Am I an Atheist?

I usually go by the term "Non-Religious" even if both words have same meaning.

This is because I don't believe in any "afterlife" or follow any religious way. But since people are so determined to grip onto their beliefs and experiance I thought of logical theories on how it all adds up as being Human.

I believe that when you die the body enters a long dream state that depends on how one reflects his own life in the last minute (Life flashing before eyes). As for how one could dream without a brain I have been wondering about and maybe boldly go as far as to say that this very planet is "The God" and perhaps it even dreams.

Anyway, because of Paranoia, Hallucination and Emotions, demons and angels can manifest from this common dreamstate but they were either once a mortals, or spawned from them depending on the 'Lucid Dreams' or 'Obscure Nightmare'.

Also, "Ghosts" are those who are not dreaming but awake from this major dream.

It's all an unprooven theory of mine but because I don't bluntly deny the existance of ghosts and myths like the usual Atheist. (I know I can't proove the existance of Ghosts, but I cannot really proove the existance of air, dinosaurs or dodo's ATM either).
Point is, Am I an Atheist or just fall in "Non-Religious" term? I am in a way skeptic but usually apply reasons, logic and theories on why it works than just following it like a sheep.

If you don't believe in a god or gods then you are an atheist.

(December 14, 2008 at 4:12 pm)Darwinian Wrote: If you don't believe in a god or gods then you are an atheist.

True but if he was simply non-religious he isn't necessarily an atheist

Kyu

Heh, I like how the answer is more simple than my question.
Thanks.

Though I do have another theory that there is such thing as "Holy" and "Evil" which work more as polarity of human emotions brought from these dreams.

After all there is an opposite for just about everything.

(December 14, 2008 at 4:05 pm)Mystic Monkey Wrote: Am I an Atheist? I usually go by the term "Non-Religious" even if both words have same meaning.

I would say that being non-religious does not inherently mean atheist ... a simple example would be someone who believed there was a god but did not adhere to any of the traditional trappings of religion such as worship, scriptures, ceremony, prayer etc. The late Martin Gardiner was such an man ... he hated the religious yet he still believed.

(December 14, 2008 at 4:05 pm)Mystic Monkey Wrote: Point is, Am I an Atheist or just fall in "Non-Religious" term? I am in a way skeptic but usually apply reasons, logic and theories on why it works than just following it like a sheep.

As Darwinian says, if you don't believe in a god or gods you're an atheist ... sorry to say that the rest of your stuff however sounds like insanity to me.

Kyu

Well, I can't simply believe that when you die, you just switch off.

Enjoy your nothing.

Sure we can relate to robots but it's hard for me to digest myself that after a whole life time of being nothing but a crying empty vessle to an intellectual sage with memories of wonderful and terrible thoughts and moments in life... would just simply fall down and thats it.

After all what would be the point in life to begin with? Besides our planet being one lucky son of a sun.

(December 14, 2008 at 4:31 pm)Mystic Monkey Wrote: Well, I can't simply believe that when you die, you just switch off.

Why not though? Is it because trying to imagine "not thinking" (which is what death is) is impossible? Thats my theory, at least on how the whole afterlife idea came into play.

Quote:After all what would be the point in life to begin with? Besides our planet being one lucky son of a sun.

Why do you think there is a "point"? It's not exactly "lucky" anyway. There are billions of planets within their star's habitable zone, which means that there are probably countless other planets with life.

I spend some time "not thinking" myself, I go to sleep and watch TV. Not exactly death, though I do compare sleep with death.

But why is life sparked anyway? In other words. "What is the meaning of Life?"

Take Mars for example, it's a pretty rad planet with it's own gasses, temperatures and polar icecaps. so why is it barren of life? Or atleast life so little we hardly notice it now... which could lead that there is some life on our other planets such as Pluto, though a dwarf planet. may have a "core" that could heat the water underneith it to harbor a small dimension of life.

Plus, I have a feeling once I die, it won't be anything like watching commercials.

(December 14, 2008 at 4:56 pm)Mystic Monkey Wrote: I spend some time "not thinking" myself, I go to sleep and watch TV. Not exactly death, though I do compare sleep with death.

That's not the same. I meant thinking about not thinking. In other words, you cannot possibly imagine not thinking forever, because from a dead person's perspective, there is no "forever" or no "thinking".

Quote:But why is life sparked anyway? In other words. "What is the meaning of Life?"

Why does there have to be a meaning? We have theories that abiogenesis is how life came to be, but why do people give life this amazing specialness? Life is really just self replicating molecules, its a perfectly natural process. It's not like there is some magic "life force" that we can't explain behind it...

Quote:Take Mars for example, it's a pretty rad planet with it's own gasses, temperatures and polar icecaps. so why is it barren of life? Or atleast life so little we hardly notice it now... which could lead that there is some life on our other planets such as Pluto, though a dwarf planet. may have a "core" that could heat the water underneith it to harbor a small dimension of life.

Mars cannot support life because it does not have the right climate, nor is it situated in the habitable zone, and there are no oceans to support life either.

How can you think about not thinking? Whats a dead persons perspective or oppinion?

(EDIT) Yeah, I do believe life is a unique and special thing as a Human, but as an Athiest I am not saying that it is neccisary for life at all since Earth might as well be a barren place even if it can "Harbor" life ATM.

There must be a "Meaning of Life" as much as a meaning of death (More than just control of population)... to a meaning for everything. Im so glad we have gravity or else we would fly off into space and die. Do not want!

Wasn't there evidense to support that their was water on Mars? If I am totally wrong then what about those Ice Caps at the polar region? Eitherway can't life exist pretty much anywhere with given time?
Ain't that right? Mr. Darwin?