Atheism's Wrong Turn II

[RetiredGySgt]

I don't know. Are we focusing on the rational versus the irrational?

If belief in the way we are using it is necessarily an "irrational" concept, akin to faith, then perhaps an atheist need not have faith to hold his belief.

We know (or think we know) that matter/energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Therefore, a rational belief would be one that holds that matter/energy has always and will always exist. It was never created. It is the natural state of things, as opposed to nothingness. That view, I suppose, is supported by evidence. As such, I don't think it implies faith.

A belief either that matter was created, either by a conscious entity (non-material) or anything else, isn't supported by evidence (because we know matter cannot be created) and probably would count as faith. Even supposing that we accept that matter has always existed, a belief that a material conscious entity conformed matter to a plan would also rest on faith, unless there is evidence to this effect that I am unaware of.

I think...

Your ignoring the fact that even if we accept matter has always been here it was not always in the form it is now. Man has NOT always been here, nor have any of the current life forms on the planet or even the current atmosphere. Get my drift?