(December 8, 2013 at 3:27 pm)Jacob(smooth) Wrote: events within contradict things we think we know to be true (like the age of the earth).
Can you elaborate on that a bit? Man's knowledge is certainly not perfect... but we can be 100% certain that the Earth is not as young as the bible would seem to indicate. Even allowing for 1,000 year lifespans and 1,000 year creation days (the whole a day is a 1,000 years to God nonsense)... we know the Earth is FAR older than 10 to 20,000 years.
Quote:If we are trying to be objective, The oxford English (vis best) defines atheist as
a person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods
A definition probably written by a Christian based on their own perception of what it means to be an Atheist. Does the word Asymmetry mean to disbelieve in symmetry? The prefix (A) tends to mean without. Which is generally what Atheism is. It is to be without a belief. That's not the same thing as disbelieving. My belief in a God is the same as my belief in magical moon elves. I simply do not have one period. I do not give the concept any credence since there is zero evidence to support such.
Quote: It makes perfect sense that someone who specifically identifies themselves as not believing in something would develop a better knowledge than someone who was merely unaware or indifferent to it.
Not really. Religion effects our lives. This is why even though we are without a belief... we must still engage those who do have one. And the best tool for such is to dismantle the supports upon which that belief is built. We cannot in good conscience allow people to make policy that effects our lives do so based on absurd and archaic ramblings of bronze age savages. People are of course free to believe whatever fiction they like, but we must not allow it to dictate our course as a people, and certainly not our progress as a species.
