Do you like it when poeple argue about theism/atheism ??

[Absinthe]

Oh, and considering the whole "we are atheists to a large degree" is false. Atheism is the doctrine that there is no deity, I don't see how this could be misconstrued.

The bare essential tenet of atheism is an absence of god-belief. The common, modern definition of an agnostic is essentially an atheist one. Now, atheists certainly have the ability to go one step further and outright deny the existence of gods, which would make them gnostic atheists or "strong" atheists, but that is not atheism at its core criteria. So stop peddling this kind of ignorant bullshit and... I dunno... do some studying on the subject?

*Edited for meanness.

 

[Max35]

The bare essential tenet of atheism is an absence of god-belief. The common, modern definition of an agnostic is essentially an atheist one. Now, atheists certainly have the ability to go one step further and outright deny the existence of gods, which would make them gnostic atheists or "strong" atheists, but that is not atheism at its core criteria. So stop peddling this kind of ignorant bullshit and... I dunno... do some studying on the subject?

For one, you misunderstood me. I did not say agnostics and atheists don't have the same essential meaning; just that agnosticism is an extension of atheism and separate *in a way* in it's ideology. Atheism and agnosticism are not the same thing, hence why they are separate words.

Anyway, I was correcting the previous poster who said we are all atheists, to a large degree. Because we don't believe in certain other gods (besides the Christian, Islam, etc) and pantheons. But since, I've taken the time to read the def of Atheism literally, it is the complete absence of god-belief. So, those that believe in say, the Christian god, and deny other forms of deities, does not make them atheists.

Atheism is the complete disbelief in god. If you believe in one, and not another, it does not make you an atheist. Because you still believe in the concept of God. That is my view. And I have taken the time to educate myself, perhaps you should do the same.

Edit: I did say this however: "I suppose you could say those "open-minded" individuals are atheist in a sense, but above all they are agnostics."

 

[Acepilotf14]

Why. Why DID you have to start this AGAIN. WHY? WHY?~?!?! WHY?!?!?!


GTFO! BAN!
NEW LAW: ANYONE WHO STARTS A THREAD ABOUT ATHEISM/THEISM/OR MORMONS WILL BE BANNED.

I hate you. And I will NEVER love you. Even if you give me money.

LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.

YOU TEAR APART THE FORUM MEMBERS, FIRST STARTING WITH A SENSIBLE, 'lol, atheism iz cul'
THUS MAKING A HUGE NON-FUN ARGUMENT ABOUT ALL THIS CRAP.
I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF IT. ENOUGH. HATE. HATEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!
WHY CAT WE JUST ARGUE ABOUT SPORE > CRYSIS? IT IS MUCH MORE SANE, AND PEOPLE DONT GET CAUGHT UP WITH CAPS LOCK ON, GETTING PISSED AT A NEW GUY WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND.
NEVER AGAIN.
NEVER.
never.
never
never
never

sigh...

[/end rant]

 

[Max35]

Na, f*ck it.

 

[PvtRyan]

Let's do away with all the "-isms" on which a thousand definitions exist and keep it simple: Einstein did not believe in a supernatural deity.

 

[DeusExMachina]

You know what I don't like? When threads about atheism go over 9 pages. Have we not argued the shit out of this yet?

 

[Acepilotf14]

Thats what I argued about. Now, Lets stop posting so that it doesn't goto 10 PAGES.

 

[Que-Ever]

I only see four pages.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

I only see seven pages. TIME PARADOX.

So, those that believe in say, the Christian god, and deny other forms of deities, does not make them atheists.

You are like an expert at missing the point.

You are an atheist AS FAR AS ZEUS IS CONCERNED.
You are an atheist AS FAR AS POSIEDON IS CONCERNED.
You are an atheist AS [FAR AS INSERT ONE OF THE INFINITE IMAGINABLE GODS HERE] IS CONCERNED.

Jesus, no more abstract concepts for you today.

 

[Max35]

You are like an expert at missing the point.

Why do you think I never pursued any type of post-highschool education? (<rhetorical question, don't answer)

Anyway, I got your so-called point quite awhile ago. Yes, a Christian is an atheist AS FAR AS ZEUS IS CONCERNED, etc Simple enough, but if we are going by the concrete defintion, this christian is not an atheist, for they believe in the concept of deity.

Forgive me for being literal.

EDIT: Yes, I know. I'm incorrigible.

 

[Solaris]

Why do you think I never pursued any type of post-highschool education? (<rhetorical question, don't answer)

Anyway, I got your so-called point quite awhile ago. Yes, a Christian is an atheist AS FAR AS ZEUS IS CONCERNED, etc Simple enough, but if we are going by the concrete defintion, this christian is not an atheist, for they believe in the concept of deity.

Forgive me for being literal.

EDIT: Yes, I know. I'm incorrigible.

I imagine Mechas hitting his head on his desk right now.

 

[Stigmata]

I think Mecha's point is that the chance of a god existing, and for that god to be the Christian god, is near-zero, and showing atheism in regards to all other gods is just a way of explaining that point. It's all to show that Christians are most probably wrong.

Or maybe not, I'm kind of throwing both current religion/atheism threads together in my mind, it's hard to keep track.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

Yes, that's basically it. But it also points out that atheism isn't as alien and unbelieveable as people seemingly want it to be.

People did all that bizarre re-definition of atheism into a belief just because it's very difficult to imagine an absence of belief. But they all have their own absence of belief as far as those infinite different gods are concerned.

Why is it the only people who understand are the ones who already agree? :/

 

[bigburpco]

Let's be civilized and rely on scissors paper stone.

 

[15357]

I don't see why we should stop people from believing in a god.

However, stopping people from doing things that 'god' told them to do is a completely different matter...

 

[99.vikram]

My family is religious, and I have no problem with that (not being religious myself). But the problem is that fundamentalists are becoming more and more visible in society, shooting out crazy sh*t from their mouths more and more frequently.

When somebody tries to convince me to convert my religion, or support some religious drive, or tries to convince me that homosexuals will destroy the earth, I like to smack them in the face with cold, hard logic.

 

[Max35]

I think Mecha's point is that the chance of a god existing, and for that god to be the Christian god, is near-zero, and showing atheism in regards to all other gods is just a way of explaining that point. It's all to show that Christians are most probably wrong.

Or maybe not, I'm kind of throwing both current religion/atheism threads together in my mind, it's hard to keep track.

I get his point, and it's a valid one to be sure. I just got wrapped up in explaining the definition of atheism and adhering to the concreteness(sp?) of it. I'm not saying he's wrong in his view, on the contrary. It's just that me=wordwhore. Anyway, I'm probably just an ignoramus. Not much I can do about that at any rate.

EDIT: From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism "Atheism is the disbelief[1] in the existence of any deities." My point still stands, yet I acknowledge the validity of other's. That's all.