George,

Yes, I know you've made statements to the contrary but the assumption in your arguments is that atheism is a belief system. We've reached an impasse, thanks for the civil discussion.

the thread reveals one sure thing

sure not everyone has hobbies
but but yet still ride a hobby hoarse.

the dead can touch us..[this is confirmed by the letter affecting even now ..after death,.../the writer

i likes the yu quote [re past lives compensating previous lives
that has its logic..as we as spirits must chose/appove our incarnation circumstances

and those 'circum-stances'..as the auther has implied
were her choice pre bithing..[as we all must..get the body as best meets our spirits abilities..

evolution of spirit..as we evolve into a spirit capable of human incarnation..is learned by previous lifes..and then there is karma

to infer that the dead 'virgen'..didnt know about sex= babies
forgets that kids of them days watched the animals mating in the street

what one kids knows they all find out about
but ignorance of life after death..yet again is based on a belief system..you got a belief..your riding the hobby hourse..[even if you claim [lame>.. to be not a hobbiest
\
\athiest is the wrong word..cause it personalises
attacking the believer not his belief..no god mob..use your minds

thiest = a believer in religious creed
so yes im a athiest

but
theo = god
antigod= atheost

but lets educate the ignorant
the spirit animates the flesh..that the flesh find logic..and via logic ..*form's..informs the form their new soul

soul = your passions
formed in this life..soul body of light..
[energy trapped in our recall..[mind..not brain.

Mac,
You say you're not interested in philosophical discussions on the existence of a deity. Yet you happily entertain discussion of why it is people believe when presumably there is no basis or substance for belief. This sounds like a justification to me. And I sense it leans more towards the philosophical than to anything else.

You give an explanation for why people believed in a pre-scientific age. This doesn't account for why so many now believe in our current scientific age. More importantly, how does this account for the very religious people (Bacon, Newton, Pascal, etc.) who ushered in (pardon the pun) the present scientific age?

Your explanation seems to look to our genetic disposition. Yet if only we could find the gene which inclines people to write in to the OLO Forum, then this would clarify much mystery.

Brian,
I can't really relate to this idea that, 'very few of us feel any connection to past lives lived'. 

Many feel very connected to people of other eras, especially through studies of history and the writings of narratives, biographies and historical fiction. My wife loves Jane Austin as an author and can feel a connection with people of that era.

The Gospels (though not entirely biographies in the usual way we use that word) are the most read literature of all time. From these, many sense a strong connection and identification with the personality of Jesus, the other persons presented, not to mention the issues, geography, beliefs and politics of the day.

It is said of the books of Samuel in the Bible (from around 1000 B.C.) that they provide, "an abundance of raw material from which to study the human condition, for they present real life with all its ambiguities."  ... "David grows, he learns, he travails, he triumphs, and he suffers immeasurable tragedy and loss. He is the first human being in world literature."

“There is absolutely no proof that mind can exist outside of the brain”. Maybe, but perhaps more importantly our experience suggests coded information cannot exist without originating from mind. Coded information is the substance of all books. Scientists will admit that coded information is a very good analogous description for the chemical DNA which is found in all living things.

Dan S,

"And I sense it leans more towards the philosophical than to anything else."

No, just the opposite, my comments are based on scientific research, not philosophical arguments.

Newton, et al lived at the beginnings of modern science, so the "god of the gaps" argument applies and my explanation applies in the modern age as well. Of course there's also the question as to what believers actually believe.

"if only we could find the gene which inclines people to write in to the OLO Forum,"

There's definitely a gene that compels people to satirise pompous smart-arses, I just can't resist it.

mac,

"There's definitely a gene that compels people to satirise pompous smart-arses..."

That's funny!

- best line on OLO all day.

: )