atheists don't have the right to be atheists.

Discussion in 'Religion Archives' started by scifes, Jul 15, 2009.

  1. scifes In withdrawal. Valued Senior Member

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    they should all be agnostic, because they can't prove god's nonexistence.

    deal?
     
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  3. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    You obviously don't know what the word 'atheist' means.
     
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  5. scifes In withdrawal. Valued Senior Member

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    but what about the difference between "atheist" and "agnostic"..

    all of them should be agnostic.
     
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  7. StrangerInAStrangeLand SubQuantum Mechanic Valued Senior Member

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    -=-

    IF the OP were correct, it would mean no 1 has the right to be a theist.

    The OP, of course, is not correct as has been shown here so many times.
     
  8. Cellar_Door Whose Worth's unknown Registered Senior Member

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    People have the right to believe what ever they like. And the burden of proof is on those who assert that something 'is' rather than 'isn't'.
     
  9. Lori_7 Go to church? I am the church! Registered Senior Member

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    i think being an atheist without evidence of god is just as dumb as being religious without evidence of god. it's an itellectual and close-minded decision that's obviously based on an agenda, otherwise in regards to a lack of evidence, people would have the balls to say, "i don't know", which i think is what scifes point is here.
     
  10. StrangerInAStrangeLand SubQuantum Mechanic Valued Senior Member

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    For the trillionth time, the atheist position is "I don't know". Some atheists often say this. Some atheists say they do know until they're pinned down. Either way, an atheist is simply someone who does not believe in gods, regardless of whether they say "I don't know". I know an atheist who believes in reincarnation & 1 who believes Earth has been visited by aliens. An atheist may believe or not believe anything except they lack belief in any god(s).
    No agenda is required to be an atheist & is often not there.
    Scifes, as usual, has no point.
     
  11. SkinWalker Archaeology / Anthropology Moderator

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    Most atheists are agnostic in the sense that they acknowledge that they don't know and/or cannot know with certainty whether one or more gods exist.

    The terms are not mutually exclusive. The first is a description of knowledge; the second is a conclusion based on evidence. As an agnostic-atheist, I conclude that there is no good reason to accept the existence of a god or gods but recognize that I haven't the ability to test the entire universe (or even a substantive portion), so I cannot say none exists and is hiding somewhere out of observation.

    Atheist simply means godless; without a god. In that sense, we're probably all atheists, for if a god doesn't exist, we are equally without it, leaving some deluded into it's belief.
     
  12. Lori_7 Go to church? I am the church! Registered Senior Member

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    and if you conclude that god does not exist, and that those who believe are simply deluded, then you are not agnostic. is that correct?
     
  13. SkinWalker Archaeology / Anthropology Moderator

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    Let me repeat: I conclude, based on evidence, that there is no good reason to accept the positive claims made by those that believe god(s) exist. Since delusion has been shown to exist within human populations, this is a more parsimonious explanation.

    But I remain ready to revise my conclusion with new evidence, thus I remain an agnostic-atheist.
     
  14. Lori_7 Go to church? I am the church! Registered Senior Member

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    the conclusion is based on a lack of evidence of a god. is that correct? i mean, if such evidence were to present itself, you're saying you might conclude something different.
     
  15. phlogistician Banned Banned

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    Agnostics are atheists. You are either a theist, or not a theist. Agnostic certainly aren't theists, so they are atheists.

    Of course, the OP is flawed, because theists cannot prove the existence of God, that's why they have faith. I guess that also means you can be an agnostic theist, if you indulge in Pascal's wager, and in fact, if they were true to themselves, theists would have to admit they don't actually know, but I guess it's that admission to the self that it's unknowable that eludes the deluded. Sorry, theists.

    Basically, the term agnostic is pretty pointless therefore.
     
  16. phlogistician Banned Banned

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    You mean like hearing a voice in his head? I think most people would seek professional advice if that happened.
     
  17. Lori_7 Go to church? I am the church! Registered Senior Member

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    well what you do with the evidence is up to you.
     
  18. Nasor Valued Senior Member

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    So it's okay for a theist to believe in god even though they can't prove he exists, but not okay for an atheist to not believe in god even though they can't prove he doesn't exist?
     
  19. Norsefire Salam Shalom Salom Registered Senior Member

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    I am an agnostic atheist. They are not mutually exclusive; further, proving the nonexistence of gods is not something that is either possible or worthwhile. Anybody could think up anything and tell you to prove that it doesn't exist.
     
  20. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    What evidence ?
     
  21. Lori_7 Go to church? I am the church! Registered Senior Member

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    exactly.
     
  22. Jan Ardena OM!!! Valued Senior Member

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    StrangerInAStrangeLa,

    No it's not.
    If you deny something, then it stands to
    reason that you know what you're denying.

    The "i don't know" angle is a cop out.
    Atheists just don't believe in God, period.

    Neither of these subjects, are religious, so believing in them neither
    makes you theist or atheist

    I beg to differ, there is an atheist agenda, I would have
    thought that would be obvious by now.

    jan.
     
  23. phlogistician Banned Banned

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    It's 'evidence' for a psychological disorder, not God.

    The sooner you get that, the sooner you get well.
     

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