was this supposed to be a trap for religious people. beacause i dont care what youre american politician thinks im british where freedom actually exists not like youre illusion in america. and as for my mother she knows im an athiest and shes an athiest two. as for the pope why would i care if that wanker knows im athiest, is he going to announce me as a heathen. if so im glad, religion causes nothing but suffering. one last thing are you religious. and also too all americans speak properly. its colour not color and doughnuts not donuts. fat shits.

Hello! Wow, it's actually hard for me to ask you a question because I understand what you are saying. I find that I am answering my questions faster than I can type them. I suppose my question is, where is the line drawn as far as sanity is concerned.. recently with my "research" I have begun to noodle the idea that 1. This is some kind of simulation, or grand experiment, 2. I have the ulitmate ability to create anything I want if I can convince my brain to believe that it is possible. I am in the space between the question and the answer, and I am SO convinced that I need another human's opinion. Do you think that we are simply "stuck" in this plane of existance? Has anyone to your knowledge discovered a means of escaping this seemingly Platonic allegory? I feel like I am part of an infinity of ambiguity.. is it possible to create reality from this ambiguity? Have I alone set a chain reaction of thoughts creating the entire environment wherein I sense things? Should I just be meditating and reset this machine I call a brain? What are the lottery numbers going to be tomorrow?

These are questions that philosophers have struggled with for hundreds of years. How do I prove reality? How do I know that there is anyone else? Where does "I" end and everything else begin? Great minds have spent volumes on this, so I don't blame you for feeling overwhelmed.

But some of the things you mention can be tested. Can you create something because you believe it is possible? When testing this, make sure it's something essentially impossible (like a sliding door in your bedroom ceiling) and not something just unlikely (a streetlight winking off).

As for the non-testable things -- you're pretty much just describing solipsism or external world skepticism. If you are having severe anxiety about this, you may (although I consider it unlikely) be experiencing solipsism syndrome. That's usually caused by living somewhere that you do not have much exposure to open spaces or you are usually in the dark -- but just in case, if you are feeling intensely uncomfortable about this, you might want to seek counseling.

If not, then I suggest that you try and come to grips with the fact that there are indeed unprovables in the universe. There's nothing wrong with this. We just make the best life we can with what we have -- and what we know.

what a line of bullshit the pope you say he the biggest con game going intodays world. he neededs to lock way till he dies and never ever put any man kind in that high of spot. if he and his group is not steeling money from hard working just to better them selfs they are haveing sex with little boys and getting away with free and clear. never going to jail for any for there steeling raping, remove me frome your lisst and never send to me

You really kind of like making up the minds of people for them like (am i an athiest no. Yes. Can i change my mind? NO.) why do you do this and please don't give me an answer like christians haven't thought for themselves without a preist all their lives. (some) Religious people think for themselves, and there are other religions out (whether those christians want to beleive it or not)so just don't critisize christians theres a ton of others out there (even though christians seem to be the most player haters out there)to punt on, i myself am somewhat of a buddist so find something intelegent to joke about that and not something like (the idea of reincarnation is that one day my friend dies, he becomes the gas, a cow eats him, he then passes through the digestive tract, and then plops out of there all brown and wet, i then walk up to this turd and say "boy my friend sure hasn't changed a lot.") Because thats not reincarnation and i couldn't say im a full buddist becau se when i meditate it kind of scares me plus i dont know how to practice everything so best to say im really nothing more than a dream. forther more (stop me if im getting too long winded) as an athiest you claim to be seperate from all religions with no bais or prejudical veiw so instead of just joking on all the religions (which isn't half bad) you should be able to find something that is also good about them that isnt sterotypical or sarcastic. if you are a ture athiest you could do this and more. so please respond to theis comment somewhere on this site cause i have no e-mail and for the benefit of others to

Your note is a bit rambling, but I think there's a good question or two buried in there.

I don't attempt to make up other people's minds for them, despite what the site's home page might say. The "you are now an atheist" concept is a joke, largely at the expense of those who believe that an intelligent person can just choose what to believe.

I agree that there are many thoughtful and intelligent Christians and other religious people. I do talk about Christians more than I talk about people of other religions, largely because most of the correspondence I get is from Christians, and most of the conversion attempts (and verbal attacks) I've experienced have come from Christians.

I don't claim to be separate from all religions, since I'm not quite sure what that would entail. I am certainly affected by religion, whether I want to be or not. As an atheist, I simply claim to be without religion. I also do not claim to be without bias or prejudice, although I do my best to be, and I don't claim that all religions are equal — some are, to me, clearly worse than others for one reason or another.

What is good about religion? Well, religion does bring comfort to many people. It also inspires some people to do great things. I don't say that religion is all evil, but I will say that there has been evil that came from religion.

