V
Village Atheist
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I was bored so I was idly looking through some threads in the Apologetics section when I came upon Questions for an Atheist. Of course, being an atheist I can't actually post in that section, but I was very amused by the link to a list of "Clever questions atheists can't answer"
Since I thought it would be amusing (and did I mention I'm bored?) I thought I'd go through and answer them. While most of them are just ridiculous or non-sequiturs, some of them might provoke some interesting conversation...
1. If creationists can’t do science, then why do Kent Hovind and Duane T. Gish, who are creation scientists, have professional degrees in science?
Creationists can do science, providing they stick to areas in which their results don't contradict their dogma. It's only in those areas that they tend to have a conflict of interest and get into situations where they must misinterpret or misrepresent their results to make them fit said dogma.
By the way, Kent Hovind doesn't have a professional degree in science. He has a worthless and unrecognised degree that he bought from a diploma mill
2. If dinosaurs turned into birds, why are we not afraid of them?
The sensible answer is that dinosaurs didn't "turn into" birds. Birds are a merely a subgroup of dinosaurs that survived the extinction that wiped out most of the others. Since the rest of the dinosaurs died out millions of years before humans evolved, why would we be frightened of them? There's no reason that we should be scared of birds because of dinosaurs any more than we should be scared of house cats because of tigers.
The glib answer is that if you put someone in a field with an angry cassowary or ostrich they will be afraid of it!
3. If homosexuality is right, then how come two people of the same sex not produce a child?
Because ability to produce children is nothing to do with right and wrong. Otherwise it would be wrong for old people to marry because they can't produce children.
4. What purpose do we have if evolution is real?
We have whatever purpose we give ourselves, just the same as if evolution weren't real.
5. You say Jesus never existed, but have you heard of the Shroud of Turin?
Actually, I don't say that. But yes, I have heard of the Shroud of Turin. It's a medieval piece of art (the word "forgery" implies intention to mislead, and I don't think we know enough about who created it to assert that was the case) which has nothing to do with Jesus.
6. Why do we not see humans being born in the zoos from monkeys if we came from monkeys?
Humans don't come from monkeys. Humans and monkeys are both Simiforms that have evolved independently from a common ancestor.
7. Why do we go to church if God is not real?
I don't. Presumably you do because you think that God is real.
8. How did the Grand Canyon form?
Steady erosion over millions of years (around 17 million according to geologists).
9. Do you know that Jesus loves you?
Since he's been dead for a couple of thousand years I severely doubt that.
10. If Christianity is false, then why is it popular?
For the same reason that Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Taoism, Shinto, etc. are popular. Or does their popularity mean that they're all true too?
11. If you say Christianity is not true, then why do hundreds of people continue to become saved every day?
I'd say mostly because it fits an emotional need they have. Again, you could ask the same question of any religion (or even atheism - which is growing in size too).
12. Why do we not see half trees and half carrots, fronkeys, and crocoducks if evolution is real?
Because evolution doesn't predict such things. In fact if we did see them, they'd be a pretty good indicator that evolution was wrong.
13. Why is Richard Dawkins afraid to debate Ray Comfort?
Because Ray Comfort is an fool, and debating him would just give the false impression that his ideas were worthy of debate.
(To be fair, Richard Dawkins is a bit of a fool sometimes too - he's a great biologist but I wish he'd stop talking about religion.)
14. Did you know Christopher Hitchens was saved before death?
No, and neither did you since it isn't true.
15. Are you aware Ray Comfort disproved atheism with a banana?
I'm aware that he tried to do so in a foolish manner and made himself a laughing stock. I believe that he's stopped using that "disproof" now because even he's realised how silly it is.
16. Why do people laugh at evolutionists?
Mostly due to simple tribalism. Creationism is a great tool for reinforcing the "us vs them" mentality that some evangelicals have.
17. How did the planets form when the Big Bang explosion all of a sudden happen? After all, you don’t see round objects form when something blows up.
Firstly, the big bang wasn't an explosion so the question is meaningless. Secondly, you do see spherical things form when some things explode - look at slow motion photography of the water droplets when a water balloon is burst, for example - so the question is doubly meaningless.
