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RE: What Does Being An Atheist Actually Entail? (Theism in mind)
April 28, 2015 at 4:25 am
(This post was last modified: April 28, 2015 at 4:25 am by Alex K.)
I trust scientists in other fields the same way I trust airplane engineers and surgeons.Even if we don't understand what they do on a technical level in detail, in principle we know what method they are supposed to use in order to produce reliable results, and we make sure that there are some checks and balances to ensure quality.
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
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RE: What Does Being An Atheist Actually Entail? (Theism in mind)
April 28, 2015 at 5:30 am
(This post was last modified: April 28, 2015 at 5:34 am by robvalue.)
We know that in all of science, everyone knowledgeable in the relevant field will be looking for ways to disprove a scientific theory. To do so would offer great prestige as well as satisfaction. It is the job of the scientist to further scientific understanding, and finding faults with theories is one major way to do this. So the fact that all these experts cannot find fault with the current theories is convincing evidence that the theories are solid, given our current understanding. (Some crackpot who has no understanding of the field posting unsupported drivel on the internet does not count I'm afraid. Otherwise science would be a random collection of arbitrary nonsense, updated every time anyone says anything ever. If their objection is sound, others will be able to reproduce it.)
To believe otherwise is to propose some conspiracy situation where theories are "guarded" and anyone discovering problems with them is silenced, before they can communicate it to anyone else or it gets out onto the internet. This includes literally anyone, who may even be schooling themselves in private. As soon as they found that problem, an alarm would have to go off somewhere and men in black appear to remove them before they could even post it on facebook or a forum.
If that's what you have to tell yourself, be my guest. Also: why exactly would the scientific community want to hold onto a theory that has been proven wrong, rather than improve it? That defeats the whole purpose of science. Unlike religion, science is interested entirely in reality and wants to model it as accurately as possible. It has no dogma, or requirement that certain theories be true.
On the other hand: religion has no theories, makes no useful or specific predictions and offers only unfalsifiable premises. No one can prove these things wrong, by definition, so no one is trying. But they are also useless because they tell us nothing about reality and their truth cannot be evaluated.
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RE: What Does Being An Atheist Actually Entail? (Theism in mind)
April 28, 2015 at 7:40 am
The OP obfuscates the obvious. One may choose to believe what they wish, but the equivocation of Christianity and Science as two sides of the same coin begins and ends with the following:
Christianity: 1+1+1 = 1 (Followed by mental gymnastics and tortured language to make this seem plausible).
Science: 1+1+1 = 3 (Confirmed by counting).
The effort to legitimize the ridiculous by denigrating a system of thought with a proven track record and the ability to adjust with new discovery is buffoonery.
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RE: What Does Being An Atheist Actually Entail? (Theism in mind)
April 28, 2015 at 7:52 am
When we read books on evolution or mathematics, we learn how and why the concepts work.
When we read the bible, we learn what words are in the bible.
I can't remember where this verse is from, I think it got removed from canon:
"I don't hang around with mostly men because I'm gay. It's because men are better than women. Better trained, better equipped...better. Just better! I'm not gay."
For context, this is the previous verse:
"Hi Jesus" -robvalue
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RE: What Does Being An Atheist Actually Entail? (Theism in mind)
April 28, 2015 at 8:07 am
(April 28, 2015 at 7:40 am)Cato Wrote: The effort to legitimize the ridiculous by denigrating a system of thought with a proven track record and the ability to adjust with new discovery is buffoonery. Yes but buffoonery plus seventy-seven generations of human ineptitude makes it sacred buffoonery.
He who loves God cannot endeavour that God should love him in return - Baruch Spinoza
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RE: What Does Being An Atheist Actually Entail? (Theism in mind)
April 28, 2015 at 8:14 am
(This post was last modified: April 28, 2015 at 8:14 am by Tonus.)
(April 28, 2015 at 12:29 am)gomlbrobro Wrote: This post was not to prove their was an omnipotent god, but rather make a point that there is a problem with this atheistic belief system. The atheist does not need to replace god with something else. If god cannot be produced or proven, that is sufficient. 'Faith' in science is not a substitute for faith in god. You are using a computer which relies on many inventions and technologies that are dependent on science, and you likely use many other things in your day to day life that depend on science. God did not poof your automobile into existence, or the lights in your home, or the solar-powered calculator on your desk. God has not replaced science in your life, and science need not replace god.
Thus the "atheistic belief system" consists of one item: lack of belief in god. That's it.
"Well, evolution is a theory. It is also a fact. And facts and theories are different things, not rungs in a hierarchy of increasing certainty. Facts are the world's data. Theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts. Facts don't go away when scientists debate rival theories to explain them. Einstein's theory of gravitation replaced Newton's in this century, but apples didn't suspend themselves in midair, pending the outcome. And humans evolved from ape- like ancestors whether they did so by Darwin's proposed mechanism or by some other yet to be discovered."
-Stephen Jay Gould
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RE: What Does Being An Atheist Actually Entail? (Theism in mind)
April 28, 2015 at 1:39 pm
Blind faith in a god made up by man VS. reason based logic, using testable evidence that can be repeated over and over to demonstrate whether a claim is true or not.
I'll take the latter, if that doesn't make sense to you I don't know what will. Science ISN'T biased either, it's based on observable and measurable facts. When a scientist says he's found a new species, he doesn't claim it to be true and then say, "Everyone just believe me that I have found this certain species." He presents the evidence to the scientific community all around the world for a peer review, then it's decided whether it's a species known to science or not.
If you just put your faith in a book and don't care to listen to facts, then you really shouldn't be on this forum. If you have faith, which is believing in something without evidence, then why not put faith into the hindu gods? If you have to faith in something then why would hinduism not be valid to you, and christianity would be? How do you distinguish what is true or not by using faith? The reason you have faith is because there is actually no reason to believe in it.
Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.' -Isaac Asimov-
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RE: What Does Being An Atheist Actually Entail? (Theism in mind)
April 28, 2015 at 1:43 pm
I have skimmed this thread which seems to be the old.
If there was no science you'd believe in god so they try to undermine science.
For me this is not the case.
I don't believe in god because I find the idea laugh out loud stupid, I mean c'mon have you read the bible, cest la merde.
Anyhoo, all the evidence seems to agree with the no god stance, to my complete lack of surprise.
If someone ever found compelling evidence for a god I would be very surprised but honestly I don't know what that could possibly be.
You can fix ignorance, you can't fix stupid.
Tinkety Tonk and down with the Nazis.
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RE: What Does Being An Atheist Actually Entail? (Theism in mind)
April 28, 2015 at 1:49 pm
"Atheist" does not "entail" anything more than saying "I lack belief in a God or gods".
"Atheist" is is no more than "off" on a light switch. It is not an ideology, it is not a moral code, it is not a political party, it is not a religion, it is not a economic view, it is not a loyalty oath. It merely means "off".
I would say having said that, when one has their choice of viewing the world through a old kaleidoscope comic book, any comic book, polytheistic or monotheistic, based on naked assertions, or modern tools like science that has bought us telescopes and doctors and put men on the moon and given us planes and the computer we are conversing with now, it seems foolish to me to dwell in the past and cling to old claims that merely reflect ones own desires to have a super hero.
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RE: What Does Being An Atheist Actually Entail? (Theism in mind)
April 28, 2015 at 1:55 pm
Quote:"Atheist" is is no more than "off" on a light switch. It is not an ideology, it is not a moral code, it is not a political party, it is not a religion, it is not a economic view, it is not a loyalty oath. It merely means "off".
Does that ever perfectly define this Forum.
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