Help For School

[Jordan559]

I need a couple people to answer a few questions for a class...

1. What exists? Is only matter real? Are abstract things such as ideas, mind, and spirit real as well? Are abstract things all that exists?
2. If you believe that abstract things exist, are they more important than material things? Why or why not?
3. Has the universe always existed, or did it have a beginning?
4. Do you believe there is a design or purpose to the universe? Why or why not?
5. Do you believe that history is working toward a goal of somekind? If so, what do you believe it is?
6. Is knowledge possible? If so, how do we know anything?
7. What is the most important thing in life?
8. Does every society have some sort of value system?
9. Do human beings have a built in sense of right and wrong?
10. Are any values absolute?
11. How do you personally decide what is right and wrong?
12.Is there such a thing as tragic moral choice? In other words do we sometimes have to choose between two evils? If so, can you give an example or two?
13. Do you agree with the statement, "All truth and values are relative"?
14. Do you agree with the statement, "The only rule we need to follow is the law of love"?
15.Does God exist? If so, is he personal or impersonal?
16.If you believe God exists, how to people come to know him? If you don't, why do so many people believe in him?
17. What is the Bible? Do it's teachings play any role in your daily life?
18. Do you agree with the statement, "All religions are basically the same"?
19. What does it mean to be human? Are we above other animals? How do we differ from other animals? Are we/do we have a soul?
20. Has the modern theory of evolution discredited the christian faith? If so, how?

[Jordan559]

I forgot, I also need your name, age, and worldview. You need to be eighteen or older.

[McQ]

Hey gang, haven't we seen this before? Seriously. And not just in the other thread that also started today. Somewhere recently though, in here. I'm lousy with our search function and haven't found it, but I would swear this is a repeat. Maybe it's just similar to one from a couple of months ago.

[Tanker]

This seems like a set up. I'm not convinced your intentions are as innocent as you make out. If you want debate atheism vs creationism fine, lets do that. This forum encourages free discourse between all beliefs and religions. If you are trying lay the ground work for a trap of some sort, that seems petty and dishonest, and is a poor start for honest discussion.

While it may seem I'm being paranoid, from long experience most atheists learn to "beware Trojans bearing gifts" or in this case "beware theists bearing inocent questions for an undefined purpose"

If and I repeat IF these questions are for what you state I would be happy to try and answer as many as I can.

[Zarathustra]

Hey gang, haven't we seen this before? Seriously. And not just in the other thread that also started today. Somewhere recently though, in here. I'm lousy with our search function and haven't found it, but I would swear this is a repeat. Maybe it's just similar to one from a couple of months ago.

Yep. I even fell in the other trap    But this one I have seen before. Have you guys noticed that all the questions revolve around issues, that only religious people propose to "know". The rest of us are still "just" curious, but are expected to provide dogmatic answers. Why is it so hard for religious people to think out of their box?

[Kyuuketsuki]

1. What exists? Is only matter real? Are abstract things such as ideas, mind, and spirit real as well? Are abstract things all that exists?

Until evidence is provided to support them I only accept that matter (material) things exist, the abstract (which I take to mean "spiritual" or supernatural) don't ... even ideas, mind and so on are explainable within current concepts of mind/brain.

2. If you believe that abstract things exist, are they more important than material things? Why or why not?

I don't so no (see above).

3. Has the universe always existed, or did it have a beginning?

Something has always existed but what that is has yet to be explained (and may never be explained), our universe is understood to be between 15 and 20 billion years old.

4. Do you believe there is a design or purpose to the universe? Why or why not?

No, there is no validatable evidence for design, no validatable evidence for a designer.

5. Do you believe that history is working toward a goal of somekind? If so, what do you believe it is?

No

6. Is knowledge possible? If so, how do we know anything?

Yes, it is stored in the brain (I am distinguishing this from knowledge in books as I would say that doesn't become knowledge until processed by a brain).

7. What is the most important thing in life?

Survival, children, beer, sex, beer, alcohol, beer, sex and science fiction

8. Does every society have some sort of value system?

Yes.

9. Do human beings have a built in sense of right and wrong?

No.

10. Are any values absolute?

No.

