Atheist Amazonian tribe.

[CapnAwesome]

This is pretty fascinating, it debunks those who claim that all tribes have some form of worship. Also interesting that the scientifically educated missionary ended up being de-converted by the Atheist tribe.

[FallentoReason]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the atheist equivalent of all the miraculous stories that theists tell which go viral..? I.e. it's not actually true.

[CapnAwesome]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the atheist equivalent of all the miraculous stories that theists tell which go viral..? I.e. it's not actually true.

No, it's definitely a real tribe and a real person.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Everett

[FallentoReason]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the atheist equivalent of all the miraculous stories that theists tell which go viral..? I.e. it's not actually true.

No, it's definitely a real tribe and a real person.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Everett

Oh wow! I just remember someone on here talking about this video. They were explaining how atheists are just as capable of coming up with false testimonies as theists and they mentioned this guy...

[CapnAwesome]

Oh wow! I just remember someone on here talking about this video. They were explaining how atheists are just as capable of coming up with false testimonies as theists and they mentioned this guy...

Ha, that's ironic. I'm not sure I've really encountered false de-conversion stories. I'm sure they are out there, but they can't be anywhere close to as prevalent as fake conversion stories. I don't really see the point of fabricating a de-conversion story. What do we really gain? You ever notice that all these fake conversion stories that person was at one point an Atheist. If they were all true you wouldn't be able to throw a rock without hitting an Atheist.

Normally when you press those people about what they believed as 'an atheist' who discover they were never any such thing though.

[FallentoReason]

Oh wow! I just remember someone on here talking about this video. They were explaining how atheists are just as capable of coming up with false testimonies as theists and they mentioned this guy...

Ha, that's ironic. I'm not sure I've really encountered false de-conversion stories. I'm sure they are out there, but they can't be anywhere close to as prevalent as fake conversion stories. I don't really see the point of fabricating a de-conversion story. What do we really gain? You ever notice that all these fake conversion stories that person was at one point an Atheist. If they were all true you wouldn't be able to throw a rock without hitting an Atheist.

Normally when you press those people about what they believed as 'an atheist' who discover they were never any such thing though.

I guess one doesn't need to believe in ancient books to be able to stretch the truth a little about something. We all do it I'm sure haha.

[TaraJo]

Interesting. On a sociological level, it would be really interesting to see why this tribe turned out atheist but so many tribes turned out so theistic.

[jonb]

I remember hearing about the same tribe I think, three or four years ago, they do not believe anything which they have not experienced, or that the speaker has not directly experienced.
'A man has stood on the moon'
'Were you with him?'
'No'
did not happen.

[pocaracas]

Well, when the Portuguese first set foot in Brazil, the people they found there had no concept of god.
It says so right there on the letter sent to the king.
I know that link doesn't have the whole letter, but here it is, in portuguese: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19pku...edit?hl=en

The important bit is

Parece-me gente de tal inocência que, se nós entendêssemos a sua fala e eles a nossa, seriam logo cristãos, visto que não têm nem entendem crença alguma, segundo as aparências. E portanto se os degredados que aqui hão de ficar aprenderem bem a sua fala e os entenderem, não duvido que eles, segundo a santa tenção de Vossa Alteza, se farão cristãos e hão de crer na nossa santa fé, à qual praza a Nosso Senhor que os traga, porque certamente esta gente é boa e de bela simplicidade. E imprimir-se-á facilmente neles qualquer cunho que lhe quiserem dar, uma vez que Nosso Senhor lhes deu bons corpos e bons rostos, como a homens bons. E o Ele nos para aqui trazer creio que não foi sem causa. E portanto Vossa Alteza, pois tanto deseja acrescentar a santa fé católica, deve cuidar da salvação deles. E prazerá a Deus que com pouco trabalho seja assim!

google translating....

It seems to me that people of such innocence if we understood their speech and they ours, would soon be Christians, because they do not understand nor have any belief, according to appearances. And therefore if the convicts that will stay here to learn well and understand their speech, they do not doubt that, after the holy intention of Your Highness, if Christians will and shall believe in our holy faith to which Our Lord pleases to bring them, because certainly these people are good and of a beautiful simplicity. And it will print them easily any stamp you want to give, since Our ​​Lord gave them good bodies and good faces, like good men. And He bring us here to believe it was not without cause. And so Your Highness, for you so much want to add to the holy Catholic faith, should take care of their salvation. And it will please God to be with so little work!

[CapnAwesome]

Sometimes it's dubious to trust those historical sources. Often times groups at that point would consider even other Christians to be 'Atheists' because they didn't believe in the right god. Although it's entirely possible lots of tribes have been Atheist. We just don't have great records of many of them and early Christian sources are very biased and very unreliable. I mean in that letter they are explaining the beliefs of people they can't even talk to.