outhouse
Atheistically
We are probably dealing with a child who has a very limited grasp on reality.
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Atheism doesn't mean much.
- Thread starter Desert Snake
- Start date
We are probably dealing with a child who has a very limited grasp on reality.
I don't know your history with Paarsurrey, but I agree with his assertion. Many do come to atheism through criticism of religion.
His assertion did not mention "many", now did it?
It was a generalization, yet you did not complain about that.
Gee, thanks for the preference. Or something. He gets a pass when judging me, but I do not when defending myself? Is that truly how it is supposed to be?
paarsurrey
Veteran Member
You are an exception. Please don't mind. Sorry.
We are talking in general terms.
Regards
Desert Snake
Veteran Member
Actually it isn't. Atheists have, on average, a higher IQ higher than all other "believers" except Episcopalians and Jews.source
And because logical and rational thinking positively correlates with IQ it's quite reasonable to expect an atheist to have thought more seriously about religion than your run of the mill believer.
According to that chart, Anglicans are the smartest.
So, not really sure what you're trying to represent.
Kilgore Trout
Misanthropic Humanist
It tells you about the same amount as if someone says "I'm a Christian" or "I'm a Buddhist." To find out anything of significance about someone, you have to go beyond labels, and find out what their worldview actually is.
Skwim
Veteran Member
Did you read the entire post? If it isn't clear then I'm stuck as how to better explain it. Maybe you should ask someone else.
Desert Snake
Veteran Member
Did you read the entire post? If it isn't clear then I'm stuck as how to better explain it. Maybe you should ask someone else.
No because you have to look at supposed religious adherence very critically. You have to be joking if you are saying that everyone is putting thought into their religious adherence, often it is 'whatever church' they were brought up in. I would argue that that list is actually too broad, you get the 'noise' from all the "whatever" religious adherents while simultaneously getting the agnostics and atheists who left their religion for whatever reason, but made the choice to do so, but in reality are of the 'same' mindset as those religious people in analytical approach.
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paarsurrey
Veteran Member
I read your posts and post of LuisDantas with much interest and appreciation.
Sometimes I could differ though
Regards
I may start reading your posts.
FunctionalAtheist
Hammer of Reason
TBH my response was meant to be satirical regarding the OPs position of what a single label applied to a person tell him.
No one is immune to confirmation bias, i believe. But understanding that and honestly attempting to eliminate bias is not universal. So which position requires unquestioned confirmation bias?
I can see two apparently equal positions; there is a god and there is no god. These positions may be held based on rational thinking.
ANY statement to the nature of god is automatically steeped in confirmation bias. As soon as you say Alla or Jehova, or Odin, you have left objective reasoning behind.
So it may appear that god v no god are equal. And I agree to a limited extent.
However I have this confirmation bias. I believe accepting a positive assertion without any objective confirmation, is confirmation bias.
I do not accept FSM.
I do not accept unicorns.
I do not accept allah.
I do not accept odin.
I do not accept any god concept.
If I accept a god concept, then I am forced to accept all these things. To accept one and not all the others IS CONFIRMATION BIAS.
FunctionalAtheist
Hammer of Reason
I have seen a lot of this, but seldom if ever have I seen it lead to an atheists. My experience is that the religiously disgruntled/disenfranchised continue to believe, but have issues with 'organized religion,' or even start there own little ministries so that they can spread the real message. Some may even pick up guns and bombs and start fighting for god on a whole new level.
I am unconvinced. But it took years of study and deep thought to answer all the loose ends before I could 'proclaim' my unbelief. And as I've alluded and will address further when I can, these loose ends included several 'devine experiences' which could have no possible natural explanation. Needless to say I have a rather rational natural explanation for my experiences.
If I hold my own experiences to the one standard of truth which has produced a consistent model reality, then I have no problem expecting others to meet this standard.
paarsurrey
Veteran Member
What is your concept of reality? Please explain in your own words, not from dictionary.
What are your principles of checking of reality? Please
Regards
FunctionalAtheist
Hammer of Reason
Reality is that which exists in actuality. It is independent of thought.
The mind interfaces with reality through the senses, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and touch.
The mind is capable of tremendous imagination, postulation, and contemplation. These mental constructs can never be 100% representative of reality, but they can be formulated in terms of models that can be used to represent reality to some degree.
