How long has atheism been a thing?

[LuisDantas]

In the West, the idea that religion was a matter of belief and not practice is a pretty recent phenomenon... it's basically a product of the Protestant Reformation.

Before that, the religiosity of a baby was a moot point: since a baby has no religious obligations, it can't fail to meet its religious obligations or refuse to perform them.

And perhaps more to the point, for most of human history it was essentially inconsequential whether anyone believed in any deities or not.

People who allowed such matters to actually affect their personal and social behavior in any discernible way were very few and far between. Nearly all people died too soon and were too busy with matters of a more concrete nature for any practical need to discern theists from atheists to truly exist.


Even today, it is often expected of atheists in Catholic families to simply avoid the matter, because it is not supposed to make much of a difference. It is my understanding that the same is in fact true of many other Christian and Muslim circles as well.

 

[Aupmanyav]

... claiming that you know something doesn't exist is a rather odd position, after all - what evidence could you produce?

Absence of evidence for its existence.

 

[Aupmanyav]

It is my understanding that the same is in fact true of many other Christian and Muslim circles as well.

Muslims dare not have such thoughts in their mind.

 

[LuisDantas]

Muslims dare not have such thoughts in their mind.

While I see your point, I still think that it is proper to dig a bit deeper.

It seems to me that they tend to feel the need to hide those or else feel rather (pointlessly) guilt about those instead.

Surely there are some Muslims who know at some level that a close person, a loved one is an atheist and realize on their own (not thanks to the Qur'an) that it is not a big deal.

That still means that when the Qur'an is not teaching people to be bigoted it instead teaches them to be hypocrites or to live in fear and secrecy for no good reason. But so are the breaks.

 

[Aupmanyav]

That still means that when the Qur'an is not teaching people to be bigoted it instead teaches them to be hypocrites or to live in fear and secrecy for no good reason.

There was sufficient reason for God to come up with ayahs whenever his protege had any kind of problem (whether political or sexual).

 

[RagnarLothbrok]

Absence of evidence for its existence.

There does not need to be evidence to prove that something does not exist... if it does not exist, there is no evidence lol, i do not know why people keep asking "Where is the evidence that it does not exist"

 

[`mud]

And one could think:
Does absence of evidence prove lack of presence before the existence ?
And on and on.....

 

[Aupmanyav]

And one could think: Does absence of evidence prove lack of presence before the existence ? And on and on.....

At least they should not build their castles of sand. First there is a God, then there are prophets, sons, messengers, manifestations and mahdis. Then they fight with people who differ with them.

 

[BilliardsBall]

The Scandinavians would like a word with you. So would Japan.

Baloney. The Japanese love to wear crosses and have Christian/Western weddings. Nonsense on your part.

 

[`mud]

Maybe I would place the sons before the prophets,
or they could be interlaced I guess,
ask the Catholics.

 

[LuisDantas]

Baloney. The Japanese love to wear crosses and have Christian/Western weddings. Nonsense on your part.

Eh. If you say so. I will take that into proper consideration.

Unfortunately, that amounts to nil.

 

[GoodbyeDave]

The Scandinavians would like a word with you. So would Japan.

According to Wikipedia, in 2015 just 28% of Swedes were "unaffiliated", which is not quite the same thing as being an atheist. I definitely remember a survey in Japan some years ago that showed that 85% practiced Shinto. And before you quote China, the University of Shanghai recons that the proportion practicing a religion there could be as high as 80%. Atheism is rare: get over it.

 

[sealchan]

Hasn't atheism been around since people were born, isn't everyone born into this world as an atheist?

I would argue that ones parents especially ones mother is more than a role model for what later becomes a belief in god(s).

When the two ideas/experiences diverge comes much later of course.

 

[LuisDantas]

According to Wikipedia, in 2015 just 28% of Swedes were "unaffiliated", which is not quite the same thing as being an atheist. I definitely remember a survey in Japan some years ago that showed that 85% practiced Shinto. And before you quote China, the University of Shanghai recons that the proportion practicing a religion there could be as high as 80%. Atheism is rare: get over it.

I think you are greatly overestimating the distinction between Shinto, "unaffiliation" and atheism.

 

[Walterbl]

From the first atomists I think. Probably before that but wasnt formally recognized as a school of thought.

 

[lukethethird]

The first words ever mouthed by an atheist: "Wait a minute..."

 

[`mud]

hey Walter,
But....Plato didn't understand that a `void` can not exist !
There's always something new joining our realm,
much, much smaller than an atom, and larger than a universe.

 

[BilliardsBall]

Eh. If you say so. I will take that into proper consideration.

Unfortunately, that amounts to nil.

Call Japan "atheist" is offensive to the Japanese (and without looking, I know is not even in that great volume of truth, "Wikipedia".) TELL THE TRUTH.