What would I need evidence for? I know that I like the environment and the continued existence of the human race, because I'm the one experiencing the sensation of liking those things. Since it's a subjective internal experience, by definition the fact that I'm perceiving it means that I'm having it. I don't claim that there is any special magical reason why I like those things or that the fact that I like them proves anything, but my like for them motivates me to want to protect the environment. Now does that answer your question about why an atheist would want to protect the environment?
Atheism, Evolution and Environmental conservation
- Thread starter S.A.M.
- Start date
Evidence that there will be life on earth in a 100 years for example.
I can't prove that there will be life on earth in 100 years, but based on the evidence - what we know about the current situation and the history of life on earth so far - it seems very likely. Atheists do not need absolute iron-clad proof before they hold an opinion, they generally just look at where th evidence is pointing. The evidence points to there being life in 100 years.
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What evidence?
Like I said in my last post - the history of life on earth and an analysis of the current situation make it seem likely to me that there will be life on earth in 100 years. I do not particularly want to go into a discusion of why it seems likely to me that there will be life on earth in 100 years. Maybe you could take that to the Biology or General Science section if you want to debate it.
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M*W: Interesting question, and there seems to be a competition, but not in the minds of atheists (and I cannot speak for all of them). Having been a christian, and knowing what they think and believe, there is a feeling an atheist might have as a sense of completion. We don't rely on something that is not there. The environment is there. We are here, and we're all going straight back into the environment. We won't come back in anyone else's body. We won't come back as a ghost. We simply become worm food, and the life cycle continues....
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M*W: I don't feel that at all. I feel I owe them everything, even though I'll be worm food long gone. In due time, I don't expect to even be remembered at all. Not to get into a discussion about genetic memory at this time. I also don't believe all atheists have a defeatist attitude of it all coming to an end. Essentially, I won't care then, but I still do now. Now is all I've got. Now is all you've got. We have to live our lives in the now. That is the most important concept.
As an atheist, I know that is all there is, but I don't have any fears of dying. When I became atheist, I realized I had nothing to fear at all.
Very nice, but I said nothing about fear, so its interesting you should briing it up.
However, it still does not explain to me why any atheist would care about what happens after he/she dies. Its not like they can predict the future.
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M*W: For me, I have faith in myself and in my family. That kind of faith goes on. I'm a survivor of death too many times to count. More recently a stroke and two heart attacks, and I'm still aggravating the theists online. I don't plan to stop it either.
I'm not particularly motivated to protect or conserve our environment for the long term since I don't expect human future will be biological and long term it will be off planet.
While I don't want to live in a trash can, and will make modest efforts to be responsible with my environment, I'm simply not inclined to take it further unless it is clear that my short term future will be dramatically and negatively impacted.
While I don't want to live in a trash can, and will make modest efforts to be responsible with my environment, I'm simply not inclined to take it further unless it is clear that my short term future will be dramatically and negatively impacted.
That sounds about the right attitude.
Not true. Humans are for the most part altruistic, be it towards other humans or animals and by extension the rest of the natural world. Just because we don't believe a god or gods created the universe on a creative whim that doesn't make us robots.
I do hope you're not kidding. Humans are altruistic? With 4.5 pounds of food per person on the planet today and all our progress, 20,000 children still die daily from trade related poverty. Half the species on the planet will be wiped out in a 100 years because we are so self centered.
Stepen Hawking No Sign Of Intelligent Life
Yeah, I remember your downloadable mind theory. Be careful what you wish for, they say, for you may get it.
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If I could click my fingers and save all those children then I would.
I think you missed my point.
If I could click my fingers and save all those children then I would.
I think you missed my point.
Sure you would. But you don't save even one of them. Thats my point.
Simon Anders
Valued Senior Member
I believe you work in nutrition or science related to it. Are you saying that you are interested in questions around this area because you have faith that there will be people to eat in the future? Does it really say this in the Koran? Or can you not imagine how an atheist might consider a relatively good statistical chance that there will be a world in 100 years? Do you makes plans for the future based solely on religious faith? I mean you could die tomorrow morning? In fact there is nothing in any religion that makes this impossible. Yet, I assume you occasionally make plans for events even weeks in advance. Is this because you are religious? Or can you possibly imagine that atheists might also make plans and take into account certain seemingly possible or likely futures? Many scientists will admit that a planet wide catastrophe is possible - say an asteroid collision - nevertheless they play the odds - to the best of their abilities - and make plans for saturday night, just like you do.So you are basing it on the past? This is your evidence of the future?
Neither of you can run to God or some supercomputer to know you or the planet will be here for sure.
I can't see where this means that atheists are hypocrites.
If they were claiming they knew for sure homo sapiens would be here, or someone could put forward a statistical analyis that showed the odds of homo sapians being wiped out are so high to spend energy, resources or concern on the future is illogical, well that would be a different case.
Simon Anders
Valued Senior Member
Right as in moral? Or do you mean 'that's what I would expect from an atheist and not more'?
I study nutrition because the relationship between food and metabolism is fascinating to me.
We can discuss wbout theists elsewhere if you like. But most religions have rules about living.