(February 19, 2014 at 4:37 pm)Sword of Christ Wrote: I will use very large words here so the point may sink into you.
MATERIALISM IS WHAT YOU ARE WITH LEFT WITH IF GOD OR ANY FORM OF NON-PHYSICAL TRANSCENDENT ULTIMATE REALITY OF ANY FORM DOES NOT EXIST OR IF YOU DENY THE CLAIM THAT THERE IS ANY GOOD REASON TO BELIEVE IN GOD OR EQUIVALENT NON-PHYSICAL ULTIMATE REALITY WHICH IS THE BASIS FOR ALL THAT EXISTS.
So yes damn right atheism is philosophical reductionist materialism if you do not affirm the belief in the alternative or call it a fairy tale or whatever.
Taoists aren't materialists, nor do they necessarily believe in any gods. Many Buddhists likewise. There are Taoist and Buddhist atheists. So, no, you don't have to be a materialist to be an atheist. Nonsense refuted. And I didn't have to shout to do it.