The sad state of agnosticism

[tcsenter]

And you don't roll your eyes at the idea that matter magically appeared all by itself, blowing up, and by an almost infinite series of impossibly improbable coincidences formed life all by itself?

Matter exists because its impossible for it not to exist. Nothingness isn't possible. Acceptance of the existence of matter requires nothing different from the same article of faith that religious believers employ to deal with the existence of God. If God created all the matter in the universe, where did God come from? "He just exists, that's the way it is. Doesn't God work in mysterious ways??" IOW, just accept it for what it is, we can't explain it. Matter could not not exist, therefore it exists.

Life forming is really easy to get your mind around. All the necessary biochemical building blocks occur naturally and can be formed with radiation, UV light, heat, reduction reactions, pressure, even explosions. Did you know amino acids have been found in meteorites?

Of course we haven't been able to reproduce genesis of life in labs strictly from non-biological products and processes. I believe that genesis of life may not even be possible under the present conditions of the earth. 3.5 billion years ago, the conditions on earth were radically different, much of which we do not understand.

You don't find it plausible that trillions of molecular interactions per year, over several hundred million years, might be able to form simplistic self-ordering and self-replicating biological precursors? Further, you find it 'telling' that we haven't been able to duplicate this in a few dozen labs with limited funding and resources over 40 years?

 

[sandorski]

Matter exists because its impossible for it not to exist. Nothingness isn't possible. Acceptance of the existence of matter requires nothing different from the same article of faith that religious believers employ to deal with the existence of God. If God created all the matter in the universe, where did God come from? "He just exists, that's the way it is. Doesn't God work in mysterious ways??" IOW, just accept it for what it is, we can't explain it. Matter could not not exist, therefore it exists....

Yup, that's what really gets me. God just exists, but anything else "just existing" is some kind of crazy talk. lol

 

[Sea Moose]

I'm watching.

:sneaky:

Why does this turn me on?

 

[Timorous]

I am atheist because there is no evidence that god exists.

The something must have created the universe argument always ends up in a turtles all the way down situation. If god did it where did god come from? At that point you have two options, the infinite regression or the god has always existed option. Both choices are effectively the same and since there is no evidence of either I just remove it from the equation and settle on the universe has been around for ever.

Of course I cannot be 100% certain that god does not exist because you cannot prove a negative but the lack of evidence makes me 90+% certain there is no god.

 

[StrangerGuy]

So, imagining things to be true that can make us happy is fulfiling? Yeah, go ahead and do that, I'm sure nature works the same way too.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I am atheist because there is no evidence that god exists.

The something must have created the universe argument always ends up in a turtles all the way down situation. If god did it where did god come from? At that point you have two options, the infinite regression or the god has always existed option. Both choices are effectively the same and since there is no evidence of either I just remove it from the equation and settle on the universe has been around for ever.

Of course I cannot be 100% certain that god does not exist because you cannot prove a negative but the lack of evidence makes me 90+% certain there is no god.

Agreed.
I don't believe, nor have I believed in any sort of supernatural beings as far back as I remember. I believe that the literal Christian, Jewish, or Muslim god is impossible, however, I don't think that it is possible to prove the nonexistence of of god, therefore, I am an agnostic atheist simply because I believe you can't "test it" to be sure.