Atheists: A Question About Newborn Kittens.

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Ok and what about newborn babies?

An atheist is a person who doesn't believe in any gods. A baby is a person and a baby doesn't believe in any gods, so a baby is an atheist.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Atheism is a position on theism, hence the root word.

What position would that be, exactly?

 

[SalixIncendium]

What position would that be, exactly?

I answered that question in the post you quoted. Not sure why you chose to cut that out and then ask me in a separate post.

 

[Stevicus]

So given newborn babies likewise are not known for expressing any opinion on the matter, can I take it you do not consider newborn babies to be atheists either?

I consider it an open question which can't be definitively resolved one way or another.

Ultimately, I think we're all born as agnostics and remain as agnostics throughout our entire lives. Nobody knows anything.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I've never met a kitten or cat who has expressed a particular viewpoint or opinion on the subject. Not yet, anyway. I never really asked either.

But I suppose it could be possible. For all anyone knows, all cats could worship a god known as "Meow," and every utterance they make is a sign of their worship and reverence.

Of course, they're not going to tell humans this.

IOW, you can't rule out the possibility that newborn kittens are theists... but only in the same sense that you can't rule out the possibility that they're Marxist-Leninists, or that they feel Juan-Manuel Fangio is really overrated as a Formula One driver.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I answered that question in the post you quoted.

Not in any way that I could recognize.

What I'm expecting is enough information to fill in the blank in this sentence:

When it comes to theism, atheists take the position that _______.

I can't do that based on what you've provided so far.

Not sure why you chose to cut that out and then ask me in a separate post.

When I'm responding to a point in a post, I generally only quote the piece I'm responding to.

 

[Stevicus]

IOW, you can't rule out the possibility that newborn kittens are theists... but only in the same sense that you can't rule out the possibility that they're Marxist-Leninists, or that they feel Juan-Manuel Fangio is really overrated as a Formula One driver.

Who knows what lurks inside the mind of a cat?

 

[Left Coast]

Do you consider newborn kittens to be atheists?

Why or why not?

(inspired by @Heyo - hope you don't mind).

To me this is like saying rocks are atheists. If something doesn't have the capacity for belief, it doesn't make a lot of sense to apply terms related to belief to it.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Ultimately, I think we're all born as agnostics and remain as agnostics throughout our entire lives. Nobody knows anything.

I agree with everything before the word "and."

 

[Secret Chief]

An atheist is a person who doesn't believe in any gods. A baby is a person and a baby doesn't believe in any gods, so a baby is an atheist.

Does a newborn baby have any beliefs?

 

[Mock Turtle]

I suspect that all non-humans will have no knowledge of such things and hence by default will be non-believers (atheists, agnostics, or whatever), and this applies to babies too.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Not in any way that I could recognize.

What I'm expecting is enough information to fill in the blank in this sentence:

When it comes to theism, atheists take the position that _______.

I can't do that based on what you've provided so far.

When I'm responding to a point in a post, I generally only quote the piece I'm responding to.

Fair enough.

When it comes to theism, atheist take the position that they lack belief in any god or gods.

Since a newborn is ignorant to concepts such as god, gods, or theism, it cannot hold a position. One cannot make an informed decision on whether or not to believe in something it is entire ignorant of.

A person is not born an atheist. A person is born agnostic.

 

[Secret Chief]

To me this is like saying rocks are atheists. If something doesn't have the capacity for belief, it doesn't make a lot of sense to apply terms related to belief to it.

Hence a newborn human, lacking such capacity at birth, cannot be sensibly considered to be an atheist?

 

[Secret Chief]

I suspect that all non-humans will have no knowledge of such things and hence by default will be non-believers (atheists, agnostics, or whatever), and this applies to babies too.

What evidence can you cite on the metaphysical positions of non human species?

 

[Left Coast]

Hence a newborn human, lacking such capacity at birth, cannot be sensibly considered to be an atheist?

I wouldn't call them that, no. Is my ceiling fan an atheist? (That's rhetorical )

 

[SalixIncendium]

For all of you saying that newborn babies are atheist, I'll tell you what. I'm going to celebrate Christmas with my 2 year old granddaughter. I'll ask her if she's an atheist when I see her and report back here with her answer when I get home.

 

[Secret Chief]

For all of you saying that newborn babies are atheist, I'll tell you what. I'm going to celebrate Christmas with my 2 year old granddaughter. I'll ask her if she's an atheist when I see her and report back here with her answer when I get home.

I hope she's more forthcoming than my cat.

 

[Stevicus]

I agree with everything before the word "and."

I respect that, although as I've gotten older and learned more than what I knew yesterday, I also become more acutely aware of all there is that I don't know. When it comes some things, I don't think there's any way humans can possibly know.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Do you consider newborn kittens to be atheists?

Why or why not?

(inspired by @Heyo - hope you don't mind).

Newborn kittens only think of Mommy cat.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Hence a newborn human, lacking such capacity at birth, cannot be sensibly considered to be an atheist?

Well they are not thinking of God. That's for sure.