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Post by Vegas on Jun 26, 2019 14:49:42 GMT
Just reading Goz's thread.... and... I know Brandon used to like to say that "Atheism is to religion what baldness is to hair color"... But, as usual, he thought himself to be wittier than he actually was (but, that's okay... so am I): Yes. Baldness is a lack of hair... Atheism is a lack of structured supernatural beliefs. However: Baldness is a categorial type of hair style. (which is where Brandon's analogy failed) Atheism is a categorial type of religion. There being nothing to believe in... is what you believe in.
The end.(Just kidding... let the arguments begin)
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Post by general313 on Jun 26, 2019 15:00:33 GMT
Why is it that some Christians are so interested whether atheism is a religion? Is it so they can point a finger at atheist scientists and say "see, they're just as irrational as me"?
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Post by Vegas on Jun 26, 2019 16:46:31 GMT
Why is it that some Christians are so interested whether atheism is a religion? Is it so they can point a finger at atheist scientists and say "see, they're just as irrational as me"? Nah. As an atheist... I find it's other atheists to be the driving point of this contention.
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Post by Vegas on Jun 26, 2019 16:53:29 GMT
Why is it that some Christians are so interested whether atheism is a religion? Is it so they can point a finger at atheist scientists and say "see, they're just as irrational as me"? Of course... The same sort of thing could be said of atheists who are so interested in whether Hitler was a Christian. They're both dumb, pointless arguments. Hitler was just a shitty Christian... if he ever really thought himself of one in his heart of hearts, btw....
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Post by CoolJGS☺ on Jun 26, 2019 16:59:20 GMT
Why is it that some Christians are so interested whether atheism is a religion? Is it so they can point a finger at atheist scientists and say "see, they're just as irrational as me"? Of course... The same sort of thing could be said of atheists who are so interested in whether Hitler was a Christian. They're both dumb, pointless arguments. Hitler was just a shitty Christian... if he ever really thought himself of one in his heart of hearts, btw.... And religious folk who insist that atheists are secretly religious when the going gets tough. We should assume many of them are so fascinated by us simply because they can’t comprehend belief and/or faith.
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Post by general313 on Jun 26, 2019 17:04:51 GMT
Why is it that some Christians are so interested whether atheism is a religion? Is it so they can point a finger at atheist scientists and say "see, they're just as irrational as me"? Of course... The same sort of thing could be said of atheists who are so interested in whether Hitler was a Christian. They're both dumb, pointless arguments. Hitler was just a shitty Christian... if he ever really thought himself of one in his heart of hearts, btw.... If there are any, I expect there are much fewer of them than there are conservatives that are so interested in proving that Hitler was a liberal socialist.
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Post by Feologild Oakes on Jun 26, 2019 22:32:35 GMT
No its not
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Post by goz on Jun 26, 2019 22:47:16 GMT
Nope.
By definition it can't be.
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Post by NJtoTX on Jun 27, 2019 0:52:54 GMT
True atheism is just without a belief in a deity, and nothing that has been presented by the various religions as yet rises to the level of generating acceptance. No religion there. We are quite open to evidence that is testable, that can be peer reviewed, and ultimately attains general acceptance. But belief is not evidence, and any time you accept something on faith, it indicates that it can't stand on its own merits.
Gnostic atheism, though, goes further to make the claim that there is no God. There is an almost religious vibe given off by gnostic atheists. But their church services suck.
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Post by lowtacks86 on Jun 27, 2019 0:55:48 GMT
True atheism is just without a belief in a deity, and nothing that has been presented by the various religions as yet rises to the level of generating acceptance. No religion there. We are quite open to evidence that is testable, that can be peer reviewed, and ultimately attains general acceptance. But belief is not evidence, and any time you accept something on faith, it indicates that it can't stand on its own merits. Gnostic atheism, though, goes further to make the claim that there is no God. There is an almost religious vibe given off by gnostic atheists. But their church services suck. I've heard of "gnostic theism", but I can't think of anyone that actually identifies as such. Even someone like Richard Dawkins or Sam Harris wouldn't call themselves that.
