Atheism is a belief.

Discussion in 'General Philosophy' started by Tht1Gy!, Nov 3, 2007.

?

I know how to use a dictionary.

  1. Yes, and I incorporate its info.

    57.1%
  2. Yes, but I still like to make up definitions as I go along.

    20.4%
  3. No, I believe in "Truthiness"

    34.7%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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  3. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    I think I know where the confusion lies.
    What I meant was that I reject that the concept (that I know of) pertains to reality. Not that I reject the reality of the concept itself..
     
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  5. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    :crazy:

    Can you even hear yourself?
     
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  7. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    What ?

    Edit:
    I accept the concept of unicorns, but I reject that the concept pertains to reality i.e. I reject that unicorns exist in reality.

    What is the problem ?
     
  8. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Yeah, you're explaining atheism to me. That is my definition of it. That atheists do not "lack belief" they reject the theistic notion of God.
     
  9. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    What is the difference between rejecting that a concept pertains to reality and lack of belief in the 'reality' that concept describes ?
     
  10. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    The same between denying what a unicorn is and denying there is a unicorn.

    In any case, you deny a concept that is already defined.
     
  11. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    I am not denying any concepts.

    I accept the definition of "unicorn", but I reject that unicorns really exist.
     
  12. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Yeah, for example if I showed you this:

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    as proof that unicorns exist, what would you say?
     
  13. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Cool ! But that doesn't fit the definition of unicorn.
     
  14. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Exactly, which means that you cannot lack a belief in an undefined concept. So when you say you lack belief, you are actually rejecting a defined belief.
     
  15. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    SAM, would you say that your arguments for being a theist carries more weight that my arguments for being an atheist ?
     
  16. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Huh ? It IS defined... :shrug:

    u·ni·corn
    –noun
    1. a mythical creature resembling a horse, with a single horn in the center of its forehead: often symbolic of chastity or purity.
     
  17. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Depends on your reasons for that argument. For example, if I were to come across a house in a desert, I would not consider it a random formation of molecules that spontaneously generated a house like structure. I would recognise that it showed order and logic and followed known rules of building. Similarly, it seems to me that we take for granted that the universe has rules and laws which we accord to spontaneity or randomness. It makes no sense to me to hold that opinion. If it satisfies you, thats the argument for you. It does not satisfy me.:shrug:
     
  18. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    So for you your own arguments for theism carry more weight than my arguments for atheism ?

    Let me rephrase: "So for you your own arguments for theism carry more weight than any argument for atheism ?"
     
  19. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    I'm off, good night

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  20. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Well, clearly, otherwise, it would make very little sense to be a theist.

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    Good night.

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  21. tim840 Registered Senior Member

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    Atheism is not a religion: the prefix "a" means "no" and the root "the" means "God" therefore, atheism is the exact opposite of religion, if religion is defined as a belief in God or the supernatural. For this reason, atheism should not be groupped in the "religion" category. As a good friend of mine once said, "If there was an 'elephants' category, you wouldn't include 'not an elephant' in the category, would you?"
     
  22. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Apparently according to some atheists, theism != religion, since communism is an atheist religion.
     
  23. Simon Anders Valued Senior Member

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    This is a bad example. A religion is a complicated cognitive/emotional process. It is a dynamic, ongoing way of relating to reality. If a person manages to have that kind of cognitive/emotional dynamic while also having in their head 'I do not believe in God' we don't need to pretend the vast majority of that process is NOT continuing to function.

    There used to be a marsupial wolf. We could walk around saying it was 'not a wolf' until we are blue in the face because it was not a mammal or a canid, but as far as how it functioned in the world........
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2008

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