The questions every individual should be able to answer.

[Ihateyoumike]

When should abortion be allowed?

between the condom breaking and 13 years old.

Pure gold, this one. I literally spit out my drink.

[hackenslash]

Why do we exist?

Circular question. It assumes that there is a reason, and there's no good reason to suppose that there is.

What is the best thing about existing?

Cannabis.

What is our purpose?

More question begging. Assumes a purpose.

Is the world a better place for having had humans in it?

You'd have to ask the world (and I don't mean the people in it). I can only give an extremely subjective answer.

How can we improve humanity?

That's an expansive question. Eradicating the god meme would be a good start.

-What is the best advice or philosophy for living?

The golden rule.

What is religion?

An attempt to replace ignorance, and an unsuccessful one at that.

Why are there multiple religions?

Because people the world over have had several attempts to replace their ignorance, and people become entrenched in their pet fantasies.

Should religions be challenged?

Everything should be challenged, including this very response.

Is skepticism a good thing?

Yep.

Why do people get angry when their beliefs are challenged?

Because they can't separate themselves from their ideas, especially when those ideas have been inculcated in them by people they had every reason to trust.

Which religion is right?

Non of them.

Can all religions be correct?

Nope.

What does fear have to do with belief?

That's a difficult question. For some, I suspect it is the motivator. For others, it's how they maintain their grip on the weak of thought and the credulous.

Do we have a need to believe in something?

Not really.

What is spirituality?

Good question. I've been asking that of the credulous for as long as I can remember, because they're always banging on about it. None have ever given a satisfactory answer, though.

Can religion and science coexist?

Not really. Sure, there are scientists, even excellent ones, who have silly beliefs, but when you apply scientific principles to your beliefs, which any really good scientist should do with everything, the beliefs don't stack up.

What’s the difference between religion and science?

One pays attention to reality, while the other invents one or attempts to define it into existence.

Can a religion change with society?

Of course. They have to, or they won't survive. This, of course, shows that the holy books are simply wrong.

Was man created or did he evolve?

He evolved.

Is there a God?

You have this question and the next one the wrong way around. You can't answer this question until the other is answered. The capitalisation betrays something, though. Certainly, none of the gods so far presented by the credulous exist, but that doesn't rule out some entity that we would describe as a deity, though. I seriously doubt it, though. Occam's Razor rules.

What is the definition of God?

See above.

What gives you certainty in your belief?

I possess neither.

How do you deal with doubt?

I embrace it.

Who created God?
Is God male or female?
What does God need from us?
Who is/are the Messiah(s)?
Who is the Devil?

All answered already above.

What is faith?

I'll give the definition given by the famous blue flutterby, because it's my favourite:

Faith is the uncritical acceptance of blind assertions.

What is a fact?

It is something that is categorically true.

How can we tell which is which?

By paying attention to reality.

What is truth?

See above.

How do we determine truth?

See above.

Which truth is right?

The one which is true.

Is the holy-book(s) literally true?

No, not literally or otherwise.

What is the origin of the holy book(s)?

Which ones?

How do we accept a holy book that positively portrays unacceptable behaviors like slavery, incest, murder, etc.?

We don't, we villify it, and ridicule it, and use any other means at our disposal to show it for what it is.

Can we take what we like about a religion/belief system and make our own version and throw out the rest?

You'd have to ask somebody who believes, but it certainly seems so. Not only that, they will wrap themselves in apologetic pretzels justifying their decisions in this regard.

What is morality?

It is that which allows us to function as social animals.

Is there a moral yardstick that applies to all cultures?

Nope, because what allows us to function as social animals is dependent on cultural norms, which vary from place to place and society to society.

Where does morality, or our “conscience,” comes from?

Our evolutionary past. I'd be happy to come back and expand on this, but any good book about evolution will cover it.

Is altruism or morality possible without belief in a deity?

I don't think altruism is possible at all. Every time you open your mouth it's for personal gain, in one form or another.

What is sin?

A made-up concept meant to convey disobedience to equally made-up entities.

