Atheist Activism

[Vancouversailor]

Those don't seem to be necessary beliefs that an atheist would need to have. I am sure that there are many, many reasons why people have arrived at atheism, and those reasons may very well differ from yours.

I don't doubt there are as many reasons to reject theism as there are atheists, I just gave mine as an example.

 

[Thermos aquaticus]

I don't doubt there are as many reasons to reject theism as there are atheists, I just gave mine as an example.

The point I am making is that the reasons and the lack of belief are separate entities. Atheism itself isn't a belief system, but as you have stated, there are belief systems that atheists use. I think it is worthwhile to understand the difference between the two.

 

[minorwork]

If atheism isn't a belief system, why do atheists act from it and theist react to it? Can we have our cake and eat it too?

Keep your religious dogma in your house/closet and out of government policy. You'll have no complaints from those who you would otherwise tyrannize on the basis of a belief that your "work" proselytizing on others' doorsteps are buying you free flyer miles in an imagined afterlife.

 

[Vancouversailor]

The point I am making is that the reasons and the lack of belief are separate entities. Atheism itself isn't a belief system, but as you have stated, there are belief systems that atheists use. I think it is worthwhile to understand the difference between the two.

I still fail to see why atheism, or humanism which is my preferred term, fails to meet the definition of a belief system.

 

[ecco]

good, but a belief is also what you don't know either directly, or indirectly.

As in beliefs in gods.

However, I note that you used to word "also". Does that imply that you are beginning to realize that there are two definitions of the word "belief"?

knowing something directly dispels belief

Well, you just shut the door that you had cracked open a tiny bit above with the word "also".

​

Previously (now twice before) I stated:

You do understand that beliefs can be based on facts, don't you?
I believe airplanes can fly.
I believe man landed on the moon.
I believe you posted on this forum.
How you can read that and reply that I'm using the word "believe" in reference to indirect knowledge?
I have direct knowledge of the fact that airplanes can fly. I've been on them. In the air.

​

Please explain how knowing something dispels belief.

I have stated repeatedly that: I believe airplanes can fly.
I have stated repeatedly that: I have direct knowledge of the fact that airplanes can fly. I've been on them. In the air.

The only thing that would dispel my belief that airplanes can fly would be if they suddenly ceased being able to fly. Then, I would no longer believe that airplanes can fly.

 

[dianaiad]

Sure, but that implies losing track of what it means.

Of course.

that's generally the point of the exercise, I have found.

 

[dianaiad]

I still fail to see why atheism, or humanism which is my preferred term, fails to meet the definition of a belief system.

Wait.

Are you claiming that atheism = humanism?

Isn't that a bit like saying that theism = Christianity?

 

[Milton Platt]

Let's turn it around ontologically, then, as we may: there are only beliefs. Beliefs compose the whole world as each of us know it. Terms like "theism" and "atheism" are composed around one of those beliefs: the belief that there is a god as actual, in relation to that world, or that there isn't.

I wouldn't call atheism a 'system' of belief, but it is a topic of epistemology.

I can agree with that.

 

[ecco]

you hold two primary beliefs as a atheist.

1. there is no god
2. there is no gods

I hold the belief that gods are the creation of man's imaginings, therefore I am an atheist.

 

[ecco]

But now that I've converted from a coin collector to a not coin collector,
I don't keep any coins.

Oh, comon'. You don't have a jar of coins under your bed?

 

[Revoltingest]

Oh, comon'. You don't have a jar of coins under your bed?

A dust bunny collection.
And it's growing.

 

[ecco]

I am an atheist...

Just curious, why does your religious preference show as agnostic?

 

[Thermos aquaticus]

I still fail to see why atheism, or humanism which is my preferred term, fails to meet the definition of a belief system.

Atheism is a lack of belief. It's kind of hard to form a belief system on a lack of belief. Humanism does have positive beliefs in many ideas and tenets which is why it is a much better basis for a belief system.

 

[Fool]

Atheism is a lack of belief. It's kind of hard to form a belief system on a lack of belief. Humanism does have positive beliefs in many ideas and tenets which is why it is a much better basis for a belief system.

no it isn't. its a negative belief about god, or gods. and a philosophy because of it's suffix "ism". belief systems don't exclude qualifiers of negative/positive. they are just beliefs. like positive and negative numbers are real numbers.

Atheism and Agnosticism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)



you've already been shown that there is atheism in hinduism and christianity.

 

[Vancouversailor]

As in beliefs in gods.

However, I note that you used to word "also". Does that imply that you are beginning to realize that there are two definitions of the word "belief"?



Well, you just shut the door that you had cracked open a tiny bit above with the word "also".

​

Previously (now twice before) I stated:

You do understand that beliefs can be based on facts, don't you?
I believe airplanes can fly.
I believe man landed on the moon.
I believe you posted on this forum.
How you can read that and reply that I'm using the word "believe" in reference to indirect knowledge?
I have direct knowledge of the fact that airplanes can fly. I've been on them. In the air.

​

Please explain how knowing something dispels belief.

I have stated repeatedly that: I believe airplanes can fly.
I have stated repeatedly that: I have direct knowledge of the fact that airplanes can fly. I've been on them. In the air.

The only thing that would dispel my belief that airplanes can fly would be if they suddenly ceased being able to fly. Then, I would no longer believe that airplanes can fly.

Actually I'm here to take part in discussions about religious issues, which interests me greatly, not to debate the finer points of semantics, which though interesting on their own have limited bearing on the topic of this thread.

 

[Fool]

I hold the belief that gods are the creation of man's imaginings, therefore I am an atheist.

through reason i have come to understand that the All cannot be separated from some aspects of itself and be All, be whole. thus i am in the All and the All is omnipresent as i am. i cannot be separate from the universe because the prefix uni means 1.

so there are no gods, or god, separate from the All or separate from the self. therefore I AM an atheist

i am that I AM

Shadow (psychology) - Wikipedia

namaste

 

[Fool]

Keep your religious dogma in your house/closet and out of government policy. You'll have no complaints from those who you would otherwise tyrannize on the basis of a belief that your "work" proselytizing on others' doorsteps are buying you free flyer miles in an imagined afterlife.

there is no after-life.

energy cant be created/destroyed but it can be transformed

information cannot be created/destroyed but it can be transfered


check out my mug. i've evolved. there is nothing new about this energy; except the form


the universe recycles

Recycled Universe: Theory Could Solve Cosmic Mystery

A Recycled Universe

 

[Thermos aquaticus]

no it isn't. its a negative belief about god, or gods. and a philosophy because of it's suffix "ism". belief systems don't exclude qualifiers of negative/positive. they are just beliefs. like positive and negative numbers are real numbers.

Atheism is a lack of belief in gods. The suffix A- means without, so it means without a belief in gods. You might as well say that an amoral person has morals.

you've already been shown that there is atheism in hinduism and christianity.

There is atheism in baseball. Does that make baseball atheistic?

 

[Fool]

Atheism is a lack of belief in gods. The suffix A- means without, so it means without a belief in gods. You might as well say that an amoral person has morals.

no the prefix is attached to the "the"; which means god. you're without god(s). you're also opposed to theists because of your beliefs

 

[Thermos aquaticus]

no the prefix is attached to the "the"; which means god. you're without god(s). you're also opposed to theists because of your beliefs

A- means without. Amoral means without morals. Afebrile means without fever. Atonal means without tone. Atheism means without theism. Theism is a belief in gods. Atheism is therefore "without a belief in gods". That's how English works.