RE: I can feel your anger
July 31, 2012 at 1:16 am
(This post was last modified: July 31, 2012 at 1:18 am by Whateverist.)
(July 30, 2012 at 8:43 pm)Selliedjoup Wrote: Materialism and naturalism are very odd positions to assert if you don't know them to be true.
Perhaps in the abstract but it would be very odd to imagine our beliefs based on what we now would call materialism and naturalism not paying off way more than those based on what we now would call the super-natural, animism and so on. No doubt early man had both but which do you think contributed more to your ability to inquire into the basis for our beliefs in the natural world or materialism?
Since most belief is built up non-rationally and unconsciously, I see nothing wrong with noting that materialism and naturalism seem to underpin the beliefs one holds. That is certainly true for me.
(July 30, 2012 at 8:43 pm)Selliedjoup Wrote: I understand you claiming agnosticism and atheism are not mutually exclusive. To me they are, as what I believe to be true is based on my knowledge.
But then you are dismissing atheism as the mere state of finding no active beliefs in gods active in ones thoughts or actions. How can you possibly know that is true? I say that of all the beliefs regarding gods which I hold, my belief that I've never heard a convincing case for accepting rationally that gods do or that gods don't exist is by far the most important. I say that makes me agnostic. Secondarily, I note that no belief in gods or the possible existence of gods motivate any of my thoughts or actions. This, I say, makes me an atheist. No big deal. Just the way it is for me as best I can tell.
