Why atheism?

Originally posted by lord xyz
Sorry but you are wrong.
Theism = belief in god
Atheism = disbelief in god

Just because something can't be proven scientifically, doesn't mean it can't be believable.

The problem I have about atheism is that not many theists understand why people are atheist. Most of them are people who haven't been taught religion, or raised to support one.

Having that said, atheism is not the belief that there is no god, it is the abscence of belief of god. Atheists aren't people who decide they're not going to believe in god. Although some have made that decision, most of those "atheists" still think about if there is a god. True atheists never do that, by definition.

you fundamentalists have to remember that Atheism is not a religion, atheist parents don't go to their children, "Do not believe in god." No. They don't mention god. Most atheists haven't even heard the theory of Creationism. I know because most of my school is atheist. (Well, all the children are.) All children start off atheist because they have no knowledge of the theory of god. Religion is something that's forced upon minors to keep people inline and follow a bunch of rules that were made to stop problems in the middle east (and the continent of india) over 2,000 years ago. Yeah. So if you think Atheism is blind, think about what religion most religions are. The words "out of date" come to mind. [/B]

Originally posted by Regret
Most questions on here are directed at religious people, given this, I decided to question the atheists.

Why atheism over religion? Why do you believe that there is no God? Why not agnostic at the least?

It seems to me that a stance such as atheism takes a decent amount of faith in the absence of such a figure, as the absence of evidence cannot be held as evidence.

In my opinion, atheism presents itself as a possible stumbling block to discovery and advancement as it is based in an assumption that is just as untestable as the opposing assumption. I do not believe it necessary to consider the possibility of God as an explanation in scientific research just because it is possible, but I believe the absolute denial of the possibility is illogical and poorly rationalized.

I also wonder why the hell someone would actually choose atheism. I think its because some thing terrible/scarring happened to them in their life to make them stop believing.

Atheism has nothing to do with belief; it is just a characteristic. It can be an aspect OF a belief, though. For example, Humanism is a belief that is atheist. Some would say Buddhism is as well.

Pretty much all atheists hold world views that are beliefs with an atheist characteristic.

Originally posted by Regret
Wrong. Atheism is a disbelief or denial, not the absence of belief.

Originally posted by lord xyz
Then what about people who have never heard of god, are they atheist or theist?

Originally posted by Ushgarak
Atheism has nothing to do with belief; it is just a characteristic. It can be an aspect OF a belief, though. For example, Humanism is a belief that is atheist. Some would say Buddhism is as well.

Pretty much all atheists hold world views that are beliefs with an atheist characteristic.

Atheism = no religion aka secular

Originally posted by Ushgarak
Well, I am going to have to reject your rejection, WD, on the grounds it is inept.

I really don't see what you are saying there. Weak and Strong are just two different justifications for atheism, and to say a weak atheist is clueless just because he holds the position that it is not reasonable to think something exists if there is no evidence for it... is pretty silly, to be honest. It is a very credible view. Most people don't believe something until it is proven.

Weak and strong alike are both atheists, and both fit the definition of the word. They both 'are'. VERY confused by your post, to be honest. And both views DO exist, so to reject them is rather arrogant.

Then I will illustrate further. If indeed Atheism is the rejections of gods. Then by all means Christians are Atheist. Because they reject any gods and only accept the true creator and savior in their faith which God and Jesus. See the contradiction here? If we were to accept your explanation of a weak atheist then that weak atheist denies all other gods but leaves the possibility of one true creative being. That doesn't work. Either you do belive or just don't believe. So if you come to the conclusion that there is no point in believing then you've become an Official Atheist.

Originally posted by Regret
Neither, both are stances on the subject of God.

Originally posted by Quiero Mota
I also wonder why the hell someone would actually choose atheism. I think its because some thing terrible/scarring happened to them in their life to make them stop believing.

😕

Originally posted by Quiero Mota
I also wonder why the hell someone would actually choose atheism. I think its because some thing terrible/scarring happened to them in their life to make them stop believing.

I wonder why someone would choose religion, myself.

Originally posted by WrathfulDwarf
Then I will illustrate further. If indeed Atheism is the rejections of gods. Then by all means Christians are Atheist. Because they reject any gods and only accept the true creator and savior in their faith which God and Jesus. See the contradiction here? If we were to accept your explanation of a weak atheist then that weak atheist denies all other gods but leaves the possibility of one true creative being. That doesn't work. Either you do belive or just don't believe. So if you come to the conclusion that there is no point in believing then you've become an Official Atheist.

Umm, what?

Christians are atheist because they reject all gods except the Christian one?

That is highly contradictory. How can you follow a religion that worships a higher being and be atheist?

If you believe in any sort of higher being you are a theist.

If you have no belief in any sort of higher being or believe there is no way for a higher being to exist, you are an atheist.

And if you are unsure but accept that one could possibly exist, then you're agnostic.

Originally posted by Lana
I wonder why someone would choose religion, myself.

Why?

If you don't believe in life after death or have nothing to look forward to, then why not just kill yourself? After all, "there's no point in living".

Originally posted by Lana

Umm, what?

Christians are atheist because they reject all gods except the Christian one?

That is highly contradictory. How can you follow a religion that worships a higher being and be atheist?

If you believe in any sort of higher being you are a theist.

That's my point. Under that observation a christian would seen like an atheist because of his/her rejection of other gods. Which makes it contradictory. Now, you bring a theist. Which is what I would say is more credible than a "weak atheist".

If you have no belief in any sort of higher being or believe there is no way for a higher being to exist, you are an atheist.

I completely agree. This is what I consider a Hardcore Atheist. Or a "strong atheist" as Ush mentions. The weak atheist is the one I have a hard time accepting.

Originally posted by Regret
It seems to me that a stance such as atheism takes a decent amount of faith in the absence of such a figure, as the absence of evidence cannot be held as evidence

Finish it... the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence, I really love that line.

I do not like the term agnostic because I definitely believe in a higher power and I do not doubt it but the definition of agnostic from dictionary.com is :

ag‧nos‧tic  Pronunciation[ag-nos-tik]
–noun
1. a person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as God, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable, or that human knowledge is limited to experience.
2. a person who denies or doubts the possibility of ultimate knowledge in some area of study.

Originally posted by WrathfulDwarf
My take?

Neither Religion or Atheism is above each other in my world. Period! Live with it.

Athiesm can be just as destructive as Thiesm has been throughout history...

I mean think about it....many people have killed in the name of their God...many innocent people throughout history have been terrorized, tortured, oppressed, and killed by the followers of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism...

And many of the Thiests in power who have committed those inhumane crimes have done so in the name of God, justifying their violence through thier dogmas based on Faith.

At the same time, however, people have also been motivated to kill and do horrible things by a beleif in the LACK of natural consequences. If you truly beleive that there is no afterlife, no punishment, no justice, etc. and you desire to hurt somebody, what's going to stop you from doing so?

Originally posted by Quiero Mota
Why?

If you don't believe in life after death or have nothing to look forward to, then why not just kill yourself? After all, "there's no point in living".

Originally posted by crazy
Finish it... the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence, I really love that line.

While this is technically correct, there is strong evidnece against god and no one has any reason to take the notion of god seriously.

Originally posted by Quiero Mota
Why?

If you don't believe in life after death or have nothing to look forward to, then why not just kill yourself? After all, "there's no point in living".

Because you do what you can with the time you have. Honestly, do you do everythign for your god? I thought not. Try thinking. "there is no point in living" is not associated with general athesim.

If you think thats true, then I say to you, "why not just die, since all you live for is in your afterlife?"

Thats waht I thought...its a bullshit perspective.

Originally posted by Quiero Mota
Why?

If you don't believe in life after death or have nothing to look forward to, then why not just kill yourself? After all, "there's no point in living".

What? You can't create your own purpose for living?

Originally posted by WrathfulDwarf
That's my point. Under that observation a christian would seen like an atheist because of his/her rejection of other gods. Which makes it contradictory. Now, you bring a theist. Which is what I would say is more credible than a "weak atheist".

I completely agree. This is what I consider a Hardcore Atheist. Or a "strong atheist" as Ush mentions. The weak atheist is the one I have a hard time accepting.

No, it's simply called they believe solely in their religion.

And I really don't understand why you're having trouble accepting weak atheism. In my sentence about atheism there I included both atheistic stances - not holding a belief in a higher being (which is in line with weak atheism) and believing that there is no way for one to exist (strong atheism). It might seem like the difference is just semantics but it isn't.

Finish it... the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence, I really love that line.

It certainly can be. If you'd expect evidence, and there isn't any, it's evidence of absense.

For example: I'm living in a graduate dorm, with walls so thin you can practically hear it when one of your neighbors turns on his computer.

"I believe that the other people in my pod throw extremely loud parties every Friday night."

"I have never heard my neighbors make noise on Friday night."

That last statement is a statement of absense of evidence. And, since I'd expect to encounter certain evidence if my hypothesis was true (specifically, I'd expect to hear a lot of noise on Friday nights), it is also evidence of absense.

YAY!

Originally posted by Quiero Mota
Why?

If you don't believe in life after death or have nothing to look forward to, then why not just kill yourself? After all, "there's no point in living".

Do you think Life is really that bad ? How pessemistic....

In fact, the possible lack of an afterlife is what makes this life even more precious....