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three types of atheist????

Eddi

Eddi

Christianity
Premium Member
Is there a difference between:
  • A person who doesn't believe in God as they have never heard of God and don't know who/what God is supposed to be (so has nothing to do with religion)
  • A person who sees no reason to believe in God and who finds arguments for God to be unconvincing (so has nothing to do with religion)
  • A person who is positively convinced that there is no God (so has nothing to do with religion)
It seems to me that all such people could reasonably be called Atheists

Yet they are entirely different things

So, does this mean there are three types of Atheists?

Or does this mean that our language is out of touch with reality?
 
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mikkel_the_dane

mikkel_the_dane

My own religion
Eddi said:
Is there a difference between:
  • A person who doesn't believe in God as they have never heard of God and don't know who/what God is supposed to be (so has nothing to do with religion)
  • A person who sees no reason to believe in God and who finds arguments for God to be unconvincing (so has nothing to do with religion)
  • A person who is positively convinced that there is no God (so has nothing to do with religion)
It seems to me that all such people could reasonably called Atheists

Yet they are entirely different things

So, does this mean there are three types of Atheists?

Or does this mean that our language is out of touch with reality?
Click to expand...

Yes, that is a good post. But please stop calling them Atheists. They are atheists.

For the bold one that belongs to philosophy. And the answer is not that simple as just yes or no.
 
9-10ths_Penguin

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
Eddi said:
Is there a difference between:
  • A person who doesn't believe in God as they have never heard of God and don't know who/what God is supposed to be (so has nothing to do with religion)
  • A person who sees no reason to believe in God and who finds arguments for God to be unconvincing (so has nothing to do with religion)
  • A person who is positively convinced that there is no God (so has nothing to do with religion)
It seems to me that all such people could reasonably called Atheists

Yet they are entirely different things

So, does this mean there are three types of Atheists?

Or does this mean that our language is out of touch with reality?
Click to expand...

FYI: it's about gods in general, not just about gods named "God."

Any adult atheist who's put a bit of thought into the issue of gods will be in the first category for most god concepts, in the second category for some, and in the third category for some.
 
syo

syo

Well-Known Member
Eddi said:
Is there a difference between:
  • A person who doesn't believe in God as they have never heard of God and don't know who/what God is supposed to be (so has nothing to do with religion)
  • A person who sees no reason to believe in God and who finds arguments for God to be unconvincing (so has nothing to do with religion)
  • A person who is positively convinced that there is no God (so has nothing to do with religion)
It seems to me that all such people could reasonably called Atheists

Yet they are entirely different things

So, does this mean there are three types of Atheists?

Or does this mean that our language is out of touch with reality?
Click to expand...
What on earth are you talking about? Atheists are abrahamics. One type.
 
ImmortalFlame

ImmortalFlame

Woke gremlin
Eddi said:
Is there a difference between:
  • A person who doesn't believe in God as they have never heard of God and don't know who/what God is supposed to be (so has nothing to do with religion)
  • A person who sees no reason to believe in God and who finds arguments for God to be unconvincing (so has nothing to do with religion)
  • A person who is positively convinced that there is no God (so has nothing to do with religion)
It seems to me that all such people could reasonably called Atheists

Yet they are entirely different things

So, does this mean there are three types of Atheists?

Or does this mean that our language is out of touch with reality?
Click to expand...
I broadly agree with this. All three categories come under the heading of "people without a belief in a God-concept", but perhaps it's useful to create further delineation between them.

For instance, for group one I tend to use "implicit atheist", meaning that - while they do technically fall into the broad definition of atheist - they cannot reasonably be considered to express an explicit disbelief in a God concept until such a time as they have been introduced to the concept.

For the second and third, the phrases that tend to be used are "soft atheist" and "hard atheist". Sometimes, people also use "agnostic atheist" and "gnostic atheist", though those terms are a bit more specific depending on who you're talking to.
 
TagliatelliMonster

TagliatelliMonster

Veteran Member
Eddi said:
Is there a difference between:
  • A person who doesn't believe in God as they have never heard of God and don't know who/what God is supposed to be (so has nothing to do with religion)
  • A person who sees no reason to believe in God and who finds arguments for God to be unconvincing (so has nothing to do with religion)
  • A person who is positively convinced that there is no God (so has nothing to do with religion)
Click to expand...


All three have something in common: none of them positively believe a god exists.
In my book, that makes all three "atheist".

Each has individual reasons for not believing a god exists. But isn't that the case for every atheist?



Eddi said:
It seems to me that all such people could reasonably be called Atheists
Click to expand...

Agreed

Eddi said:
Yet they are entirely different things
Click to expand...

Not in terms of what defines them as atheists. That being: none of them holds a positive believe that a (or more) god(s) exist.
WHY they don't believe god(s) exist, isn't relevant to the label "atheist". The fact that they don't believe, is.

Look at it this way: does it matter WHY a christian believes the bible?
Is a christian who believes because Jesus came to him in a dream a "different type of christian" as opposed to one who believes because he claims to have seen the virgin Marry in a cave at Lourdes? Or a "different type of christian" as opposed to one who believes because he feels a prayer was answered?

I suppose you will agree that their reason for believing doesn't matter as to their christianity.
So why would it matter in terms of non-belief?

Eddi said:
So, does this mean there are three types of Atheists?
Click to expand...

No.

Eddi said:
Or does this mean that our language is out of touch with reality?
Click to expand...

It means nothing at all.
 
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