Below is a _long_ list of questions that may provoke discussion or debate. I have been using things off it for a while, but never bothered to write it down in any sort of coherent form. The questions are primarily intended for discussions among atheists, though they can be used with theists as well, of course. Some of the questions are good, some are pretty stupid..though I've noticed that sometimes some of the least likely sounding questions have been catalysts for the best debates. No, I have not asked them all..some have grown out of discussions I have been in, or things I have read. There are a lot of them: I figure the more questions, the more likely to be a question or topic that interests someone. Fit the question to the room: not everybody has the interest or expertise to answer all the questions...I certainly don't! I put the questions into general topic headings, selected arbitrarily. There are 102: Sastra **************************************************************************** Personal Questions and Ice Breakers 1. What caused you to start disbelieving in god? 2. Are you 'up front' about your atheism, or reticent? 3. What religions have you tried? 4. If god exists, would you choose heaven? 5. Do you have an atheist 'role model?' Who? 6. What would prove god to you? 7. What is your favorite atheist quote? 8. If you had to pick a religion, what seems most likely? Most interesting? 9. Do you celebrate xmas? Why or why not? 10. Many ppl come in here claiming to be 'former atheists:' did you ever know an atheist who 'got faith?' 11. If you could recommend one book on atheism to a theist, what would it be? 12. Has a debate ever turned really ugly? 13. What do you think is the most common rationale ppl give for a belief in god? 14. What is the most unusual rationale you ever heard? 15. If god exists, what would you like to ask him? 16. Is there value in ritual? What kind of rituals do you have? 17. When you are scared or upset, do you still call on god? Might you? 18. Would you marry someone with a strong religious faith, if all else was perfect? 19. If you have children, have they ever been embarrassed or harassed for being atheist? 20. How does your family feel about your atheism? 21. What are some of the worst arguments for the existence of god you have ever heard? 22. What are some of the better arguments you have heard? 23. What is the most annoying thing that was ever done to you by a xian? Science Questions 24. Could a predisposition for superstition and religion have aided in survival? How? 25. Is there a conflict between religion and science? Many ppl put god in the same category as aesthetics or morality, and say it is untestable and outside the domain of science: does this seem plausible? 26. What is the best science book you ever read? 27. Have you ever had a paranormal experience? 28. Have you ever seen a UFO? 29. What evolutionary purpose could NDE's have? Why would they have evolved? 30. Do you think punctuated equilibreum seems plausible? 31. New Agers say that, since consciousness emerges from complexity of matter, the universe, which is complex, must have a consciousness: is this likely? Possible? 32. Does quantum prove or reinforce Eastern mysticism? 33. What is consciousness? What material process or mechanism explains it? 34. Is there a mind/body duality? 35. Why would a brain capable of calculus have evolved in a hunter/gatherer environment? 36. Why would things like altruism or self-sacrifice have evolved? 37. Why do so many ppl believe in astrology? 38. What is human nature? Is there such a thing? What common characteristics would humans share? 39. What causes Near Death Experiences (NDE's)? Why are they similar? 40. Kuhn claims that scientists work in 'paradigms,' and are trapped in their own expectations. Agree or disagree? 41. If the universe is only material, and causal, can man truly be said to make choices? Is the universe only material? 42. What is chaos theory? What does it say about order and design? 43. What are some of the characteristics of pseudo-science? 44. What is science, and how does it differ from faith? 45. If ESP were demonstrated as true tomorrow, would that prove god? Make god probable? Possible? 46. If ESP works, how might it work? 47. Can there be an existent infinity? If not, can the universe be eternal? 48. What might have caused the Big Bang? 49. Is the universe deterministic? If you knew all factors, could everything be predicted? 50. How do you explain the 'anthropic coincidences?' 51. Can physics prove god? What are some possible ways it might do that? Ethics Questions 52. What is the difference between ethics and morality? 53. There is an argument that an ethics derived from an application of reason to the "Fairness Principle" ( treat similar things alike) leads inevitably to animal rights stance and veganism: agree or disagree? 54. Is capital punishment right or wrong? 55. Does 'evil' exist? Does 'sin?' How would you define it? 56. Do ppl have 'rights?' Where do they get them, if so? 57. What is the ethical system in the Satanic Bible? Is it workable? 58. Is revenge ever justified? 59. Is abortion right or wrong? 60. Was Jesus a good man? 61. Was Mother Theresa a good woman? 62. Is morality absolute, or subjective? Is it relative, to what degree? 63. Upon what do you base your morality? Religious Questions 64. Is Lavey Satanism a religion? 65. Should churches pay taxes? 66. What is the difference between a cult and a religion? 67. If you could, would you make religion against the law? Difficult? Restricted? 68. On the whole, has religion done more harm than good, or vice versa? 69. What are 3 questions you would ask Jesus, if you met him? 70. Is home schooling really just for xians who want to keep their kids from 'contamination?' Or are there other reasons? (from Krosis) 71. Should home schooling be regulated? 72. Should religious parents be allowed to refuse medical care for their children? In some cases? 73. Why do so many ppl believe in god? 74. What is a 'soul?' Can you have a concept of soul or spiritual that is not religious in nature? 75. What would falsify god? 76. What are the biblical prophesies, and why do they seem to 'predict?' 77. What do you think is the most glaring contradiction in the Bible? 78. Are there different definitions of the word 'faith?' 79. Is there free will? 80. Did Jesus exist? 81. Do the Bible Codes prove god? Do the Torah codes? How did they get there? 82. Do ppl conform to fit the religion, or does religion conform to fit the ppl? 83. What are some of the functions of religion? Can they be useful? 84. Do atheistic philosophies function as a religion? 85. What are the benefits of belief? What are the hazards of belief? 86. Is the original message of xianity about tolerance, but made intolerant by churches, or vice versa? Or neither? Atheist Questions 87. Have you ever convinced a theist to become atheist? Have you ever converted anyone to xianity, or any other religion? 88. Is it possible to be an atheist and still believe in the supernatural? An afterlife? 89. There is a "Church of Freethought" in Texas, tax exempt like a real church, with meetings each Sunday morn: is this a good or bad idea? 90. Do atheists have a 'presupposition' that god doesn't exist and then look only for confirmation? 91. Are there limits to reason? Are emotions 'irrational?' 92. Do you think #atheism should have /akicks? 93. What do you think happened to Madelyn Murray O'Hair? 94. Have you ever read anything by Ayn Rand? Your opinion? 95. Is Objectivism a cult? 96. Atheists are frequently accused of being 'hostile to religion?' Are they? Are you? 97. What is the difference between American Atheists, Council of Secular Humanism, American Humanist Association, and Freedom from Religion Foundation? 98. Do you belong to any atheist or skeptical organizations? Would you like to? What would be your ideal freethought organization? 99. What is the poorest argument for atheism? 100. What is the difference between strong and weak atheism? Are all 'real atheists' strong atheists? 101. What is agnosticism? Are agnostics just 'wimpy atheists' or 'fencesitters?' 102. What are the least characteristics god could have and still be called god? Are we still atheist on this one, or now agnostic? (9/9/97)