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Bringing you atheist articles and building active godless communities takes hundreds of hours and resources each month. If you find any joy or stimulation at Atheist Republic, please consider becoming a Supporting Member with a recurring monthly donation of your choosing, between a cup of tea and a good dinner.
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Great response, this made it super clear. Thanks!
I am a skeptic. I know that the positive claim of the nonexistence of god requires evidence. But I still say gods do not exist. I say it without evidence. Call me irrational. I don' t give a shit.
It doesn't bother you that in epistemological terms, you're as irrational as theists, and in exactly the same way?
It is safe to say that Zeus, Thor, and Krishna do not exist without doubting my rational capacities. Life is short. There are more urgent matters than disproving every fairy tale concocted by superstitious minds.
I do not see a way to search on this site so I may be in the wrong forum.
I stumbled upon this thread in search of answers to the following question.
"Isn't believing that all past and current religions are bogus a religion in itself?"
Thoughts?
@Looking For Anshit: re: "Isn't believing that all past and current religions are bogus a religion in itself?"
DEFINITIONS:
Religion: "the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods." 2. a particular system of faith and worship. 3. a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.
EITHER YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE A DICTIONARY OR YOU "STILL" DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT ATHEISM IS.
ATHEISM: PEOPLE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD OR GODS.
Whether all past religions are bogus or real has nothing at all to do with atheism. Atheism is a position of NON-BELIEF. NON-BELIEF IF ALL PAST RELIGIONS ARE TRUE AND NON-BELIEF IF ALL PAST RELIGIONS ARE FALSE.
I don't know an atheist on the site that would not believe in a religion if it could be proved to be true. THEY MAY NOT WORSHIP BUT THEY WOULD KNOW IT WAS TRUE.
If atheist happen to believe all past religions are false it is not the fault of atheism. It is the fault of past religions not being able to meet their burden of proof.
I agree that both statements are communicating the same thought . In the first instance one is believing no gods exist and in the second one is "un" believing gods exist, classic glass half full/half empty . Little confused however because I noticed your attached image sees "no God up here" but the query sees "no gods" (plural) . Now in that, I believe there is a huge difference in believing no gods exist or no god of any kind exists .How are you defining god ? To assume no god or gods exist(s) doesn't a person have to have a working definition of the nature of deity ?
Perhaps an alternative definition of atheism might include the belief that no god of any" kind" exists ? If I make the statement "pink elephants don't exist " I at least have some understanding of an elephant and the color pink and that pink is not the intrinsic color normally found among the elephant kind .What kind of god does not exist ?
Attachments
Attach Image/Video?:
@Vochensmut Re: "Perhaps an alternative definition of atheism might include the belief that no god of any" kind" exists ?"
Good grief... *face palm*... *groan*... Why do people insist on making such a simple thing so very complicated? Plus, why do they try to change the very definition of very simple words that have already been defined? Folks, it... just.... ain't.... that... complicated. Atheists are those of us who Do Not Believe In ANY god or gods. Period. That's it. Nothing more. Oh, and one more very important tidbit of info, in case you didn't get the memo.... IT IS NOT THE ATHEIST'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DEFINE ANYBODY'S GOD. IT IS UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL MAKING A CLAIM FOR HIS/HER GOD THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DEFINING/DESCRIBING HIS/HER GOD. Furthermore, it is the person claiming their god to be real who has the burden of proof to provide evidence for their particular god. It is then up to the individual atheist to review the evidence presented and then determine whether or not it is enough for them to believe in that particular god. Keep in mind, what may be valid/convincing evidence for one atheist may not be enough for another. And as soon as the atheist determines they believe that particular god to be real, then that individual is no longer an atheist. I honestly have NO IDEA how to explain that more simply than what I just did. Again, PLEASE stop trying to make this complicated, because it really is just that simple.
@ VOHENSMUT
Seriously , you don't have a dictionary or google? Atheism is simply the lack of belief in a god or gods.
You claim a god? Define it and evidence its existence, nothing to do with an atheist. We simply say, "I do not believe you" when you make claims for your god or gods.
@VochensmutI: RE: " agree that both statements are communicating the same thought . In the first instance one is believing no gods exist and in the second one is "un" believing gods exist, classic glass half full/half empty "
Obviously you have no idea at all how to use rationality or logic. Both statements are not communicating the same idea.
Look at the night sky. If you tell me, the number of stars are even. (God exists.) and I say, "I don't believe you." (I AM NOT ASSERTING THE NUMBER OF STARS IS EVEN.) I have only asserted that I have no reason to believe you. The stars very well may be odd or even but until I know for a fact that you have counted them all, I HAVE NO REASON TO BELIEVE YOU.
NOT BELIEVING YOU is nothing at all like making the assertion - "The number of stars is odd." (God does not exist.)
THE TWO STATEMENTS ARE NOT EVEN CLOSE TO MEANING THE SAME THING. IT HAS NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH A GLASS BEING HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL.
If you tell me the glass is half empty and I tell you I do not believe you, I HAVE NOT CLAIMED THAT THE GLASS IS HALF FULL. I simply do not believe your statement. I may think you are too stupid to make such a measurement. I do not have to believe you until you measure the volume of the glass and that of the water to empirically prove your assertion. Were I to assert the glass were half empty, I would be responsible for providing you with the same information. Minus any information, one way or the other, I AM COMPLETELY JUSTIFIED IN MY NON-BELIEF. So can you prove God exists? (Can you prove the glass to be half full?) There is no reason to believe such a claim without evidence.
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