What is the punishment for sin?

Cheeseburgers?

Is thought the same as deed?

Not yet.

Does God want to test us? Why?

See above re: magic man's existence.

Should a person have sex before marriage?

I certainly hope so, since I have several children and I'm not married.

Is masturbation a sin?

No, it's a necessity.

What determines sexual orientation?

The jury is still out on that one.

Why is God interested in our sexual behavior?

He isn't, his idiot followers are, probably because they aren't getting any.

Should women be treated differently than men?

That's difficult, but only because you put it in the sex section. I certainly treat women differently than men in that respect, but otherwise, no.

Do we have free will?

I highly doubt it. Our decisions are influenced by all kinds of things that we don't remotely understand.

Is everything predetermined?

Definitely not. That has been ruled out by paying attention to reality.

What entity predetermines fate or destiny?

See above.

Why is there suffering?

A reason again? 'How' is always a better question than 'why', not least because there's almost always a valid answer to the latter, and rarely to the former.

What is best path to happiness?

Acceptance of life as it is.

Does God intercede in human tragedies?

See above.

Does prayer work?

That depends on what you want from it. If you simply want people to know that you give a shit, sure. Beyond that, no.

If so, why does God allow holocausts, and disasters?
If not, why pray?

See above.

Does meditation work?
How does meditation work?

Yes, by calming the mind. There are other means, of course.

What is a soul?

A made-up entity tha... you get the picture.

Do animals have souls?
Does a soul have the same thoughts and feelings when outside the body?
If a soul does not carry our memories, then what is a soul since it is our memories that make us up?
What purpose does a brain serve if a soul can exist and feel without it?

See above.

Is there an Afterlife?

Almost certainly not.

Where is it, where do we go after death?

Into the ground or up in smoke, for the most part.

Why do we need an afterlife?

We don't. Indeed, I can think of nothing worse. It's brevity is one of the joys of life.

When does life begin?

Good luck getting a robust answer to that one.

When should abortion be allowed?

Before the formation of the nervous system.

Is it ever appropriate to kill another person?

Oooh, a proper question!

I used to think the answer was invariably no, but Saddam gave me pause for thought. Once captured, keeping him imprisoned would have made him a target for whackos, both trying to free him and trying to kill him. I think that removing him from the equation was probably the best move for all.

What are supernatural beliefs?

???

Are there extraterrestrials?

Almost certainly.

Who are they?

Entities that live outside Earth's biosphere.

Do psychics work, and if you are religious, are they allowed?

No, they're charlatans. As for the latter part, I don't see why not, since religious leaders come under the same umbrella.

Where do the voices in our heads come from?

Inside our heads. Our brains are virtual reality machines par excellence.

Will there be a doomsday?

Define doomsday.

What is the greatest danger facing man’s existence?

Bolide impact. I wrote an article about this for another forum.

How do we stop conflict?

By growing up.

Should different cultures be preserved, or are our cultural differences the source of strife?

I think there is a balance between the two. Cultural heritage is good, but not at the cost of progress.

Should political leaders invoke a deity in decisions or policy?

Definitely not.

[Byronazriel]

You say credulous a lot, is that your word of the day?

Mine's malacissation.

[hackenslash]

You say credulous a lot, is that your word of the day?

No, it's my word for credulous people. Would you prefer gullible?

I use many words often, and some more than others.

[Tom62]

Why do we exist?  - because our parents had sex
What is the best thing about existing? - sex, drugs and rock 'n roll
What is our purpose?  - is there one?
Is the world a better place for having had humans in it? - you should ask the world. Probably it doesn't give a shit
How can we improve humanity? - by genetic engineering and bionics
What is the best advice or philosophy for living? - live and let live

What is religion? - an organized superstition
Why are there multiple religions? - some people believe in other kind of crap than others
Should religions be challenged? - sure
Is skepticism a good thing? - always
Why do people get angry when their beliefs are challenged? - because they fear that we are right
Which religion is right? - none
Can all religions be correct? - Nope
What does fear have to do with belief? - to frighten young children and uneducated people?
Do we have a need to believe in something? - no
What is spirituality? - a buzz-word, probably invented by a religious marketing-droid