11. How do you personally decide what is right and wrong?

My sense of right and wrong is a product of my society, my parents, my friends, my education and so on ... I validate what I have been taught is right and wrong based on what makes sense to me.

12.Is there such a thing as tragic moral choice? In other words do we sometimes have to choose between two evils? If so, can you give an example or two?

No idea but choosing between two evils is a combination of basic math & preferred outcome IMO ...in other words if I had to choose between the death of an adult and that of a child I would likely choose the adult, if x adults versus 1 child likely the child, if that child were my own, no contest.

13. Do you agree with the statement, "All truth and values are relative"?

Yes

14. Do you agree with the statement, "The only rule we need to follow is the law of love"?

No

15.Does God exist? If so, is he personal or impersonal?

Although I cannot be absolutely sure I would say no.

16.If you believe God exists, how to people come to know him? If you don't, why do so many people believe in him?

People want to believe fairy tales.

17. What is the Bible? Do it's teachings play any role in your daily life?

It's a book outlining the tenets/beliefs/mythology of Christianity, yes as an ex-Catholic I'd be stupid to not admit that my basic mindset is formed by Christian thought.  

18. Do you agree with the statement, "All religions are basically the same"?

Yes

19. What does it mean to be human? Are we above other animals? How do we differ from other animals? Are we/do we have a soul?

Humans are a species of animal, no better or worse than any other ... we are special but only to us. There is no evidence for the existence of souls.

20. Has the modern theory of evolution discredited the christian faith? If so, how?

Yes, although it is possible to be a "theistic evolutionist" (a Christian who accepts the theory of evolution), in order to do so one must largely reject the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the bible) which outline the creation & the Noahic flood. This shifting of those concepts from truth to fable undermines Christianity and the creator god at its foundation.

James Rocks, 51, Atheist.

[bowmore]

3. Has the universe always existed, or did it have a beginning?

Both.

15.Does God exist? If so, is he personal or impersonal?

No

19. What does it mean to be human? Are we above other animals? How do we differ from other animals? Are we/do we have a soul?

We do not have a soul.
We are not a soul.

[Wechtlein Uns]

Booooring...  Here's an idea!  

[Zarathustra]

Much better questions.  :banna:  
Make threads, drink beer (please)  

[Jordan559]

This really is a homework assignment. I've been asking all of these questions to many different religions as well as atheists. And what do you mean by "trap"?

[Jordan559]

1. What exists? Is only matter real? Are abstract things such as ideas, mind, and spirit real as well? Are abstract things all that exists?

Until evidence is provided to support them I only accept that matter (material) things exist, the abstract (which I take to mean "spiritual" or supernatural) don't ... even ideas, mind and so on are explainable within current concepts of mind/brain.

2. If you believe that abstract things exist, are they more important than material things? Why or why not?

I don't so no (see above).

3. Has the universe always existed, or did it have a beginning?

Something has always existed but what that is has yet to be explained (and may never be explained), our universe is understood to be between 15 and 20 billion years old.

4. Do you believe there is a design or purpose to the universe? Why or why not?

No, there is no validatable evidence for design, no validatable evidence for a designer.

5. Do you believe that history is working toward a goal of somekind? If so, what do you believe it is?

No

6. Is knowledge possible? If so, how do we know anything?

Yes, it is stored in the brain (I am distinguishing this from knowledge in books as I would say that doesn't become knowledge until processed by a brain).

7. What is the most important thing in life?

Survival, children, beer, sex, beer, alcohol, beer, sex and science fiction

8. Does every society have some sort of value system?

Yes.

9. Do human beings have a built in sense of right and wrong?

No.

10. Are any values absolute?

No.

11. How do you personally decide what is right and wrong?

My sense of right and wrong is a product of my society, my parents, my friends, my education and so on ... I validate what I have been taught is right and wrong based on what makes sense to me.

12.Is there such a thing as tragic moral choice? In other words do we sometimes have to choose between two evils? If so, can you give an example or two?

No idea but choosing between two evils is a combination of basic math & preferred outcome IMO ...in other words if I had to choose between the death of an adult and that of a child I would likely choose the adult, if x adults versus 1 child likely the child, if that child were my own, no contest.

