To David Doster, Pastor:
I responded to your article http://www2.morganton.com/content/2008/sep/25/atheist-really/#comments
because I'm Fearless Leader of the LA Brights, and part of our mandate is to respond to articles such as yours.
My response follows:
1. The definition of faith - belief without reason.
Therefore, the "faithful" and atheists can agree: "No reason for god(s)"
2. Disproving the idea of an omni-present, omni-potent, omni-temporal, omni-xxx god is simple.
To do what that god is said to be able to do is to defy the laws of the known universe. That "god" must be able to operate at greater than light speed.
"He" is also supposed to have purpose. Therefore, "he" must think and be "an entity".
For information to exist, the information that makes up this "entity", it must have a physical substrate upon which to exist.
Since no particle exists that operates faster than light in our universe, what holds the thoughts of god?
God cannot exist.
Easy to prove, although it does depend on what YOUR definition of god is.
I'd ask the preacher, and Mr. Colson, how they can prove god does exist, since they claim "he" does...
They cannot.
If you synthesize all the best philosophy and theological work on what god is and how "he" operates, you are left with "God works in mysterious ways".
Now, I know that nothing like god(s) can or even need exist.
I also know that most people seek a higher power.
That seeking is due to evolutionary and excellent survival behaviors from our distant past.
The "need to seek" is what religions of the world prey upon, to get more people into the tent.
There is no soul
there is no god(s)
there is no afterlife
there is only our own chemistry
there is no shared cosmic consciousness
However, most don't believe that, since they are born with "a need to seek".
Enjoy.
I cannot convince you, even with the most rational and logical and scientific argument (such as the one presented above).
That's because most of you don't have freewill in this matter.
Enjoy it.
We are born moral, and our conscience is culturally determined.
Religion and god have absolutely NOTHING to do with it, but religion would like to take credit for it.
Enjoy.
--Frish
