Atheism is a belief system.

[Memories]

Greetings.

Although the thought that atheism is not a belief system is a comforting thought, I am sorry to prove to you that this is not the case. It is indeed a belief system no different than any other, has its gaps and its fanatics. and zealots of all sorts have a message to preach.:angel2:

Lets start with some basic definitions.


belief: noun
- the feeling of being certain that something exists or is true.
source: Cambridge Dictionary of American English
- a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing
- something believed ; especially : a tenet or body of tenets held by a group
- conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon especially when based on examination of evidence
Source: Merriam-Webster Online

believe: verb
- to think that something is true or correct
source: Cambridge Dictionary of American English
intransitive verb 1 a: to have a firm religious faith b: to accept as true, genuine, or real 2: to have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something 3: to hold an opinion : think
transitive verb1 a: to consider to be true or honest b: to accept the word or evidence of 2: to hold as an opinion : suppose
source: Merriam-Webster Online

faith: noun
a high degree of trust or confidence in something or someone source: Cambridge Dictionary of American English

1 a: allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty b (1): fidelity to one’s promises (2): sincerity of intentions

2 a (1): belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2): belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1): firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2): complete trust

3: something that is believed especially with strong conviction ; especially : a system of religious beliefs
source: Merriam-Webster Online
Update 6/16/2009 – I realized I didn’t define “Belief System”
Belief System: noun
faith based on a series of beliefs but not formalized into a religion; also, a fixed coherent set of beliefs prevalent in a community or society

source: Dictionary.Com

1. a set of beliefs, especially religious or political beliefs, that form a unified system 2. organized societal beliefs: a collection and organization of beliefs prevalent in a community or society source: Encarta
Summary of Belief/Believe/Faith:
A personal conviction of the truth/correctness of an idea, ideal, or opinion especially when based on the examination of evidence. Groups of people are often marked by sharing the same body of beliefs [tenets].

Do Christians believe there is a God? Yes.

Do Atheists believe there is no God? Yes.

Can either prove [scientifically] that God/gods exist? No.

Are both Christianity (Religion) and Atheism belief systems? Yes.

Arguments:
I don’t believe in god. I’m an Atheist. It’s called ‘disbelief’. I choose to ‘disbelieve’.
Response:
To disbelieve one thing, is to believe another. You substitute something you can believe in for something you cannot believe in. :yes:

 

[gnomon]

It's like the barn door was left open and every scarecrow in the field has just walked in.

 

[Just_me_Mike]

OH MY FREEKIN GOD

I am officially petitioning the staff for a suicide smiley

I want to shoot myself in the head

 

[Magic Man]

I'm sorry I have to say something.

Some atheists believe there is no god. You could consider their atheism a belief. Other atheists just lack a belief in a god. For them atheism is not a belief. Either way, it's not a belief system. There is nothing more to it than one belief or lack thereof. In the same way, theism is also not a belief system. Christianity, on the other hand, is a belief system because it encompasses more than just one belief or lack thereof.

 

[Just_me_Mike]

 

[challupa]

Hey those are neat! Where did you get them? Oh and could I borrow one. The OP is really mind numbing....

 

[Just_me_Mike]

Hey those are neat! Where did you get them? Oh and could I borrow one. The OP is really mind numbing....

Well I am glad this thread happened, because the only other option on the forum is hitting your head against a brick wall I believe, but that just doesn't capture the pain this thread causes.

 

[challupa]

Well I am glad this thread happened, because the only other option on the forum is hitting your head against a brick wall I believe, but that just doesn't capture the pain this thread causes.

Yes it always amazes me how many ways the same thing can be said.

 

[Memories]

I was sure we could of had a, intelligent discussion about this, I could not have been more wrong.

Il let you continue with your antics.

 

[challupa]

I was sure we could of had a, intelligent discussion about this, I could not have been more wrong.

Il let you continue with your antics.

Okay, lets start with welcoming you to RF. Next what do you really believe in? Are you an athiest? What were you really trying to say?

 

[Wandered Off]

Belief System: noun
faith based on a series of beliefs but not formalized into a religion; also, a fixed coherent set of beliefs prevalent in a community or society

OK, I'll bite. What is the "system/series" part of atheism's belief system?

 

[Alceste]

Greetings.
belief: noun
- the feeling of being certain that something exists or is true.
source: Cambridge Dictionary of American English
- a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing
- something believed ; especially : a tenet or body of tenets held by a group
- conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon especially when based on examination of evidence
Source: Merriam-Webster Online

believe: verb
- to think that something is true or correct
source: Cambridge Dictionary of American English
intransitive verb 1 a: to have a firm religious faith b: to accept as true, genuine, or real 2: to have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something 3: to hold an opinion : think
transitive verb1 a: to consider to be true or honest b: to accept the word or evidence of 2: to hold as an opinion : suppose
source: Merriam-Webster Online

faith: noun
a high degree of trust or confidence in something or someone source: Cambridge Dictionary of American English

1 a: allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty b (1): fidelity to one’s promises (2): sincerity of intentions

2 a (1): belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2): belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1): firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2): complete trust

3: something that is believed especially with strong conviction ; especially : a system of religious beliefs
source: Merriam-Webster Online
Update 6/16/2009 – I realized I didn’t define “Belief System”
Belief System: noun
faith based on a series of beliefs but not formalized into a religion; also, a fixed coherent set of beliefs prevalent in a community or society

source: Dictionary.Com

1. a set of beliefs, especially religious or political beliefs, that form a unified system 2. organized societal beliefs: a collection and organization of beliefs prevalent in a community or society source: Encarta
Summary of Belief/Believe/Faith:
A personal conviction of the truth/correctness of an idea, ideal, or opinion especially when based on the examination of evidence. Groups of people are often marked by sharing the same body of beliefs [tenets].