Can religion and science coexist? - not really
What’s the difference between religion and science? - religion is BS
Can a religion change with society? - yes
Was man created or did he evolve? - evolve

Is there a God? - no
What is the definition of God? - no-one agrees on that one.
What gives you certainty in your belief? - not applicable
How do you deal with doubt? - not applicable
Who created God? - mommy and daddy God?
Is God male or female? - last time I heard that it was a kind of force-field hoovering somewhere around in hyperspace
What does God need from us? - nothing
Who is/are the Messiah(s)? - Steve Jobs
Who is the Devil? - anyone who apposes
Which truth is right? - the truth

Is the holy-book(s) literally true? - no
What is the origin of the holy book(s)? - various places on Earth
How do we accept a holy book that positively portrays unacceptable behaviors like slavery, incest, murder, etc.? - I don't
Can we take what we like about a religion/belief system and make our own version and throw out the rest? - that is why we have so many sects

What is morality? - something that helps up to get around in social groups
Is there a moral yardstick that applies to all cultures? - no, each culture has its own morals
Where does morality, or our “conscience,” comes from? - Evolution and upbringing
Is altruism or morality possible without belief in a deity? - sure

What is sin? - invented nonsense to make people feel guilty about themselves
What is the punishment for sin? - stoning
Is thought the same as deed? - no, if that would have been the case then all people will have to spend their lifetimes in jail
Does God want to test us? Why? - Silly question to someone who doesn't believe that God exists

Should a person have sex before marriage? - sure
Is masturbation a sin? - no, it is a necessity
What determines sexual orientation? - genes
Why is God interested in our sexual behavior? - he, she or it isn't
Should women be treated differently than men? - yes, in certain aspects; no in others

Do we have free will? - to a certain extend
Is everything predetermined? - no
What entity predetermines fate or destiny?- money and health

Why is there suffering?  - there are many reasons, religion is one of them
What is best path to happiness? - I also vote for endorphins
Does God intercede in human tragedies? - are you serious?

Does prayer work? - no
If so, why does God allow holocausts, and disasters? - either he doesn't give a shit or he doesn't exists
If not, why pray? - I don't
Does meditation work? - probably, I never tried it though
How does meditation work? - don't know

What is a soul? - someone who loves soul music?
Do animals have souls? - don't know
Does a soul have the same thoughts and feelings when outside the body? - that is BS
If a soul does not carry our memories, then what is a soul since it is our memories that make us up? - question fail
What purpose does a brain serve if a soul can exist and feel without it? - Huh??

Is there an Afterlife? - no
Where is it, where do we go after death? under ground or in the fire
Why do we need an afterlife? - we don't

When does life begin? - when the sperm enters the egg
When should abortion be allowed? - you mean under which conditions or a time frame?
Is it ever appropriate to kill another person? - yes

What are supernatural beliefs? - beliefs in something that can't be proven
Are there extraterrestrials? - yes
Who are they? - Alf, E.T., Mork from Ork, etc.
Do psychics work, and if you are religious, are they allowed? - No, it doesn't work
Where do the voices in our heads come from? - from your brain

Will there be a doomsday? - if the religious fruitcakes have their go then yes
What is the greatest danger facing man’s existence? - religion
How do we stop conflict? - by killing everyone who doesn't agree with us
Should different cultures be preserved, or are our cultural differences the source of strife?  - they are great for the tourism industry
Should political leaders invoke a deity in decisions or policy? - NO WAY

[Rurouni86]

Why do we exist?
- Coz of coitus.
What is the best thing about existing?
- sex. food. video games
What is our purpose?
- nada. Oh, to diss religion
Is the world a better place for having had humans in it?
- Nono, I made it better  
Which truth is right?
- mine

Is the holy-book(s) literally true?
- they're true nonsense
What is the origin of the holy book(s)?
- wood pulp + writings of a nut
How do we accept a holy book that positively portrays unacceptable behaviors like slavery, incest, murder, etc.?
- Don't.
Can we take what we like about a religion/belief system and make our own version and throw out the rest?
- err... you mean making cults/sects?

