Any atheists in here?
POSTED BY: BlackCollarBrowncoat
UPDATED: Sunday, March 12, 2006 20:19
VIEWED: 38267
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Quote:I would imagine because most atheist don’t spend a lot of time in self reflection about their philosophical and religious opinions. I think that many, if not most, atheists are not necessarily opposed to the belief in god, as much as they are skeptical of religion. This is why many atheists get their dander up when someone suggests, perhaps rightly so, that strong atheist views are distinctly religious in nature. Many atheists don’t want to be labeled religious. In fact, on more then one occasion I’ve had atheists admit to me that their opinions are really more agnostic, but they proclaim an atheist position because they don’t feel that agnosticism is “strong” enough. And then there is my own personal experience: I once held very strongly atheists positions, even though I think I knew that this was in conflict with what I really believed. When I began to reflect on what it was that made me feel that I was an atheists, I was forced to abandon that characterization. It occurred to me that what I was really opposed to was certain aspects of human nature often associated with religion, but in reality I don’t think I was ever actually opposed to the existence of god, much less believed that god didn’t exist. To a large extent, atheism is a surrogate for opposition to religious belief, more then it is an actually independent theological or philosophical conviction, and that’s why, I believe, that there isn’t wide acceptance of the diversity of atheistic opinion.
Originally posted by TheIncomparableNotion:
That's quite a detailed index of various theologies and philosophies concerning atheism and agnosticism. Of which I had examined extensively prior to this, but, however; i'm still a bit uncertain as to why there aren't more varying degrees of these beliefs that are widely recognized.
The Earth is old.
And doesn't care if one small girl wants seeds to grow.
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Quote:
Originally posted by christhecynic:
After all if I'm wrong shouldn't you be able to prove it with a straight answer?
No, because it's not a straight question. Your distinction is loaded with assumptions and not justifiable. For example, where do you put these statements in your terminology?
1. I don't believe in god.
2. God isn't real.
Or some more.
1. I don't believe the earth is made of spaghetti.
2. The earth is not made of spaghetti.
Is someone who utters statement two acting on faith? If so, we've expanded the definition of faith to encompass all of perception, haven't we?
SergeantX
"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock
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I'm not an atheist I'm not really anthing. I dislike religion but I understand the need to believe that there is something more. Sometimes I try to believe in reincarnation but I can't get too certain. I grew up Christian (daughter of a preacher man) so sometimes I still get scared of that god. Anyway I don't have any problem with the religious as long as they don't try to convert me. I do think that Mal believed so hard in his God and in the Independents cause that losing the war just crushed that part of him into a very thin powder and then someone sneezed on it.
An I carried such a torch
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Quote:
Originally posted by SergeantX:Quote:
Originally posted by christhecynic:
After all if I'm wrong shouldn't you be able to prove it with a straight answer?
No, because it's not a straight question. Your distinction is loaded with assumptions and not justifiable. For example, where do you put these statements in your terminology?
1. I don't believe in god.
2. God isn't real.
The first is a statement of non-belief, the second is a statement of belief with no evidence of any kind to back it up.
Obviously someone who holds the belief stated in 2 also shares the lack of belief stated in 1, however as many soft atheists will tell you to honestly say 1 you do not have to believe 2.
Quote:
Or some more.
1. I don't believe the earth is made of spaghetti.
2. The earth is not made of spaghetti.
The first is a statement of non-belief, the second is a statement of belief that is backed up by, and probably based on, empirical evidence.
Quote:
Is someone who utters statement two acting on faith?
Well that really depends doesn't it? If they've never stepped foot outside a house, never seen the ground or dug a hole and knew nothing of geology or the origin of spaghetti I suppose it could be on faith.
But if we assume that they have seen the earth and know about the nature of spaghetti then I’d say it's probably based on evidence instead of faith.
You can see that the earth isn't made of spaghetti, thus the belief that the earth is not made of spaghetti is not something based on faith. It is still a belief, but I think we can all agree it is a very, very valid belief.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:Quote:I would imagine because most atheist don’t spend a lot of time in self reflection about their philosophical and religious opinions. I think that many, if not most, atheists are not necessarily opposed to the belief in god, as much as they are skeptical of religion. This is why many atheists get their dander up when someone suggests, perhaps rightly so, that strong atheist views are distinctly religious in nature. Many atheists don’t want to be labeled religious. In fact, on more then one occasion I’ve had atheists admit to me that their opinions are really more agnostic, but they proclaim an atheist position because they don’t feel that agnosticism is “strong” enough. And then there is my own personal experience: I once held very strongly atheists positions, even though I think I knew that this was in conflict with what I really believed. When I began to reflect on what it was that made me feel that I was an atheists, I was forced to abandon that characterization. It occurred to me that what I was really opposed to was certain aspects of human nature often associated with religion, but in reality I don’t think I was ever actually opposed to the existence of god, much less believed that god didn’t exist. To a large extent, atheism is a surrogate for opposition to religious belief, more then it is an actually independent theological or philosophical conviction, and that’s why, I believe, that there isn’t wide acceptance of the diversity of atheistic opinion.
Originally posted by TheIncomparableNotion:
That's quite a detailed index of various theologies and philosophies concerning atheism and agnosticism. Of which I had examined extensively prior to this, but, however; i'm still a bit uncertain as to why there aren't more varying degrees of these beliefs that are widely recognized.
The Earth is old.
And doesn't care if one small girl wants seeds to grow.
Precisely, most atheists profess to have no religous beliefs, and that's false. Their very belief indicates religous meditation. I personally believe that their beliefs are inherently religous in nature, and therefore comprise what is more or less, a religion. And, in regard to agnosticism, which is a philosophy that I identify most with, some have the misconception that agnosticism entails having no religous ideas. That's not true, it applies only to the belief of a God; for example, I hold the opinion that the prospects that a God exists are considerably better than those of one not existing. I just don't particularly know or believe one way or the other.
I think that all religions merit a certain degree of respect, there's no basis of which to prove any correct or incorrect.
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well I'm not exactly an atheist, but I don't believe in God, like the Christian or Muslim God, I consider myself a spirtual person, but I tend to think more along the lines of Zecharia Stitchen, and I'm pretty anti religion myself, I can't wait till the time comes when people have evolved past that.
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If I ever choose to blindly follow a fictional character I'm sure I can come up with a better one than God.
Seriously, If I come face to face with the big guy when I die, I will gladly admit that I was wrong. I just don't see the point in worry about it now. 
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Quote:
Originally posted by HappyBrain:
If I ever choose to blindly follow a fictional character I'm sure I can come up with a better one than God.
Seriously, If I come face to face with the big guy when I die, I will gladly admit that I was wrong. I just don't see the point in worry about it now.
So thats why you have a happy brain.
-Stay Shiny
"The people who made the show, and the people who saw the show, which is roughly the same number of people, fell in love with it, a little bit too much to let it go, too much to lay down arms when when the battle looked pretty much lost. In Hollywood, people like that are called unrealistic, quixotic, obsessive... In my world, they're called Browncoats."
-Joss Whedon
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Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
Hard-core atheist, and pretty anti-religious. Somewhat of a mystic, tho. While I think that science is the way to knowledge, I'm reasonably certain we will never know everything.
Can you explain what "anti-religious" means to you? Being a faithful-type myself, I tend to read into statements like that--but in the interest of not jumping to conclusions, I thought I'd just ask.
________________________________________________________________________
I wish I had a magical wish-granting plank.
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Quote:
If I ever choose to blindly follow a fictional character I'm sure I can come up with a better one than God.
Blood and souls for my lord Arioch?
BTW, when did this board die? I seem to be posting by myself.
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