A Conversation w/ an Atheist

Just as I note, my worldview as an atheist does not necessarily reflect the worldview of other atheists, so know that what I say about this topic isn't necessarily identical to what other atheists might say. The reason why I do no believe in a god is simply because I haven't found any evidence for one (or many). There is not much more to say after this, for it is logically impossible to prove a negative; just as I cannot demonstrate that a unicorn does not exist or produce evidence that you cannot run at a speed of 100 mph, I cannot prove the nonexistence of a god. Perhaps this answer is unsatisfying. I must acknowledge that there is a possibility that a god is real. This possibility, however, is not particularly meaningful, as there is an equal possibility that Superman is real; there exists empirical evidence for neither. But since many people, now and throughout history, have argued in favor of a god or multiple gods, the next best thing when disputing religion is to address these arguments. I do not know what Sikhism teaches, but the following addresses points that I have found to be characteristic of most modern religions. If I get something wrong, feel free to correct me. Most modern religions establish an objective moral code to abide by, supposedly written by the deity or founder of that religion (10 Commandments, Five Pillars, Five Precepts, etc.). A common argument in favor of a god/gods is: "If there is an objective moral code, there must be a god/gods to write one/ There is an objective moral code/ Therefore there must be a god/gods." I dispute this by asserting that there is no objective morality, that all morality is inherently subjective. Obviously one could respond by saying that many things that are generally seen as immoral such as, murder, theft, deception, etc. but unfortunately life is rarely so simple. Every action has context that speaks to the morality of said action, and even with context there will never be a universal agreement of its morality. Let's use the classic trolley dilemma to explain this concept. If you don't know what the trolley dilemma is, imagine you are at a train station and there is a train barreling across the railway track towards a group of 5 people tied to the tracks. You have a lever that could divert the train away from the 5 people and onto an alternate track that has one person tied to it. What do you choose to do? One could very easily argue that diverting the train towards the one person is murder, and lets say that it is. But was this murder immoral? Depends on who you ask. There are many moral thought exercises similar to this; you probably know about this one already, but we can go over others if you want. Another common argument in favor of a god/gods is the concept of free will; it is asserted that because we are aware of and can deliberate on our actions, we therefore must have a free will which was divinely bestowed upon us (this is a primarily Abrahamic world view, I have not heard or read this out of other religions). I personally do not believe in free will, but this argument is problematic even if you assume that it does. The ability to deliberate on ourselves and our actions, or self awareness, is something that is not unique to humans and is something we share with magpies, bottlenose dolphins, chimpanzees, and elephants (as well as a few others), suggesting that self awareness is something that can be evolved. Furthermore, there is evidence that babies less than a year old lack self awareness and an overall sense of self, implying that self awareness is part of early cognitive development and is thus tied directly to the brain, and not some higher power or soul. It has not yet been determined exactly what part of the brain is primarily responsible for self awareness; it has been suggested that interoception, or senses that are stimulated from within the body, and therefore the greater limbic system (basic emotions and desires) may be related, but it is hard to say for sure. These are the main reasons why I am an atheist. Of course there other smaller reasons, but I don't want to write too much on the off chance I don't actually address any of your concerns. Hopefully I did though, and I look forward to answering your questions.