Jim Downard

Is there an afterlife?

As someone who is a practical materialist, who does not believe we possess any supernatural spirit apart from the self-awareness generated in our brains, and who furthermore does not believe in any supernatural deities, my answer is a general no.

First, if the question assuming that "ultimate meaning" can only exist in a context of some kind of afterlife (eternal or otherwise), then the deck is stacked, and no answer apart from that would be conceivable. The issue ultimately relates not to the afterlife at all, but to what meaning and purpose people come to think about their own lives and the lives of others.

I cannot see how it is even slightly "inconsistent" for an atheist to argue that a particular god doesn't exist, though it would seem the questioner is trying to beg the question with the phrase "work against his existence" thereby embedding the reality of the god as an assumption.

On the way home from a trip with my niece to visit her mom (my sister) down in Louisiana in July, we routed back through New Mexico to see the celebrated Anasazi ruins of Chaco Canyon, which has been on my bucket list for some time. Punctuated by wandering cows and bugs languid in the summer heat, the road into the park is a long unpaved bumpy washboard, the result of litigious private landowners unable to reach an agreement with the Park Service on paving. Perhaps this is a blessing, for it keeps visitors to a trickle, limited to those whose curiosity to see the place overcomes worries about the resilience of their vehicle’s suspension.

Q. What motivates you to be a contributor with Spokane Faith & Values? As an atheist, has interfaith dialogue been a valuable experience in your life? What is your experience with other atheists including themselves in this endeavor?

The Inland Northwest Freethought Society and the Spokane Secular Society will join forces again this summer and host a booth at the Kootenai County Fair in Idaho (Aug. 21 - 25) and the Spokane County Interstate Fair (Sept.6-15).  This will be our second year at the Idaho Fair and the third for the Spokane shindig. I heartily invite any of the Spokane Faith & Values contributors and readers who may be visiting either fair to stop by our table and say hi.