Poll: Are all babies atheist?

[George-ananda]

Thats just false.

Atheist = not holding a belief in god.

If you havent heard of a concept and havent thought of a concept, you definetely dont believe in it.

They don't believe in Einstien's theories or Quantum Mechanics or Evolution either.

So are you really saying anything here other than they are a blank slates (like we already knew).

 

[Vouthon]

A baby does not yet have the capacity of mind to formulate beliefs or opinions.

Given that atheism is a belief, it would be impossible for a baby to technically be, by their own will an atheist, Christian, Jew or whatever else.

A baby can be baptised by their parents, or registered by them with a certain religious body or something similar and it can be raised secular, or atheist however it cannot itself as a person hold "beliefs".

It is like suggesting that all animals are atheists

 

[Willamena]

Thats just false.

Atheist = not holding a belief in god.

If you havent heard of a concept and havent thought of a concept, you definetely dont believe in it.

I believe it's not false, but correct. The baby who is not capable of grasping a subject cannot be said to have failed to have grasped the subject.

 

[Me Myself]

I believe it's not false, but correct. The baby who is not capable of grasping a subject cannot be said to have failed to have grasped the subject.

He didnt say that. He said that one cannot not belief a thing that one doesnt know.

 

[Me Myself]

They don't believe in Einstien's theories or Quantum Mechanics or Evolution either.

So are you really saying anything here other than they are a blank slates (like we already knew).

Yes, that is what I am saying.

Though I was more specific : they are animists

 

[idav]

A baby does not yet have the capacity of mind to formulate beliefs or opinions.

This is not all together true. Granted they are still in development but babies do have a high capacity for logic and reason, they just also happen to be gullible. Once they have to the capacity to understand, parents will inevitably brain wash their child for better or worse.

 

[Willamena]

He didnt say that. He said that one cannot not belief a thing that one doesnt know.

That's correct, too. Things you haven't heard of are nothing to you. To assert belief or no belief in nothing doesn't make for good English.

 

[Me Myself]

That's correct, too. Things you haven't heard of are nothing to you. To assert belief or no belief in nothing doesn't make for good English.

If the idea is not in your mind then you dont believe in it.

Believing in something means... Well, believing.

 

[Willamena]

If the idea is not in your mind then you dont believe in it.

What idea?

Believing in something means... Well, believing.

...in nothing.

 

[Me Myself]

What idea?


...in nothing.

The idea that doesnt exist in your mind.

For example, until this point you didnt believe that there is a orange alien with purle dots playing poker in your closet while jumping and doing hula hula.

Now you may still not believie it, but before you definetely didnt believe it either.

 

[Magic Man]

Yes, but babies aren't capable of holding any beliefs, so calling them atheists adds no useful information. It's no different than calling a grasshopper an atheist. It's stretching semantic literalism to such an absurd extent as to render language meaningless.

This is why the topic generally only comes up in discussions about the definition of atheism. In a practical sense, it's pointless to speculate on whether or not to call babies atheists. It's only relevant when you're talking about the fact that anyone who doesn't hold the belief that a god exists is an atheist.

 

[outhouse]

Sure they are atheist.

They dont believe in any deity.

 

[LuisDantas]

Yes, they are. God is a learned concept, although there are those with a strong tendency to develop it.

 

[Willamena]

The idea that doesnt exist in your mind.

For example, until this point you didnt believe that there is a orange alien with purle dots playing poker in your closet while jumping and doing hula hula.

Now you may still not believie it, but before you definetely didnt believe it either.

But before you put it in my mind, it was nothing.

Unless it really only has significance if it's in your mind.

 

[Me Myself]

But before you put it in my mind, it was nothing.

Nope, before I put it in your mind it simply wasn't.

If the bucket doesnt have any rocks in it, then it doesnt have them.

If you dont have the belief in your mind, then you dont have the belief in your mind

 

[idav]

Unless it really only has significance if it's in your mind.

ie. Theism?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

This is why the topic generally only comes up in discussions about the definition of atheism. In a practical sense, it's pointless to speculate on whether or not to call babies atheists. It's only relevant when you're talking about the fact that anyone who doesn't hold the belief that a god exists is an atheist.

Yeah, I find that it actually convolutes the topic. It seems simple enough to leave the question of belief moot when it comes to things which aren't capable of holding beliefs.

 

[ChristineES]

I don't think it is possible to to either believe or disbelieve something you've never heard of.

 

[Me Myself]

I don't think it is possible to to either believe or disbelieve something you've never heard of.

Before posting this, did you believe that blue russian men live under your finger nails?

 

[ChristineES]

Before posting this, did you believe that blue russian men live under your finger nails?

I need not respond to an argument like that. :no: