Atheism: What's the point?

[Dyakovo]

I'm just musing. People that lack a belief also have a system.

Wrong

The system of not believing,

Again, wrong

and, although I am not critisicing, they must constantly remind themselves that there's nothing to believe in.

No, I don't.

[Enadail]

Atheism is the belief that the world lacks a God or similar supernatural component.

NO NO NO!

Atheism is the lack of belief in a God belief. It is not the belief in a lack of a God. Do you read any of the posts here at all?

[Enadail]

I'm just musing. People that lack a belief also have a system. The system of not believing, and, although I am not critisicing, they must constantly remind themselves that there's nothing to believe in.

I'm an atheist. Tell me what I believe in.

[Treznor]

There is a difference between atheism and agnosticism.

I do not believe in God. I also do not believe in his absence. I have doubts about each option. That's agnosticism.

Atheism is the belief that the world lacks a God or similar supernatural component.

No, no and again, no.

Atheism is the lack of belief in a god or similar supernatural component.

[Dyakovo]

There is a difference between atheism and agnosticism.

This should be amusing... And flawed

I do not believe in God.

Therefore you are an atheist, more specifically an agnostic atheist.

Atheism is the belief that the world lacks a God or similar supernatural component.

No, atheism is the lack of belief in a god or similar supernatural component.

[Enadail]

Double post.

[Deus Malum]

There is a difference between atheism and agnosticism.

I do not believe in God. I also do not believe in his absence. I have doubts about each option. That's agnosticism.

Atheism is the belief that the world lacks a God or similar supernatural component.

I just spent two pages in three threads explaining why this is a flawed concept.

But here goes anway:

Agnosticism and Atheism are not mutually exclusive terms. Agnosticism and Gnosticism are statements of knowledge, whereas Atheism and Theism are statements of belief. Therefore, in lacking a belief in gods, you are by definition of an atheist. And in claiming to not know one way or another, you're an agnostic theist.

Atheists do NOT by definition affirm the lack of existence of a god. They simply LACK a belief in the existence of god(s).

[Minnas]

I'm an atheist. Tell me what I believe in.

Don't you just believe in nothing of a supernatural nature?

[Altergo]

We are born Atheists; we are born with no preset moral code or belief. Look at any baby in the maternity ward. They are all Atheists contrary to what their parents will say. After all, they don't know the difference,

Your parents taught you to be an Atheist. Just like i have been taught to belive in God. it's all what your parents teach you.

[Schlusemann]

Why do people continue discussing semantics, all you're arguing about is the word "atheist" and this thread is about the point of not believing in a god or gods. The definition has been established long ago, why not argue why you became an atheist, for example, how the bible is wrought with horrible moral contradictions: condoning rape, sexism, racism, slavery, gay-bashing, genocide, and xenophobia. Maybe pose the question, "What is the point of Religion?"

[Enadail]

I'm an atheist. Tell me what I believe in.

Don't you just believe in nothing of a supernatural nature?

Nope. I don't make a claim to knowing if anything of a supernatural nature exists.

[Enadail]

Your parents taught you to be an Atheist. Just like i have been taught to belive in God. it's all what your parents teach you.

My parents are theists. I am not. They taught me to be a theist. So... epic fail.

[Dyakovo]

We are born Atheists; we are born with no preset moral code or belief. Look at any baby in the maternity ward. They are all Atheists contrary to what their parents will say. After all, they don't know the difference,

Your parents taught you to be an Atheist. Just like i have been taught to belive in God. it's all what your parents teach you.

Fail.
My parents are not atheists.

[Matryn]

Atheists get free cookies.

...we do?


...I mean...right...right. We do. mmm...free cookies....

damn right we do

[Deus Malum]

We are born Atheists; we are born with no preset moral code or belief. Look at any baby in the maternity ward. They are all Atheists contrary to what their parents will say. After all, they don't know the difference,

Your parents taught you to be an Atheist. Just like i have been taught to belive in God. it's all what your parents teach you.

My parents are theists. I am not.

*waits for the inevitable "You're only an atheist because you're rebelling" 180 about face*

[Gift-of-god]

We are born Atheists; we are born with no preset moral code or belief. Look at any baby in the maternity ward. They are all Atheists contrary to what their parents will say. After all, they don't know the difference,

Your parents taught you to be an Atheist. Just like i have been taught to belive in God. it's all what your parents teach you.

My parents are theists. I am not.

*waits for the inevitable "You're only an atheist because you're rebelling" 180 about face*

That would suggest that the babies in the maternity ward are also rebelling against their parents.

[Letat]

In defense of my earlier wall of text, I shall reiterate that atheism does not constitute a belief system. Rather, it constitutes a facet of a belief system. If you like, we could say it constitutes the absence of a facet common to many belief systems - I regard this as something of a semantic quibble. I don't think we get anywhere by constantly arguing over whether or not atheism per se constitutes a religion, because religious and irreligious are talking at cross-purposes.

Indeed, for the irreligious atheism is not a religion. After all, outside of this forum I don't spend a great deal of time reminding myself that natural processes make the world go round without supernatural assistance. I don't attend weekly meetings of the likeminded in order to worship Atheos. I don't meditate on passages from The God Delusion. Atheism, strictly speaking, is not a religion, strictly speaking. Nonetheless, if someone asks me my religion, I might say "atheist," just as if someone were to ask what my cousin Steve's hair is like, I'd say "bald." Strictly speaking, bald is exactly what hair isn't like. Nonetheless, everyday language is sufficiently vague that this imprecision isn't problematic to communicate what you mean.

Hence, my second point. When the religious insist that atheism is a religion, this attempt to establish epistemic equivalency between atheists and theists isn't based on the notion that atheism - in and of itself - constitutes more than one opinion, or if you like, the absence of an opinion. They are driving at the constellation of opinions that people self-identifying as atheists supposedly hold, which do compose a system of beliefs. Okay, you lack belief in gods. You do believe certain things nonetheless. I believe that observed phenomena stem from natural causes which can be investigated empirically. This grounds my trust in the consensus of the scientific community to establish reliable knowledge about the universe. This belief also somewhat excludes the existence of God as far as I'm concerned, as I don't need to draw on a deity for explanatory purposes.

I propose therefore greater clarity in discussion. No, atheism is not a religion. When the religious claim it is, therefore, what are they talking about? They are in fact making a claim about the overall and comprehensive system of beliefs held by those who lack belief in gods and religious ritual. While it would be unfair to label such systems as religious, I think, they nonetheless can be engaged as belief systems and judged by their merits.

[Wustershershershaush]

How is this on page 44 and still on topic?

[Deus Malum]

Your parents taught you to be an Atheist. Just like i have been taught to belive in God. it's all what your parents teach you.

My parents are theists. I am not.

*waits for the inevitable "You're only an atheist because you're rebelling" 180 about face*

That would suggest that the babies in the maternity ward are also rebelling against their parents.

Someone's still probably going to claim it, all the same.

[Enadail]

I propose therefore greater clarity in discussion. No, atheism is not a religion. When the religious claim it is, therefore, what are they talking about? They are in fact making a claim about the overall and comprehensive system of beliefs held by those who lack belief in gods and religious ritual. While it would be unfair to label such systems as religious, I think, they nonetheless can be engaged as belief systems and judged by their merits.

Except atheism has no beliefs. This isn't a positive or negative scale. Its 0% to 100%. How empty is a full bucket? How full is an empty bucket? An empty bucket doesn't have 0 fullness to it... it simply lacks water. To say how full it is, is nonsensitive, as fullness is a relative amount.

[Psooindok]

I believe in God. Jesus Christ, specifically. I am a Roman Catholic.

Yes, my parent taught me to be Catholic. So I guess... epic sucess. But it is not just because my parents taught me. I can choose to be anything I want. I just see Catholicism as the most likely answer. Plus, there's many scientifically unexplained miracles that have happened in the Church. I've used reason to become what I am, not just because my parents said, "This is the truth."

I have stated my beliefs. Any questions? I'd be happy to answer.

[Enadail]

Plus, there's many scientifically unexplained miracles that have happened in the Church

Do you mind referencing any such miracles? Earnestly curious.

[Treznor]

I believe in God. Jesus Christ, specifically. I am a Roman Catholic.

Yes, my parent taught me to be Catholic. So I guess... epic sucess. But it is not just because my parents taught me. I can choose to be anything I want. I just see Catholicism as the most likely answer. Plus, there's many scientifically unexplained miracles that have happened in the Church. I've used reason to become what I am, not just because my parents said, "This is the truth."

I have stated my beliefs. Any questions? I'd be happy to answer.

Questions:

Do you really believe you would have adopted Roman Catholicism if you'd been born in India?

What scientifically unexplained miracles have happened in the Church? How many of them happened when they could be examined by scientists?

How much of your reasoning happened to coincide with what your parents told you? How much of a chance was there that you might have decided they were wrong? Do you really believe you would have come to the same conclusions if they'd told you something else?

[Dyakovo]

I have stated my beliefs. Any questions? I'd be happy to answer.

Yeah...

I believe in God. Jesus Christ, specifically. I am a Roman Catholic.

Atheism: What's the point?

What does this have to do with the thread?

there's many scientifically unexplained miracles that have happened in the Church. I've used reason to become what I am, not just because my parents said, "This is the truth."

okay, I've got another...
Can you name one?

[Psooindok]

Yes. Many.

Miraculous healings at Lourdes. People who are crippled, have cancer, etc. have been immedeatly healed after being dipped into a spring of water at Lourdes. (There's a story behind the water.)

A staircase that was made by a man resembling Saint Joseph created a spiral staircase with no central support with tools that were used 2000 years ago. No modern tools. To this day, scientests have not explained it.

Instances of cement statues of Mary, Jesus, etc. crying blood. (This happens quite often. I've seen it on the news every once and a while.)

There is much historical evidence that the miracles Jesus performed, actually happened.

There's instances where Jesus's face has appeared on toast and such, but that's a little iffy.

This is just to name a few. I can tell you more, if you'd like.