RE: Things for which there is no evidence...
January 11, 2014 at 3:46 am
(This post was last modified: January 11, 2014 at 3:49 am by Whateverist.)
(January 8, 2014 at 9:54 pm)Sejanus Wrote: Around the forum from time to time, I've seen posts about how atheism is only the rejection of the god(s) claim. In such posts, people have said that it is possible to be an atheist and still be spiritual.
Atheism, in my understanding, is the lack of belief in god(s), due to the fact that there is no evidence for them.
My question is this: are there any atheists on the forum who believe in anything for which there is no evidence? because if you do, I hope you can see how this is intellectually dishonest.
Oh sure, I believe in loads of unsupported things. I believe my wife and dogs love me. Now I could give some list of traits associated with what is defined as "love" which they exhibit. But that would force me into an extreme, even cynical, position - which doesn't capture what I experience.
Likewise for what I believe about "myself". I have no rational reason to think I am anybody in particular -as opposed to a totally malleable cipher. But my experience has shown me that is an untenable position. My first person experience has shown me that who I am is something to be discovered rather than something to be chosen. Put another way, the criteria for what choices I do have are all based on facts about who I am. Of course, I can swim against the stream on some matters, but not everything.
I would encourage you not to paint yourself into a too confining rational corner. Your rational, conscious mind is a wonderful evolutionary development but it is a survival tool, not an existential one.
