(May 5, 2014 at 10:30 am)whateverist Wrote:

(May 2, 2014 at 12:32 pm)MindForgedManacle Wrote: Honestly, I tend not to buy what most of my fellow atheists say about atheism in regards to this.


Well okay. All atheists agree that the following is true of themselves:

"I do not believe in the existence of gods."

Checkmate atheists?

It is more like you've defined the set of all the beliefs held in common by atheists. Does the definition of the set belong in the set? Lets say it does. Then the question becomes are there any other beliefs all atheists share in common other than the one which qualifies them as an atheist. Check.

"All believers are wrong." Check.

(May 5, 2014 at 10:44 am)ChadWooters Wrote:

(May 5, 2014 at 10:30 am)whateverist Wrote: It is more like you've defined the set of all the beliefs held in common by atheists. Does the definition of the set belong in the set? Lets say it does. Then the question becomes are there any other beliefs all atheists share in common other than the one which qualifies them as an atheist. Check.

"All believers are wrong." Check.

How did you derive that from the post on which you're commenting?

Quote:Is atheism a belief system in someway?

The short answer:



The long answer:

(May 5, 2014 at 10:44 am)ChadWooters Wrote:

(May 5, 2014 at 10:30 am)whateverist Wrote: It is more like you've defined the set of all the beliefs held in common by atheists. Does the definition of the set belong in the set? Lets say it does. Then the question becomes are there any other beliefs all atheists share in common other than the one which qualifies them as an atheist. Check.

"All believers are wrong." Check.

Not everyone will agree with that. Just because I don't believe something for which there is no unambiguous evidence doesn't mean I must endorse your statement. If I recognize that I myself hold beliefs which are in the same boat, I'm in no position to argue that those who believe what I do not are wrong.

(May 2, 2014 at 11:35 am)Doggey75 Wrote: I don't claim to know if God exist or not.

This bit is the 'agnostic'...

Quote: But I don't believe God exist.

...this bit is the 'atheist'...

Quote: But I believe God does not exist.

...and this bit is one of the definitions of 'anti-theist' a.k.a. 'strong atheist' a.k.a.'gnostic atheist'. By claiming that 'there is no god', claiming knowledge, you're taking a position which is in opposition to theism rather than just having an absence of it. This definition of anti-theism is a subset of atheism.

The difference seems quite subtle, linguistically, however the inferences of the positions are drastically and obviously different.

(May 5, 2014 at 5:07 pm)whateverist Wrote:

(May 5, 2014 at 10:44 am)ChadWooters Wrote: "All believers are wrong." Check.

Not everyone will agree with that. Just because I don't believe something for which there is no unambiguous evidence doesn't mean I must endorse your statement. If I recognize that I myself hold beliefs which are in the same boat, I'm in no position to argue that those who believe what I do not are wrong.

I say that makes you an agnostic. Actual atheism takes the further step of claiming that religious beliefs are wrong.

(May 5, 2014 at 7:56 pm)ChadWooters Wrote:

(May 5, 2014 at 5:07 pm)whateverist Wrote: Not everyone will agree with that. Just because I don't believe something for which there is no unambiguous evidence doesn't mean I must endorse your statement. If I recognize that I myself hold beliefs which are in the same boat, I'm in no position to argue that those who believe what I do not are wrong.

I say that makes you an agnostic. Actual atheism takes the further step of claiming that religious beliefs are wrong.

Sure, in the same way that "I don't believe your claim that Jeff Goldblum climbs up the latticework outside your bathroom window and watches you shower every night" is a claim.

(May 5, 2014 at 10:44 am)ChadWooters Wrote:

(May 5, 2014 at 10:30 am)whateverist Wrote: It is more like you've defined the set of all the beliefs held in common by atheists. Does the definition of the set belong in the set? Lets say it does. Then the question becomes are there any other beliefs all atheists share in common other than the one which qualifies them as an atheist. Check.

"All believers are wrong." Check.

Tautology doesn't count.

Of course there are belief systems within atheism, just as there are different belief system within any group of people, those who believe in a god also have other beliefs other than religion or god.

Atheism may lead to certain beliefs, such as belief in abiogenesis or belief in the value of secular ethics. Of course we will share certain beliefs in common.