(January 23, 2013 at 1:59 am)Justcurious Wrote: Atheists: I have three questions.
1. Is there an organized group of atheists that has a global presence?
None that i am aware of.
Quote:2. For what reason do you go about and try to disprove the beliefs of the theists?
I believe if the majority of people based their decisions on demonstrable evidence and reasoned argument, instead of superstitious, barbaric Bronze and Iron Age mythologies, the world would be a better place.
On a more personal note, I grew up in an extended family where most family get-togethers would break out in debates on various subjects. They could be heated, but not angry. I enjoy debates.
Quote:3. Isn't the belief/knowledge that there is without a doubt no God/gods also faith based? ( I don't just mean the Christian God, but the existence of higher beings in general, and please don't bring up the stupid flying spaghetti monster argument).
Most atheists don't claim to know, with absolute certainty, that there is no god(s). Atheism, in general, is the absence of BELIEF in the existence of a god.
For most atheists, atheism is a provisional position. As long as there continues to be insufficient demonstrable evidence, reasoned argument, and valid logic to support the claim that a god exists, my atheism will continue.
There is no faith required in rejecting a claim for which there is insufficient supporting demonstrable evidence and reasoned argument.
Actually, the FSM (or Russell's 'Flying Teapot' or the 'Invisible Pink Unicorn') are not stupid arguments, if you understand the point they are making.
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.