13. Do you agree with the statement, "All truth and values are relative"?

Yes

14. Do you agree with the statement, "The only rule we need to follow is the law of love"?

No

15.Does God exist? If so, is he personal or impersonal?

Although I cannot be absolutely sure I would say no.

16.If you believe God exists, how to people come to know him? If you don't, why do so many people believe in him?

People want to believe fairy tales.

17. What is the Bible? Do it's teachings play any role in your daily life?

It's a book outlining the tenets/beliefs/mythology of Christianity, yes as an ex-Catholic I'd be stupid to not admit that my basic mindset is formed by Christian thought.  

18. Do you agree with the statement, "All religions are basically the same"?

Yes

19. What does it mean to be human? Are we above other animals? How do we differ from other animals? Are we/do we have a soul?

Humans are a species of animal, no better or worse than any other ... we are special but only to us. There is no evidence for the existence of souls.

20. Has the modern theory of evolution discredited the christian faith? If so, how?

Yes, although it is possible to be a "theistic evolutionist" (a Christian who accepts the theory of evolution), in order to do so one must largely reject the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the bible) which outline the creation & the Noahic flood. This shifting of those concepts from truth to fable undermines Christianity and the creator god at its foundation.

James Rocks, 51, Atheist.

Thanks.

[Jordan559]

Booooring...  Here's an idea!  

I didn't make these questions up. They're from a neutral viewpoint. Your questions presuppose materialism.

[Zarathustra]

This really is a homework assignment. I've been asking all of these questions to many different religions as well as atheists. And what do you mean by "trap"?

Ok, I will answer some of your questions then.   What he ment by "trap" is that we have a lot of short-time visitors, that start of by asking questions (for "scoolpapers" or "surveys" or whatever) that presupposes dogmatic answers. Then all of a sudden they spend a lot of time debating, trying to ridicule the answers by reductio ad absurdum, or some other skewed logic. That is why he is suspicious.
The other reason is:

I didn't make these questions up. They're from a neutral viewpoint. Your questions presuppose materialism.

Well your questions aren't neutral, because they presuppose immaterialism, as well as numerous other presuppositions. For example:

1. What exists? Is only matter real? Are abstract things such as ideas, mind, and spirit real as well? Are abstract things all that exists?

Here you assume that mind and idea, are "abstract things". What if they were part of matter? I would like you to explain what exactly you mean by "abstract things"... I don't understand what you think it implies ontologically? What it refers to exactly.  

But I will answer the neutral questions for your paper. I hope that is OK?

1. What exists? Is only matter real? Are abstract things such as ideas, mind, and spirit real as well? Are abstract things all that exists?
2. If you believe that abstract things exist, are they more important than material things? Why or why not?

Biased questions as specified above. I will answer when you have defined what you think "abstract things" should refer to.

3. Has the universe always existed, or did it have a beginning?

Actually this is biased as well, since it presupposes a dogmatic answer yet again. I'll explain: How do you figure I would even propose to know this? I am with Hegelian epistemology on this one. The question asks us to provide an answer that we cannot have any knowledge of. To think that any man or book can claim  to know the truth about this subject (or even know if the question really makes sense) is a religious approach.

4. Do you believe there is a design or purpose to the universe? Why or why not?

Of course not. The idea is simply too primitive and in deep violation of the Tabula Rasa principle.

5. Do you believe that history is working toward a goal of somekind? If so, what do you believe it is?

Biased again. you assume that history is an active agent in itself.

6. Is knowledge possible?

Yes, of course.

If so, how do we know anything?

I am not giving a class in epistemology right now. The definition of knowledge varies a bit according to which scientific field you are in.

7. What is the most important thing in life?

There is not ONE most important thing to me. The list would be infinately long.
Curiosity and compassion would be a good beginning though.

8. Does every society have some sort of value system?

Yes

9. Do human beings have a built in sense of right and wrong?

Biased again. You assume that there objectively exists something called right and wrong. Ethics does exist, but it certainly seems to vary from society to society, i.e. what exactly is regarded as "right" and "wrong".

