Atheism and the Paranormal

[Cyborger]

Whenever someone asks if atheists believe in the paranormal, everyone seems to get angered by it. The reason why people ask is because paranormal stuff, most of the time, deals with things that sorta involve God. Here let me show ya:

Vampires - Undead creatures who have no souls. But it's not just them being soulless. They're described as having the absence of a soul. As in they have no soul whereas a human does. In other words to believe in a vampire is to believe that humans have souls. I'm of course talking about real vampires and not goth kids who drink each other's blood for fun. Also holy water and the cross hurts them so c'mon.

Ghost - This is short and simple. A ghost or spirit or apparition is the very definition of a soul. Evil spirits are even forced away by a priest using holy incantations and stuff.

Witch - Their witchcraft is magic and how many times have we heard our fellow atheists call God a "magically" being like Santa and the Easter Bunny?

Demons - Satans minions. Unless atheism is a form of satanism.

Zombies - NOT the kind caused by viruses (which are just sick people). I'm talking about the kind brought back by voo doo or black magic.

But like I said it somehow angers people so I'm asking that you please don't view this as an attack or something. I just want to get to the bottom line.

[Tiberius]

It angers atheists who are also skeptics because such claims of the paranormal aren't validated by any means (otherwise they wouldn't be "paranormal" anymore). It's a bit like how I get angry when someone automatically relates "UFO" to aliens. If it's "unidentified" then you can't suddenly put an identity on it with no evidence.

We want people to look at the evidence and witholding judgement before coming up with paranormal conclusions.

[D.S.M.]

/insanity on
Vampires is a myth...

Ghost is bullshit.

Witch is another word for "It's okay to burn women!" used by priests in the 1200s to the 1500s

Demons are logical thinkers, aka unbelievers!

Zombies are more commonly word for "Priest".

Any questions?
/insanity off

Yes, i feel bored...
Hopefully, this gave you a laugh.
/insanity on
If it didn't then you will burn in HELL.
/insanity off


As you might have guessed:
I don't believe this shit!

[TheMultiverseTheory]

I used to be an Atheist that still believed in Spirits. Actually, I believed in many things while transitioning into a more militant atheist. Only with further knowledge did those nonsensical things fade from belief, possibility, to obvious nonexistence.

Paranormal isn't necessarily a God-involved thing. There are atheists that do believe in the paranormal, however they describe it or justify it. I'm sure most do not, but I consider paranormal to be gray area, but it does make more sense to believe in it if you are a theist, rather than atheist.

[fr0d0]

I was a militant atheist. At the same time I was superstitious in that I believed my own personal paranormal take on dreams. I thought they were a strong indication of the supernatural (I dreamed of future events in my life). Since being a theist I've learned to assess those experiences more clearly and deal with them rationally. Now I'd only be tempted to set store in them when indulging in wishful thinking... recognising that I'm doing it.

[binny]

I like watching Ghost Hunters.

[leo-rcc]

Whenever someone asks if atheists believe in the paranormal, everyone seems to get angered by it.

I guess that depends on which atheist one asks.

[The_Flying_Skeptic]

Whenever someone asks if atheists believe in the paranormal, everyone seems to get angered by it. The reason why people ask is because paranormal stuff, most of the time, deals with things that sorta involve God.

Some atheists don't know that atheism solely means lack of belief in deities. Atheism isn't a philosophy. Atheism doesn't mean not believing in ghosts, vampires, whatever. I agree that an atheist is probably more likely to adhere to metaphysical naturalism or be more skeptical about ghosts and vampires, but that does not mean that atheism is a rejection of all that is deemed supernatural. I have another certainty: atheism is not a form of satanism.

---

I was a militant atheist. At the same time I was superstitious in that I believed my own personal paranormal take on dreams. I thought they were a strong indication of the supernatural (I dreamed of future events in my life). Since being a theist I've learned to assess those experiences more clearly and deal with them rationally. Now I'd only be tempted to set store in them when indulging in wishful thinking... recognising that I'm doing it.

how did theism lead to rationalism for you?

