Originally posted by inimalistWell, you could live somewhere where there is no concept of God, in that case you would not believe in God, but because there isn't a concept of it you'd also not know you were an atheist, which you would be, by definition.
?how can you be an atheist without thinking you are one?
Originally posted by WHAAM!
This thread is ridiculous, if you are an atheist you do not believe their will be a 'judgement' in the biblical sense. Why would anyone fear something they do not believe in. 😬
never second guess ur self? maybe believers are all full of crap but I think all people judge themseleves at the end of thier lifes...
Originally posted by Adam_PoE
Agnosticism is a form of negative Atheism, yet many Agnostics do not think they are Atheists.
I might agree in terms of people who don't self identify with the concept of agnosticism, but strict "we can't know" agnostics I wouldn't call atheists
Originally posted by Bardock42
Well, you could live somewhere where there is no concept of God, in that case you would not believe in God, but because there isn't a concept of it you'd also not know you were an atheist, which you would be, by definition.
ok, ya, that makes sense
Originally posted by truejedi
well, i know believers second-guess themselves sometimes with a "what if i'm wrong?" moment. I'm sure athiests have similar moments of self-doubt.
self doubt is different than believing in someone that will judge you in the afterlife.
and to be fair, though I will give an "allahu akbar" whenever events seem to go in a decidedly favorable way for me, but I have really never experienced something that actually forced me to re-evaluate my stance on God. I've often thought that some of my opinions might be wrong, but never has thinking I might not understand something suggested that a unknowable, invisible man in the sky is the actual answer.
a moment of doubt for an atheist =/= believing in and being afraid of God
Originally posted by The MISTERi can be an upstanding citizen with strong moral and ethical codes... without believing in a fairytale.
I'm a christian who believes in the Bible and it's command not to judge others. I won't judge people's souls but I do wonder about their minds. I can't comprehend why people find the idea of a creator hard to believe when we have such order (apart from suffering caused by humans) in the universe from atoms to galaxies. Science can't be applied to God but faith is what I'm discussing. Believing in God means that you believe we have a greater purpose than just survival. If you believe that there is no God there is no higher purpose for anything.Saying that there is no God suggests that there is no right and wrong except what we define as right and wrong, so it is a strong statement indeed. It suggests that we should not fear judgement.
What prevents people from believing that were created with power and responsibility on purpose? Is it fear of being judged by the Creator? If that's not it I'd like to know what other possible reasons there are.
Originally posted by inimalist
I might agree in terms of people who don't self identify with the concept of agnosticism, but strict "we can't know" agnostics I wouldn't call atheists
Belief is a true dichotomy. Either one believes in the existence of a phenomenon or he does not. Unless one actively believes in the existence of a phenomenon, his position, including "I don't know," is unbelief, which with regard to the existence of a god or gods is Atheism.
Originally posted by Adam_PoE
Belief is a true dichotomy. Either one believes in the existence of a phenomenon or he does not. Unless one actively believes in the existence of a phenomenon, his position, including "I don't know," is unbelief, which with regard to the existence of a god or gods is Atheism.
"Belief" is not a dichotomy: it's a trichotomy. Actually, it's more of a infinite slide from the poles with three distinct points on that slide.
As fact, some agnostics do not want to be called "atheists" and some atheists despise being lumped together with agnostics.
Religiously, agnostics are not atheists and vice versa.
Originally posted by marwash22
i can be an upstanding citizen with strong moral and ethical codes... without believing in a fairytale.
But you cannot escape the inexorable truth of those laws being influenced by theistically influenced morals. Laws are morals made official. Some of those morals were dictated by religions.
Kind of sucks, doesn't it? I wish these official "morals" such as not being able to have sex certain ways or with certain people, were not influenced by people. I'm REALLY cool with the "no sex with kids" official morals...but not the "no buttsex with your wife" or "no gay sex". I don't want gay sex or buttsex...but what does it matter? It matters, of course, because they are religiously influenced and should be dashed out of law. Secular law....sounds delicious.
Originally posted by Adam_PoE
Belief is a true dichotomy. Either one believes in the existence of a phenomenon or he does not. Unless one actively believes in the existence of a phenomenon, his position, including "I don't know," is unbelief, which with regard to the existence of a god or gods is Atheism.
yes, but I think there is a category of committed non-position. There are people who feel there is no evidence that could ever prove the existence of God one way or the other.
I don't get it either, I just see no reason to put them in boxes they don't want to be in. Their arguments are also much different from "I don't know". I'd say look to what lil is saying in the evidence thread.
Originally posted by dadudemonwhat does any of what you wrote have to do with me?
But you cannot escape the inexorable truth of those laws being influenced by theistically influenced morals. Laws are morals made official. Some of those morals were dictated by religions.Kind of sucks, doesn't it? I wish these official "morals" such as not being able to have sex certain ways or with certain people, were not influenced by people. I'm REALLY cool with the "no sex with kids" official morals...but not the "no buttsex with your wife" or "no gay sex". I don't want gay sex or buttsex...but what does it matter? It matters, of course, because they are religiously influenced and should be dashed out of law. Secular law....sounds delicious.