Atheist by birth?

[Storm]

1) tame for what? I am discussing in a forum, I haven´t called anyone unresonable nor being disrespectfull. You called my views pathetic. It´s just... well, pathethic honestly.

2)So you mean you don´t see the act of thought as something biological? Are you not aware that thought is a biological action? Do you not see the conectio? between the fact that both thought and sex are biological actions and the fact that you made prior to me saying that?

3):sarcastic

OK, chill. I didn't call your views pathetic, but your attempt to defend the laughable proposition that thought is "as biological as virginity." Furthermore, the fact that thought has a biological result does not mean that it's "a biological action."

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

It highlights the absurdity of the argument. We all know that rocks don't have opinions.Atheism may not be a belief, but it IS an opinion, and therefore cannot be attributed to those who don't even understand the question.

I disagree. I don't think that atheism is an opinion.

However, if you insist on your claim, I'd be interested to hear you describe just what opinion you think atheism is.

Personally, I find the whole argument unseemly.

How is it any more "unseemly" (or less accurate) to describe a rock as an atheist than it would be to describe the same rock as a non-smoker?

 

[Valjean]

It highlights the absurdity of the argument. We all know that rocks don't have opinions. Atheism may not be a belief, but it IS an opinion, and therefore cannot be attributed to those who don't even understand the question.

Personally, I find the whole argument unseemly.

Only strong atheism's an opinion. Basic atheism's a lack of opinion.

That is just a reassurance that there has never been any porn material in such records

You haven't heard my Cheech and Chong records, then.
...now I'm really dating myself

 

[idav]

It highlights the absurdity of the argument. We all know that rocks don't have opinions. Atheism may not be a belief, but it IS an opinion, and therefore cannot be attributed to those who don't even understand the question.

Personally, I find the whole argument unseemly.

The word atheism is an absurd word to begin with. We don't normally go around making a special word for not believing in a particular something. There is a lot of things kids don't believe in since they haven't been presented with a lot of things. There lack of understanding doesn't change that. The fact that there is a special word for the lack of belief in a specific concept is what is throwing it off. Normally we would just say they don't believe in anything including but not limited to aliens, ghosts, monsters or gods.

 

[Storm]

I disagree. I don't think that atheism is an opinion.

However, if you insist on your claim, I'd be interested to hear you describe just what opinion you think atheism is.

Seriously? You have to ask?

How is it any more "unseemly" (or less accurate) to describe a rock as an atheist than it would be to describe the same rock as a non-smoker?

Come on, Penguin, you're smarter than this.

What I find unseemly is this pathetic need to be the "default," as if that verified anything. There is no default, people are messy.

 

[Storm]

Only strong atheism's an opinion. Basic atheism's a lack of opinion.

Not possible.

 

[Me Myself]

OK, chill. I didn't call your views pathetic, but your attempt to defend the laughable proposition that thought is "as biological as virginity." Furthermore, the fact that thought has a biological result does not mean that it's "a biological action."

Well, manipulation of the brain changes the way of thought and the way of thought influences the brain. I hardly see it laughable to say that thought is biological.

In any case, running by your hyphotesis that thought is not biological, that hardly makes any point.

Atheism and virginity are LABELS given to somebody who hasn´t done something.

So, the focus is in the action, or the capacity of action, properties, etc of the body at hand.

A rock can´t neither have sex nor beleive in God. the rock can´t DO that.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Seriously? You have to ask?


Come on, Penguin, you're smarter than this.

If it's so obvious, then I'm sure you'll have no problem explaining it.

What I find unseemly is this pathetic need to be the "default," as if that verified anything. There is no default, people are messy.

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, the real default for people appears to be a low-grade animism. It's not quite theism, but certainly no freethinking "ideal" either.

People aren't born blank slates; I've approached this thread as a discussion of the philosophical default, not what we're actually born with... although since the rudimentary animism of a newborn probably couldn't be validly said to include a god-concept, I'd say that babies are born atheists. "Woo"-believing atheists, but still atheists.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Not possible.

Being an atheist doesn't mean not having opinions about anything; it just means that whatever opinions you hold, none of them are of the form "I believe in (insert god-concept)."

This is quite possible. In fact, I do it every day.

 

[Storm]

If it's so obvious, then I'm sure you'll have no problem explaining it.

"I don't think there's a God."

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, the real default for people appears to be a low-grade animism. It's not quite theism, but certainly no freethinking "ideal" either.

Missed that, thanks for repeating it.

People aren't born blank slates; I've approached this thread as a discussion of the philosophical default, not what we're actually born with... although since the rudimentary animism of a newborn probably couldn't be validly said to include a god-concept, I'd say that babies are born atheists. "Woo"-believing atheists, but still atheists.

I just don't think there is a "philosophical default." We're not that tidy.

 

[Storm]

Being an atheist doesn't mean not having opinions about anything; it just means that whatever opinions you hold, none of them are of the form "I believe in (insert god-concept)."

This is quite possible. In fact, I do it every day.

Opinions don't have to be positive.

 

[Storm]

A rock can´t neither have sex nor beleive in God. the rock can´t DO that.

And neither can the baby.

 

[Me Myself]

I just don't think there is a "philosophical default." We're not that tidy.

Well, you don´t have to really. there is no reason why you should limit yourself to the meanings that a dictionary gives to something when you want to define it.

Dictionary´s definition babies are atheist though.

 

[Acim]

That gets tricky, because "asexual" has a few different meanings.

You mean like atheism?

If you mean something like "not posessing sexual desire", then you're probably right. If you mean "not differentiated by gender", then you're most certainly wrong.

I meant the former.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

"I don't think there's a God."

Taken literally, this would make most polytheists atheists.

Opinions don't have to be positive.

No, they don't, but only positive opinions (specifically ones about gods) are relevant to whether someone is an atheist.

 

[Me Myself]

And neither can the baby.

S/He has the potential because s/he is human.

A rock doesn´t.

 

[Storm]

Well, you don´t have to really. there is no reason why you should limit yourself to the meanings that a dictionary gives to something when you want to define it.

Dictionary´s definition babies are atheist though.

And so are rocks. We've been over this.

 

[Acim]

So if a baby is a non-believer does it go to hell?

You mean like an atheist summer camp?

 

[Storm]

Taken literally, this would make most polytheists atheists.

Not so much "taken literally" as "pushed to the breaking point."

No, they don't, but only positive opinions (specifically ones about gods) are relevant to whether someone is an atheist.

That makes no sense. Atheism is a negative opinion, positive ones are totally irrelevant.

 

[Barcode]

To say "everyone is born athiest" is to imply a type of knowledge of the unknown. An atheist "knows" through conviction and "faith" that there is no God. A child's brain isn't developed enough to conduct abstract thinking of that kind so the answer is no.