(September 20, 2023 at 4:59 am)FrustratedFool Wrote: My lack of being convinced God exists doesn't stand alone.  It comes packaged with various inter-related opinions.

My atheism comes as a bundle with:
Agnosticism
Skepticism
Anti-religious sentiment
Nihilism
Materialism/Physicalism
Evolution
A high view of science (scientism?)
Left/ Liberal/ Progressive Politics
Not believing in moral realism
Not believing in freewill
Etc.

Does your atheism tie into other things, or does it stand alone?

You sound like you've picked up some education along the way.

Lol, that's one way to look at it.
But I wouldn't ever make a claim to being educated. I am not.

(September 20, 2023 at 7:21 am)FrustratedFool Wrote: Lol, that's one way to look at it.
But I wouldn't ever make a claim to being educated.  I am not.

I beg to differ. You may not have uni degrees but you clearly have learned a few things. Chaotic education is more fun, IMNSHO.

(September 20, 2023 at 7:23 am)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote:

(September 20, 2023 at 7:21 am)FrustratedFool Wrote: Lol, that's one way to look at it.
But I wouldn't ever make a claim to being educated.  I am not.

I beg to differ. You may not have uni degrees but you clearly have learned a few things. Chaotic education is more  fun, IMNSHO.

Exactly this. A university degree means you're credentialed, not necessarily educated.

Boru

Yes, a very big package.

That's why I'm a real man!

(September 20, 2023 at 4:59 am)FrustratedFool Wrote: My lack of being convinced God exists doesn't stand alone.  It comes packaged with various inter-related opinions.

My atheism comes as a bundle with:
Agnosticism
Skepticism
Anti-religious sentiment
Nihilism
Materialism/Physicalism
Evolution
A high view of science (scientism?)
Left/ Liberal/ Progressive Politics
Not believing in moral realism
Not believing in freewill
Etc.

Does your atheism tie into other things, or does it stand alone?

I don't accept the "mere lack of belief because of lack of evidence" framing that many atheists do, but rather as an affirmation that no god exists. My skepticism and high regard for the scientific endeavor leads me to accept naturalism as more plausible than theism. Which implies other things like determinism and mind-body physicalism. 

When it comes to ethics, my views on some social issues like LGBTQ+ rights and abortion may have been different if I was still a Christian, but probably not a whole lot different overall. My view on the ethics of sex was one major change when deconverting. I have no issue with promiscuous sex provided it is done consensually between adults (whether that be hetero or homo), a popular view these days but as a Christian it is harder to have that opinion. I am still a moral realist as well.

I think it's interesting how my former religious beliefs do as much to shape my atheism as that list of things you mentioned. Because I was raised Christian and live in a heavily Christian culture, the predominant god concept is that of the Judeo-Christian god. Since I also was a Hindu, reactions to that pop up in my discussions as well, whereas for many with only the experience of Christianity, they do not.

As I've gotten older I've moved to agnosticism on many things: morals, materialism, metaphysics, determinism, free will, and so on. As a result they aren't strongly linked to my atheism.

My atheism is an emergent property of my belief that rationality is the best way to understand reality.

(September 20, 2023 at 4:59 am)FrustratedFool Wrote: My lack of being convinced God exists doesn't stand alone.  It comes packaged with various inter-related opinions.

My atheism comes as a bundle with:
Agnosticism
Skepticism
Anti-religious sentiment
Nihilism
Materialism/Physicalism
Evolution
A high view of science (scientism?)
Left/ Liberal/ Progressive Politics
Not believing in moral realism
Not believing in freewill
Etc.

Does your atheism tie into other things, or does it stand alone?

Why would you not believe in free will? We very obviously have free will.

I've noticed that atheism does seem to usually come in a similar package to what you've mentioned.

The things you mentioned I can relate to is the skepticism towards a lot of things, I was even skeptical about evolution until I researched the questions I had about it and the answers made sense to me.
I'm skeptical of science but I think it's obviously the best method to gain knowledge.

I'm not very left wing, I don't view life as a nihilist.
I think free will is debatable. It might sound weird but I tend to agree that there maybe is no free will but also think you might aswell act as if you have free will anyway.