It Would Appear I Am A Fundamentalist!

[Kyuuketsuki]

So I was over visiting my brother this weekend and we touched on religion (can't remember why but I think it was something to do with Dawkins who he really doesn't like ... he's not religious but he just dislikes him) and to cut a long story short he said I was a fundamentalist. As far as I can tell he views my atheism, my negativity about religion (my dismissal of all things pseudo-scientific) and that I will only consider claims as valid if they have a degree of fit with current accepted explanations and are supported by (validatable) evidence as the attitude of a fundamentalist and even explaining to him that I will change my mind, given the evidence to do so, made no difference ... his wife also thinks I am (a fundy). He (and presumably she) also regard Dawkins as a fundamentalist and cited something about the attitude being typical of scientists or science types.

I just wondered what other people's take on this kind of attitude is ... have you ever been accused of this (I know of other atheists who have though usually by theists) and is he reasonable concerning me based on what you know of me in this forum?

Kyu

[Matt85]

I was told that it takes more faith to believe in evolution then it does to believe in God. lol

[leo-rcc]

Fundamentalism means to a have a belief in, and strict adherence to a set of basic principles. If that is believing that the scientific method is the best method to describe reality and its workings as accurate as possible, and requiring evidence before I accept premises, than that makes me a fundamentalist. And I have no problem with that.

[Tiberius]

You don't believe in evolution, you accept it.

We aren't fundamentalists; fundamentalists cling to a doctrine (where is ours?), they do not have open minds (we frequently admit that we will change our beliefs given the evidence), they do not like hearing things that counter their beliefs (we say, BRING IT ON!).

Tell your brother he should read a dictionary sometime. Fundamentalist? No. Militant? Perhaps. Big difference between clinging to beliefs and espousing them.

[Edwardo Piet]

There is no such thing as an atheist fundamentalist - for a start because atheism is not an ideology, it is merely someone who doesn't believe in God...nothing more! 1 disbelief...one absence of belief. A belief that something does not exist because there is no reason to believe they do.

"I do not believe God does exist....so IOW I believe he does not" (but still not absolutely if you're not gnostic but agnostic)...

I think I can already tell Kyu by your OP....but I'll link it anyway - if only for others ^^


The difference between passion and fundamentalism is that fundamentalism doesn't change it's mind... - you're not a fundamentalist in respect to anything, including evolution - if you would change your mind if X happens...if the evidence changes for example (the rational reason to change your mind):

Dawkins, How dare you call me a fundamentalist:

http://richarddawkins.net/article,1071,H...mes-Online

Dawkins ftw!!

There is another version of this in TGD....so I guess you could have just read that Kyu and not this version...although I think I may wager that you've read both versions ^^

EvF

[Samson]

I can honestly say that I have never been called a Fundamentalist. Now Treehugger, lefty, fucking liberal, and bambi lover I have been called a few times......LOLOL

[Edwardo Piet]

I've been called on once....by my mum lol - shortly after I read TGD and started foruming on here like crazy lol.

And my mum is an Atheist, in the sense she doesn't actually believe in God. She just doesn't call herself one

EvF

[Demonaura]

Never been called a fundie but, I think that would be one of the flags that tells me the person I'm talking too isn't worth talking too. Certain people have rationalised themselves into uselessness.

Either way, if their attacking what you don't beleive in then it just shows the fail in their own opinions. I mean if someone tried to poke holes in secular humanisim, something very close to my beleifs then at least that would make some sort of sense.

[Kyuuketsuki]

My brother once said no science fiction is worth reading (it's all shit) whilst he was reading a detective novel by Iain Banks (go figure) ... he's a smart guy (has to be given his job) but sometimes he amazes me.

kyu

[lrh9]

I try to live and promote that as my image.