18. If evolution is real, how can it explain gravity, angular momentum, human emotions, and why we worship God?
Evolution makes no attempt to explain gravity or angular momentum, since it's a theory about how living things change from generation to generation. Human emotions have a biochemical basis that has proven to be a survival advantage, and belief in God is probably simply a side-effect of the way our brains work, neither advantageous nor disadvantageous.
19. How did pond scum make living things appear out of nowhere?
They didn't. The question is meaningless.
20. How can evolution be true if we don’t see pocket watches or airplanes form by themselves?
Evolution predicts that neither of those things should happen, so that they don't has no bearing on whether or not it is true.
21. Did you know that dinosaurs and man lived together?
No, and neither did you because it isn't true.
22. If evolution is real, then why do caring people like Rick Santorum argue that it must be challenged in the classroom?
While I would dispute that the noted bigot Rick Santorum is a "caring" person, whether or not he is has no bearing on how well educated he is.
23. Why are youtube atheists like AronRa and Thunderf00t afraid to debate Ray Comfort?
I don't know who they are. Possibly the same reason as for Dawkins in question 13, possibly not.
24. Why do we celebrate Christmas if Christianity is not real?
Christianity is most definitely real. As for why non-Christians celebrate Christmas, it's mostly a combination of tradition and the fact that people like celebrating things.
25. If creationists can’t do science, then why does the website Answersingenesis have proven science articles from creationists that do science?
As with question 1, creationists can do science providing it is in "safe" areas where their objectivity isn't compromised by the dogma they follow. Sadly, most of the "science" articles on Answers In Genesis are good examples of the latter.
26. If evolution is true, then why can’t white people compete to be good in basketball like black people? After all, white people can’t jump!
There are lots of white people who can play basketball. What does this have to do with evolution?
27. Where do you decide to fit God in your everyday life if you don’t believe in him?
I don't.
28. Why is Christianity the fastest growing religion if it’s false?
It isn't. Islam is. Does that mean that Islam is true?
29. Do you feel free to commit murders, homosexuality, go to strip bars, steal, commit adultery, and do other sins since you believe there is no God?
No, yes but I'm not interested in doing so, yes but I'm not interested in doing so, no, only with my wife's consent but I'm not interested anyway.
Not believing in God doesn't mean I have no morals.
30. Why do the fossils say no to evolution?
They don't. They say an overwhelming "yes". Creationists just misinterpret or misrepresent them.
31. Why did Darwin admit that how the eye formed is impossible?
He didn't. He's just been misrepresented by Creationists.
32. Where did everything come from if there is no God?
I don't know.
But not knowing the correct answer to something doesn't mean that you should accept any answer. For example I don't know what the square root of 1.5858957 is, but not knowing the correct answer doesn't mean I can't discount the answer "100" as being obviously wrong.
33. If there is no God, then why do we have laws that govern us, such as speed limits?
Because we made those laws ourselves. Are you suggesting that God invented speed limits?
34. Do you know where you are going when you die?
The same place a flame goes after it's run out of fuel. Life is a process, and when it ends, it ends.
35. Why do we not act like monkeys if it is true we came from monkeys?
We do act like monkeys, although as I've pointed out before they're our cousins rather than our grandparents (metaphorically speaking).
36. Why do we display The Ten Commandments in the courtrooms if you say the Bible is not real?
The Bible is real. There's one on my shelf.
The commandments are there because the people who put them there thought it was a good idea.
37. Why should be it wrong to rape if God is not real?
Because it goes against our morality and empathy.
38. Why is The Passion of The Christ very high on the Box Office?
Search me, I'm no Mel Gibson fan. Neither am I a fan of "torture porn".
39. How can America not be a Christian nation if there are way more churches than mosques?
It's got a Christian majority. Whether that means it as a "Christian nation" or not depends on your definition of "Christian nation". My definition would be of a nation with a state religion (which America doesn't have) where that religion's beliefs are enforced by the nation's secular laws (which America is dangerously close to having).
