Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: January 19, 2025, 5:25 am

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Is the Atheism/Theism belief/disbelief a false dichotomy? are there other options?
#31
RE: Is the Atheism/Theism belief/disbelief a false dichotomy? are there other options?
(October 2, 2015 at 11:58 pm)Pyrrho Wrote:
(October 2, 2015 at 11:17 pm)Psychonaut Wrote:



Are you saying that a person can be uncertain consciously, and certain subconsciously?


No.  I am not saying that one is certain of anything.  I am saying that one is or is not a theist.  Just like I either have cancer or I do not have cancer.  What anyone knows about either is irrelevant to those facts.


(October 2, 2015 at 11:17 pm)Psychonaut Wrote: Simultaneously?

Also, how do you know that there is no middle ground?


Because I understand the concept of negation, which is the common use of the word "not" in English.  To say:

Not X.

means anything other than X.  There is no "middle ground," because "Not X" is anything that isn't X.

Thus, I can be absolutely certain of the following sentence:

Either you are a theist or you are not a theist.

There is no middle ground because "not a theist" covers absolutely everything other than being a theist.

Are you then saying that a person believes or disbelieves, regardless of whether they are certain about it or not? As in, it is a matter of fact that a person is either X or not X? Regardless of their experience of such? I understand that you are using the concept of negation, and by definition, 
Not X means "everything other than X" but I don't think we have enough certainty to know whether or not "X or not X" statements about most things reflect reality. 

I'm not certain, but I think we're taking this from different angles. I think experience is key to belief, as I have never been aware of believing while I have not been experiencing. 

Sorry, it may seem ridiculous that I'm essentially regurgitating what you say, but I'm genuinely trying to understand your views on this, I don't want to misread what you've said.

I also understand that it may seem silly, and essentially pointless that I am question every basic and seemingly self evident assumption that one has about reality, but I cannot help but see things this way.

If I am mistaken, please let me know.
Plato had defined Man as an animal, biped and featherless, and was applauded. Diogenes plucked a fowl and brought it into the lecture room with the words,

"Behold Plato's man!"






Reply



Messages In This Thread
RE: Is the Atheism/Theism belief/disbelief a false dichotomy? are there other options? - by Psychonaut - October 3, 2015 at 12:52 am

Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Science and Theism Doesn't Work out right? Hellomate1234 28 1861 November 7, 2024 at 8:12 am
Last Post: syntheticadrenaline
  Sexual Abuse in Social Context: Clergy and other (Secular) Professionals. Nishant Xavier 61 5981 July 16, 2023 at 1:54 pm
Last Post: Rev. Rye
  The Scripture Is False And The Biblical God Is Dead. Authari 301 31362 January 27, 2023 at 7:45 am
Last Post: Peebothuhlu
  How do I deal with the belief that maybe... Just maybe... God exists and I'm... Gentle_Idiot 75 9170 November 23, 2022 at 5:34 pm
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  Atheism, theism, agnosticism, gnosticism, ignosticism Simon Moon 25 3101 October 29, 2022 at 4:49 pm
Last Post: LinuxGal
  Moral universalism and theism Interaktive 20 2682 May 6, 2022 at 7:23 pm
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  Comparing Theism with Flat-Earthism FlatAssembler 26 2990 December 21, 2020 at 3:10 pm
Last Post: Fake Messiah
  How many of you know that there is atheism in Sanatana Dharma ? hindu 19 2833 June 7, 2020 at 11:25 pm
Last Post: Paleophyte
  Maybe there's something like a god out there. Ryantology 38 4165 June 5, 2020 at 8:42 am
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  Protection Against the Wiles of Theism Rhondazvous 9 1874 April 7, 2019 at 7:03 pm
Last Post: Rhondazvous



Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)