RE: Arguments for God's Existence from Contingency
November 28, 2017 at 4:31 pm
(This post was last modified: November 28, 2017 at 4:32 pm by Cyberman.)
(November 28, 2017 at 3:45 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:(November 28, 2017 at 3:11 pm)Cyberman Wrote: Nope, atheism is the position of not believing that there is this force, not necessarily that this force is not. Regardless, we see no justification for painting a face on it and praying for rain.
Thats what many folks here say, but based on my observation over the past 2 years, it seems very much like for most people here it is indeed a strong disbelief, not simply a lack of belief.
Nonetheless, my point still stands, whether it's worded as lack of belief or disbelief.
That's what happens when you confuse atheist with atheism. Vegetarians might also have a moral aversion to alcohol, the bastards, but that isn't vegetarianism.
I say again, atheism is neither a lack of belief nor disbelief (in theistic claims); it is belief's absence. Now with that in mind, many atheists, myself included, take the pragmatist position and live their lives as if no gods exist. It's rather like deciding not to bother waiting in for Kylie Minogue to show up at the door. Sure, I might be risking finding a "sorry I missed you - KM xxx" note on the doormat, but so far I've been pretty accurate.
At the age of five, Skagra decided emphatically that God did not exist. This revelation tends to make most people in the universe who have it react in one of two ways - with relief or with despair. Only Skagra responded to it by thinking, 'Wait a second. That means there's a situation vacant.'