40. How is the bible not real if it’s the most popular book read by man?
The Lord of the Rings is very popular too. Does that mean that Middle Earth is real?
41. How did the moon form?
Probably from an impact with another proto-planet as the Earth was forming, but I don't think anyone knows for sure.
42. Did you know that famous scientists like Newton, Sir Richard Owen, Einstein, Galileo, and Copernicus were creationists?
Einstein wasn't a Creationist. Galileo, Copernicus and Newton all lived in times before the evidence disproving Creationism was discovered, so it's no surprise.
Owen is an unusual case. He was a contemporary (and friend) of Darwin, so he was around when Darwin published. While Owen did already accept the geological evidence an old Earth, and did accept that there was some kind of evolutionary process, he favoured the Lamarckian evolution theory over the Darwinian evolution theory and sadly this led to a feud between the two.
43. Why do we not see black people come from white people?
We do occasionally. But mostly we don't because there are genetic differences between different populations within the human species. Why would you expect white people to have black babies?
44. Why are fruitflies still fruitflies in the lab experiments if they are claimed to prove evolution?
Because the experiments (some of which I've done personally) are looking at small scale changes over a short period of time.
45. Did you know that the Piltdown Man was a hoax used for Darwinist propaganda?
Did you know that it was "Darwinist" scientists who discovered and exposed the hoax, not Creationists?
46. Why do we not see frogs turn into birds?
If frogs did turn into birds it would disprove current evolutionary theory. Why do you think we should see frogs turning into birds?
47. Why is Fox News dishonest if it is a network run by truthful Christians?
I don't know the religion of the people who run it, but they're certainly not "truthful". In my opinion, the main reason that Fox News is dishonest is because that's the most effective way to peddle fear and propaganda to a largely Christian audience. It partly does this for the money, and partly to influence public (and therefore voter) opinion towards views favourable to its rich backers (so money again, indirectly).
48. Why did Hitler fail to make a superior race if evolution is true?
Hypothetically, one could make a "master race" through eugenics. It would be highly immoral to attempt to do so, though.
Ironically, Hitler was a Creationist who didn't believe in Darwinian evolution (although that didn't stop him quoting it in his rhetoric).
Since I thought it would be amusing (and did I mention I'm bored?) I thought I'd go through and answer them. While most of them are just ridiculous or non-sequiturs, some of them might provoke some interesting conversation...
1. If creationists can’t do science, then why do Kent Hovind and Duane T. Gish, who are creation scientists, have professional degrees in science?
Creationists can do science, providing they stick to areas in which their results don't contradict their dogma. It's only in those areas that they tend to have a conflict of interest and get into situations where they must misinterpret or misrepresent their results to make them fit said dogma.
By the way, Kent Hovind doesn't have a professional degree in science. He has a worthless and unrecognised degree that he bought from a diploma mill
2. If dinosaurs turned into birds, why are we not afraid of them?
The sensible answer is that dinosaurs didn't "turn into" birds. Birds are a merely a subgroup of dinosaurs that survived the extinction that wiped out most of the others. Since the rest of the dinosaurs died out millions of years before humans evolved, why would we be frightened of them? There's no reason that we should be scared of birds because of dinosaurs any more than we should be scared of house cats because of tigers.
The glib answer is that if you put someone in a field with an angry cassowary or ostrich they will be afraid of it!
3. If homosexuality is right, then how come two people of the same sex not produce a child?
Because ability to produce children is nothing to do with right and wrong. Otherwise it would be wrong for old people to marry because they can't produce children.
4. What purpose do we have if evolution is real?
We have whatever purpose we give ourselves, just the same as if evolution weren't real.
5. You say Jesus never existed, but have you heard of the Shroud of Turin?
Actually, I don't say that. But yes, I have heard of the Shroud of Turin. It's a medieval piece of art (the word "forgery" implies intention to mislead, and I don't think we know enough about who created it to assert that was the case) which has nothing to do with Jesus.
6. Why do we not see humans being born in the zoos from monkeys if we came from monkeys?
Humans don't come from monkeys. Humans and monkeys are both Simiforms that have evolved independently from a common ancestor.