So far so good.

Do Christians believe there is a God? Yes.

Do Atheists believe there is no God? Yes.

OOOOOOOH.... train wreck.

The idea is "god/s exist/s". Those who do not believe this idea are "atheists". Therefore "atheism" in the broadest sense does not fit any of your definitions.

Can either prove [scientifically] that God/gods exist? No.

Are both Christianity (Religion) and Atheism belief systems? Yes.

No.

To disbelieve one thing, is to believe another. You substitute something you can believe in for something you cannot believe in. :yes:

That's dumb. There are an infinite number of things you do not believe in that have never even occurred to you. Therefore, you could not have an alternative "belief" about them. When someone proposes one of these things to you, you may decide whether to accept or reject it there and then, and perhaps you will never even think of it again, let alone laboriously construct a whole "belief system" based on your rejection of one silly idea.

I note you have left no room in your argument (and perhaps in your psychology) for the unknown and unknowable. I currently disbelieve that adept meditators can levitate. That does not mean I have some other belief about how this picture was produced. I just don't know, and I'm curious to find out.

 

[Just_me_Mike]

Just so you know there is a little stick up his bum that is holding him up..
Look closely at his expression, it gives it away!

 

[challupa]

Just so you know there is a little stick up his bum that is holding him up..
Look closely at his expression, it gives it away!

No silly, someone just erased the chair

 

[Just_me_Mike]

No silly, someone just erased the chair

Nah your wrong, the shadow is too clean.

 

[challupa]

Nah your wrong, the shadow is too clean.

Damn, you have an answer for everything!!!

 

[Ardipithecus]

.Do Christians believe there is a God? Yes.

Do Atheists believe there is no God? Yes

Sorry, but Atheism (A-without) (theism-god belief) is not a belief it is the absence of belief. I am an Atheist. I do not deny the possibility of any god existing, conscious or purely natural force. I simply do not know. Since there is no evidence supporting the existence of god, I am in no hurry to produce belief..

Can either prove [scientifically] that God/gods exist? No.

Are both Christianity (Religion) and Atheism belief systems? Yes.

Because I don't play baseball does not make me an athlete, a non-baseball playing athlete. As a matter of fact I no longer play any active sports. Am I still an athlete? I don't deny the existence of God. I only admit to not believing in Gods.

Can you prove that Dagda, Odin, or Zeus do not exist? No, because you can't.
Do you believe that Dagda, Odin, or Zeus do not exist? Yes because belief does not prove existence. I do not believe in Jesus/Trinity, Dagda, Odin, or Zeus. I don't deny that they might possibly exist but I doubt it.

Arguments:

I don’t believe in god. I’m an Atheist. It’s called ‘disbelief’. I choose to ‘disbelieve’

Disbelieve is wrong belief. I am an Atheist, it is called unbelief or absence of belief. Your semantics are off. I did not choose to not have a belief about gods anymore than I choose not to be a billionaire. I do not like the taste of asparagus. My parents and siblings did like it. I had no reason to choose not to like asparagus. My olfactory system found the taste unpleasant. I did not know that until I tasted it. I didn't sit at the table as a toddler and think, "I am not going to like that."

Religion is similar. One does not choose to believe no matter how much they say it. I am an Atheist because I was not brainwashed into believing in God. That means I was not exposed to daily repeated meme induction by stories, tales, and prayers every day of my young life. I did not choose to be an Atheist. I didn't even know what an Atheist was. I didn't believe in the bible stories in school (Noah's Flood, Egyptian Plagues, a God who did the terrible things in the bible stories.) I simply felt it was too much like a Horror movie being. I did not choose to come to that conclusion. I just did.

I did not choose to like girls at about 12. I am a heterosexual male. I naturally was attracted to girls in 7th Grade or earlier. I did not find girls attractive because of some inane bible verse or shouts of some demented preacher. I am heterosexual because my brain is hard-wired at a heterosexual male. I did not choose, I just was heterosexual.

I am an Atheist because I was fortunate to be born to an Atheistic and Professorial set of parents. I grew up with science and gods were not seriously considered. Naturally I never chose to believe in Gods, Little green men from Mars, or flying pigs.

Response:
To disbelieve one thing, is to believe another. You substitute something you can believe in for something you cannot believe in. :yes:

I don't like the term disbelieve, it is irrelevant. I do like non-belief. However, I agree with you about substituting something I could believe for something I cannot believe. As the son of two University Science professors instilled factual knowledge and scientific theory that formed my mind. I realise that most people have none or nearly none of my scientific knowledge in Neuroscience.

It may be that the absence of religious or theistic memes left millions of brain circuits uncommitted. The brain always fills empty circuits. It may be that science and advanced mathematics filled the circuits of the brain where theistic people have theism. There is evidence to support that.

The National Academy of Science did an extensive poll. 93% of Doctoral scientists in America AND Britain have no belief in God. The same 93% of scientists also do not accept an afterlife. Only 7% of Scientists have some kind of Theism but most of them have concepts of God very different from the Anthropomorphic Christian God (God invented by man.) We as career scientists may owe our professional knowledge demands to science taking the circuits that would have been God belief in common people.

Have a good day, and Merry Christmas a bit later.

Ardi

 

[Nepenthe]

Classic magic trick explained here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af0oDEzKN_M
Premanand was awesome- he just died on Oct. 4th. He was a tireless skeptic and investigator of psychics and god-men.

 

[Alceste]

No silly, someone just erased the chair

Pfff - next you're going to tell me this one is photoshopped...

 

[challupa]

Pfff - next you're going to tell me this one is photoshopped...

I was right I was right!!! Yay! Well of course it was LOL either that or it is a sand colored stick.... kinda like itwillend proposed on the last one.