natehevens

Over on News24, BornAgain_Believer posted a series of questions called Investigating Atheism.

I want to start out by noting, however, that these questions are loaded and have a lot of assumptions that are simply incorrect, at least for me. My responses will be tailored to answer those assumptions.

1. Where do you come from?

Im assuming this is a question that assumes a soul. I do not believe in souls.

So I come from my parents, and also our evolutionary heritage.

2. What is your purpose on earth?

There is no ordained purpose to the whole of humanity. You have to decide your purpose for yourself.

As for me, Im studying Anthropology, with emphasis on Cultural, Primatology, and Evolutionary Biology. The reason is that I want to understand fanaticism. We always try to look at it from a sociological/psychology perspective, and I think thats wrong. I think in order to understand it, we must look at it from an evolutionary perspective.

3. Does life have a meaning?

42.

But seriously individual lives do if the people living those lives want their lives to have meaning. But there is no ordained-from-a-higher-power meaning.

4. What is just and fair for you?

You have the right to do whatever you want as long as you do not violate another persons right to do whatever they want.

It may be confusing that Im a feminist and Progressive and social justice advocate and ally considering I believe that, but, in fact, I believe social justice follows from that. Ill be explaining that in my Portrait of a Left-Winger series, however, so Ill leave it here on this post.

Also, murder and rape and thievery being illegal flow from that rather easily because of the as long as you do not violate another persons right to do whatever they want part.