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

'As an atheist' I am not angered by the beliefs of others. I have no opinion about souls and ghosts etc, Atheism means only a desbelief gods. Nothing else is implied or may be inferred.

However,I am also a skeptic. My disbelief in gods, souls,ghosts,the paranormal, fairies at the bottom of my garden,and pink unicorns comes from the same place; lack of evidence.Not complicated.

My attitude is simple: You believe in that stuff? Fine; show me. If you cannot,go away and stop wasting my time.

[Violet]

Whenever someone asks if atheists believe in the paranormal, everyone seems to get angered by it. The reason why people ask is because paranormal stuff, most of the time, deals with things that sorta involve God. Here let me show ya:

One moment... are we for some reason assuming that I'm the same as everyone else? :S ("everyone"...?) Because that is insanity!

Vampires - Undead creatures who have no souls. But it's not just them being soulless. They're described as having the absence of a soul. As in they have no soul whereas a human does. In other words to believe in a vampire is to believe that humans have souls. I'm of course talking about real vampires and not goth kids who drink each other's blood for fun. Also holy water and the cross hurts them so c'mon.

If you mention Twilight... I will not be held accountable for what actions I may take. These may involve repeatedly bashing your head with a baseball bat, forcing you to endure a game of cricket, giving you permanent 'keyboard face', and/or other such very violent and rather insane actions.

So I hear you're interested in 'Saerules Insurance'?


But seriously... there are so many different versions of vampires that one just can't keep up. From Cirque de Freak (sp?), every next Dracula movie, to other random things involving vampires: Vampires can be pretty much anything.

Ghost - This is short and simple. A ghost or spirit or apparition is the very definition of a soul. Evil spirits are even forced away by a priest using holy incantations and stuff.

Not necessarily (though usually)... i've seen it suggested that ghosts are stored memories that have yet to go away... does stored memories a soul make? Also... one of the best ways to get a ghost away is to talk to them until they are no longer attached to a location (Casper, anyone? ).

Witch - Their witchcraft is magic and how many times have we heard our fellow atheists call God a "magically" being like Santa and the Easter Bunny?

You know... a Witch is an edible North Atlantic flatfish that is of some commercial value. • Glyptocephalus cynoglossus, family Pleuronectidae.

Magick man done it!

Demons - Satans minions. Unless atheism is a form of satanism.

....

daemon 1 |ˈdēmən| (also daimon)
noun
1 (in ancient Greek belief) a divinity or supernatural being of a nature between gods and humans.
• an inner or attendant spirit or inspiring force.



demon 1 |ˈdēmən| |ˈdimən| |ˈdiːmən|
noun
1 an evil spirit or devil, esp. one thought to possess a person or act as a tormentor in hell.
• a cruel, evil, or destructive person or thing : I was a little demon, I can tell you.
• [often as adj. ] a forceful, fierce, or skillful performer of a specified activity : a friend of mine is a demon cook | a demon for work.
• reckless mischief; devilry : his eyes are bursting with pure demon.

:S

I don't see it, honestly.

Zombies - NOT the kind caused by viruses (which are just sick people). I'm talking about the kind brought back by voo doo or black magic.

But all of them are zombies. If we are talking about specifically Christian myths relating to christian myths... then i honestly don't understand why one would state the tautologically true. There are plenty of zombies outside of religious ideas... they are still a paranormal idea (or so one would hope), and i see not why they don't apply.

But like I said it somehow angers people so I'm asking that you please don't view this as an attack or something. I just want to get to the bottom line.

It doesn't anger me...I just felt lie rebutting something before I went to bed, and your post was relatively simply rebuttable I rather don't think it "angers" any of us (let alone all of us) to see someone believing in the paranormal... it can annoy us easily... but there is a very great difference between the two