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Atheist Forums › Community › Atheism v
What is an atheist

Poll: An atheist is:-
This poll is closed.
Somebody who does not believe in God
75.86%
 22 75.86%
Someone who believes God does not exist.
24.14%
 7 24.14%
Total 29 vote(s) 100%
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What is an atheist
Jacob(smooth) Offline Donators
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#1
What is an atheist
April 10, 2014 at 4:10 am (This post was last modified: April 10, 2014 at 4:12 am by Jacob(smooth).)
Simple question I think...
"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken."
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fr0d0 Offline
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#2
RE: What is an atheist
April 10, 2014 at 4:17 am
All the above
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Jacob(smooth) Offline Donators
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#3
RE: What is an atheist
April 10, 2014 at 4:20 am
(April 10, 2014 at 4:17 am)fr0d0 Wrote: All the above

There is a subtle difference. My cat does not believe in God, but he does not believe that God does not exist. One is a positive, the other is a negative.
"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken."
Sith code
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BrianSoddingBoru4 Offline
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#4
RE: What is an atheist
April 10, 2014 at 4:24 am
(April 10, 2014 at 4:20 am)Jacob(smooth) Wrote:
(April 10, 2014 at 4:17 am)fr0d0 Wrote: All the above

There is a subtle difference. My cat does not believe in God, but he does not believe that God does not exist. One is a positive, the other is a negative.

Excellent point. Most of the cats I've met tend towards Buddhism.

Boru
‘But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.’ - Thomas Jefferson
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fr0d0 Offline
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#5
RE: What is an atheist
April 10, 2014 at 4:27 am
(April 10, 2014 at 4:20 am)Jacob(smooth) Wrote:
(April 10, 2014 at 4:17 am)fr0d0 Wrote: All the above

There is a subtle difference. My cat does not believe in God, but he does not believe that God does not exist. One is a positive, the other is a negative.

Yes I realise that. Both are fully atheist.
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Marsellus Wallace Offline
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#6
RE: What is an atheist
April 10, 2014 at 4:40 am
I hope this doesn't end up with cats being agnostic .

Atheist : is someone who does not believe in god, because he does not believe he exists in the first place .
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Tartarus Sauce Offline
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#7
RE: What is an atheist
April 10, 2014 at 4:45 am
Both.

The first covers both lack of knowledge of the concept and therefore lack of belief as well as presence of knowledge and lack of belief.

The second requires knowledge of the concept.

The first is better as a broad definition since it covers all possibilities of the term.
freedomfromfallacy » I'm weighing my tears to see if the happy ones weigh the same as the sad ones.
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Ben Davis Offline
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#8
RE: What is an atheist
April 10, 2014 at 4:47 am
(April 10, 2014 at 4:10 am)Jacob(smooth) Wrote: Simple question I think...
1. Someone who doesn't believe in god(s) = atheist
2. Someone who believes god(s) don't exist = one of the definitions of anti-theist

Anti-theists are a subset of atheists so sometimes 2. can be used as a definition of 1. (commonly when certain people are trying to misrepresent 'atheists') however 2. is not necessarily a component of 1. therefore in strict usage, the definitions should be kept separate.
Sum ergo sum
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Zen Badger Offline
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#9
RE: What is an atheist
April 10, 2014 at 5:30 am
(April 10, 2014 at 4:24 am)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote:
(April 10, 2014 at 4:20 am)Jacob(smooth) Wrote: There is a subtle difference. My cat does not believe in God, but he does not believe that God does not exist. One is a positive, the other is a negative.

Excellent point. Most of the cats I've met tend towards Buddhism.

Boru

No.... All cats believe they are god.

There are good reasons to suspect they might be right.
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Jacob(smooth) Offline Donators
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#10
RE: What is an atheist
April 10, 2014 at 5:39 am
(April 10, 2014 at 5:30 am)Zen Badger Wrote:
(April 10, 2014 at 4:24 am)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: Excellent point. Most of the cats I've met tend towards Buddhism.

Boru

No.... All cats believe they are god.

There are good reasons to suspect they might be right.
Point.

I'm just wondering from a demographic point of view. I imagine in the US one sort of has to pick a side. In the UK however it's quite possible to not think about God at all. Are these people who never even consider God, either as a positive or a negative atheist? Or are they a sort of schrodingerist, both theist and atheist until you make them think about it and collapse the waveform, forcing them to resolve into one state or other.
"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken."
Sith code
Find
Reply


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What is an atheist



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