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Post by Vegas on Jun 27, 2019 2:18:16 GMT
Nope. By definition it can't be. Yup.
By definition... it's not defined as such:
"I don't believe that any gods exist" is a statement of one's beliefs... This shit really ain't that complicated.
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Post by goz on Jun 27, 2019 6:15:34 GMT
Nope. By definition it can't be. Yup.
By definition... it's not defined as such:
"I don't believe that any gods exist" is a statement of one's beliefs...This shit really ain't that complicated. That statement is not a definition of atheism. It is an absence of belief not necessarily a disbelief, hence it is can't be a belief by definition, and certainly not a religion, again by definition, religion required a belief of some kind.
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Post by OpiateOfTheMasses on Jun 27, 2019 7:06:58 GMT
Nope. By definition it can't be. Yup.
By definition... it's not defined as such:
"I don't believe that any gods exist" is a statement of one's beliefs... This shit really ain't that complicated. Is that like "not collecting stamps" is a hobby? Since when is not doing something the same as doing it?
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Post by Stammerhead on Jun 27, 2019 8:21:14 GMT
Therefore the belief that cats are better than dogs is also a religion.
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Post by Winter_King on Jun 27, 2019 9:08:05 GMT
I disagree.
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Post by theauxphou on Jun 27, 2019 9:48:50 GMT
And religious folk who insist that atheists are secretly religious when the going gets tough.We should assume many of them are so fascinated by us simply because they can’t comprehend belief and/or faith. There’s a term for that: foxhole atheism en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_are_no_atheists_in_foxholes
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Post by Winter_King on Jun 27, 2019 10:00:27 GMT
Religion is focused around a deity or deities to believe in. The contradiction or paradox with atheism, is that is has to contain the notion of a belief in God, in order to refute the notion in the first place. Technically there are a few non theistic religions.
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Post by Vegas on Jun 27, 2019 12:45:29 GMT
Yup.
By definition... it's not defined as such:
"I don't believe that any gods exist" is a statement of one's beliefs... This shit really ain't that complicated. Is that like "not collecting stamps" is a hobby? Since when is not doing something the same as doing it? No it's not. Once again... If it fits the category... Then, categorically, it's the same thing. Bald is a hairstyle. Not having a hobby isn't a hobby.... unless, you really work at not having a hobby. (If you make a hobby out of not having a hobby... then.. It's a hobby.)
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Post by amyghost on Jun 27, 2019 12:56:54 GMT
Of course... The same sort of thing could be said of atheists who are so interested in whether Hitler was a Christian. They're both dumb, pointless arguments. Hitler was just a shitty Christian... if he ever really thought himself of one in his heart of hearts, btw....And religious folk who insist that atheists are secretly religious when the going gets tough. We should assume many of them are so fascinated by us simply because they can’t comprehend belief and/or faith. Idiocy can be momentarily fascinating to watch in action, just as any type of aberrant behavior can be momentarily fascinating to watch. But the average atheist is far too intelligent to be captivated by it for long. However, you do have a point in suggesting that there's some level of interest amongst us in just how beings whose knuckles aren't, at least theoretically, dragging the ground can continue on in their belief and worship of a Grand Sky Fairy who's never shown the least degree of evidence for his existence. Of course, I realize that the term 'faith' is interchangeable amongst you guys for the term 'slack-jawed, gawp-mouthed credulity', but still...
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Post by general313 on Jun 27, 2019 14:58:47 GMT
Nope. By definition it can't be. Yup.
By definition... it's not defined as such:
"I don't believe that any gods exist" is a statement of one's beliefs... This shit really ain't that complicated. "Yeah, and not believing in Santa Claus is also a religion." (runs in a mad scramble for cover)
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