Why are you an Atheist today? (Buddhism, America, agnostic, priest)

[JustNobody]

c'est la vie
"
So, do you only love your mom when your brain 'lights up'?

Is your love for your mom just an emotional response that happens occasionally?

If you told your mom "I only love you when I think about you and have a specific emotional response" , do you think she would consider that to be love?
"
First I was only offering a proof of love of someone, not on what it is or isn't. I'll leave on what it is or isn't to philosophy and religion. Love or any emotion for that matter isn't necessarily a response, well not an immediate one. Love is somewhat of an emotionally bonding thing based in memory, at least the common interpretation of what love is. Asking the question about your feelings is what helps to trigger a change in the brain state, which makes it easier to see.
As far as asking a question to one's mom, it would depend on their particular definition of love, but yeah, most people consider love to be an emotion, so unless you are presenting some kind of idealized abstraction of what love is, but if you were you wouldn't have called it an emotion in the first place. Oh, and your question about asking one's mom seems to be designed to create a emotional response and reveal that I somehow have some different position of what love is in real life, but I don't. Nor would I care how my mom or anyone for that matter would react if they felt somehow my "love" wasn't real because it was an emotion and was to some degree a temporary state. I see everything through the lens of science, which allows me to look closely and unbiasedly at things. In the end, the truth always wins. Why be dishonest out of fear?

[c'est la vie]

Originally Posted by JustNobody

c'est la vie
"
So, do you only love your mom when your brain 'lights up'?

Is your love for your mom just an emotional response that happens occasionally?

If you told your mom "I only love you when I think about you and have a specific emotional response" , do you think she would consider that to be love?
"
First I was only offering a proof of love of someone, not on what it is or isn't. I'll leave on what it is or isn't to philosophy and religion. Love or any emotion for that matter isn't necessarily a response, well not an immediate one. Love is somewhat of an emotionally bonding thing based in memory, at least the common interpretation of what love is. Asking the question about your feelings is what helps to trigger a change in the brain state, which makes it easier to see.
As far as asking a question to one's mom, it would depend on their particular definition of love, but yeah, most people consider love to be an emotion, so unless you are presenting some kind of idealized abstraction of what love is, but if you were you wouldn't have called it an emotion in the first place. Oh, and your question about asking one's mom seems to be designed to create a emotional response and reveal that I somehow have some different position of what love is in real life, but I don't. Nor would I care how my mom or anyone for that matter would react if they felt somehow my "love" wasn't real because it was an emotion and was to some degree a temporary state. I see everything through the lens of science, which allows me to look closely and unbiasedly at things. In the end, the truth always wins. Why be dishonest out of fear?

How can you claim to offer 'proof' of love when you can't even seem to define it.

'It might be an emotional response, it might not. I'll leave that to others'.

Don't tell me you can 'prove' something you can't even define.

My point is that love defies 'scientific proof'. You've shown that to be the case.

So if 'scientific proof' is the only basis on which we say something does or does not exist, then we must admit that you don't love your mom since there is no such thing.

Keep that in mind when someone says 'show me scientific proof of God'.

[JustNobody]

c'est la vie
"How can you claim to offer 'proof' of love when you can't even seem to define it."
Medical scientists have defined it, but others have different definitions. People say they are experiencing love, scientist looks at brain, and notices a pattern. Scientist calls "love" that pattern. I can define it; I can't say how others define it or if there might be some kind of "love" that is different than a particular pattern in the brain.

"My point is that love defies 'scientific proof'. You've shown that to be the case."
You haven't even said what it is, how can you argue it defies 'scientific proof'? No, I haven't shown that to be the case. You've already concluded that was the case and try and put words in my mouth. I can't show love to defy scientific proof - that would be impossible. I could at best only show a belief that love defies scientific proof, not that it does. For you "love" seems to equal "God", since you are arguing they are both unknowable and must be taken on faith. Am I wrong?

"So if 'scientific proof' is the only basis on which we say something does or does not exist, then we must admit that you don't love your mom since there is no such thing." Err, huh? Why must I admit something, and you don't make sense, write more clearly. Why is there no such thing as "love"? How are you arguing I said that? Because I said "love" has an effect on the brain and it can be measured and thus has a physical reality, you argue that I am saying "love" doesn't exist because it doesn't fit your definition of "love". Reread what I wrote!

