Has Atheism The Mission To Convert Others Over To It?

[Caladan]

However, I would be interested in knowing what it is you think ateists would be converting people to.

Personally, this is my vision...

 

[Amhairghine]

Originally Posted by JamieA1A View Post
In your opinion, does atheism have a mission to convert others over to it?

I just realised that there is another major error in your thinking. If you convert someone, you must convert him or her to a belief or idea. Atheism is not a belief. It is a term indicating a lack of a belief. Atheism does not mean denial of the existence of gods. It means that one has no belief about gods one way or the other. I certainly cannot say that I know there is no god. Maybe a god is simply invisible and not evident. I am an Atheist because I have no belief in gods due to my having no evidence of gods.

One who denies the existence of gods should be called something else.

Negatiovitadeism or Negatiovitadeist is my own invention from Latin. It means Negatio (denial), Vita (existence), Deus (God), and ism (belief system.) Therefore, what some call a strong Atheist who denies existence of god is not a true Atheist. A true Atheist only ADMITS to lacking a belief.

A Negatiovitadeist claims that God does not exist.

We could call him a Nondeosumist. (No God exists belief.)

An Atheist only admits to a lack of Belief in gods.
An Agnostic only admits to not having enough evidence to make a decision.

I like to call myself an Agnostic Non-Theist. I have no evidence and no belief in gods.

If Atheism is a belief, then not playing soccer is sport.

If Atheism is a belief, then abstinence is a form of sex.

If Atheism is a belief, then sanity is a form of mental illness.

If Atheism is a belief, then health is a disease.

If Atheism is a belief, then death is activity.

If Atheism is a belief, then absolute vacuum is a greenhouse gas.

Amhairghine

 

[Amhairghine]

Personally, this is my vision...

One could convert Atheists to nearly any belief one can imagine. That could be to Christianity, to Islam, Buddhism, to Aztecity, to Paganism, to Wicca, to the Church of the Invisible Pink Unicorn, to the Baseball Church of Jesus Alou, to Sarah Palin Christian Dominionism, the Moon Landing Hoax Society, or the Flat Earth Society (aka Southern Baptist).

One cannot be converted to Atheism because it is not a belief. It is the lack of belief. One can only be DE-CONVERTED TO ATHEISM, from Christianity, from Islam, from Judaism, or from the Flat Earth Fundamentalism.

How does one empty an empty box?
How does one fill a jar with a vacuum?
How does one trim the fingernails of a snake?
How does one make sense out of the Book of Revelation?

Amhairghine

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

One cannot be converted to Atheism because it is not a belief.

Adolescent rubbish ...

 

[Caladan]

One could convert Atheists to nearly any belief one can imagine. That could be to Christianity, to Islam, Buddhism, to Aztecity, to Paganism, to Wicca, to the Church of the Invisible Pink Unicorn, to the Baseball Church of Jesus Alou, to Sarah Palin Christian Dominionism, the Moon Landing Hoax Society, or the Flat Earth Society (aka Southern Baptist).

One cannot be converted to Atheism because it is not a belief. It is the lack of belief. One can only be DE-CONVERTED TO ATHEISM, from Christianity, from Islam, from Judaism, or from the Flat Earth Fundamentalism.

How does one empty an empty box?
How does one fill a jar with a vacuum?
How does one trim the fingernails of a snake?
How does one make sense out of the Book of Revelation?

Amhairghine

Look, if you want a drink.. a simple 'what are you guys serving tonight at the RF bar' would go just as well. :yes:

 

[JamieA1A]

Conversion from ignorance and foolishness is simply knowledge and wisdom.

So you seek to convert based on your views of what is ignorance and foolishness?

 

[JamieA1A]

Some atheists maybe, but the idea that atheism itself has a desire to spread disbelief is idiotic.[/quote]

Why would you say that? Atheism is organized and they do appear to have at the very least a political agenda.

 

[JamieA1A]

Atheism does not have a mission.

However, some atheists do have a mission.
However, I would be interested in knowing what it is you think ateists would be converting people to.

To atheism.

 

[Humanistheart]

Some atheists maybe, but the idea that atheism itself has a desire to spread disbelief is idiotic.[/quote]

Why would you say that? Atheism is organized and they do appear to have at the very least a political agenda.

What organizations would those be?

 

[dogsgod]

Some atheists maybe, but the idea that atheism itself has a desire to spread disbelief is idiotic.[/quote]

Why would you say that? Atheism is organized and they do appear to have at the very least a political agenda.

What is their political agenda?

 

[JamieA1A]

I just realised that there is another major error in your thinking. If you convert someone, you must convert him or her to a belief or idea. Atheism is not a belief. It is a term indicating a lack of a belief. Atheism does not mean denial of the existence of gods. It means that one has no belief about gods one way or the other. I certainly cannot say that I know there is no god. Maybe a god is simply invisible and not evident. I am an Atheist because I have no belief in gods due to my having no evidence of gods.

