Has atheism made you different?

[The Grand Nudger]

God was created by man.

Here we see a typical example of an atheist belief about God

Wrong, here we see a fact. Never heard any cattle droning on about their ridiculous fucking god, have you?

The reason that Im harping on is that Im trying to disprove Rhythms hypothesis that atheism has no effect in people's lives which is total BS.

Wrong again, atheism has had no effect -on me- ,which I clearly stated when asked. I have never believed in any gods- there is nothing to effect. My "hypothesis" is that atheism does not compel any particular action - It's something I've explained quite clearly - something you have already conceded - so go pitch straw elsewhere douchenozzle.

I am also clarifying the quite widely accepted difference between claiming no knowledge about something and denial of that.

Any if your constant objections to this are supporting these statements:

1. Atheism has no effect in anyone's life.
2. To claim there is no God is to know there is no God but this is not to believe their is no God (belief meaning holding something to be true)

I don't agree with the above statements and I ask that you join me in their rejection or face absurdity.

So do all atheists here think that statement 1 and 2 are correct like Rhythm

Or Rhythm, are you finally going to admit that knowledge of a God free existence changes behaviour?

see above

Stop pretending I'm stupid - I know you agree with the rejection of the above silly ideas!

Between the two of us - I'm not the one pretending that you're stupid.

It's just your inability to agree with the fact that assuming no God is the default position that leads you to deny them.

Wrong again, are you trying for a record? There is no assumption of a default involved in my antitheism.

[paulpablo]

Seriously - Rhythm said he was gnostic in certain aspects of his atheism:

He claimed to in some way know that there was no God.

I'm sure there are plenty of people here who will claim to know that there is no God.

I'm just saying that most people believe their knowledge and that there are plenty of people here who I am sure that are happy to say they believe and know there is no God.

The reson I'm trying to get this accross is because I'm trying to get Rhythm to clarify his assertion that atheism cannot affect people's lives.

I say atheism can affect people's lives and I'm sure plenty of people would agree with me.

The problem is that you keep assuming I'm trying to undermine atheism when I'm not - I understand that to approach God philosophically it is fair to be agnostic and claim to not start with an assumption either way. I actually applaud this consistency...

I think that atheism can affect people's lives - Im convinced of it. Rhythm has just been squirming around because he/she just won't agree with me...

Can atheism affect people's lives? I'm pretty sure it can (doesn't mean I'm saying its bad or good or anything like that).

Please try to drop the prejudice that somehow I am an enemy....

Just because someone holds a different stance regarding God doesn't mean that they are just going to attack you!

The problem with the question is someone would have to go into a parallel universe and see what they were like if they believed in god, then come back here and report to you the difference they saw in themselves, also the question as I said would bring back maybe trillions of responses regarding each and every god someone can invent in their mind.

I'm sure being an atheist has effected everyone's life, what clothes you wear in the morning effects your life, but if I asked you has wearing that grandad cap and that brown scarf thing you have on in your picture changed your life you wouldn't know unless you went into a parallel universe and saw what happened to yourself without those items of clothing on, and theoretically your life could be completely the same. For example a girl could approach you and say ohhh I love that grandad cap you have on, but she could just be attracted to you anyway and she might have approached you and complimented you on any hat you were wearing.

[Dawud]

Someone is an atheist - they never do of say anything regarding it.

Someone is an atheist - they start a forum on atheism on the Internet.

Atheism never had an effect on any of them - ever...

I see that you are sticking to this position and it just doesn't convince. I worry that your beliefs are not just against most people's understanding but that they are also consistent

Here are two examples of 1. knowing something not to be there leading to behaviour and 2. Knowing about a lack of knowledge leading to behaviour. Your statement that atheism cannot affect behaviour on the basis that a negative or neutral assertion never leads to behaviour means you must reject them. I think you might start to see where your assertion that atheism doesn't affect people's lives might fall down...

1. Knowing or believing that there is no air in a room can affect someone - they decide to leave the room. Here is a perfect example of someone knowing/believing in the absence of something and it leading to behaviour. I say that you can know that something isn't there and that this counts as knowledge: I think it is a fair statement to say "I know there is no God" and that it is not irrational to act upon this knowledge. But you seem to say that this knowledge cannot be acted upon....

2. Someone may also be agnostic regarding something and claim no knowledge of it - they may then decide to find out about it. An example of not knowing something leading to behaviour. Someone can know that they don't know Scottish law - this is not an absence of knowledge. I say that it is fair to say, "I know my knowledge of Scottish law is not complete" I don't think this is irrational. I also say that this knowledge can lead to behaviour.

Please tell me if you still think that atheism has no influence on a life....

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*I worry that they are also inconsistent

[Tonus]

The reason that Im harping on is that Im trying to disprove Rhythms hypothesis that atheism has no effect in people's lives which is total BS.

I think it's more accurate to say that religion has an effect on people's lives, including atheists, since religion affects society in so many ways. The primary difference between my life now and when I was a believer was that I spent time on religion then, that I do not now. That time is filled by more of the things that I did the rest of the time. I guess that is an effect of atheism, for someone who deconverted. For someone who was always an atheist, I am not sure I see where it affects them outside of the influence of religion.

To put it another way-- if everyone was an atheist and there was no religion, how would atheism affect people's lives? Compare that to the opposite scenario-- if everyone was religious and there were no atheists, would religion affect people's lives?

[thesummerqueen]

Someone creates an atheist forum in reaction to the fact that atheists need somewhere to let off steam thanks to religious people. That's a reaction, not a cause.

[Dawud]

So Rhythm - do you still say that acceptence of atheism has never compelled any actions in any atheist? Or do you now see that it can?

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Someone creates an atheist forum in reaction to the fact that atheists need somewhere to let off steam thanks to religious people. That's a reaction, not a cause.

I would say that indeed - had there not been atheists or acceptance by anyone of atheism: things would be different!

---

I'm just trying to refute the false point of Rhyyhm that people can't react to atheism.

I say they can - I say that people may react very well to their knowledge about atheism and do great things!

Am I wrong?

---

I am in total agreement with Tonus' last point.

It's what I've been saying but suspicion lead people to interpret otherwise.

Do you agree with Tonus Rhythm?

[The Grand Nudger]

So Rhythm - do you still say that acceptence of atheism has never compelled any actions in any atheist? Or do you now see that it can?

Why should my position change, you've been incapable of filling in the blank.

You aren't responding to any point of mine - you're arguing with yourself. Which is fine - argue with yourself until you're blue in the face, but I don't like having my good named mired down in your idiotic bullshit.



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[thesummerqueen]

I think you mussed my point entirely, but I also think you have an agenda.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

EDIT: I originally posted an informative rebuttal. But I deleted it becuase I don't want to waste my time.

Anyway, toodles!

[frz]

OK. To answer your question if that will make you happy. Atheism did not make me different, being different, not a theist, made me an atheist.