RE: Atheism is not a belief!!
April 26, 2013 at 3:02 pm
(This post was last modified: April 26, 2013 at 3:22 pm by Mister Agenda.)
(April 25, 2013 at 8:55 pm)ChadWooters Wrote: Atheism by definition is a lack of belief in God; however that lack of belief itself entails certain other beliefs, not all of which are fully justified.
I almost agree. Atheism entails other lacks of belief: I lack a belief that God will send me to Cleveland after I die; I lack a belief that God caused the Boxing Day Tsunami; and so on.
Beliefs that aren't a logical implication of there probably not being a God aren't beliefs entailed by atheism.
(April 25, 2013 at 9:05 pm)Dawud Wrote: But does anyone here believe that they are atheists.
I'm using the normal definition if believe - I.e. considering it to be true...
I like most people assume that people believe what they know...
So: do you believe you are atheist?
(Or do you change words' meanings to try to win arguments online?)
Good one! Everyone here believes they are an atheist. However, not everyone who is an atheist knows they are, so not everyone who is an atheist believes they are an atheist; therefore the belief that you are an atheist is not entailed by atheism.
If you would do us the courtesy of paying more attention to what we (atheists) are than to what atheism is, you'd learn a lot more. Your insistence that we agree with you that atheism itself is more than we think it is, holds you back. At any time you could just agree to disagree with us on this and move forward...but most theists never get past the point where you're at now.
Chad is an example of an exception. He still lingers a bit at the definition, sometimes; but it isn't a barrier for him.
(April 26, 2013 at 1:12 am)Godschild Wrote: Now you have Jane working up scientific experiments while they're still making fire from rubbing sticks.
Jane not having the cognitive tools to effectively critique Bill's assertions are why theism is prevalent today. Critical thinking is a skill that has to be learned, making up stories is very natural to us.
As is defending stories. You don't get how they might have known the sun is hot? Really?
Go outside on a hot day. Step into some shade. Step out of the shade. Step back in. Repeat until you start to wonder how you could have thought they woudn't know the sun is hot.
(April 26, 2013 at 1:59 am)Godschild Wrote: Yes, but that is not hot like fire and as I stated they do not know how far above their heads the sun is, all they really know is the sun is above them.
It would be obvious to cavemen, if not to you, that the sun is hot. Walk away from a fire and see how quickly the feeling of heat fades away with distance. They don't have to know how far away the sun is, they just have to know it's too high to hit with a rock and you can still feel the heat coming off of it.
(April 26, 2013 at 8:43 am)Dawud Wrote: This is why I think believe means "hold to be true" - I have been using the philosophy usage and not AF general usage but I'll happily change for this context...
I think that use is fine, a few of us have a 'thing' about saying we believe stuff, but belief the way you're using it is fine (as far as I'm concerned) as long as you don't switch it up on us.
