Atheisms and the supernatural

[Polymath257]

I would LOVE to hear the logic behind this bit of sophistry!

The meaning of a word is the common usage of that word. It really isn't that difficult to figure out.

Language is a *convention*. Words do not have meanings other than how they are used.

So, if everyone except you is using a word in a certain way, *that* is the definition of that word. if you are using it in a different way, then you are using it incorrectly.

The meanings of words also change over time and from location to location. But, if you are the only one using a word in a particular way, then you are the one abusing the language, not everyone else.

 

[Polymath257]

It doesn't surprise nor upset me. But these are wildly biased and irrational common misuses of these words. And each time we misuse them in this way, we give longevity and unwarranted credence to the very bias and irrationality that spawned their misuse, originally. This may be of little concern to people in everyday conversations, but in a setting where people are attempting, at least, to discuss the viability of a proposed truth claim (as is the point of philosophical debate) these irrational biases and deliberately misleading abuses of terminology become catastrophic. And the debate becomes pointless.

No, it is NOT biases that are happening here. It is simply a shifting usage of the words.

The words used in a proposed truth claim mean whatever the audience agrees that they mean. If you insist on using the words in a different way, the problems in communication are due to you and not to everyone else.

Which is why it's important not to allow common ignorance, bias, and the linguistic misuse it generates to override our logic, and reason, and intelligent debate about the ideas we're supposedly using these words to share, and investigate.

And the point is that words have different meanings. But, if everyone around you is using a word in one way and you are using it in a different way, then the resulting lack of communication is due to your eccentricity, not to that of others.

 

[Heyo]

I would LOVE to hear the logic behind this bit of sophistry!

What is language?

 

[ChristineM]

Knowledge.

There are quite a lot of opposites to belief, different contexts of the word amass their own opposits, knowledge being one, but considering the usage in contest of belief in god or not, knowledge cannot be one of them

 

[Willamena]

There are quite a lot of opposites to belief, knowledge being one, but considering the usage in contest of belief in god or not, knowledge cannot be one of them

It's the only relevant one, the metaphysical one. The existence of god (or any "thing," per se) is a metaphysical topic.

I don't mean to intrude on your sub-thread with Purex, but couldn't resist a meaningful answer to your question.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Would you use an alternative word for it?

I'd call it crap for the credulous.

The way people who say they believe in the "supernatural" use the term, it seems that it means "things I want to believe are true because I'm personally invested in, but that don't meet any normal standard of evidence."

It's like that joke about alternative medicine ("what do you call alternative medicine that's been clearly shown to be effective through rigorous controlled trials? Medicine"): what do you call "supernatural" things that are supported by a reasonable amount of evidence? Natural.

 

[Heyo]

It's the only relevant one, the metaphysical one. The existence of god (or any "thing," per se) is a metaphysical topic.

I don't mean to intrude on your sub-thread with Purex, but couldn't resist a meaningful answer to your question.

What is the opposite of 5?
What is the opposite of red?
What is the opposite of apple?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What about things not on the theistic end such as new age concepts and such?

You'll generally find atheists who believe in them.

... in the concepts that don't require gods, of course.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Dictionary too?

I have no idea what you're asking me.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I have no idea what you're asking me.

We shouldn't believe everything we read. Dictionaries too?

 

[ChristineM]

It's the only relevant one, the metaphysical one. The existence of god (or any "thing," per se) is a metaphysical topic.

I don't mean to intrude on your sub-thread with Purex, but couldn't resist a meaningful answer to your question.

It was interesting, it made me look up opposites, and there are plenty.

 

[paarsurrey]

I read that atheism is always connected to the belief that there is no supernatural rather than just disbelief in deities (Zues, Jehovah, et cetera-not-force and cosmos et cetera). It is also said because these two are not based on objective evidence, there is no reason to believe it (thereby the basis of being an atheist comes from, supposedly).

My questions are:

Does atheism need to be connected with disbelief in all the supernatural (an addition to the definition perhaps?)

Also, does atheism need to refer to disbelief based only of lack of evidence and no other reason but just not believing deities exist?

I know the definition of atheism-the strict definition that is-though I read a common consensus on RF that it goes beyond that. Hence the questions.

" there is no supernatural"

What is one's understanding of the natural word "supernatural", please. Kindly give one's own understanding rather that from a Lexicon/dictionary. Right, please?

Regards

 

[Heyo]

It was interesting, it made me look up opposites, and there are plenty.

You did look up antonyms, which are many. There is always only one opposite to any entity.
If you think different, answer the questions I asked @Willamena in post #127.

 

[ChristineM]

You did look up antonyms, which are many. There is always only one opposite to any entity.
If you think different, answer the questions I asked @Willamena in post #127.

What is the opposite of 5?
What is the opposite of red?
What is the opposite of apple?

I shall use binary logic

Not 5

Not red

Not apple

 

[Unveiled Artist]

" there is no supernatural"

What is one's understanding of the natural word "supernatural", please. Kindly give one's own understanding rather that from a Lexicon/dictionary. Right, please?

Regards

One category it's anything not detected with senses. Ghost. Etc. The other is spirituality not explained (but felt by the five senses. The word seems closer to movies like Six Sense and such.

 

[Willamena]

I shall use binary logic

Not 5

Not red

Not apple

I disagree. Each of those answers encompasses everything in the universe with the exception of that one thing. That's not what an opposite is.

 

[wandering peacefully]

Does atheism need to be connected with disbelief in all the supernatural

No.

 

[paarsurrey]

One category it's anything not detected with senses. Ghost. Etc. The other is spirituality not explained (but felt by the five senses. The word seems closer to movies like Six Sense and such.

Is x-ray/radiation a supernatural, please?
Does one believe that Ghosts exist, please?

Regards
____________
Radiation cannot be detected by human senses.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

We shouldn't believe everything we read. Dictionaries too?

Sure: verify what you read in dictionaries by seeing how people use the word.

In this case, the usage of "atheist" reflects the definition "person who lacks belief in deities."

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Is x-ray/radiation a supernatural, please?
Does one believe that Ghosts exist, please?

Regards
____________
Radiation cannot be detected by human senses.

X-ray and radiation affects the body. You can "see" the body by X-ray. Supernatural is what exists that one cannot detect whether looking through an X-ray or affected by radiation. Demon spirit possession is another example of something supernatural.