Right and Wrong Reasons for being (A)theist

[sayak83]

Do you believe there are right and wrong reasons for being an atheist or a theist? If so, what are those reasons? Do those reasons apply just to you, or do you believe they apply to all humans?

Of course. And yes they apply to everyone. Ones worldview should be based on a reflective and careful appraisal of the evidence he/she has and the experiences he has undergone. It should not be based on emotional biases, prejudices or selfish convenience for personal gain.

 

[Quintessence]

Aesthetics is irrelevant.
Need is irrelevant.

Really? How does that work for you? I suppose I have a hard time comprehending how one could find "I like this" and "I need this" irrelevant aspects of various theistic and atheistic concepts. I get that the current fad in Western culture is still often the "humans are highly rationalistic animals," but we're also creatures of preferences and emotions. I don't know how one could ignore that in life. I certainly can't.

 

[Altfish]

Do you believe there are right and wrong reasons for being an atheist or a theist? If so, what are those reasons? Do those reasons apply just to you, or do you believe they apply to all humans?

People have to be indoctrinated into believing in a god. If children are taught about Father Christmas they believe it; when children are taught about god they believe it.
If kids were not taught religion then they would by default be atheists.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Do you believe there are right and wrong reasons for being an atheist or a theist? If so, what are those reasons? Do those reasons apply just to you, or do you believe they apply to all humans?

No. Dont think so. What do you mean by right or wrong reasons?

Right or wrong reasons of the existence of god(s)?

You normally ask deeper than "surface" level questions...do explain

 

[Curious George]

People have to be indoctrinated into believing in a god. If children are taught about Father Christmas they believe it; when children are taught about god they believe it.
If kids were not taught religion then they would by default be atheists.

I disagree. As @LuisDantas pointed out, it is quite reasonable to accept that atheism is a spontaneous and natural belief. Similarly, theism is a natural and spontaneous belief. It all comes down to one's perspective. A natural, spontaneous theist may hear thunder and think god or gods(agency of some flavor or another) whereas a natural, spontaneous atheist will think not god or gods (not agency). I think the assumption that there is a default position fails to take in the entire picture and exploits semantics in order to assert itself.

 

[sayak83]

I think untruthful ideas are bad reason for anything. And most atheistic reasons seem to be untruthful. It is ok to me, if people don’t believe, but if they explain it with false arguments, I think that is not good.

Here we go again...

 

[YmirGF]

Self-honesty is always the key. What do you believe and why? How much have you really explored your beliefs?

The worst reason to believe anything? Because someone else told you to.

^This^

Not a lot more to say on the topic, really.

 

[Revoltingest]

Really? How does that work for you? I suppose I have a hard time comprehending how one could find "I like this" and "I need this" irrelevant aspects of various theistic and atheistic concepts.

I have the advantage of not feeling any need to believe in the supernatural.
Thus, when I see no evidence for it or gods, I don't believe in them.

Others have such a strong need that they'll believe in things unevidenced, eh.
That's just not me.

I get that the current fad in Western culture is still often the "humans are highly rationalistic animals," but we're also creatures of preferences and emotions. I don't know how one could ignore that in life. I certainly can't.

The latest fashion is to acknowledge how irrational humans are.
This has been revolutionizing economic theory.
But human tendency to be irrational doesn't mean I should strive for it.

 

[Satans_Serrated_Edge]

Do you believe there are right and wrong reasons for being an atheist or a theist? If so, what are those reasons? Do those reasons apply just to you, or do you believe they apply to all humans?

The same reasons I don't think there is an actual Smurf village or that Optimus prime is out there fighting decepticons.

 

[Audie]

Do you believe there are right and wrong reasons for being an atheist or a theist? If so, what are those reasons? Do those reasons apply just to you, or do you believe they apply to all humans?

You hear people say they got mad at god for something, and so they became atheists.

 

[Father Heathen]

I guess a "wrong" reason for belief could be because one was indoctrinated during childhood and uncritically believes simply because they were taught to, and a "wrong" reason for disbelief could be because a particular religion left a bad taste, so one dismisses the notion of a higher power entirely.

 

[Sunstone]

You hear people say they got mad at god for something, and so they became atheists.

As it happens, as a noble and esteemed reason for being an atheist, being angry with god...um...actually sucks.

 

[HonestJoe]

Do you believe there are right and wrong reasons for being an atheist or a theist? If so, what are those reasons? Do those reasons apply just to you, or do you believe they apply to all humans?

The right "reason" for being theist is believing in a god or gods and the right "reason" for being atheist is not believing in a god or gods. They're just labels like "tall", "blond" or "happy".

You'd need to go in to a whole load of further detail that the simplistic binary before you start talking about actual reasons for someone believing or not believing in specific deities or deities in general (which in my experience, usually leads to much more deep and interesting questions anyway ).

 

[Altfish]

I disagree. As @LuisDantas pointed out, it is quite reasonable to accept that atheism is a spontaneous and natural belief. Similarly, theism is a natural and spontaneous belief. It all comes down to one's perspective. A natural, spontaneous theist may hear thunder and think god or gods(agency of some flavor or another) whereas a natural, spontaneous atheist will think not god or gods (not agency). I think the assumption that there is a default position fails to take in the entire picture and exploits semantics in order to assert itself.

Well I disagree with you.
Atheism is the default position. If you are not taught about gods how can you believe in them? Atheism is NOT a belief, as has been said before, in the same way as not collecting stamps is not a hobby
You have to be taught about gods (and usually just one) to become religious.
If kids were not taught about religions how would they become Muslims, Jews or Catholics? They wouldn't because the doctrines could not be made up again.
But if you are an atheist and are not taught about atheism or religion you will not believe in a god...so by default you are an atheist.

 

[Phantasman]

Reason to be an atheist, ie, not believe in gods:
Lack of evidence for gods.

Is there any other reason?

What discourages you from lying, cheating or even murder? Do you feel any guilt if you performed those acts?

Just curious.

 

[Curious George]

Well I disagree with you.
Atheism is the default position. If you are not taught about gods how can you believe in them? Atheism is NOT a belief, as has been said before, in the same way as not collecting stamps is not a hobby
You have to be taught about gods (and usually just one) to become religious.
If kids were not taught about religions how would they become Muslims, Jews or Catholics? They wouldn't because the doctrines could not be made up again.
But if you are an atheist and are not taught about atheism or religion you will not believe in a god...so by default you are an atheist.

That is fine. On your side you have your unfounded speculation.

On my side I have the entire history of man, genetic studies, and behavioral neuroscience.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

 

[suncowiam]

Do you believe there are right and wrong reasons for being an atheist or a theist? If so, what are those reasons? Do those reasons apply just to you, or do you believe they apply to all humans?

The right reason for being a theist: to nurture happiness in oneself based on hearsay, speculation and faith.
The wrong reason for being a theist: to nurture fear and hate towards others based on hearsay, speculation and faith.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

I only have my own observations of my own experience and I don't pretend to have nearly enough information to judge the qualities of people's beliefs. I can perhaps judge some claims with empiricism, but only as it relates to where the spiritual supposedly interacts with the physical. Outside the physical, I can only attest to my lack of experience with what other people call deities as such.
So I'm only left with judging behavior as it impacts me or other people or themselves if some tangible self harms present. And there's definitively destructive and constructive behavior that happens by anyone of every belief.

 

[Katzpur]

Hol up. May I direct you to a thing called..... science?

Wait! Hold on! Science has proven there's no Higher Power? I didn't know that!

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

We don't personally replicate the historical research that produced our textbooks and lectures, or do the same with the experiments for science research.

Isn't this beside the point? You don't have to "personally replicate" anything in order to make the choice, on your own, of whether or not to believe a thing. I think that in the post you quoted, the type of belief being challenged was the type that is merely accepted at face value, without any sort of discernment one way or the other as to how believable, or factually based, evidenced or corroborated by multiple sources that piece of data is.