Have you read The Book of Enoch?

What IF the TRUE Bible is The Book of Enoch but instead we believe or read THE INCOMPLETE BIBLE OF TODAY?

I haven't read it, but I am generally familiar with what it is about. It would make no difference to me if the Bible as read today (in its various versions) were not the one originally intended by some ancient writer. I consider the Bible a historical document like any other.

What IF Falling Angels are the ones who's running the government?

I would be very surprised.

If you are an Atheist, do you believe you are real or fake? Because if you are real, then do you belive you are real because of you nerve senses? Then if so, what is real?

I believe I am real. I don't know how it would be possible to believe I was fake. I have faith that the signals my brain receives from my senses are generally reliable, however I have no proof that I'm not a brain in a jar in some mad scientist's laboratory being fed false signals (just in case you are asking).

Since you dont believe in God then how can you distinguish what is real and what is an illusion?

To my knowledge, believing in a deity wouldn't help me distinguish reality from fantasy. In fact, it might be a step in the wrong direction.

What IF Falling Angels lusted with human females producing an evil seed in Babylon thus you get PSALM 137:9?

I find this unlikely.

If life is an accident, then giving birth to a child is AN ACCIDENT? RIGHT?

That does not follow. The discovery of penicillin may have been an accident, but the use of penicillin to cure disease is done with purpose.

Granted Religion was MAN MADE...but then who influence to make the U.S. government of today?

That's a big subject. There were a great many influences, including Thomas Jefferson who believed religion and government should be kept separate. I love that guy.

Do you believe you are YOUR ARE YOUR OWN GOD?

No. I don't even know what that would mean.

Now, let's just say that the prophecies of god and the son of god were correct. Then comes the day when your freedom gets restrained and in order for you to get THAT FREEDOM you need to wear, have or carry the mark of the beast. Would you or an Atheist receieve or accept such thing in order for you to restore freedom?

If all the prophecies of the Bible came true and supernatural beings started showing up and doing stuff, odds are I wouldn't be an atheist anymore. That's like asking if I'd still believe Elvis was dead if he showed up at my house.

Did you prepared yourself when the Y2K phenomena happend? If so, why?

Yes. I was working in a technology-related field at the time and some of our equipment needed to be updated for Y2K. What does this have to do with anything under discussion?

Do you believe or think that the JFK assassination was a conspiracy?

I do not see compelling evidence for a conspiracy.

What about 9/11?

I think a JFK conspiracy is far more likely.

What do you think about The Illumanati?

I don't like them. They overdress and the cupcakes at their bake sales are always too expensive.

Do you think that secret societies exist and they are controling the U.S. Government?

No.

Antartica is going to be no more. Did you believe or put a thought about global warming? If you said yes, then how can you believe in something that hasnt occur yet but will and we are going to experience the meltdown. To be honest with you I NEVER THOUGHT it will or was going to occur.

I think the evidence for global warming is good. The evidence that it might in part be caused by humans is also good enough that I think we should take some precautions. Science is often concerned with things that have not happened yet, and I have no problem with that.

Have you read A Pale Horse by Bill Cooper? If you did read it isn't weird that he was killed after he released his book?

I have not read the book, but my impression is that Cooper's information may be less than reliable.

My suggestion is to read the book titled Bible Codes Revealed by Sherry Shriner. I am doing my own RESEARCH by looking at it as an academic point of view. I am evanglist but now that I am reading more I consider myself as a FOLLOWER of GOD. NO RELIGION influence. I am reading The Bible, The Book of Enoch, Introduction to Atheism, World Religions, The Illumanati 666 prt. 1 & 2, Aliens on The Internet, Definitions of Demon Spirits, A Pale Horse, Sumarian Methos and much more. Looking at both sides of the coin because THAT'S THE ONLY WAY to SEARCH for the TRUTH that we bear in society. But I still believe in Jesus and God but I am NOT SAYING ANYTHING and I RESPECT everyones belief. I share my information to those that want to hear but those that dont then I LET THEM BE!! I am also in the Planetary Society and Sierra Club. Take care and good bye.

Although I doubt that the U.S. government is covering up evidence of extraterrestrial visitations (among other things addressed in the books you mention), I applaud you for respecting the beliefs of others and for reading to expand your intellectual horizon. However, I can't say that I'd choose the same reading material you do. It seems a little skewed toward the fringe. Kudos on being involved in the Planetary Society and Sierra Club, and thanks for the entertaining note.

What are the chances that I can have cabbage rolls for dinner?

Oh! well...um.. ta!

Sorry, I disagree - there is nothing happy about this accident. Except for some of the bits where whipped cream is involved. Oh, and parrots are kind of cool too.