7. Why do we go to church if God is not real?
I don't. Presumably you do because you think that God is real.
8. How did the Grand Canyon form?
Steady erosion over millions of years (around 17 million according to geologists).
9. Do you know that Jesus loves you?
Since he's been dead for a couple of thousand years I severely doubt that.
10. If Christianity is false, then why is it popular?
For the same reason that Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Taoism, Shinto, etc. are popular. Or does their popularity mean that they're all true too?
11. If you say Christianity is not true, then why do hundreds of people continue to become saved every day?
I'd say mostly because it fits an emotional need they have. Again, you could ask the same question of any religion (or even atheism - which is growing in size too).
12. Why do we not see half trees and half carrots, fronkeys, and crocoducks if evolution is real?
Because evolution doesn't predict such things. In fact if we did see them, they'd be a pretty good indicator that evolution was wrong.
13. Why is Richard Dawkins afraid to debate Ray Comfort?
Because Ray Comfort is an fool, and debating him would just give the false impression that his ideas were worthy of debate.
(To be fair, Richard Dawkins is a bit of a fool sometimes too - he's a great biologist but I wish he'd stop talking about religion.)
14. Did you know Christopher Hitchens was saved before death?
No, and neither did you since it isn't true.
15. Are you aware Ray Comfort disproved atheism with a banana?
I'm aware that he tried to do so in a foolish manner and made himself a laughing stock. I believe that he's stopped using that "disproof" now because even he's realised how silly it is.
16. Why do people laugh at evolutionists?
Mostly due to simple tribalism. Creationism is a great tool for reinforcing the "us vs them" mentality that some evangelicals have.
17. How did the planets form when the Big Bang explosion all of a sudden happen? After all, you don’t see round objects form when something blows up.
Firstly, the big bang wasn't an explosion so the question is meaningless. Secondly, you do see spherical things form when some things explode - look at slow motion photography of the water droplets when a water balloon is burst, for example - so the question is doubly meaningless.
18. If evolution is real, how can it explain gravity, angular momentum, human emotions, and why we worship God?
Evolution makes no attempt to explain gravity or angular momentum, since it's a theory about how living things change from generation to generation. Human emotions have a biochemical basis that has proven to be a survival advantage, and belief in God is probably simply a side-effect of the way our brains work, neither advantageous nor disadvantageous.
19. How did pond scum make living things appear out of nowhere?
They didn't. The question is meaningless.
20. How can evolution be true if we don’t see pocket watches or airplanes form by themselves?
Evolution predicts that neither of those things should happen, so that they don't has no bearing on whether or not it is true.
21. Did you know that dinosaurs and man lived together?
No, and neither did you because it isn't true.
22. If evolution is real, then why do caring people like Rick Santorum argue that it must be challenged in the classroom?
While I would dispute that the noted bigot Rick Santorum is a "caring" person, whether or not he is has no bearing on how well educated he is.
23. Why are youtube atheists like AronRa and Thunderf00t afraid to debate Ray Comfort?
I don't know who they are. Possibly the same reason as for Dawkins in question 13, possibly not.
24. Why do we celebrate Christmas if Christianity is not real?
Christianity is most definitely real. As for why non-Christians celebrate Christmas, it's mostly a combination of tradition and the fact that people like celebrating things.
25. If creationists can’t do science, then why does the website Answersingenesis have proven science articles from creationists that do science?
As with question 1, creationists can do science providing it is in "safe" areas where their objectivity isn't compromised by the dogma they follow. Sadly, most of the "science" articles on Answers In Genesis are good examples of the latter.
26. If evolution is true, then why can’t white people compete to be good in basketball like black people? After all, white people can’t jump!
There are lots of white people who can play basketball. What does this have to do with evolution?
27. Where do you decide to fit God in your everyday life if you don’t believe in him?
I don't.
28. Why is Christianity the fastest growing religion if it’s false?
It isn't. Islam is. Does that mean that Islam is true?
29. Do you feel free to commit murders, homosexuality, go to strip bars, steal, commit adultery, and do other sins since you believe there is no God?
