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Permalink Reply by Steph S. on November 25, 2011 at 6:55pm

Hi Matthew! Nice to meet you!

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Permalink Reply by Madhukar Kulkarni on November 26, 2011 at 1:20am

You can't be atheist and still be doubtful about the existance of a supernatural being. Good that you are among us, get your doubts cleared and soon become a complete atheist like us. Atheism says that there is no supernatural being. The gods you don't believe in are mostly the names of the supposed supernatural being.

Madhukar Kulkarni.

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Permalink Reply by Madhukar Kulkarni on November 27, 2011 at 2:42am

Eugene, I am afraid that I have to repeat what I have said above. Agnosticism and atheism are not the same. An athest has no doubts and firmly believes that no god, no supernatural power exists. So you are either an atheist or an agnostic.Take a decision.

MADHUKAR KULKAENI.

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Permalink Reply by matthew west on November 26, 2011 at 6:39am

I pretty much reject the very idea of the "supernatural" because anything that exists and that we can interact with is by definition part of nature. I suppose this rules out any supreme being in any meaningful sense. This is one thing that made me start doubting: how could any supposed"God" be distinguished from, say, a highly technologically advanced extraterrestrial being? Just hypothetically mind you, I am definitely not a UFO cultist or Ancient Astronaut theorist. Also, wasn't "God" as the Jews/Christians /Muslims conceive of him (always him) just really the biggest ego in the universe?

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Permalink Reply by Will Faithless Sophia on November 26, 2011 at 1:43pm

I hold a very similar view myself. Although perhaps we should consider conscious intelligence separate from the natural. "We are all gods" - this may certainly be true from a Monkey's (or any other large complex species') perspective.

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Permalink Reply by matthew west on November 26, 2011 at 6:47am

That is all I'll say on this, as I know it comes pretty close to violating the Prime Directive:). Just trying to clarify my perspective.

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Permalink Reply by Madhukar Kulkarni on November 29, 2011 at 12:27pm

"As to nontheism: I can't definitely say there is no supreme being out there,"      

 Mathew, you have a lot of company here. We all have done some good thinking. Do not remain in doubt. If you have questions, start a discussion and make your views clear. 

MADHUKAR KULKARNI.

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Permalink Reply by matthew greenberg on November 29, 2011 at 12:53pm

i've read before that there is a spectrum between Agnosticism (50 from 1-100) and Atheism (100 from 1-100).  it should go without saying that believers fall between 1 (total belief) and 49 (less certain).  some people fall closer to the purely Agnostic, at say 55, and others much closer to pure Atheist at say 98.  i certainly welcome anyone on the higher side of 50, but hope that as your experience deepens, you travel further toward the 100.  many people here, if not most, are certainly close to if not total pure Atheists.  perhaps your journey toward 100 is just getting started.  either way, i'm glad to have you among us as you look for answers. 

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