A map is a good example. A map may be very accurate in terms of actual locations, or physical landmarks, or it may be completely fantasy, such as a map of middle earth. Some models/maps are meant to be as accurate (representative of reality) as possible, some are meant to represent only certain aspects of reality.
The search for knowledge is nothing more than the formulation of models and the comparison of models to test which are the most consistent with reality. This necessarily must be connoted to our senses (observation, experience, etc.)
If I compare a map of texas with a map of middle earth, I can confirm the model of texas with the location of houston, dallas, and san antonio. I can confirm the topography of the hill country and the river courses. If I look for confirmation of the model of middle earth, I can find none.
Does middle earth exist? I have no "evidence" that there is no place out there on earth or some other planet that the model of middle earth is not accurate.
Yet I know that the human mind is capable of coming up with countless inaccurate models of reality. If I accept any model without 'objective' confirmation then I have abandoned the standard of truth, that confirmation of a model requires observation/experience consistent with that model.
So why is rejection of god not confirmation bias? This is the nature of models, that they consists of components parts and the relationships between those parts. A model with god and the relationship between god and other component parts is a model subject to confirmation.
A model without god is subject to confirmation as well. Yet the model I hold up does not include god as a component. I do not 'reject' god. I accept a model of reality, that is consistent with all my experiences and observation, based on the model itself. That model does not have a god component.
I have not seen a model with a god component that has been confirmed. The model without a god component is confirmed on a daily basis.
Thief
Rogue Theologian
And you are immune to your own words?
There are no problems that can be solved without the imagination.
Imagination is the problem solving part of the mind.
To get a grip on reality....you have to use your imagination.
Universe...one word.....one God.
FunctionalAtheist
Hammer of Reason
And did I not say this? Do you not bother reading or do just not comprehend? We build models, all of which are imagination. That is why we must compare them to our observation.
LMAO.
Sha'irullah
رسول الآلهة
Atheism indeed means very little. So many flavors of atheism since it is pretty much a default position for human beings. It is essentially a byproduct of a Tabula Rasa origin of knowledge. Atheism because of its association with this notion really does not even exist. It is just a forced label in this day of age.
I do not even like the term since even "religions" did not have the notion of religion itself. You just had the worship of gods and that is it. Labels were name made until you begin going into the middle and late Hellenic era.
I like saying anti-theist because it sounds more bold and gives more meaning to my treatment of religion but really I find it that all atheists are anti-theists. Do you really think any normal person "respects" the Flat Earth Society? Nope, you see them as a bunch of lunatics and this is quite obvious. So naturally you oppose such thinking.
Not having a god to pray to I merely do not use it as an identity to live by. I am perhaps one of the few atheists who has no issues with people praying, or doing religious stuff. I just oppose the belief in a god. You can pray to a god all you want but it does not make it real.
I have prayed to the Norns in the past even when I was an atheist. I do not believe in such things but I did it because it amused myself. It was expressive.
Atheism really shows how little of a term it is by simply understanding the etymology of the word itself
I do not even like the term since even "religions" did not have the notion of religion itself. You just had the worship of gods and that is it. Labels were name made until you begin going into the middle and late Hellenic era.
I like saying anti-theist because it sounds more bold and gives more meaning to my treatment of religion but really I find it that all atheists are anti-theists. Do you really think any normal person "respects" the Flat Earth Society? Nope, you see them as a bunch of lunatics and this is quite obvious. So naturally you oppose such thinking.
Not having a god to pray to I merely do not use it as an identity to live by. I am perhaps one of the few atheists who has no issues with people praying, or doing religious stuff. I just oppose the belief in a god. You can pray to a god all you want but it does not make it real.
I have prayed to the Norns in the past even when I was an atheist. I do not believe in such things but I did it because it amused myself. It was expressive.
Atheism really shows how little of a term it is by simply understanding the etymology of the word itself
Some atheists hold "new age" beliefs while some don't. Atheism doesn't say anything about what a person does believe, so yes, atheism has little meaning.
Sha'irullah
رسول الآلهة
On a side note it should be noticed that a fundamental belief to be an atheist is to support the feasting on babies. 
.
'I wuvs me sum of them delicious chi'dren' :eat:
.'I wuvs me sum of them delicious chi'dren' :eat: