RE: Is atheism a belief?
December 26, 2018 at 11:21 am
(This post was last modified: December 26, 2018 at 11:35 am by The Grand Nudger.)
Most humanists are also believers, by brute force of demographics. You're not going to have to look very far to find a faithful person who insists..for example..that god is not going to swoop in and save us from the destruction we're causing here on this rock. That we have to do that work ourselves.
As far as atheism and theism are concerned, it's not really an issue of choosing - we either do or don't believe in gods..for whatever reason or no reason at all. There's absolutely no necessity of a choice between things beyond that, though. The faithful can (and often do) agree with the fundamental underpinnings of whatever worldview a given atheists holds. Secularism, for example..like humanism (and secular humanism, lol) is mostly filled with the faithful. A person who believes in a god can quite clearly see why we shouldn't base our laws on the commands of a god...whenever they consider some Other™ religious nutballs gods.
The question under all of this, Dimmes, is what you think has to be "cast off" on account of a disagreement on a single line item concerning the divine? Additionally, why you feel compelled to characterize atheism as a belief when it isn't or doesn't have to be. "Positive" or "strong" atheism is a thing, sure, gnostic atheism. I'm one of those atheists...but that's a minority position in life and here on the boards as well. Most of these folks are agnostic atheists. What's the point of mis-categorizing all of them as though we held the same position when we don't? If you wanted to have a discussion with a gnostic atheist you could just find one and ask them whatever question you have, rather than attempt to produce them and then lob objections that don't apply to them...at them.
For example..we do live in a reality in which there is no god. In our reality, however, there are people who do believe in gods..and that's the long and short of why atheism is a thing. If there were no one who believed in gods we wouldn't have a term or concept for those that didn't as opposed to those that did...and this..regardless of their actual existence. Interestingly enough, the term "atheist" has it's origins in an application to people who did believe in gods..just not The Right Gods™. The pagan romans considered christians atheists, for example. Jut goes to show how long the faithful have been fucking the pooch on this word.
As far as atheism and theism are concerned, it's not really an issue of choosing - we either do or don't believe in gods..for whatever reason or no reason at all. There's absolutely no necessity of a choice between things beyond that, though. The faithful can (and often do) agree with the fundamental underpinnings of whatever worldview a given atheists holds. Secularism, for example..like humanism (and secular humanism, lol) is mostly filled with the faithful. A person who believes in a god can quite clearly see why we shouldn't base our laws on the commands of a god...whenever they consider some Other™ religious nutballs gods.
The question under all of this, Dimmes, is what you think has to be "cast off" on account of a disagreement on a single line item concerning the divine? Additionally, why you feel compelled to characterize atheism as a belief when it isn't or doesn't have to be. "Positive" or "strong" atheism is a thing, sure, gnostic atheism. I'm one of those atheists...but that's a minority position in life and here on the boards as well. Most of these folks are agnostic atheists. What's the point of mis-categorizing all of them as though we held the same position when we don't? If you wanted to have a discussion with a gnostic atheist you could just find one and ask them whatever question you have, rather than attempt to produce them and then lob objections that don't apply to them...at them.
For example..we do live in a reality in which there is no god. In our reality, however, there are people who do believe in gods..and that's the long and short of why atheism is a thing. If there were no one who believed in gods we wouldn't have a term or concept for those that didn't as opposed to those that did...and this..regardless of their actual existence. Interestingly enough, the term "atheist" has it's origins in an application to people who did believe in gods..just not The Right Gods™. The pagan romans considered christians atheists, for example. Jut goes to show how long the faithful have been fucking the pooch on this word.
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