Atheism

L

Lykan

Golden Sparkler
Registered Senior Member
I was born and raised Catholic, and when i left the church at the age of 15 i considered Atheism, but it seemed too extreme to me. (and still does 11 years later)

I don't mean this in a disrespectful way, but Atheism has always seemed as close-minded to me as fundamentalist Christians are, since Atheists believe that it's impossible for some sort of Higher Power to exist when they can't conclusively prove it one way or the other. It's assuming. (and you know what they say about assuming -- you make an ass out of u and me) Agnostics are at least open to the possibilities...

Thoughts?
 
but Atheism has always seemed as close-minded to me as fundamentalist Christians are
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I agree with you there. I dont necessarily believe in "God", but I couldnt say that there was absolutely no way he could exist.

Take care :)
 
Firstoff, welcome to Sciforums.

since Atheists believe that it's impossible for some sort of Higher Power to exist when they can't conclusively prove it one way or the other.
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Not at all. :)

Athiests believe many things, and we cannot agree on much. All we really believe in is that God is either nonexistant or irrelevent. I suppose that the easiest way to define athiesm is found in the word itself.

A (without) theism (belief in or worship of a God or Gods)

Athiesm is simply the lack of belief or worship. As H.P Lovecraft put it:

"I certainly can't see any sensible position to assume aside from that of complete scepticism tempered by a leaning toward that which existing evidence makes most probable. All I say is that I think it is damned unlikely that anything like a central cosmic will, a spirit world , or an eternal survival of personality exist. They are the most preposterous and unjustified of all the guesses which can be made about the universe, and I am not enough of a hair-splitter to pretend that I don't regard them as arrant and negligble moonshine. In theory I am an agnostic, but pending the appearance of rational evidence I must be classed, practically and provisionally, as an atheist. The chance's of theism's truth being to my mind so microscopically small, I would be a pedant and a hypocrite to call myself anything else.
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Hope that corrects a few misconceptions. *Strgrl*, the same for you. We don't reject the possibility outright - well, some of us do- we simply don't believe it is likely or relevent.

Oh yes, and some athiests (me, for one) do not absolutly reject the idea of God, but reject it only on logical grounds.

Belief is irrational - I value the rational - I do not believe. Very simple.
 
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Atheism: The Case Against God by G.H. Smith. Once again the best clarification on Atheism.

Its not really that extreme an ideal. There is absolutely no proof of God's existance, you can't even go by the - well he cannot be proven by facts idea. The idea itself is really contradictory, read the book and you'll see its not so out there. I felt the same way before I read it.
 
Thanks for the response, Xev... Point taken.

Where'd you get your nickname?
 
No prob Lykan...

My name is from a tv series, now cancelled. It's the name of the character my avatar represents.

I presume yours has to do with wolves?
 
No, it doesn't have to do with wolves, though i get asked that a lot. But i actually got it from a character in a short story in Dragon magazine. That plus i lyk lichens.

My first nickname when i started BBSing 11 years ago was Blackheart. :D I didn't take things very seriously, and deliberately made a lot of enemies online. Then i decided to change my ways, and changed my handle at the same time. I've used others since then, but none of them has stuck with me as much as Lykan has.
 
Ah, cool. Welcome to Sciforums, please keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times, and do not attempt to touch the dancers.
 
Not even with my tongue? :confused: That's not what the sign said out front...
 
I am an Atheist because god believers cannot prove to me that their gods exist. Were gods otherwise extant, what need for Faith?

I'm a realist.

I've no respect for uncritical feel-good, endorphine junkies.
 
There is a popular misconception that there is a belief spectrum that goes

Atheism------------Agnostic----------------Theist

With each term mutually excluding the other.

Not so.

Atheist: lacks belief in God or positively asserts that he(God not the atheist) doesn't exist.
Agnostic: professes that one can not know whether God exists or not.

So we can have an agnostic-atheist. ie a person who lacks belief in God but thinks his existence is unknowable.

We can have an agnostic-theist: a person who believes in God but acknowledges that he/she can not know for sure.

Atheists don't make ANY assumptions, that is why they withhold their belief. We aren't going to believe in crazy crap unless you have proof.
 
People believe in God, because they can not control their future and hope that God can....and they keep hoping...and hoping...

People believe in religion because to have friends, to be sociable, to be a part of a group...

From my postings, most readers know, that I practice Sanatana Dharma. One day a local church minister invited me to the church. I went once, since I accepted his invitation. About three weeks later, he showed up with a self-admitted born-again Christian ( I call them Christian militants). The minister cut to the chase (his words) and told me that I should join his Church because I could make new friends since I am from Utah. He emphasized the value of group therapy....

I do not know the real motives...though I can guess...(and it is not to save my soul...)
 
However, theists are nothing more than masked agnostic-theists. By using the "we cannot fathom God" and assigning him meaningless values like "infinite" (and others which could be applyed to literally nothing) they admit that they and we cannot have any knoweledge of God. This is the final defense of Theists even though they may start out differently after their evidence has been systematicaly stripped away, they always end here - or by saying "we know things through Faith we cannot possibly through reason."

I still believe if God exists it would be very cool, but there is no proof, only contradictions.
 
I still believe if God exists it would be very cool, but there is no proof, only contradictions.
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May be we need to change the definition and property of God to match our modern view of the Universe. Trying to search for a alchemist or magician in today's world is not quite the same, yet a person from 500 BC would think (today) that evrything is magic (television to cell phone etc).

We may have to update our thinking about God...
 
Interesting thought, I think we most also change our idea of God to be considered possible and less contradictory.

Also on a lighter note...... We could change our idea of God as a personal description of me! :D
 
Monica Lewinsky is God. Are you Monica Lewinsky?

Oh yeah, I am also a God....but that's a long story.
 
A friend had a goldfish once that lived for nine years, I thought he was....... Then his mom put it through the garbage disposal. Its actually David Bowie.
 
Lykan,

I don't mean this in a disrespectful way, but Atheism has always seemed as close-minded to me as fundamentalist Christians are, since Atheists believe that it's impossible for some sort of Higher Power to exist when they can't conclusively prove it one way or the other.
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Yes! :)

I'm a kind of Agnostic in some sense... but not in the true sense of the word. I "believe" (I actually experience) that God cannot be really explained in words. The only proof can come by someone's Heart. It's hard to talk about that with atheists...

Love,
Nelson
 
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