10. Are any values absolute?

Again you beg a dogmatic answer. Do you see that your questions are not neutral? The answer is pretty self evident, when you look at different societies.

11. How do you personally decide what is right and wrong?

By the means of my ethics of course. As everyone does.

12.Is there such a thing as tragic moral choice? In other words do we sometimes have to choose between two evils? If so, can you give an example or two?

I would call that a moral dilemma! Yes they do exist, there are numerous examples of this. Try googling "moral dilemma", there will be plenty of examples for you to read.

13. Do you agree with the statement, "All truth and values are relative"?

Again biased. Why are you putting "truth" and "values" in the same sentence? No matter what religious or non-religious conviction the person has, his answer might vary between the two.

14. Do you agree with the statement, "The only rule we need to follow is the law of love"?

No.

15.Does God exist? If so, is he personal or impersonal?

Which God? There are 9000 to choose from. Gods exists as social constructs.

16.If you believe God exists, how to people come to know him? If you don't, why do so many people believe in him?

Conditioning through repetition during their upbringing, belief in authority, tradition, lack of education and lack of concise rational thinking.

17. What is the Bible? Do it's teachings play any role in your daily life?

It is a religious book about the abrahamic god and his son. I used to think it did, but lots of studying of ethics and epistemology has revealed to me, that actually it doesn't. Christianity stole their ethics from Aristotle, so my ethics is essentially Aristotelian since I don't agree that faith holds intrinsic moral value. Except for having to deal with missionaries, and when discussing it here, the Bible has no influence on my life what so ever.

18. Do you agree with the statement, "All religions are basically the same"?

No. That would be oversimplifying things. Psychologically speaking: Yes.

19. What does it mean to be human? Are we above other animals? How do we differ from other animals? Are we/do we have a soul?

That you are a homo sapiens sapiens. No, except for the fact that we have achieved a very advantageous position in the food chain. We do in various ways. No, the notion of a soul is an empirically empty claim.

20. Has the modern theory of evolution discredited the christian faith? If so, how?

Yes. But it is along with the rest of science, not on its own. By debunking more and more of Genesis, among other things.

[Whitney]

Jordan, I have a question...did your teacher/professor suggest this website for some reason.  

I'm just asking because we get people coming through here with survey questions quite often and another friend of mine who admins a site has never had anyone post surveys on his forum.  His forum is actually more active than mine too.  So, I'm just a little bit confused on why this forum attracts the surveys.  This is the third? survey related thread started within the past week or so.

[Doubting Thomas29]

I need a couple people to answer a few questions for a class...

1. What exists? Is only matter real? Are abstract things such as ideas, mind, and spirit real as well? Are abstract things all that exists?

I am a mathematician I believe abstract things exist and the stuff I learned is not merely an abstraction, but actually do exist, like fields, rings and groups from Algebra.

2. If you believe that abstract things exist, are they more important than material things? Why or why not?

I believe Abstract things are more important than material things, because I associate abstraction with fanatasy, and I believe fantasy is always better than reality.  As long as the mouth is moving I feel no pain, because of the placebo affect and the power of positive thinking!

3. Has the universe always existed, or did it have a beginning?

We don't know we only speculate, have you heard of the idea of Plato's cave?

4. Do you believe there is a design or purpose to the universe? Why or why not?

I believe the universe is the product of brute facts of nature, and nature is very cruel as the universe shows this day in and day out.

5. Do you believe that history is working toward a goal of somekind? If so, what do you believe it is?

I believe there are no laws of history only chance and circumstance.

6. Is knowledge possible? If so, how do we know anything?

This is a hard concept for people to agree on, but I had a metaphysics professor who did a very good job on explaining how we can have Apriori knowledge of nature, we can know certain brute facts, to like 100% certainity, such as a married man cannot be a bachelor, and blue snow is still snow, and last but not least my personal favorite is, "It is either raining or not raining."  It being the weather outside as we traditionally think of it.  I believe we are the creation of the Universe is the product of some obscure brute fact that we may even be able to figure out in about fifty years perhaps.

7. What is the most important thing in life?

Surviving and reproducing, that is what it is all about, look at all of nature that is there sole purpose for existing.

