Semantics of "I don't believe in God".

Discussion in 'Linguistics' started by lixluke, Aug 19, 2008.

?

Which one is correct?

  1. A

    7 vote(s)
    38.9%
  2. B

    3 vote(s)
    16.7%
  3. C

    8 vote(s)
    44.4%
  1. lixluke Refined Reinvention Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    9,072
    A person makes the statement: "I don't believe in God".

    What is this person implying?
    A. "There is no God. I require sufficient evidence to believe there is a God."

    B. "I don't know if there is a God or not. I require sufficient evidence to beleive either way."

    C. This person must be implying either A or B only, but it is impossible to tell which one.
     
  2. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  3. mathman Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    2,002
    Ask the person making the statement. What is the point of a poll?
     
  4. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  5. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

    Messages:
    24,690
    As a member of a family whose members have been saying that for three generations, I can speak with some authority.

    It means, "I don't believe in the existence of gods or a god." There are no implications about evidence or the lack of it, and there's certainly no ambiguity. I was raised in a home where the existence of a god was never discussed, any more than your parents would have brought up the possibility of the existence of Klingons. I was about seven when one of the kids at school started talking about a god, and I laughed uproariously because I quite reasonably assumed he was joking.

    It was many years before I got a glimmer of understanding of how and why adults could believe in such a fairytale. By then I was taking science classes in high school and had some comprehension of the scientific method. I was finally able to put my skepticism into words: How can you believe something for which there is no evidence? Wouldn't it be just as "reasonable" to believe that a bucket of money will fall out of the sky and land in your yard?

    It was decades later that I learned the Rule of Laplace and was able to defend my skepticism: Extraordinary assertions must be accompanied by extraordinary evidence before anyone is obliged to treat them with respect, so I choose to exercise my right to not treat this most extraordinary hypothesis with respect.
     
  6. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  7. Mr. Hamtastic whackawhackado! Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    4,492
    meh. this goes in religion
     
  8. one_raven God is a Chinese Whisper Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    13,433
    It depends on who is making the statement.
     
  9. buckybeam Registered Member

    Messages:
    272
    doesnt everyone believe in god during sex?
     
  10. lixluke Refined Reinvention Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    9,072
    So then it is A?
     
  11. Enmos Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    43,184
    Huh ? No.. lol
     
  12. Enmos Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    43,184
    The poll is loaded Lix.
     
  13. buckybeam Registered Member

    Messages:
    272
    sure i hear it all the time.

    oh god

    oh god

    yes yes

    oh god yes

    jesus god yes.
     
  14. Enmos Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    43,184
    lol

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  15. greenberg until the end of the world Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,811
    Hard to speak for others.
    My first thought at "I don't believe in God" is "I do not believe God will help me, I am certain God will leave me to rot in misery". Considering some fire and brimstone ideas of what God is like, this is a justified intepretation.
     
  16. Enmos Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    43,184
    It means: "I do not accept that God is a real entity. I see no reason to believe that God is a real entity because of the lack of any sort of evidence and because the concept evades reality".
    It does not mean: "God does not exist" or "I believe that God does not exist".
     
  17. Norsefire Salam Shalom Salom Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    11,529
    Enmos, the concept itself doesn't "evade reality"

    I chose b
     
  18. Enmos Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    43,184
    No the concept itself doesn't.
     
  19. Norsefire Salam Shalom Salom Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    11,529
    It doesn't. Wait, what? Are you agreeing with me?
     
  20. Enmos Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    43,184
    Yea, I didn't know how to word it to be honest.
     
  21. Enmos Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    43,184
    If I say God evades reality someone might take it the wrong way.
     
  22. Norsefire Salam Shalom Salom Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    11,529
    When you say "God evades reality", I take it that you are saying the concept is irrational. I don't think so.

    See my "God is rational" thread in the religion subforum.
     
  23. Enmos Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    43,184
    Well how suppose God does not evade reality ?
     

Share This Page