Thanks for creating a forum with real debate!

[jstrodel]

I appreciate what you guys are doing on this forum, how you have real debate and let Christians voice their views. It shows that you are committed to our common goal of understanding the world. I have been on other atheist boards where I was banned just for presenting a Christian perspective, also, IRC channels. Thanks for being true to atheist principles.

[Whateverist]

I appreciate what you guys are doing on this forum, how you have real debate and let Christians voice their views. It shows that you are committed to our common goal of understanding the world. I have been on other atheist boards where I was banned just for presenting a Christian perspective, also, IRC channels. Thanks for being true to atheist principles.

What are atheist 'principles'? (How come I never get the memos on these things?) My own atheism is only the logical extension of my agnosticism. I don't embrace, endorse or much care about theism one way or the other, including its negation.

[pocaracas]

You're welcome.
Stick around, and you'll get more of those and more of the other atheists... This is a pot that has a bit of everything.

[jstrodel]

What are atheist 'principles'? (How come I never get the memos on these things?) My own atheism is only the logical extension of my agnosticism. I don't embrace, endorse or much care about theism one way or the other, including its negation.

Open inquiry, opposition to censorship and epistemological coercion, respect for rational, impartial inquiry as a primary means of mediating understanding of the world. I would "Enlightenment values" which seem to me to be ubiquitous among the more intellectually mature atheists.

[fr0d0]

You were doing so well up to the last sentence! An atheist with principles is like off is a TV channel.

[Jackalope]

What are atheist 'principles'? (How come I never get the memos on these things?) My own atheism is only the logical extension of my agnosticism. I don't embrace, endorse or much care about theism one way or the other, including its negation.

Open inquiry, opposition to censorship and epistemological coercion, respect for rational, impartial inquiry as a primary means of mediating understanding of the world. I would "Enlightenment values" which seem to me to be ubiquitous among the more intellectually mature atheists.

One might suggest that you have things backwards. Those things you cite inform my atheism, not the other way around, and I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm not alone.

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You were doing so well up to the last sentence! An atheist with principles is like off is a TV channel.

Troll much?

[fr0d0]

It's called fun cthulu, you should try it

[jstrodel]

One might suggest that you have things backwards. Those things you cite inform my atheism, not the other way around, and I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm not alone.

I think a holistic view of human nature and human cognition would show that people are not really able to compartmentalize the things that they believe so that one does not affect the other. In reality, it is always a dialogue both ways.

Atheism is certainly not mere absence of belief, atheism is a specific cultural, philosophical movement that has its own values and advocacy that surround its epistemological stances, which are far from being self evident.

That said, as an heir of the enlightenment tradition, it sits on a wealthy tradition and enjoys the prestige of science.

[FallentoReason]

Atheists can't be grouped together. Tell me what these people have in common (apart from a lack of belief in god obviously):

Atheist Buddhist
Atheist who believes in paranormal events (ghosts etc)
Atheist whose philosophical world view is solipsism
Atheist Taoist
Atheist who supports communism
Atheist who supports democracy

There is no "way of the atheist".

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P.s. glad to hear you like this place. I personally find all non-atheist members vital to the community, even if I disagree with them. Without them, this place would be dull as I like talking about religion and god.

[jstrodel]

Atheists can't be grouped together. Tell me what these people have in common (apart from a lack of belief in god obviously):

Atheist Buddhist
Atheist who believes in paranormal events (ghosts etc)
Atheist whose philosophical world view is solipsism
Atheist Taoist
Atheist who supports communism
Atheist who supports democracy

I would distinguish between the atheists who are Buddhist and Taoist from the western atheists.

That is true that there are differences between atheists that believe in paranormal events and that culture.

In my mind, the vast majority of atheists that I meet in America (I realize, not the center of the world or exhaustive of the atheist movement) fall into the category of people that put great stock in enlightenment epistemological notions (this would include liberal and left wing atheists). I would see the atheist movement as being composed, probably 80% by people that follow some sort of enlightenment influenced understanding of evidence, proof, epistemology and the nature of science.