What is morality?
- sort of a social contract. You stab me, I don't stab you.
Is there a moral yardstick that applies to all cultures?
- Nope
Where does morality, or our “conscience,” comes from?
- reason.
Is altruism or morality possible without belief in a deity?
- definitely possible.

What is sin?
- ask a theist.
What is the punishment for sin?
- a mid summer holiday while clad in full artic gear.
Is thought the same as deed?
- huh? no.
Does God want to test us? Why?
- not applicable. ok... because he's bored.

Should a person have sex before marriage?
- why not?
Is masturbation a sin?
- no
What determines sexual orientation?
- genetics
Why is God interested in our sexual behavior?
- he doesn't exist , darn it. But if he does, so that he gets to see straight pornography.
Should women be treated differently than men?
Yes in some aspects, no in others, but same level of respect.

Do we have free will?
- yeah... until someone goes alpha on you. Shit happens.  
Is everything predetermined?
- no
What entity predetermines fate or destiny?
- no such thing

Why is there suffering?
- because not everything goes our way.
What is best path to happiness?
- endorphins.
Does God intercede in human tragedies?
- what? stupid question.

Does prayer work?
- no.
If so, why does God allow holocausts, and disasters?
- he was bored.
If not, why pray?
- don't.
Does meditation work?
- sorta.
How does meditation work?
- letting yourself just relax, like a reboot button when your head is all stressed up.

What is a soul?
- no such thing
Do animals have souls?
- no
Does a soul have the same thoughts and feelings when outside the body?
- *pffft*
If a soul does not carry our memories, then what is a soul since it is our memories that make us up?
- oink oink?
What purpose does a brain serve if a soul can exist and feel without it?
- meow

Is there an Afterlife?
- no
Where is it, where do we go after death?
- the barbecue pit.
Why do we need an afterlife?
- for a barbecue party.

When does life begin?
- after mum and dad had rattled the sack, sperm meets egg.
When should abortion be allowed?
- when the couple/mother is unable to care for the child, rape, when the pregnancy endangers the life of the mother.
Is it ever appropriate to kill another person?
- yeah.

What are supernatural beliefs?
- more bs
Are there extraterrestrials?
- don't know, but I'm vouching for yes.
Who are they?
- no idea.
Do psychics work, and if you are religious, are they allowed?
- Only to steal your money.
Where do the voices in our heads come from?
- its called HALLUCINATIONS.

Will there be a doomsday?
- when the Sun becomes a red giant, I guess. Or, when the religious starts another crusade.
What is the greatest danger facing man’s existence?
- religion
How do we stop conflict?
- everyone obey MY commands!! Or die.
Should different cultures be preserved, or are our cultural differences the source of strife?
- not decided yet.
Should political leaders invoke a deity in decisions or policy?
- NO NO NO NO NO

[pilchardo]

I'll try and answer some of the questions.

The best philosophy for living is to go on your own journey, be yourself, and see meaning in everything. Everyone has a need to believe in something, whatever that something may be. Everything, including man, is a creation, and man evolves both physically and spiritually. There's a god, and what gives me certainty in that is my knowing. Women and men are different and so often it's appropriate to be treated differently. There's suffering because suffering, like anything else, is part of experiencing and learning. The soul is our true self, our true identity, and the brain is our interface with the physical world and our physical bodies. There's an afterlife. Sometimes it's "ok" to kill someone, depending on the circumstances. There are extraterrestrials, some have been on earth for thousands of years. Different cultures should be preserved.

[Davin]

I'll try and answer some of the questions.

The best philosophy for living is to go on your own journey, be yourself, and see meaning in everything.

I agree with everything here but the last.

Everyone has a need to believe in something, whatever that something may be.

I see no reason to believe in anything, let alone needing to believe in something.

