fellow atheists

[Rainbear]

what is atheism to you?

To me, the term "atheist" just about sums up what I think. The word literally means "not a theist" I really don't care what theists do or think as long as it doesn't cause mental or physical suffering-which unfortunately it sometimes does. But on the whole i think religion can do good things for people: faith gives people a sense of belonging and companionship, it makes them feel that they are doing good in the world, it makes them feel that a higher power is watching over them.

I just don't have that faith, nor do I want it. Thats right, I'm an atheist and not an anti-theist

How about you?

 

[belladom]

Hey. How do I delete a post. Like this useless one? Sorry rainbear, I needed to test this.

 

[Rainbear]

actually i have no idea lol. im new to this as well =)

 

[belladom]

There's a forum here in this section that's called I believe____________ or something where I explain my views on atheism. It goes into some depth and is highly abstract, but it gets inflammatory at the end (sorry). So rather than repost here I just mention it. =)

 

[Bucko]

Well whether religion is good or bad isnt really relevant to being atheist, or any religion really, it simply comes down to what you believe. For me Atheism is the clear undoubted belief that there is no God or Gods for that matter, and therefore I'm indifferent to religion.

 

[0rion]

atheism is such a broad term.

but the way i feel about it is like this:

everyone in this world is born into this massive multiplayer role playing game(religion) started off by men back in the time of superstion. similar to the vampire rpg's that kids play... but the only difference that is religion is assumed as true.

now, atheism doesn't mean that you are away or better yet, aren't considered a player in this massive multiplayer. Many atheists could be religious but not believe in any gods(i.e. buddhists).

Other atheists are atheists for the wrong reasons. The reason they are atheists is because they are playing the devil's advocate to religion ( because they are rebellious, are angry, etc).

And finally we have the ones who are atheists because they see that reality doesn't match up with what this massive multiplayer has to say.

 

[0rion]

Well whether religion is good or bad isnt really relevant to being atheist, or any religion really, it simply comes down to what you believe. For me Atheism is the clear undoubted belief that there is no God or Gods for that matter, and therefore I'm indifferent to religion.

atheism is lack of belief in gods. whether god exists or not, that is unknowable to us. what you are describing is strong atheism.

 

[jayem]

I wish there were no such word as "atheist." Meaning the noun form. Because people lump "atheist" with other nouns, such as Muslim, or Hindu, or Jew, and think that it means someone who accepts a specific religious belief with a defined doctrine. Of course, atheism only refers to no supernatural god or deity--nothing more. It's not really a whole belief system, it only refers to the characteristic of not accepting any gods. The term should only exist in adjective form, "atheistic." To me, that is much more accurate. Because I'm a naturalist. I do have a belief system--which is that everything in the universe is purely a function of matter and energy and their natural properties. I don't believe that there is anything supernatural. (I readily admit my belief system requires "faith," because I can't prove that with absolute metaphysical certainty--though I sincerely believe that in the entire history of human knowledge, no supernatural explanation has ever been shown to be valid for anything.) By logical extension, naturalism is atheistic.

Some might say this is putting too fine a point on things, but I think it's a matter of clear thinking. My true belief system is naturalism, not atheism. But I am atheistic.

 

[peepnklown]

Atheism is simply a disbelief in gods; adding items to the definition is merely being fraudulent.

 

[SeraphymCrashing]

The question was what does atheism mean to you. I think he wants a personal answer in how you define yourself as a person in regards to your atheism.

For me, its always questioning everything before deciding what I think the truth is. I find no compelling evidence for any of the gods that have thus far been described to me. I am agnostic in regards to deism, but I think that there is no recognizable difference between a deistic world and an atheistic world and that the question is moot. I won't be defining what gives me purpose in life by whether a deistic god exists or not.

 

[glo1]

I know atheists who simply don't think that God (in any way, shape or form) exists, but are fairly tolerant of other peoples' beliefs.

But then I also know atheists who don't just have that opinion, but also think that believing in God is fundamentally wrong and harmful.
More anti-theists, than just atheists, if there is such a term ...

Which of the two would you describe yourselves as?

Peace

glo

 

[A. believer]

what is atheism to you?

To me, the term "atheist" just about sums up what I think. The word literally means "not a theist" I really don't care what theists do or think as long as it doesn't cause mental or physical suffering-which unfortunately it sometimes does. But on the whole i think religion can do good things for people: faith gives people a sense of belonging and companionship, it makes them feel that they are doing good in the world, it makes them feel that a higher power is watching over them.

I just don't have that faith, nor do I want it. Thats right, I'm an atheist and not an anti-theist

How about you?

