(May 3, 2013 at 7:49 pm)ThomM Wrote: There is NO SINGLE christian faith - there are literally tens of thousands of them

There is one BIBLE. Meanwhile, if there live ten million atheists, then there are ten million different versions of atheism.

(May 4, 2013 at 3:49 am)Undeceived Wrote:

(May 3, 2013 at 7:49 pm)ThomM Wrote: There is NO SINGLE christian faith - there are literally tens of thousands of them

There is one BIBLE. Meanwhile, if there live ten million atheists, then there are ten million different versions of atheism.

No there isn't.

Atheism is a lack of a belief in a god or gods.

There are millions of different atheists (look on this forum for a small example), but atheism is a single ubiquitous facet.

(May 4, 2013 at 3:56 am)Fidel_Castronaut Wrote:

(May 4, 2013 at 3:49 am)Undeceived Wrote: There is one BIBLE. Meanwhile, if there live ten million atheists, then there are ten million different versions of atheism.

No there isn't.

Atheism is a lack of a belief in a god or gods.

There are millions of different atheists (look on this forum for a small example), but atheism is a single ubiquitous facet.

Atheism is the belief that there is not one single god. Every atheist has his own reason(s) for this belief.

Atheism should be compared to theism, not one particular theism.

Regardless, there are as many different ways to be an atheist as there are atheists. Same with theism.

(May 4, 2013 at 4:18 am)Undeceived Wrote:

(May 4, 2013 at 3:56 am)Fidel_Castronaut Wrote: No there isn't.

Atheism is a lack of a belief in a god or gods.

There are millions of different atheists (look on this forum for a small example), but atheism is a single ubiquitous facet.

Atheism is the belief that there is not one single god. Every atheist has his own reason(s) for this belief.

I do not recognize your definition.

I don't believe there are no gods, I just don't have a belief in any becuase nobody has presented evidence to convince me of the contrary. I would ask you desist in telling me what I [dont] believe, but I fear this request falls on deaf ears.

So you're defining and opposing a position that is entirely in your own mind.

You decieve yourself.

(May 4, 2013 at 4:18 am)Undeceived Wrote: Atheism is the belief that there is not one single god. Every atheist has his own reason(s) for this belief.

Wrong-o! Atheism is the rejection of currently extant theistic beliefs. There's no requirement that one believe in no creators at all, just that those religions that have a specific image of the creator of the universe haven't yet fulfilled their burden of proof: I can, for instance, believe in a creator of the universe and still be an atheist, so long as that creator is not a theistic god. I don't- the most intellectually honest position is to simply say "I don't know"- but I could if I wanted to.

(May 4, 2013 at 6:30 am)Esquilax Wrote:

(May 4, 2013 at 4:18 am)Undeceived Wrote: Atheism is the belief that there is not one single god. Every atheist has his own reason(s) for this belief.

Wrong-o! Atheism is the rejection of currently extant theistic beliefs. There's no requirement that one believe in no creators at all, just that those religions that have a specific image of the creator of the universe haven't yet fulfilled their burden of proof: I can, for instance, believe in a creator of the universe and still be an atheist, so long as that creator is not a theistic god. I don't- the most intellectually honest position is to simply say "I don't know"- but I could if I wanted to.

See the bold, there may not be requirements, but every atheist put standards to their non belief, so what is the difference.

(May 4, 2013 at 3:49 am)Undeceived Wrote:

(May 3, 2013 at 7:49 pm)ThomM Wrote: There is NO SINGLE christian faith - there are literally tens of thousands of them

There is one BIBLE. Meanwhile, if there live ten million atheists, then there are ten million different versions of atheism.

Funny that you see this as a weakness. Atheism does not constrain ones position on any other matter. Atheism need not be at all central to a person's worldview. Atheism doesn't tell you about what we believe or do, just what what we don't believe or do. We don't believe in gods, including yours, and we don't participate in institutional activities centered around such things.

Well .. on second thought maybe some atheists do get involved in social or activism groups based on atheism. I don't, except for my participation here. But of course we live in a society which is largely theist and their are issues which arise which require that we push back sometimes. And I guess some of us just hanker after something like the community enjoyed by some theist groups. Again, I don't.

(May 4, 2013 at 6:55 am)Godschild Wrote:

(May 4, 2013 at 6:30 am)Esquilax Wrote: Wrong-o! Atheism is the rejection of currently extant theistic beliefs. There's no requirement that one believe in no creators at all, just that those religions that have a specific image of the creator of the universe haven't yet fulfilled their burden of proof: I can, for instance, believe in a creator of the universe and still be an atheist, so long as that creator is not a theistic god. I don't- the most intellectually honest position is to simply say "I don't know"- but I could if I wanted to.

See the bold, there may not be requirements, but every atheist put standards to their non belief, so what is the difference.

Uh, that it's not a requirement? And therefore not a core part of what atheism is? Moreover, you're aware that those standards of non belief we atheists have vary from person to person too, right? Look around you, there are tons of atheists on this very forum that can attest to that.

This argument is so terrible: it'd be like if I held you accountable to some batshit crazy, violent fringe idea or some christian sect, not because you specifically hold that belief, but because some christians do. You'd rightly be annoyed that I did that, and you'd find it weak, as an argument, right? Why's there a difference here?

Why am I obligated to defend not my own position, but what you think my position should be?

So I've seen the usual bible scriptures and distorted interpretations of what Atheism is. I've seen the usual-If you build it they will come-answers to how to know God is real, but nothing ground breaking whatsoever. But, the least surprising thing I've noticed is that ole boy has not shown up to teach class. I surmise that his lessons would not surpass the weak minded words of his "siblings".