8. Does every society have some sort of value system?

Yes in America our value system is based on Judaic Christian beliefes.

9. Do human beings have a built in sense of right and wrong?

We do it is the product of evolution morally good people are way better at raising familys than jerks!

10. Are any values absolute?

Sure there is the one that incestal marriage is wrong and not fullfilling promises made to dying relatives on their death bed, when they could or should be done.

11. How do you personally decide what is right and wrong?

I consult people on the internet like you do.  That is a joke.

I reckon you have to do philosophy but most of the time you simply trust your gut on what is right and wrong, and some things are obviously wrong and prohibited by law, but somethings are not so obvious, and you got trust your gut, because gut instinct is 99% accurate according to a survey by Harvard.  Your instinct can protect you, but you have to listen to it.

12.Is there such a thing as tragic moral choice? In other words do we sometimes have to choose between two evils? If so, can you give an example or two?

I know sometimes we choose the lesser of two evils, but if that is your only choice I don't think anyone would hold your feet to the fire about it, I honestly can't think of an example other than shooting someone in your own self defense or the defense of another.  It is wrong to take human life, but you have to preserve your life and those of innocent people if you have the ability to do so.  We should not in times of war think that it is now okay to kill people even though they want to kill us, we simply are picking the lesser of two evils so we may survive.  Killing those rag heads is a dirty job, but somebody has to do it.

13. Do you agree with the statement, "All truth and values are relative"?

I believe some things are absolute and others are a matter of opinion, it is just that not everyone can agree what is an absolute or an opinion.

14. Do you agree with the statement, "The only rule we need to follow is the law of love"?

No.  We need to follow the laws of our governments.

15.Does God exist? If so, is he personal or impersonal?

He does not exist.

16.If you believe God exists, how do people come to know him? If you don't, why do so many people believe in him?

God is the product of thousands of years of mythology, and our world is united in these various teachings of mythology throughout the globe, there is a huge long history lesson that goes way back to all these people believing in the same God as a form of unity with their people/countrymen and having control over the population.

17. What is the Bible? Do it's teachings play any role in your daily life?

The bible is the writings of primitive ruthless men collected over hundreds of years, read Leviticus 22:19 or 9 if you don't believe me.

18. Do you agree with the statement, "All religions are basically the same"?

No not at all, some are really different, the biggest difference that Judaism has from Islam and Christanity is that Judaism teaches the soul is not immortal, they don't believe in heaven or hell, and I like that a lot.

19. What does it mean to be human? Are we above other animals? How do we differ from other animals? Are we/do we have a soul?

We are animlas but we are above the other animals, because we kind of have taken over the planet.  I believe we have a soul, it is just a product of our concious mind, which is the product of evolution.

20. Has the modern theory of evolution discredited the christian faith? If so, how?

I believe that christianity is very compatable with christianity, you could talk to a roman catholic priest to reconcile Genesis with evolution, I'll give you a little hint as to what a roman catholic priest might tell you sometime when you talk to him.

Genesis is not to be read literally, the bible is not a book about biology, you will not learn about evolution or how the human race is the productof a God who used nature to create the human race.  You as a catholic ar permitted to believe in evolution and still be catholic, but what you must believe is that the mutations in DNA were not random, but were caused by God, and what Genesis records is the history behind when the human race finally understood language about 40,000 years ago and became self aware with the creation of the Fox2Tp gene.  When it says in Genesis "In the beginning the world was a waste land, and God saw it was like that, he called out to his creation and said 'let there be light'" this is symbolic of God sparking some light of reason in the human mind, light shedding light on an idea, and being called out of darkness.  Adam and Eve symbolize the first humans to lose their childhood innocence once they realized they were going to die and were naked, that was when the human race started preparing for its eventual death during its life time.  They we will all die some day, and some symbolize the death of the human race is when the sun will go out like when the Earth will lose the light of the world and the human race will go extinct at that time.  You'll notice that the bible personfies the sunshine as Jesus Christ the light of the world.

Feel free to keep asking questions, that is the thing to do, keep questioning find things out test the limits of human knowledge and your own understanding.  Hang in there and remember God/evolution loves you!