"Lack of belief"

[ArtieE]

Who are these we?

You earlier agreed, that if a person says "I lack belief in love" we can presume that the person knows what love is. So, how this set is different from the set of people who clearly say "There is no deity'?

Please rephrase this post as it is now it makes no sense and is unanswerable.

 

[atanu]

Because in this context we define the bigger set as atheists (not theists) and the smaller set as not theists who believe gods don't exist. Stop mixing different separate ways of explaining the same thing!

You are definining the so called weak atheists as atheists, and strong atheists as 'atheists plus'? Am I getting it correctly?

 

[ArtieE]

You are definining the so called weak atheists as atheists, and strong atheists as 'atheists plus'? Am I getting it correctly?

That is how they are defined in one explanation yes.

 

[atanu]

That is how they are defined in one explanation yes.

Earlier, we agreed that a person saying "I lack belief in love", presumable knows about love. So, do all these atheists who say "I lack belief in God", presumably know God that they have no belief in?

 

[ArtieE]

Earlier, we agreed that a person saying "I lack belief in love", presumable knows about love. So, do all these atheists who say "I lack belief in God", presumably know God that they have no belief in?

All atheists who say they lack belief in the existence of gods have a conception of what gods are.

 

[Augustus]

All atheists who say they lack belief in the existence of gods have a conception of what gods are.

Out of interest:

Is your 'lack of belief' the same 'lack of belief' experienced by babies, rocks and people unaware of the concept 'god', or is it a different kind of 'lack of belief'?

 

[ArtieE]

Out of interest:

Is your 'lack of belief' the same 'lack of belief' experienced by babies, rocks and people unaware of the concept 'god', or is it a different kind of 'lack of belief'?

Could you rephrase? I have a lack of belief or an absence of belief in all gods I've never heard about but this absence of belief isn't something I "experience".

 

[Augustus]

Could you rephrase? I have a lack of belief or an absence of belief in all gods I've never heard about but this absence of belief isn't something I "experience".

Babies, rocks and people who are totally unaware of any concept of god 'lack belief'

You claim to 'lack belief', but are aware of a concept of god.

Is your 'lack of belief' the same as the 'lack of belief' of a rock, baby, etc?

 

[ArtieE]

Babies, rocks and people who are totally unaware of any concept of god 'lack belief'

You claim to 'lack belief', but are aware of a concept of god.

Is your 'lack of belief' the same as the 'lack of belief' of a rock, baby, etc?

You can have an absence of belief in gods whether or not you are aware of the concept of gods. To ask whether it's "the same" doesn't make any sense. Try to rephrase.

 

[Augustus]

You can have an absence of belief in gods whether or not you are aware of the concept of gods. To ask whether it's "the same" doesn't make any sense. Try to rephrase.

It makes perfect sense.

Do you believe that ignorance of the concept of god (lack of belief) is identical to refusing to make a call on whether god does or does not exist (what you also term 'lack of belief')?

Or are you saying there are different kinds of 'lack of belief'?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Out of interest:

Is your 'lack of belief' the same 'lack of belief' experienced by babies, rocks and people unaware of the concept 'god', or is it a different kind of 'lack of belief'?

"If you say you don't have to be a New Yorker to be an American, is the 'being American' experienced by a New Yorker the same kind of 'being American' experienced by a non-New-Yorker?"

 

[ArtieE]

It makes perfect sense.

Do you believe that ignorance of the concept of god (lack of belief) is identical to refusing to make a call on whether god does or does not exist (what you also term 'lack of belief')?

Or are you saying there are different kinds of 'lack of belief'?

I simply don't understand the question. There are obviously all "kinds" of reasons why some are theists and some are not theists. Am I supposed to make a list of reasons why some are not theists?

 

[LuisDantas]

Earlier, we agreed that a person saying "I lack belief in love", presumable knows about love. So, do all these atheists who say "I lack belief in God", presumably know God that they have no belief in?

That is actually not necessary or even particularly advisable, because "God" is such a fluid and personal concept. People are entitled to simply decide that they have no use for any form of it.

 

[LuisDantas]

Out of interest:

Is your 'lack of belief' the same 'lack of belief' experienced by babies, rocks and people unaware of the concept 'god', or is it a different kind of 'lack of belief'?

By which criteria of comparison?

 

[Willamena]

"If you say you don't have to be a New Yorker to be an American, is the 'being American' experienced by a New Yorker the same kind of 'being American' experienced by a non-New-Yorker?"

So, having a lack of belief is like having a concept of god to believe in: vauge and relative to each person who uses the phrase.

We're really gutting the English language.

 

[Augustus]

By which criteria of comparison?

Scientifically.

Belief can ultimately be reduced to some kind of 'brain activity' after all. Agree?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

So, having a lack of belief is like having a concept of god to believe in: vauge and relative to each person who uses the phrase.

I like how you say "so" at the beginning of your post as if you're going to relate back to my post, but then go on with stuff that has nothing at all to do with what I wrote. It keeps us on our toes.

We're really gutting the English language.

Well, you're certainly giving it the ol' college try.

 

[ArtieE]

Scientifically.

Belief can ultimately be reduced to some kind of 'brain activity' after all. Agree?

If you scanned the brains of everybody on earth who for some reason are not theists what "brain activity" do you think they have in common?

 

[Willamena]

I like how you say "so" at the beginning of your post as if you're going to relate back to my post, but then go on with stuff that has nothing at all to do with what I wrote. It keeps us on our toes.


Well, you're certainly giving it the ol' college try.

The "so" is for my satisfaction, referring to my comment, and is entirely superfluous.

 

[Pudding]

To the people who keeps saying that atheist cannot lack belief in the existence of gods:
Lack belief in the existence of gods simply means don't believe gods exist.

Don't believe gods exist can be because of a person haven't been convince that any gods exists. That is weak atheist who also doesn't actively assert/believe/claiming gods doesn't exists.

Don't believe gods exist can also be because a person have been convince that no gods exists. That is strong atheist who also believe or claim to know gods doesn't exists.