The trouble with atheism

Originally posted by Alfheim
What that a creator is NOT a scientfic concept?

ya, thats right

it is possible to envision a universe created by a being, or even a cosmic being. That makes it an ok philosophy or belief, but not anything closely related to a scientific concept or theory.

Basically the idea of a creator fails in every aspect that something has to have to even be considered a scientific theory. It fails occam's razor, falsifiability, repetability and has no predictive power.

However, the be all and end all is this: There is no experiment you could run to prove a creator's existance, and none you could do to determine the effect of the supernatural on the universe.

This doesn't mean necessarily that a creator does not exist, but more that it is as far from a scientific concept as something can get.

Originally posted by inimalist
ya, thats right

it is possible to envision a universe created by a being, or even a cosmic being. That makes it an ok philosophy or belief, but not anything closely related to a scientific concept or theory.

Basically the idea of a creator fails in every aspect that something has to have to even be considered a scientific theory. It fails occam's razor, falsifiability, repetability and has no predictive power.

However, the be all and end all is this: There is no experiment you could run to prove a creator's existance, and none you could do to determine the effect of the supernatural on the universe.

This doesn't mean necessarily that a creator does not exist, but more that it is as far from a scientific concept as something can get.

Im just taking your word for it. I thoughtb intellignet design was a scientific theory?

Originally posted by inimalist
a self identifying atheist actively denies the existance of God

When I say atheist I simply mean one who doesn't affirm the existence of any deity. Etymologically that seems to be the most sound way of putting it.

It is a wonderful analogy if you assume that the default truth is "god exists or needs to be disproven".

Either you believe in god or you don't. I think agnosticism is a subset of atheism and not a different thing altogether. Either way, both of those worldviews do not posit a god so they certainly cannot be said to be theistic at all. Like I said:

A - theism.

without theism

Originally posted by Alfheim
How are they wrong? Wrong for saying atheism is a religon? Isnt that a matter of opinion?

Originally posted by ThePittman
Yes Atheism is not a religion but an idea/concept or belief, just because someone believes something doesn’t make it a religion. I could believe that I will win the lottery but that doesn’t make it a religion. 😉 Are people trying to make it a belief system with rules and guidelines that make you an Atheist, yes but that is what I mean by twisting and corrupting the concept much as what the church has done to the doctrines of their religion.

Well they think it is, or they think its a belief system.

Originally posted by Alfheim
Im just taking your word for it. I thoughtb intellignet design was a scientific theory?

nope, thats just media propoganda

if you talk to the people at the discover institute (the number 1 ID think tank) and ask then what one experiment they would run to show ID, they have no answers. The theory has no predictive power and thus is useless in science.

Originally posted by Ytse
When I say atheist I simply mean one who doesn't affirm the existence of any deity. Etymologically that seems to be the most sound way of putting it.

Either you believe in god or you don't. I think agnosticism is a subset of atheism and not a different thing altogether. Either way, both of those worldviews do not posit a god so they certainly cannot be said to be theistic at all. Like I said:

A - theism.

without theism

well

it depends if you want to use language in the academic sense or in the sense that allows you to communicate an idea to people

Originally posted by Alfheim
Er yeah you do a belief in no god is a belief. Also evngelical athiests disagree.

Originally posted by inimalist
nope, thats just media propoganda

if you talk to the people at the discover institute (the number 1 ID think tank) and ask then what one experiment they would run to show ID, they have no answers. The theory has no predictive power and thus is useless in science.

I'll have to look into it.

Originally posted by lord xyz
A belief of what? You can't really believe in a negative.

Yeah you BELIEVE that God does not exist. That is a belief.

Originally posted by inimalist
it depends if you want to use language in the academic sense or in the sense that allows you to communicate an idea to people

Huh?

Most people can't sum their beliefs up in one word anyway.

Originally posted by Alfheim
Well they think it is, or they think its a belief system.

"I see so not believing in something is not a belief? You do realise that doesnt make any sense? If you dont believe in God, you believe that God does not exist....thats a belief."

Crap. Your understanding of these concepts is very poor.

Atheism is NOT a belief in ANYTHING. It is simply the word used to describe someone whose beliefs, whatever they are, do not include a God.

This is a basic matter of understanding the English language.

Meanwhile, if Evangelcial Atheists, whstevber you exactly mean by them, choose to make their views a belief, then that is their business. But that's irrelevant. The word atheism itself is NOT a belief.

Originally posted by ThePittman
Well I could make D&D my religion as well but that doesn’t mean that it is. 😉

Yeah it would. Some people take Tolkeinism as their religon. 😐

Originally posted by Ushgarak
"I see so not believing in something is not a belief? You do realise that doesnt make any sense? If you dont believe in God, you believe that God does not exist....thats a belief."

Crap. Your understanding of these concepts is very poor.

Atheism is NOT a belief in ANYTHING. It is simply the word used to describe someone whose beliefs, whatever they are, do not include a God.

This is a basic matter of understanding the English language.

Meanwhile, if Evangelcial Atheists, whstevber you exactly mean by them, choose to make their views a belief, then that is their business. But that's irrelevant. The word atheism itself is NOT a belief.

Wow you sound like a fundiamentalist Christian. Ok i'll just agree with you. Just what Rod was talking about arrogance.

Wow, I actually sound absolutely nothing like one at all. I do sound like someone who knows their English though.

You sound like someone who has to run away from an argument they are losing.

Originally posted by Ushgarak
Wow, I actually sound absolutely nothing like one at all. I do sound like someone who knows their English though.

You sound like someone who has to run away from an argument they are losing.

Yeah and thats what Christains say as well. "You dont understand" or "Those people are not really Christians."

Well done.

Originally posted by Alfheim
Yeah it would. Some people take Tolkeinism as their religon. 😐

As for the question that Atheism is a belief it is, it simply means that this is something that you hold to be true just as much as a belief in a god, for them this is something that they believe to be true.

Originally posted by Alfheim
I'll have to look into it.

Yeah you BELIEVE that God does not exist. That is a belief.

Originally posted by ThePittman
No it wouldn’t,

If you say so.

Originally posted by ThePittman

it would be a religion for that person but D&D itself is not.

It could be turned into a religon.

Originally posted by ThePittman

I could worship a toothpick but does that toothpick now become a religion?

It could be.

Originally posted by ThePittman

As for the question that Atheism is a belief it is, it simply means that this is something that you hold to be true just as much as a belief in a god, for them this is something that they believe to be true.

Exactly. Thats a better response as opposed to "their wrong". 🙄

Originally posted by lord xyz
Yeah, a belief of nothing. So we believe nothing.

Whatever your right.

It maybe a nicer response to “their wrong” but for me it is a correct one. 😉

Just because something “can” be turned into a religion doesn’t mean that it is. With the example of the toothpick it will always be and forever be a toothpick designed to pick stuff out of your teeth and just because some people think it is the best thing in the world and want to make it a holy item doesn’t change the fact that it is a toothpick.

Originally posted by Alfheim
If you say so.

It could be turned into a religon.

It could be.

Exactly. Thats a better response as opposed to "their wrong". 🙄

Whatever your right.