Should there be Atheist groups?

[StewartP]

For example, is there a word for the disbelief in ghosts, or aliens or salmons orbiting Jupiter etc?

that would be "Skeptic" !

[josef rosenkranz]

I think that the definition of athests as non believers in God or Gods is too simplistic and too narrow.
God has some good compagnons named Destiny or Fate,Superstition, and other beliefs of that kind.
Destiny or superstition are pushing some times God in the backstage of
spirituality and are advancing themselves in the forestage of religions.
"It was his fate " will say a fate believer forgetting that only God the Allmighty is in charge for what hapened to this person.
The same applies to the black cat encounterd on your way in the morning.
To be fair even atheists are not totally exempted from superstitions .
Let's open a confessionary and confess high and loud of what superstitions we are suffering.
"Hold me a hand" or "break a legg" are current unvoluntaryly expressions of superstition.
I think that this forum could work out a consensual definition of atheism and forward it to the proper authorities for revision of the actual definition.

[Brick-top]

For example, is there a word for the disbelief in ghosts, or aliens or salmons orbiting Jupiter etc?

that would be "Skeptic" !

Then why aren't Atheists called skeptics?

[Tiberius]

We are. The word "Atheist" is just more descriptive of the specific skepticism we have.

[Brick-top]

We are. The word "Atheist" is just more descriptive of the specific skepticism we have.

Then why haven't they came up with names for the rest that are listed?

[Tiberius]

Possibly because ghosts, aliens, salmon, don't affect our daily lives as much as religion. You could probably associate belief in ghosts loosely with spiritualism, the opposite being naturalism. Not sure about what you would call believers in aliens. I know there are people called raelians who believe that aliens brought humans to Earth. The opposite of raelian is "sensible".

[Brick-top]

Possibly because ghosts, aliens, salmon, don't affect our daily lives as much as religion. You could probably associate belief in ghosts loosely with spiritualism, the opposite being naturalism. Not sure about what you would call believers in aliens. I know there are people called raelians who believe that aliens brought humans to Earth. The opposite of raelian is "sensible".

If I never came back to this forum Religion wouldn't effect me at all.

[Boulat]

Hey! Salmon affects your life... its expensive!

[josef rosenkranz]

Possibly because ghosts, aliens, salmon, don't affect our daily lives as much as religion. You could probably associate belief in ghosts loosely with spiritualism, the opposite being naturalism. Not sure about what you would call believers in aliens. I know there are people called raelians who believe that aliens brought humans to Earth. The opposite of raelian is "sensible".

There is a major difference between believers in destiny or religious superstitions and believers in ghosts or aliens or salmon orbiting Jupiter ,etc,,
It is a welcomed threat to present philosophic matters in a houmorous way but seriuosly if you judge the importance of a certain issue related to a large number of elements,you have to take into account the statistical weight of it.
I am convinced that believers in fate are perhaps more numerous in the Western world then believers in God.
A lot of people who abandoned the practice of Christianism or Judaism or Islam and see themselves as free thinkers ,in time of distress of themselves or of others will draw out a residual belief in supranatural and will put the blame on Destiny or Fate ,whatever it means.
The same goes for religious superstitions which are benefitting from the belief that "if it does not help ,it does not harm either".
From a statistic point of view the wheight of believers in fate or in
religious superstitions is by far ,incomparable bigger then the wheight of believers in ghost or in other silly things ,making them irrelevant at all.

So ,to my opinion a definition of an atheist should be as one "who does not believe in God as well as in other supranatural elements colateral to religions".

[Tiberius]

The thing about destiny is that it could be scientific. Free will is a chemical reaction, and because we don't get to replay choices we have no idea whether our choices are actually "choices" at all. If everything that happens is pre-determined and predictable through the movements of atoms or whatever lies below them, then destiny falls into place perfectly.

Of course it's all speculation so I don't believe in it until I see some evidence. The reasoning is there though.