Do atheists actually exist?

[Willamena]

Indeed.

Let us all bear in mind a simplistic concept.

"Truth" is an ideal borne of a philosophical "ideal".

"Fact"...is not.

All depends upon which you seek...
"fact" or "truth".

One delivers only religion as lone answer, the rest is science.

Believe in a mystical, invisible, omnipresent deity...

or not...

I don't care.

Truth informs fact.

 

[Bunyip]

I believe in truth.

So I take it that your answer to my question- can you elaborate? Is, no?

 

[Aupmanyav]

As far as I can see whether truth exists or not is independant of faith, and one does not need to know the truth for truth to exist.

IMHO, that is correct. Really, there is no need for faith.

 

[Sir_Loin]

Believer doesn't mean religion,

Stop fooling yourself. In this thread and in this context, yes it does.

"Do atheists really exist?"

Agnostic reporting in,

Well of course there are people who call themselves "atheists", however one can't really know whether or not there is a god or gods. No human is omniscient. No computer is omniscient (well, duh).
Atheists are absolutely certain that there are no gods or god- which just goes to show how ignorant they are.

 

[Desert Snake]

Stop fooling yourself. In this thread and in this context, yes it does.

It denotes a religious stance, not a specific religion. That was the initial criticism, when I stated that I was 'unreligious', and meant it in the way we think of religion, not belief.

 

[Desert Snake]

I, too, think they are different. Faith that is an obsession is a metaphor.

Explain?

 

[Sir_Loin]

It denotes a religious stance, not a specific religion.

Monotheism- belief that there is one God.

...meaning you're either Islamic, Jewish, Sikh or a Christian. (All monotheistic religions; there are others but they are very small and you probably don't have a connection with them)
^either that or you have come up with your own god and you might need to find help..

 

[paarsurrey]

yet without a positive evidence and proof for atheism.

Please

 

[Desert Snake]

Monotheism- belief that there is one God.

...meaning you're either Islamic, Jewish, Sikh or a Christian. (All monotheistic religions; there are others but they are very small and you probably don't have a connection with them)
^either that or you have come up with your own god and you might need to find help..

Right, and that isn't a specific religion, all it tells you is that I'm a Theist.

Again, the difference between 'religious' and religion was the real issue. 'Religious' was meant in the verb sense, ie. attending church etc., seems pretty obvious that when a believer says I'm unreligious, that is what they are talking about.

 

[Desert Snake]

Please

Ah, are you an atheist?

 

[Nakosis]

In what way is faith used in the secular world? How is faith employed in any meaningful study, and why do you think we would never get any where without it?

I ask because 'faith' as it is defined in the context of religion is of no use in the secular world whatsoever, nor is it employed in any meaningful or beneficial way in study.

I suspect faith as defined in secular thinking is not of much use to anyone.

Most "believers" I come across feel they have reasonable proof of God.

Me, I don't believe "faith" in God in needed. God is IMO is capable of making people aware of God's presence. However I do find faith in my fellowman is sometimes necessary. The actual motivations of another human being, that's the big unknown.

 

[paarsurrey]

Ah, are you an atheist?

No, I am an Ahmadi peaceful Muslim.

Regards

 

[Bunyip]

I suspect faith as defined in secular thinking is not of much use to anyone.

Most "believers" I come across feel they have reasonable proof of God.

Me, I don't believe "faith" in God in needed. God is IMO is capable of making people aware of God's presence. However I do find faith in my fellowman is sometimes necessary. The actual motivations of another human being, that's the big unknown.

I must admit I found that to be incongruous with Christianity as a whole - given that it is a faith based religion.

Most religions are founded upon faith, and you seem to think that they are founded upon proof - but of course there is no proof of god.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Atheists are absolutely certain that there are no gods or god- which just goes to show how ignorant they are.

Oh yes, there is a tea-pot circling around the earth.

 

[s2a]

Truth informs fact.

I know.

But "truth" is a concept of philosophy, not derived of scientific inquiry. Not one whit.

'Truth" is founded in a belief, that ascertainable fact may, or may not (mostly) serve as some sort of validation in that (often strident) perception.


"Fact"..once determinately agreed upon as a "truth" (of nature, or it's immutable laws), is either accepted as a testable and predictive "truth" of foreseeable outcomes, or as some minimalist thinkers would prefer to suggest...a random and inexplicable outcome delivered by an invisible/eternal entity that defies any/all explanations.

Not seeking converts...but which eventuality seems more plausible? The invisible entity, or "within the cosmos of trillions of stars, ***** happens"?

What does all the available evidence suggest is "true"? Or likely?

 

[Triumphant_Loser]

................

In the context of religion(s). is there any definition relational there.

Atheism is not really a religion... It is more of a lack thereof. If atheism is a religion...then not collecting stamps is a hobby.

 

[s2a]

I suspect faith as defined in secular thinking is not of much use to anyone.

Most "believers" I come across feel they have reasonable proof of God.

Me, I don't believe "faith" in God in needed. God is IMO is capable of making people aware of God's presence. However I do find faith in my fellowman is sometimes necessary. The actual motivations of another human being, that's the big unknown.

Not to be extraordinarily rude, but "faith" is on;y a belief. No matter times ever ever well-accepted, nor repeated aloud.., never once ever to be constrained/revealed as "Fact".

It took the Catholic Church "hundreds" of years to finally accept the notion that the Earth was NOT the center of the universe. This Revelation was NOT convenient nor comfy for ANY that wished for, or sought, a flat-Earth ecumenical order of things.

Now that we KNOW otherwise, it once again suppose the basic and fair inquiry as to WHY an alleged omniscient deity would persist in support of blatantly obvious obfuscation. Why diffuse populations worldwide to a "fact" that would ultimately prevail with unquestionable evidence?

Why?

I suppose it depends on whether it makes most sense that Amelia Earhart was lost in a vast ocean for no reasonable explanation whatsoever....

...or that Space aliens abducted her in flight for no explicable reason whatsoever.

Perhaps both outcomes are plausible...

But does one seem more believable than the other?

Magic and invisible aliens, "god", or ummm...something else much more mundane and ordinary?

Hmmm....
.

 

[TheScholar]

Atheists exist because we need a term for those that don't believe in divine entities.

 

[Desert Snake]

Atheists exist because we need a term for those that don't believe in divine entities.

Hmm I guess. I mean, I don't collect stamps, like the other poster said, does that mean I should call myself a 'non-stamp collector'?
Hmmm

 

[TheScholar]

Hmm I guess. I mean, I don't collect stamps, like the other poster said, does that mean I should call myself a 'non-stamp collector'?
Hmmm

Are you trolling? That's so cute.