Why do some people consider themselves "atheist"?

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wynn

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Valued Senior Member
Why do some people consider themselves "atheist"?


"Atheism" is a concept that derives its meaning and relevance from the concept "theism."
Without "theism," there can be no "atheism."
"Atheism" is a term that originated among theists to describe those who were without gods.

Those who consider themselves "atheists" thus believe that theism is real and relevant enough to form some kind of opposition to it, for purposes of identification.
 
wynn said:
Those who consider themselves "atheists" thus believe that theism
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Why would anyone think theism isn't real. To deny theism is real you would have insist Vatican city is an mass enduced worldwide LSD fantasy orchestrated by the fiendish fluridators spiking the water.

Or are you confusing 'real' with 'true'. Scientology is real, I walked past their shop once. If so can you tell me why it is true then? Or relevant?


Personally my position is this. "What do you think of religion?"............ "I don't".........
 
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Theism is obviously real, there are millions of theists. :shrug:

As for relevance, some theists are trying to shove their mythology into the science textbooks of the public school systems. Some theists have many other political agendas, both overt and subtle. Ever heard of "blue laws"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAJNntoRgA
 
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wynn said:
Why do some people consider themselves "atheist"?


"Atheism" is a concept that derives its meaning and relevance from the concept "theism."
Without "theism," there can be no "atheism."
"Atheism" is a term that originated among theists to describe those who were without gods.

Those who consider themselves "atheists" thus believe that theism is real and relevant enough to form some kind of opposition to it, for purposes of identification.
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Because I'm also a Fairyist, a Goblinist, and Witchist. So does that mean I think that Fairies, Goblins, and Witches are real?
 
Pincho Paxton said:
Because I'm also a Fairyist, a Goblinist, and Witchist. So does that mean I think that Fairies, Goblins, and Witches are real?
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So what is real ? Is the color of a fruit real for a blind person ?
I love my wife , is that real to you ?, So my theism is real to me and your atheism is real to you.
 
arauca said:
So what is real ? Is the color of a fruit real for a blind person ?
I love my wife , is that real to you ?, So my theism is real to me and your atheism is real to you.
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Your reply doesn't make sense, it is not on equal terms to fairies, and Goblins, so your belief in God is most likely based on your lack of ability to make sense of information.
 
wynn said:
Why do some people consider themselves "atheist"?
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They don't they are labelled that way, I consider myself to be a humanist. I'm label/tagged with the term atheist from a theistic point of view not one I determined myself. This is mainly due to the world being two thirds full of theist. And theism being the main rule of law for centuries, and all this negative labelling simply because I lack belief in the theist delusion. They believe I must be denying there delusion because it is of course real to them even thought it defies logic, reality, and the natural world.

No sir I'm labelled that way, but not through choice, it is easier to say I'm an atheist as more people understand the label, but I sir am a humanist.

When I talk to people sometimes, I say I'm humanist, if they don't understand which invariably they don't I have to go on to say I'm an atheist.

It simply their misunderstanding not mine, I know who I am.
 
wynn said:
Why do some people consider themselves "atheist"?
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I label myself an 'agnostic'. But that's an epistemological position. Ontologically, I'm basically a default atheist I guess, since my (negative) lack-of-belief in Yahweh, Allah, Vishnu and that crew is simultaneously the (positive) belief that none of them exist as anything more than characters in human mythology.

"Atheism" is a concept that derives its meaning and relevance from the concept "theism."
Without "theism," there can be no "atheism."
"Atheism" is a term that originated among theists to describe those who were without gods.
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Right, yes and very true. I've attempted to make that point in post after post (which everyone just talks around as if I'd never said anything). I'm not even entirely sure what the generic word "God" means.

If it means some Biblical/Koranic-style super-guy-in-the-sky, then I certainly don't believe in that. If it means some more Neoplatonic-style and less personal ultimate Source of being itself, then I can't entirely dismiss it and consider it a possibility. Of course, that's more of a metaphysical view than a religious view if I don't actually worship or seek to merge (or whatever one does) with that hypothetical ultimate being.

Those who consider themselves "atheists" thus believe that theism is real and relevant enough to form some kind of opposition to it, for purposes of identification.
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In my case, it's basically the result of my living in a traditionally Christian cultural environment. So I inevitably form my own opinions about the forms of reliosity that other people display around me. If I lived in India or someplace, the shape of my implicit and rather reactionary atheism might be rather different.
 
Yazata said:
If I lived in India or someplace, the shape of my implicit and rather reactionary atheism might be rather different.
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Yes. In that case, you might be the kind of atheist who believes that God is everything and that all is one.

"Atheism" is a term which, on its own, doesn't actually mean anything, other than perhaps 'anti-theism' (in which case it very much is a position that entails specific beliefs and practices).
 
wynn said:
Why do some people consider themselves "atheist"?


"Atheism" is a concept that derives its meaning and relevance from the concept "theism."
Without "theism," there can be no "atheism."
"Atheism" is a term that originated among theists to describe those who were without gods.

Those who consider themselves "atheists" thus believe that theism is real and relevant enough to form some kind of opposition to it, for purposes of identification.
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Correct. Except the term was invented by polytheists and first applied to Christians, since they did not believe in the Roman pantheon.
 
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wynn said:
Why do some people consider themselves "atheist"?
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To ensure core values that can and will impact other people's lives are accurately communicated.

wynn said:
Those who consider themselves "atheists" thus believe that theism is real and relevant enough to form some kind of opposition to it, for purposes of identification.
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Absolutely.
 
spidergoat said:
Correct. Except the term was invented by polytheists and applied to Christians.
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Right. And at least as far back as as Socrates, grounds for execution. Also this antagonized Roman relations with the Jews, and the whole Jesus story arises in this conflict. (A guy like Jesus would seem to a Roman to be atheist.)
 
Yazata said:
In my case, it's basically the result of my living in a traditionally Christian cultural environment. So I inevitably form my own opinions about the forms of reliosity that other people display around me. If I lived in India or someplace, the shape of my implicit and rather reactionary atheism might be rather different.
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It also seems that Fundamentalist Christians have captured the idea of atheism for their own agenda, to mean anything anti-Fundamentalist. So if I say that Noah's Ark is a fable, they will call me an atheist.
 
Pincho Paxton so your belief in God is most likely based on your lack of ability to make sense of information.[/QUOTE said:
That is a polite way to insult. but that is ok.

Lets' that part " lack of ability to make sense of information "

I do not know how life started in this planet , I know some chemistry and some biology, I attempt to understand , chemically , and I read in the literature what is available , and at the present time there is nothing know how life started , the so called primordial soup does not make sense to me.
So I call who ever started God .
Now the atheist is as ignorant as I am on who started life , he said He know.
Why should I believe the atheist word , sense did not explain how chemically life have been put together .
Now does that make sense , or perhaps you can not comprehend
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