"Keep that in mind when someone says 'show me scientific proof of God'." -Ok, is there some kind of point you are trying to make? You can't demonstrate any "proof of God", nor do you know "God", so your point is mute. If "God" exists in whatever form that may take, it will only ever be known through some type of "science". To claim otherwise is to not understand what science or reality is.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

Originally Posted by jackdonekings

How on earth will you be an atheist today? During this time when science itself is discovering the unexplainable. Why would our consciousness spontaneously happen, the organize planets that orbit around the stars, then the solar systems are orbiting and so is our galaxies, like something caused it to happen.

Why would we ourselves be an accident, when our thoughts operate as antennas generating at different frequencies, why is there the law of gravity and the polarities of atoms.

Scientist can't even create life but you still believe we spontaneously happen, life gives life i thought you knew

i thought you knew wisdom comes from the higher source, Truly our complex brain has receptors that generate thought in a form of frequency, we create our days through our thoughts and if we getting bad luck we cannot blame God but us. There is a God in charge of the universal laws the an accident cannot govern itself.

There is a cause for a everything, there is a reason why our bodies have red blood cells, white blood cells and non are an accident and that counts for this universe, The cause was not accidental but has reasons of all reason

I can't wait for the day that I can get away from people like you. People who are so sanctimonious that they believe their way is the only way.
I am even considering moving from Florida a red state to a blue one because the stench of the Religious right is overpowering me. I worry about the sanity of those that are coming in contact with my child because of this.

Honestly, can't you just leave us be and get on with your life? I don't need or want your help and I should imagine the rest of us atheists feel the same way. Move on, nothing to see here. Pray for us if it makes you feel better but leave us alone. What is it in your psyche that makes you want to, need to force your beliefs on us?

[justme58]

Originally Posted by Lindsey_Mcfarren

-snip- What is it in your psyche that makes you want to, need to force your beliefs on us?

Did you not know they get stars in their crown for bugging us

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

Originally Posted by justme58

Did you not know they get stars in their crown for bugging us

You say that jokingly but I think they really believe that.

All their actions on this world can be summed up by pointing out their motivation is some kind of reward in the afterlife. I try to do the right thing because its the right thing, expecting no reward now or later, only the good feeling of being a kind person. GO FIGURE !!

[c'est la vie]

Originally Posted by Lindsey_Mcfarren

I can't wait for the day that I can get away from people like you. People who are so sanctimonious that they believe their way is the only way.
I am even considering moving from Florida a red state to a blue one because the stench of the Religious right is overpowering me. I worry about the sanity of those that are coming in contact with my child because of this.

Honestly, can't you just leave us be and get on with your life? I don't need or want your help and I should imagine the rest of us atheists feel the same way. Move on, nothing to see here. Pray for us if it makes you feel better but leave us alone. What is it in your psyche that makes you want to, need to force your beliefs on us?

One great way to get away from religious folk is to quit posting in the religion forum. But you can't seem to accomplish that.

btw Florida a Red state? lol

Last time I looked President Barry won the state of Florida. Are you living in a different Florida than the one on the southeast end of the USA?

[AREQUIPA]

Originally Posted by justme58

Did you not know they get stars in their crown for bugging us

I was told to spread credit around, but I loved that.

[c'est la vie]

Originally Posted by JustNobody

For you "love" seems to equal "God", since you are arguing they are both unknowable and must be taken on faith. Am I wrong?

You are incorrect. I've not said they are equal.

And I've not said that either love or God is 'unknowable'.

I've said they aren't 'scientifically provable'.

Measuring brain waves and patterns won't tell you if someone loves.

It simply measures emotional ebb and flow.

This emotion may or may not at various times be associated with love; and it is certainly not love itself.

I love my wife and kids even when I don't have a warm fuzzy feeling, even when they cause me grief. (And I'm sure I cause them some as well. None of us are close to perfect.)

Love isn't just a nice emotion. People who think so fill the divorce courts.

So you probably need to go back and read everything I've said so that you can set your head straight about what we're discussing. We're talking about love, not feelings.

Just because something isn't 'scientifically provable' doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Hope you're having a good day, my friend.

[sanspeur]

Originally Posted by c'est la vie

One great way to get away from religious folk is to quit posting in the religion forum. But you can't seem to accomplish that.

btw Florida a Red state? lol

Last time I looked President Barry won the state of Florida. Are you living in a different Florida than the one on the southeast end of the USA?

I see you posting in this thread.."Why are you an atheist today", so I guess you are an atheist, huh? So why are you an atheist?