Comments on: What is an Atheist? http://anadder.com/what-is-an-atheist Wed, 23 May 2012 09:26:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: John Morales http://anadder.com/what-is-an-atheist/comment-page-1#comment-30318 John Morales Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:56:44 +0000 http://anadder.com/?p=3066#comment-30318 Johan, good point. I should've written the <i>Christian</i> god. Still, I hope you get my point. Before I can tell someone whether I either 'lack belief in' or 'disbelieve in' a particular god, I need to know what this proposed god entails. Johan, good point. I should’ve written the Christian god.

Still, I hope you get my point.
Before I can tell someone whether I either ‘lack belief in’ or ‘disbelieve in’ a particular god, I need to know what this proposed god entails.

]]> By: Johan http://anadder.com/what-is-an-atheist/comment-page-1#comment-30301 Johan Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:25:15 +0000 http://anadder.com/?p=3066#comment-30301 John, do not confuse Christian theological opinions with Biblical teachings. Omniscience and omnipotence are claims that Christian theologians (and perhaps Jewish, I do not know much about that religion) have made. I do not think you can find precisely this claim in the Bible. John, do not confuse Christian theological opinions with Biblical teachings. Omniscience and omnipotence are claims that Christian theologians (and perhaps Jewish, I do not know much about that religion) have made.

I do not think you can find precisely this claim in the Bible.

]]> By: John Morales http://anadder.com/what-is-an-atheist/comment-page-1#comment-30219 John Morales Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:04:35 +0000 http://anadder.com/?p=3066#comment-30219 michael, trinitarianism aside, this deity is purportedly omniscient and omnipotent. That in itself is contradictory (can it falsify what it knows?); then, on top of that, in the Bible it keeps getting things wrong, testing people and such-like. Hell, even in Genesis it didn't know what Adam and Eve would do, and had to punish them for it! (Think about it :) ) michael, trinitarianism aside, this deity is purportedly omniscient and omnipotent. That in itself is contradictory (can it falsify what it knows?); then, on top of that, in the Bible it keeps getting things wrong, testing people and such-like.

Hell, even in Genesis it didn’t know what Adam and Eve would do, and had to punish them for it!
(Think about it :) )

]]> By: Takis Konstantopoulos http://anadder.com/what-is-an-atheist/comment-page-1#comment-30124 Takis Konstantopoulos Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:00:07 +0000 http://anadder.com/?p=3066#comment-30124 In my opinion, a basic flaw of religion, which few people talk about, is the concept of belief. Religion is based on belief, so they tell us. Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism and what have you. Why? Why is it so important, for a Christian, say, to believe and to believe blindly, and to believe deeply, and to convince himself that belief is the highest virtue, and to believe so much that he eventually convinces himself that his belief is based on evidence and that it is rational and justified? And that belief is the pillar and cornerstone of Church? Why? <i>Why can't we have a religion which is not based on belief?</i> Of course, you and I know the answer: because religion is a man-made concept. Had any religion, whatsoever, had any element of truth at all, then I bet that this particular religion would promote it as much as possible: they would go around saying, "hey, it's not belief we are asking you to have, but we can show you that the chance that what we're saying is true is positive, and here is how" (and they would proceed by demonstrating it by a model, by a mathematical equation or argument, or by a rigorous experiment). None of that has ever happened, ever. (But believers do convince themselves they happen every day, precisely because of the power of delusion.) And so, where does this leave us? At the point where we can argue as follows: First and foremost, I reject belief for the sake of belief. We should agree on this. So, if someone wants me to answer his/her question about god or religion then he or she must point out to me something that is not based on belief. Otherwise, the only alternative is: I don't care. A god who tries to play hide and seek [sorry, I mean hide ONLY] is a weird god. It's like saying there is a Martian in my back yard but he won't show himself, nobody has ever seen him, he does not communicate with anybody, but if you believe that he exists then he exists. In my opinion, a basic flaw of religion, which few people talk about, is the concept of belief. Religion is based on belief, so they tell us. Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism and what have you. Why? Why is it so important, for a Christian, say, to believe and to believe blindly, and to believe deeply, and to convince himself that belief is the highest virtue, and to believe so much that he eventually convinces himself that his belief is based on evidence and that it is rational and justified? And that belief is the pillar and cornerstone of Church? Why?

