Other religions

[*Starlight*]

Then they can't be atheists because the very word a-theos, by definition, means that they reject God.

It depends on the definition. Here's how WordNet 2.0 defines atheism:

atheism
n 1: the doctrine or belief that there is no God [syn: {godlessness}]
[ant: {theism}]
2: a lack of belief in the existence of God or gods

It doesn't say anything about rejecting God. To reject anything, a person must be aware of it first, so the person can't not believe in something and reject it at the same time.

 

[MikeMcK]

It depends on the definition. Here's how WordNet 2.0 defines atheism:

atheism
n 1: the doctrine or belief that there is no God [syn: {godlessness}]
[ant: {theism}]
2: a lack of belief in the existence of God or gods

It doesn't say anything about rejecting God. To reject anything, a person must be aware of it first, so the person can't not believe in something and reject it at the same time.

Both definitions you've posted necessitate that they reject God.

Now, do you really have so much free time that you believe this is worth arguing about?

 

[izarya]

The Muslim doesnt believe that the Jew will be saved, the Jew doesn't believe that the Christian will be saved, and the Christian doesn't believe that the Buddhist, or anyone else for that matter, will be saved.

I see no difference between this thinking, and the thought in the old testament that one race was superior to all the rest, and God was only for that one race.
Now we have merely replaced race with religion.

We've advanced so far in every concievable field of thought, observation, and study; yet we still can't recognize the walls of seperation that we put up against ourselves.

 

[jmothecat]

The Muslim doesnt believe that the Jew will be savedquote]

Actually thats incorrect. It is written in the Qu'ran (i've forgotten what surah's) that those who believe in the One God will go to paradise. Irrespective of whether it's a Jewish God, Christian God or any other religions God. Islam also has the general belief that good people who do not believe in God, may still go to Paradise rather than Hell.

That is one of the reasons, as an agnostic, i feel more likely that I will become Muslim than Christian. Although both Christianity and Islam are similar religions, Islam is more accepting, and more willing to modernise than Christianity, as I have descovered on this Forum.

 

[calidog]

Well Islam believes in Jesus.

they believe Jesus is a prophet of God but not the Son of God. Belief in Jesus as a mere person is'nt the same as believing in Jesus as the Son of God.

 

[calidog]

I'm not God, so I don't know, but I do believe that non-Christians can go to Heaven, no matter what religion they are. It's not their fault if they never heard of Christianity or haven't seen a good enough example of our religion to be able to view it for what it's worth; and I'm pretty sure God knows that. It's not a person's religion what matters, it's what's in their heart. Jesus died for everybody, even for those who don't believe in Him.

Interesting.
I agree somewhat, that is, that we will be judged for what we know and not for what we don't know.

I also believe Christ (because of His power) is able to bring us all at some point in our lives to a point where we either recieve Him or reject Him.

 

[Adoniram]

It doesn't say anything about rejecting God. To reject anything, a person must be aware of it first, so the person can't not believe in something and reject it at the same time.

Awwww, but there's the crux, don't you see? By the mere fact they say they don't have enough proof of God's existence to believe in him proves an awareness of him, and a knowledge of the concept of God, and therefore, rejection. For your premise to be correct, you would have to be able to say to the atheist "Do you believe in God?" and hear a response similar to "I've never heard of the term "God," what does it mean?"

In response to the OP, there are only two states in which humans exist in this life: Saved or unsaved. The requirement of belief in Christ for salvation has already been explained above. Any who are unsaved will not make it to heaven.

 

[BelindaP]

If you have heard of God and refuse to believe in Him, you have rejected Him.

Just like if I've heard of gravity but refuse to believe in it, I have rejected the concept of gravity. It doesn't matter why I refuse to believe in gravity.

 

[izarya]

Just like if I've heard of gravity but refuse to believe in it, I have rejected the concept of gravity. It doesn't matter why I refuse to believe in gravity.

You can tell me and try to justify why you don't believe in gravity all you want, but, if you jumped out of a window....
you're still going to fall.

 

[rosesandravens]

Awwww, but there's the crux, don't you see? By the mere fact they say they don't have enough proof of God's existence to believe in him proves an awareness of him, and a knowledge of the concept of God, and therefore, rejection. For your premise to be correct, you would have to be able to say to the atheist "Do you believe in God?" and hear a response similar to "I've never heard of the term "God," what does it mean?"

In response to the OP, there are only two states in which humans exist in this life: Saved or unsaved. The requirement of belief in Christ for salvation has already been explained above. Any who are unsaved will not make it to heaven.

Wait. Are we talking God in general, in whiched form you choose to worship Him, or the Christian God (with the holy trinity, etc)? I'm seeing a contradictory argument here.

 

[BelindaP]

Although it would be silly not to believe in gravity, lets's (just for the sake of argument) point out that there are other ways of explaining the reasons that things fall to earth. I was just making the point that I might not be convinced by the proofs that scientists use to support gravity. I would then be rejecting gravity in favor of my own ideas.

To me there is a parallel between rejecting God and rejecting gravity.

What evidence do you have to support gravity, other than things keep falling to earth? Does that evidence constitute proof? You might say it does, and I might say it doesn't. I might believe that your evidence is flimsy. My view of you would be that you have faith based on evidence but not on proof.

Since an athiest does not believe that the evidence that I would present for my belief in God constitutes proof, he/she would say that I have faith based on evidence (flimsy in his/her view) but not on proof.

 

[ChavaK]

the Jew doesn't believe that the Christian will be saved,

Incorrect...Jews believe that the rightous of all nations
will be "saved"...