I assume that babies start with only an ability to learn....no actual knowledge.
I never had any choice. Once presented to me, the idea of a god
always seemed completely wrong. I couldn't just decide otherwise.
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- Thread starter Copernicus
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I never had any choice. Once presented to me, the idea of a god
always seemed completely wrong. I couldn't just decide otherwise.
Alceste
Vagabond
It's not a "label", for heaven's sake. It is only one of many accurate adjectives one might conceivably use to describe the world view of a baby. Not the most useful one, perhaps, but technically accurate.
So you have facts that indicate that babies have no belief in god. What scientist did that study.
Even if God does not exist there is a possiblity that the idea comes from somewhere in our mind and that possibly babies that grow up to believe in God actually started as an infant.
There is no possible way you could know for sure. You could of course use faith or belief.
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Kilgore Trout
Misanthropic Humanist
1) The baby could technically be described as b) or c) depending on which definition of b) or c) you use, but for any meaningful discussion, d) would be the most applicable.
2) It depends on what definition of a) and b) Bob is using. But, at the very minimum, a) implies Bob doesn't know whether we landed on the moon, and b) implies Bob can't honestly make the claim that he belives that we landed on the moon.
how reasonable is it to assume that you have to be taught what a chair is, what a drink is, what an atom is, what a hug is, what a video game is, what a rock is and what a unicorn is but you just come with pre-installed software that automatically provides a functioning definition for a "god" enough to rule out the possibility of a child defaulting to a lack of belief?
this smacks of special pleading, the question is not as complicated as you're making it. before someone knows about something, it's unreasonable that they would claim to believe in that something. it's simple.
you could argue that babies have a concept of something before having a definition, such as knowing that there is a nurturing female figure that it's safe to become attatched to and will provide you with food, before ever learning what "mom" means. but THEISM is more specific, and therefore atheism is much more broad. one must have a functioning definition of a "god" before determining that they do believe in such a thing and therefore claiming theism. leaving the word atheist to describe everyone who hasn't made that claim for whatever reason.
If I understand a Homosexual can be born a homosexual but a theist can not be born a theist.
Alceste
Vagabond
I defer to the field of psychology as the best foundation on which to construct an opinion on the "world view" of an infant. Not a great foundation but better than pure speculation. I suppose Clare Graves is fairly influential on my thinking on the subject. Thanks for asking.
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I was pretty advanced. Even before I was born, I was not believing
in & not knowing things. Ignorance just came naturally to me.
Songbird
She rules her life like a bird in flight
Of course you were! I almost cited you as an exception, but I had to stick to my guns. An extremist is useless if she allows exceptions.
doppelganger
Through the Looking Glass
1. D
2. The first statement would mean to me that Bob, in some way or another, lacks knowledge about the moon landing. The second statement makes no sense unless Bob is regarding the moon landing as potentially a deity. However, if so, then it would mean the Bob lacks belief in the moon landing being a deity.
2. The first statement would mean to me that Bob, in some way or another, lacks knowledge about the moon landing. The second statement makes no sense unless Bob is regarding the moon landing as potentially a deity. However, if so, then it would mean the Bob lacks belief in the moon landing being a deity.
doppelganger
Through the Looking Glass
Magic Man
Reaper of Conversation
1) B (since the baby doesn't hold the belief "God exists", meaning it's not a theist, in other words an atheist), and depending on the definition you're using C could be appropriate.
2) First sentence would make me think he isn't sure whether the moon landing occurred. The second one would just sound weird (), and if not said in conjunction with the first one, I wouldn't know what he meant.
2) First sentence would make me think he isn't sure whether the moon landing occurred. The second one would just sound weird (
), and if not said in conjunction with the first one, I wouldn't know what he meant.
Songbird
She rules her life like a bird in flight
doppelganger
Through the Looking Glass
I'm of the opinion that talking about the beliefs of human that has yet to acquire a sense of self-identity is a category error.