Why can’t we have a religion which is not based on belief?

Of course, you and I know the answer: because religion is a man-made concept.

Had any religion, whatsoever, had any element of truth at all, then I bet that this particular religion would promote it as much as possible: they would go around saying, “hey, it’s not belief we are asking you to have, but we can show you that the chance that what we’re saying is true is positive, and here is how” (and they would proceed by demonstrating it by a model, by a mathematical equation or argument, or by a rigorous experiment).

None of that has ever happened, ever. (But believers do convince themselves they happen every day, precisely because of the power of delusion.) And so, where does this leave us? At the point where we can argue as follows:

First and foremost, I reject belief for the sake of belief. We should agree on this. So, if someone wants me to answer his/her question about god or religion then he or she must point out to me something that is not based on belief.

Otherwise, the only alternative is: I don’t care. A god who tries to play hide and seek [sorry, I mean hide ONLY] is a weird god. It’s like saying there is a Martian in my back yard but he won’t show himself, nobody has ever seen him, he does not communicate with anybody, but if you believe that he exists then he exists.

]]> By: michael http://anadder.com/what-is-an-atheist/comment-page-1#comment-30109 michael Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:27:33 +0000 http://anadder.com/?p=3066#comment-30109 John -- I don't think the Biblical god is incoherent, just a triggerhappy mob boss. Lone Wolf -- historically atheist has meant explicit belief in a lack of gods to many people and it's a reality that's got to be dealt with even though it is wrong. Phaedrus -- I agree which is why for this post specifically I tried to use "god(s)" and not "God(s)". I'll post later about why I think this should become the standard. John — I don’t think the Biblical god is incoherent, just a triggerhappy mob boss.

Lone Wolf — historically atheist has meant explicit belief in a lack of gods to many people and it’s a reality that’s got to be dealt with even though it is wrong.

Phaedrus — I agree which is why for this post specifically I tried to use “god(s)” and not “God(s)”. I’ll post later about why I think this should become the standard.

]]> By: Phaedrus http://anadder.com/what-is-an-atheist/comment-page-1#comment-30077 Phaedrus Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:36:48 +0000 http://anadder.com/?p=3066#comment-30077 Most people are atheists of one sort or another, not many people believe in Zeus or Poseidon. It helps to say that I am open to believing in a God(s) the way I am open to believing in faeries or unicorns... this helps put the idea in a context that most theists find unusual of disconcerting because they've often become inured to the acceptance that their god is all anyone talks about. Got this from Dawkins. Most people are atheists of one sort or another, not many people believe in Zeus or Poseidon. It helps to say that I am open to believing in a God(s) the way I am open to believing in faeries or unicorns… this helps put the idea in a context that most theists find unusual of disconcerting because they’ve often become inured to the acceptance that their god is all anyone talks about.
Got this from Dawkins.

]]> By: Lone Wolf http://anadder.com/what-is-an-atheist/comment-page-1#comment-30044 Lone Wolf Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:56:38 +0000 http://anadder.com/?p=3066#comment-30044 The word "atheist" should be self explanatory. "a" meaning "not", "non", "with out" and "theism" meaning "a belief in a god or gods". How is that so hard to understand? The word “atheist” should be self explanatory. “a” meaning “not”, “non”, “with out” and “theism” meaning “a belief in a god or gods”. How is that so hard to understand?

]]> By: John Morales http://anadder.com/what-is-an-atheist/comment-page-1#comment-30003 John Morales Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:51:49 +0000 http://anadder.com/?p=3066#comment-30003 I would ask my interlocutor to define what they mean by the term "God". If it's the Biblical god, then I know there's no such critter, since it's definitionally logically incoherent. I would ask my interlocutor to define what they mean by the term “God”.

If it’s the Biblical god, then I know there’s no such critter, since it’s definitionally logically incoherent.

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