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If having an ontology indistinguishable from that of an atheist makes one an atheist, then yes. If insisting that the universe is God makes one a theist, then no. Tough call. eudaimonia, Mark

I'm simply trying to make the discussion less general and abstract. Oh, I agree. However, I don't think this resemblance has anything to do with the belief that one will live forever. It's really just prudence that causes people to live as they do. That may be so, but I don't see that they...

I love my job! It gives me a great oppotunity to self-actualize and earn self-esteem through personal accomplishments. I do owe the bank for my car and apartment, but so what? I don't see what possibilities I am missing out on. Care to point them out? eudaimonia, Mark

It would help greatly if you could ask specific questions. I will be happy to answer as one particular atheist, but I need something more to go on. (All I can tell you right now is that atheism is the lack of belief in deities.) I don't even know what your beliefs are! How can I provide a...

Why do what? Have a job, pension, property? Why not? I see no inconsistency here. eudaimonia, Mark

Why did we land men on the Moon? We didn't have to. We didn't need to. Human looking AIs will happen because human beings like to push the envelope of their possibilities. It's a challenge that beckons us. Perhaps there will be benefits that aren't apparent to us right now, and not all of...

What were his words here? What precisely did he mean by the word "serve"? Did he simply mean be kind and considerate to others, or was he demanding much more? Or was he leaving the interpretation open to others? Perhaps, but only to a limited extent. You can try to find commonalities and help...

param, I recognize that there are good theists who honestly believe that they perform miracles in the name of some god. I'm not an atheist because I think that they are all conartists. I am unconvinced regarding religions at a much deeper philosophical level than this. eudaimonia, Mark

Yes, and with good reason -- we don't actually know the answers to these questions with certainty and completeness. Of course, there is plenty of speculation that scientists offer, just as religions offer their speculations. eudaimonia, Mark

Pantheism: Universe == God Panentheism: God exists in every part of the universe, and also transcends the universe. eudaimonia, Mark

I'm assuming no such thing. I'm talking about how to satisfy people's psychological needs. On this level, it doesn't matter if gods or afterlives exist or not. eudaimonia, Mark

I don't fear death so much as the process of dying or losing my life earlier than necessary. Nonexistence itself is not anything to be feared. It's not like it will involve suffering. eudaimonia, Mark

I don't think we need religion so much as we have needs that religions address. What I am suggesting here is that human needs are satisfied to some extent by religion, but secular ways of life could (in theory) provide the same benefits, although perhaps in different ways. For instance, we all...

A true leader needs them to come from his own convictions, whether they are part of a theistic or an atheistic worldview. Men and women of integrity are not exclusively found among theists. eudaimonia, Mark

I think it is more to the point that people usually don't like the direction that science leans towards in answering such questions. eudaimonia, Mark

So far, so good. I'm looking at joining a player run corp called Eve University, which trains newbies. I'll see how it goes from there.

Yes, it is. I started playing Eve Online about two weeks ago.

I said this is my view. I don't determine reality. :) eudaimonia, Mark

According to my view, there is nothing about who and what we are that is not temporary. We are finite beings. We can research life-extension techniques (including "uploading" our personalities to computers), but for all practical purposes we should assume an finite lifespan. If I understand...

I was once an Extropian transhumanist (I participated in a chat group with Max More and other original Extropians), and while I may more appreciative of the "merely human" now, I could easily accept the existence of transhumans and AI lifeforms as fellow beings, and as fellow Eudaimonists if...