate to nothing more than personal preferences and the victory of "might is right".. i want to succinctly lay out my response as an atheist, and show that a supreme being is not required for objective morality.. it is helpful to distinguish between absolute morality, objective morality and subjective morality.

christian apologists frequently conflate the first two, and secular debaters often fail to point out the difference.. theists who disagree on everything else, are unanimous that god is perfectly good.

John_Mann

I think the ultimate goal of morality is the well-being of people.

But in the meantime some acts can be seen as immoral if you don't see the big picture.

Parents submitting children under painful treatment for instance.

Sometimes an apparent evil is the only way to achieve a greater good.

John_Mann

Posts by John_Mann