Of course you have faith. In fact, you have a great deal of blind faith.

 

[peepnklown]

I think he wants a personal answer in how you define yourself as a person in regards to your atheism.

I think we have to make atheism comprehensible to the masses: atheism is simply a single model (a disbelief in gods) and should be treated as such.
I do not have an obsession with history because I am an atheist.
I do not create art because I am an atheist.
I do not have an interest in technology because I am an atheist.
I was skeptical before I labeled myself an atheist.

In fact, you have a great deal of blind faith.

You have made your claim but can you support it?

 

[A. believer]

You have made your claim but can you support it?

It's a given. We all trust in something. At a minimum, as an atheist, Rainbear is putting his faith in the notion that, despite the evidence of design and the universal perception of transcendent moral imperatives, he's really his own "god."

 

[peepnklown]

It's a given.

Does that mean you have no support?

Despite the evidence of design

What evidence of design?
Even if the Earth was designed who is to say your god designed it?
It could have easily been an alien force.

universal perception of transcendent moral imperatives

Can you explain further?

 

[A. believer]

Does that mean you have no support?

No, I mean that the support followed the statement. It might be helpful to read the whole post before responding to individual sentences. You'll be amazed at how it aids in comprehension and saves time.

What evidence of design?

Even the most ardent materialist scientists acknowledge apparent design. They then go on to make a career out of trying to explain it away. To not see see evidence of design in the universe requires an unfathomable inability to reason inductively. I don't believe that you really lack that ability, but you clearly employ it selectively.

Even if the Earth was designed who is to say your god designed it? It could have easily been an alien force.

And believing this, too, would be a position of faith. Ultimately, we all base our lives on certain faith-based assumptions about reality. No one can escape it. The act of living requires faith in our assumptions.

Can you explain further?

Sure. Everyone speaks and acts implicitly as if transcendent moral imperatives exist--even the tiny minority (particularly in the overall scheme of history) of postmodernists who deny it explicitly. Witness the moral indignation of the liberal left who speak of morality as if it's a man-made construct, and then contradict themselves by acting as if others are bound by this construct and "ought to" follow it. If transcendent moral imperatives don't exist, there is no such thing as "ought." It's an incoherent concept.

 

[SeraphymCrashing]

"It's a given. We all trust in something. At a minimum, as an atheist, Rainbear is putting his faith in the notion that, despite the evidence of design and the universal perception of transcendent moral imperatives, he's really his own "god.""

There is no evidence of design that is accepted by any reputeable scientific agency, and there is hardly a universal perception of transcendendant moral imperatives.

I understand that you may believe a certain way, but to represent your beliefs as the unquestioned majority when there is a healthly vigorous debate about them is deceitful and egocentric.

Faith is believing in something without evidence. Atheists find no compelling evidence for a god. Absence of evidence is evidence of absence. And if you had evidence you wouldn't have faith either, you would just know.

 

[SeraphymCrashing]

"Even the most ardent materialist scientists acknowledge apparent design. They then go on to make a career out of trying to explain it away. To not see see evidence of design in the universe requires an unfathomable inability to reason inductively. I don't believe that you really lack that ability, but you clearly employ it selectively."

This is a complete lie. Name one Materialist scientist who acknowledges design. You can't.

 

[A. believer]

"Even the most ardent materialist scientists acknowledge apparent design. They then go on to make a career out of trying to explain it away. To not see see evidence of design in the universe requires an unfathomable inability to reason inductively. I don't believe that you really lack that ability, but you clearly employ it selectively."

This is a complete lie. Name one Materialist scientist who acknowledges design. You can't.

I said apparent design.

 

[A. believer]

There is no evidence of design that is accepted by any reputeable scientific agency,

Again, I said apparent design, and materialists do acknowledge that the universe appears to be designed. They then proceed to look for ways to explain why it appears that way when it, allegedly, really isn't.

and there is hardly a universal perception of transcendendant moral imperatives.

Who doesn't speak and act as if people ought to behave in certain ways or refrain from behaving in certain other ways? Certainly no one on this board. The only one who even comes close might be David Gould.

I understand that you may believe a certain way, but to represent your beliefs as the unquestioned majority when there is a healthly vigorous debate about them is deceitful and egocentric.

You mean I ought not be deceitful and egocentric? Point made.

Faith is believing in something without evidence. Atheists find no compelling evidence for a god. Absence of evidence is evidence of absence. And if you had evidence you wouldn't have faith either, you would just know.

That's certainly not the Biblical definition of faith. Faith is trusting in that which is not seen, but the concept of faith doesn't imply the absence of evidence, and that isn't what God requires.