The Sects of Atheism

[LadyForCamus]

@GaryAnderson are you asserting that souls cannot exist absent a god or gods? You’re going to need to demonstrate that assertion or else that’s all it is; a bare assertion about two separate claims which also need to be independently demonstrated. Otherwise, you’re just talking out your ass.

[Peebothuhlu]

At work.

That's been raised a couple of times already....

..... and avoided so far.

[The Grand Nudger]

In your belief system, perhaps.  There's really nothing else to say on the matter because it's a trivial fact easily discernable by the most shallow investigation of peoples beliefs.  Or even the simple definition of the term, which you claimed to refer to.

Atheists don't believe in gods.  If someone tells you that they're an atheist, you have the answer to that one question.  You won't know whether they believe in chakras or karma or ghosts or wizards and fairies...you won't even know if they're religious...unless you ask about those things.

If they believe in other spiritual things which are god-linked than they’re not atheists in the truest sense of the word. Maybe  they’re agnostic atheists. 

Atheists don't believe in any god-linked thing - that's contained in the term.  You..believe..that there are god-linked things, and this is one of them. 

That's all well and good, but a cursory exploration of the range of beliefs about souls and the immaterial and even the supernatural handily demonstrates that it's not actually indicative of being a god believer to believe in those other things, nor is it neccesary to believe in the immaterial or the supernatural to believe in gods or souls.  The abrahamic faiths started out as a belief in materialistic gods and souls, for example.  Sounds crazy to you, today...you clearly never even imagined as much given your insistence on conflating those beliefs....but there you have it.

I don’t understand what you’re saying here and you’re confusing me a bit. Atheism is about belief in Gods?

Correct, that's all it's about.  What the term explicitly refers to.  Whether a person holds a belief in any gods.  That's what everyone has been trying to explain to you repeatedly - but I was commenting more on your assertion of the rule of opinions, there.  

Unless a person shares a belief they don't get to have an opinion?  Well..you're not an atheist..but you appear to have opinions about atheism.  Follow your own rules, or save yourself the breath insisting that others do.

Weak shit about work, too. Didn't seem to get in the way of you saying batshit things to us, but now that you've said em you're just too busy and don't understand anything?

[Angrboda]

But souls and the afterlife are always linked to different Gods and religions which is something that the definition of atheism doesn’t allow. 
So maybe you’re an agnostic atheist?

The fact that they are linked together for some other people doesn't mean that they are or need to be linked together for a specific atheist.  

Since they don't need to be linked for an atheist, you are wrong to insist that an atheist can't have an opinion on them.

You are effectively arguing that one person is bound by what another person believes; that's simply not the case.

Well then don’t describe yourself as an atheist. Maybe agonist atheist?

That wooshing sound you hear is the point going over your head. There is no legitimate reason I would need to act as you seem to think that I must. Why would I?

In general understanding, there is nothing about the concepts of a soul and an afterlife that requires that they be linked to a god; so the fact that for some god-believers they are linked is a red herring.

And for your information, a few years ago I was a Shakta Hindu who believed in the goddess Kali, but did not have a belief in souls or an afterlife. So, no, they aren't "always" linked.

[Simon Moon]

If someone doesn't believe in gods, why would they believe in any other supernatural thing?

You should ask them.

As I stated earlier, there are sects of Buddhism with beliefs in an afterlife, souls, spirits, etc. Yet they have zero beliefs in gods.

Many cultures around the world to this day, believe in animism (supernatural beliefs),, but have no god beliefs.

I am kind of stunned that someone could NOT imagine supernatural beliefs that aren't connected to god beliefs.

[The Grand Nudger]

If someone doesn't believe in unicorns, why would they believe in a god, Ahri?

Sometimes the questions you people ask either answer themselves, or you damn well know the answer before you ask by reference -to- yourselves. It's (easily) the most irritating aspect of having these convos with your set over the years. Just aggressively fucking stupid. It lowers the IQ of the room, and shits on any pretense of this ever being a meaningful or genuine conversation between your lot and anyone else, about anything else.

[Simon Moon]

The definition of "atheism" should be broadened to include a lack of belief in supernatural things period, not just gods. I mean, why stop at gods.

You have that exactly backwards.

The term skepticism encompasses the disbelief in all supernatural claims.

Disbelief in: Gods, ESP, ghosts, Tarot card reading, spiritual surgery, etc, etc, all fall under the umbrella of skepticism.

The disbelief in gods is a special form of skepticism that gets it's own category and definition.

[vulcanlogician]

Skepticism is doubt, not disbelief.

edit: actually ancient Greek skepticism is disbelief, so that's not completely right.

[Ahriman]

The definition of "atheism" should be broadened to include a lack of belief in supernatural things period, not just gods. I mean, why stop at gods.

You have that exactly backwards.

The term skepticism encompasses the disbelief in all supernatural claims.

Disbelief in: Gods, ESP, ghosts, Tarot card reading, spiritual surgery, etc, etc, all fall under the umbrella of skepticism.

The disbelief in gods is a special form of skepticism that gets it's own category and definition.

Why? That's stupid, and makes me think atheists just want to be part of some secret club.

[Angrboda]

Skepticism is doubt, not disbelief.

edit: actually ancient Greek skepticism is disbelief, so that's not completely right.

I thought disbelief was the province of the Cynics?