No, yes but I'm not interested in doing so, yes but I'm not interested in doing so, no, only with my wife's consent but I'm not interested anyway.
Not believing in God doesn't mean I have no morals.
30. Why do the fossils say no to evolution?
They don't. They say an overwhelming "yes". Creationists just misinterpret or misrepresent them.
31. Why did Darwin admit that how the eye formed is impossible?
He didn't. He's just been misrepresented by Creationists.
32. Where did everything come from if there is no God?
I don't know.
But not knowing the correct answer to something doesn't mean that you should accept any answer. For example I don't know what the square root of 1.5858957 is, but not knowing the correct answer doesn't mean I can't discount the answer "100" as being obviously wrong.
33. If there is no God, then why do we have laws that govern us, such as speed limits?
Because we made those laws ourselves. Are you suggesting that God invented speed limits?
34. Do you know where you are going when you die?
The same place a flame goes after it's run out of fuel. Life is a process, and when it ends, it ends.
35. Why do we not act like monkeys if it is true we came from monkeys?
We do act like monkeys, although as I've pointed out before they're our cousins rather than our grandparents (metaphorically speaking).
36. Why do we display The Ten Commandments in the courtrooms if you say the Bible is not real?
The Bible is real. There's one on my shelf.
The commandments are there because the people who put them there thought it was a good idea.
37. Why should be it wrong to rape if God is not real?
Because it goes against our morality and empathy.
38. Why is The Passion of The Christ very high on the Box Office?
Search me, I'm no Mel Gibson fan. Neither am I a fan of "torture porn".
39. How can America not be a Christian nation if there are way more churches than mosques?
It's got a Christian majority. Whether that means it as a "Christian nation" or not depends on your definition of "Christian nation". My definition would be of a nation with a state religion (which America doesn't have) where that religion's beliefs are enforced by the nation's secular laws (which America is dangerously close to having).
40. How is the bible not real if it’s the most popular book read by man?
The Lord of the Rings is very popular too. Does that mean that Middle Earth is real?
41. How did the moon form?
Probably from an impact with another proto-planet as the Earth was forming, but I don't think anyone knows for sure.
42. Did you know that famous scientists like Newton, Sir Richard Owen, Einstein, Galileo, and Copernicus were creationists?
Einstein wasn't a Creationist. Galileo, Copernicus and Newton all lived in times before the evidence disproving Creationism was discovered, so it's no surprise.
Owen is an unusual case. He was a contemporary (and friend) of Darwin, so he was around when Darwin published. While Owen did already accept the geological evidence an old Earth, and did accept that there was some kind of evolutionary process, he favoured the Lamarckian evolution theory over the Darwinian evolution theory and sadly this led to a feud between the two.
43. Why do we not see black people come from white people?
We do occasionally. But mostly we don't because there are genetic differences between different populations within the human species. Why would you expect white people to have black babies?
44. Why are fruitflies still fruitflies in the lab experiments if they are claimed to prove evolution?
Because the experiments (some of which I've done personally) are looking at small scale changes over a short period of time.
45. Did you know that the Piltdown Man was a hoax used for Darwinist propaganda?
Did you know that it was "Darwinist" scientists who discovered and exposed the hoax, not Creationists?
46. Why do we not see frogs turn into birds?
If frogs did turn into birds it would disprove current evolutionary theory. Why do you think we should see frogs turning into birds?
47. Why is Fox News dishonest if it is a network run by truthful Christians?
I don't know the religion of the people who run it, but they're certainly not "truthful". In my opinion, the main reason that Fox News is dishonest is because that's the most effective way to peddle fear and propaganda to a largely Christian audience. It partly does this for the money, and partly to influence public (and therefore voter) opinion towards views favourable to its rich backers (so money again, indirectly).
48. Why did Hitler fail to make a superior race if evolution is true?
Hypothetically, one could make a "master race" through eugenics. It would be highly immoral to attempt to do so, though.
Ironically, Hitler was a Creationist who didn't believe in Darwinian evolution (although that didn't stop him quoting it in his rhetoric).