(March 28, 2009 at 2:34 am)Edward Wrote: A fundamentalist Christian wouldn't say that. But really, I was just pretty disgusted with religion, and I thought I'd try on an atheist hat. It didn't fit.
It didn't fit because it doesn't work. Once again, belief is not a matter of policy - and neither is forcing yourself into an ABSENCE of a belief...
If you genuinely believe in God then you can't force yourself to be an atheist any more than I, an atheist, can force myself to be a theist....
I could think in my head "I believe in God, I believe in God, I believe in God" everyday all day and go to church and read the bible, etc, etc. That WON'T make me believe in God because I don't.
Things can influence your belief/absence of belief into the opposite position...you can become convinced...you can search for information and good reasons and/or evidence on both sides and you can become influenced by that....
But you can't just FORCE YOURSELF into belief or non-belief....
If you believe in God but you are TRYING to be an atheist - that won't work you can't just force yourself you are still a theist.
Just as I DON'T believe in God. If I pointlessly 'TRY' to be a theist, then, likewise - that won't work either. I can't just force myself into believing if I'm an atheist.
Try on the atheist hat? What on earth is that all about?
'hating religion' doesn't make sense with 'trying on the atheist hat' specifically anyway! Hating religion is not part of the atheist definition...
Because you can hate religion but still be a theist actually...you can hate religion in general and still believe in God.
As a matter of fact I've heard theists say atheists 'hate God' but that's bullshit!
Its not part of the definition. And at least I personally; don't even see how that's possible!! How can you hate something that you don't believe exists?
You can be angry with God and 'hate God' if you believe in him however. "God why did you do this to me", "God why did you allow one of my family/friends to die" or whatever. That makes sense if you believe in God....
Those lines don't make any sense to an atheist. You can't be angry with a "God" you don't even believe exists!
So you can hate religion and be religious. You can hate religion in general but still 'love God' and interestingly enough - I don't see how its possible for an atheist to hate God but theists can.
Once again - atheism is not a belief, atheism is not a belief system. Atheism is just one ABSENCE of a belief. Its got no content whatsoever. Its the absence of a single belief.
If you hate religion...trying to be an atheism does no good and makes no sense. You can hate religion and still be a theist. Belief is not a matter of policy you can't just 'try' to an atheist...
If you are TRYING to be an atheist than implies you are NOT one. And you DO believe. Trying to be one won't do any good.
And you can't be disappointed or whatever with God for example - if you really ARE an atheist.
If you hate religion and are a theist why do you need to TRY to be an atheist? That won't change anything. Do you believe in God or not? And for what reasons?
And if you believe in God then you're still a theist whether you hate religion or not. And if you DON'T believe in God then you are an atheist whether you hate religion or not.
And if you believe in God you can have negative feelings towards 'him'...
If you are an atheist...how exactly can you? How can you dislike or feel bad towards something you do not believe exists?
EvF