One who denies the existence of gods should be called something else.

Negatiovitadeism or Negatiovitadeist is my own invention from Latin. It means Negatio (denial), Vita (existence), Deus (God), and ism (belief system.) Therefore, what some call a strong Atheist who denies existence of god is not a true Atheist. A true Atheist only ADMITS to lacking a belief.

A Negatiovitadeist claims that God does not exist.

We could call him a Nondeosumist. (No God exists belief.)

An Atheist only admits to a lack of Belief in gods.
An Agnostic only admits to not having enough evidence to make a decision.

I like to call myself an Agnostic Non-Theist. I have no evidence and no belief in gods.

If Atheism is a belief, then not playing soccer is sport.

If Atheism is a belief, then abstinence is a form of sex.

If Atheism is a belief, then sanity is a form of mental illness.

If Atheism is a belief, then health is a disease.

If Atheism is a belief, then death is activity.

If Atheism is a belief, then absolute vacuum is a greenhouse gas.

Amhairghine

I still say it is a belief or you and those like you wouldn't be here at a religious forum trying to convert others over to it.

 

[Humanistheart]

In your opinion, does atheism have a mission to convert others over to it?

I posted a similar thread over in the atheist section but I understand that only atheist can reply there. I would like to hear all your opinions on the subject.

'Atheism' is not an organization, it has no dogma to be followed and cannot be said to have a mission. Some athiests might have that desire, most do not seem to care much so long as theists do not force laws based on religious beliefs upon the country. There are no attempts to 'convert'.

 

[JamieA1A]

What is their political agenda?

Remove 'In God we trust' from our money. Keep praying out of public schools......... Oh, they are political all right.

 

[JamieA1A]

'Atheism' is not an organization, it has no dogma to be followed and cannot be said to have a mission. Some athiests might have that desire, most do not seem to care much so long as theists do not force laws based on religious beliefs upon the country. There are not attempt to 'convert'.

********!

 

[Humanistheart]

Remove 'In God we trust' from our money. Keep praying out of public schools......... Oh, they are political all right.

This is a civil/legal issue. We have a seperation of church and state that this example violates. So your saying athiests 'agenda' is to inforce constitutional laws and that this is a bad thing?

 

[dogsgod]

Remove 'In God we trust' from our money. Keep praying out of public schools......... Oh, they are political all right.

Upholding your Constitution is their political agenda?

 

[Alceste]

I still say it is a belief or you and those like you wouldn't be here at a religious forum trying to convert others over to it.

I'm only here trying to "convert" people to idle chit chat about any old nonsense. You may not have noticed, but there's a massive "general debates" section in this forum, as well as other sections relating to various non-theistic religions.

 

[Alceste]

Remove 'In God we trust' from our money. Keep praying out of public schools......... Oh, they are political all right.

I'm not American. My money just says "This note is legal tender". I checked. And we have Catholic schools for people who are into school prayer up here. So what's my agenda, smarty pants?

 

[rojse]

There seem to be a lot of misunderstandings here.

There are no groups of organised atheists at all. Every single atheist is different - they accept different ideas and concepts, they express themselves in different ways, and their opinions on various topics and subjects are always different. Occasionally, I might agree with someone else, but that is really a coincidence - I like to form my own opinions, and so do other atheists.

As a generalisation, most atheists I know don't seek to convert anyone to anything, because there is nothing to convert you to. Atheists don't seek to dissuade you of your beliefs either - most are perfectly happy with you doing your own thing.

The only time I will disagree with religion or religious ideas is if practicing religion causes harm to yourself or others, or you attempt to impose it upon me. Otherwise, I have few problems with religion at all.

 

[Amill]

Thank you for the reply. I ask because I often wonder why atheist seem (to me) to be anti-religious rather than just saying religion is not for them, but to each his or her own. Maybe most/many atheist feel that way but we don't often here from them. I do agree with you that religon can lead to violence and intolerance but aren't at least some atheist violent and intolerant at times too?

I think all people have the ability to do evil things. I just think that some religious texts can implant some unhealthy and immoral motivations, and provide yet another way of separating the human species over completely useless details, like skin color. I think the ancientness of the texts also hold people back morally. I think they instill intolerance of other faiths, in a time when we should be trying to come together.

Atheists can and do perform evil actions, no doubt about it, but they are without excuse and held with full responsibility. A theist however, can be motivated to do things that aren't for personal gain, and wouldn't normally be done. Such as a child being starved to death because he wouldn't say amen, and the adults thought him possessed. There actually used to be laws shielding religious people from child neglect. In Oregon, legal defenses for faith healers remained till 1999, is that not ridiculous?

So all humans are capable of doing bad things, I just think that religion opens up the possibility of mistreating other people through what I think is another unnecessary medium.