Everything, including man, is a creation, and man evolves both physically and spiritually.

When you say something like this to people who you normally converse with, I'm sure there is no contention as they are likely to already accept certain things that you do as well, however you'll find that when you're talking a larger amount of people that you need to back up statements of this kind.

There's a god, and what gives me certainty in that is my knowing.

Again as before, statements like this are not to just be accepted as you have boldly stated.

Women and men are different and so often it's appropriate to be treated differently. There's suffering because suffering, like anything else, is part of experiencing and learning. The soul is our true self, our true identity, and the brain is our interface with the physical world and our physical bodies. There's an afterlife. Sometimes it's "ok" to kill someone, depending on the circumstances. There are extraterrestrials, some have been on earth for thousands of years. Different cultures should be preserved.

Ok... stop preaching please.

[pilchardo]

When you say something like this to people who you normally converse with, I'm sure there is no contention as they are likely to already accept certain things that you do as well, however you'll find that when you're talking a larger amount of people that you need to back up statements of this kind.

Not if I'm merely giving my point of view, which is what the OP is asking.

Again as before, statements like this are not to just be accepted as you have boldly stated.

Again, just giving my answers to some of the OP's questions.

Ok... stop preaching please.

Again, just giving my answers to some of the OP's questions. I'm sorry if you consider that preaching, but preaching is something different.

[Whitney]

Again, just giving my answers to some of the OP's questions.

The purpose of the OP was to develop thoughtful answers to those questions...not just to blurt out what you believe.  And, IMO, many of your stated beliefs couldn't possibly be based on rationally evaluating said beliefs.

I'm sorry if you consider that preaching, but preaching is something different.

preaching is stating beliefs without evidence.  I'm going to go add that definition to the rules for clarity since I'm tired of having to tell people.

[pilchardo]

The dictionary that I looked at doesn't say anything about preaching being what you say it is. I don't want to be seen as preaching and I'm sorry if you thought I was, so could you tell me which dictionary definition you're using?

[Whitney]

The dictionary that I looked at doesn't say anything about preaching being what you say it is. I don't want to be seen as preaching and I'm sorry if you thought I was, so could you tell me which dictionary definition you're using?

we are using the definition now in the rules...I don't think there is a single word for "don't make statements without backing them up" so we adopted 'preaching' as a short way to define the unwanted action.  And how it is being used here appropriately fits into some ways the word preach is defined: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/preach  If you can think of another single word we should be using by all means suggest it but we aren't going to change the spirit of the rules.

[pilchardo]

The dictionary that I looked at doesn't say anything about preaching being what you say it is. I don't want to be seen as preaching and I'm sorry if you thought I was, so could you tell me which dictionary definition you're using?

we are using the definition now in the rules...I don't think there is a single word for "don't make statements without backing them up" so we adopted 'preaching' as a short way to define the unwanted action.  And how it is being used here appropriately fits into some ways the word preach is defined: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/preach  If you can think of another single word we should be using by all means suggest it but we aren't going to change the spirit of the rules.

According to the OP, the purpose is to "answer these questions for yourselves" and "just have fun with the philosophical questions of life". It's not easy to respond to the OP in the spirit in which it is intended without risking being seen as what you call "preaching".

[Whitney]

According to the OP, the purpose is to "answer these questions for yourselves" and "just have fun with the philosophical questions of life". It's not easy to respond to the OP in the spirit in which it is intended without risking being seen as what you call "preaching".

Not sure if you read the revised rules but I worded it so that you could answer with your view but then would need to defend why you have such a view if challenged.

If you can't do that then, well, don't respond.

[pilchardo]

According to the OP, the purpose is to "answer these questions for yourselves" and "just have fun with the philosophical questions of life". It's not easy to respond to the OP in the spirit in which it is intended without risking being seen as what you call "preaching".

Not sure if you read the revised rules but I worded it so that you could answer with your view but then would need to defend why you have such a view if challenged.

If you can't do that then, well, don't respond.

There's clearly a conflict between your rules and the stated intention of the OP.