The Problem with Atheism

[BabyHeadCrab]

How do you still not get this? What the hell are you talking about? WHAT IS THERE NOT TO GET?

Seriously, drop your preconceptions about atheism now. Right the fuck now. Don't think about it as a group. Don't think of it as a movement. Don't think of it as a claim. Just stop and look. Look at the word.

LOOK AT THE WORD.

Once you have done this, you should (hopefully) realize it has nothing to do with denial and should be able to understand PvtRyan's post fully. It quite literally just means somebody who is not a theist. Even if you label yourself as a fence-sitter, you are an atheist. Why? Because you're not a theist! It's a god damn binary concept and I feel like putting a nail through my dick every time somebody fucks this up.

Absinthe / Ryan and gang, can't you look back and think what it was like to be 17? I think you can understand the gist of what he is saying without replying like he's some kind of uninformed religious zealot sent here to specifically preach ignorance. His posts make quite a bit of sense for someone his age - and his point comes across very clear. And while I can understand correct the fallacies in his posts, it takes away the credibility of your arguments when you act like he's some kind of enemy rather than a seven-teen year old simply trying to learn a few things on a web forum.

I'm not in here to claim any above average knowledge of theism/monotheism/atheism/polytheism, I just have to say you guys could treat ZT a little better while 'informing' him of his logical errors. It is possible to be informative without being pompous - you know. Even on the hateful cesspool often referred to as the "intarwebs".

 

[[Dragoon]]

I've always felt vaguely uncomfortable being called an "atheist," even though the definition almost fits. Harris explains it more elegantly than I could, though.

 

[Jintor]

I'm 16 and I understand that between atheism and theism the only variable is:

Theism: Believe in some sort of god.

Atheism: Anything else.

 

[[Dragoon]]

I'm 16 and I understand that between atheism and theism the only variable is:

Theism: Believe in some sort of god.

Atheism: Anything else.

Atheism implies a complete disbelief in god, as far as most people see it. I think that, while there's no real evidence that there is a God or some other form of higher power, there's no evidence that there isn't.

I do, however, think that most religions are full of shit. Except pastafarianism.

 

[Absinthe]

That's like saying-

"Even if you label yourself as a fence-sitter, you are an theist. Why? because you're not an atheist!"

- Don't you see how your reasoning has a blatant contradiction that you refuse to adress?

You're treating both the atheist/theist states as making comparable, equal claims when they just aren't. You have refused to do as I have instructed you and actually analyzed the meaning of the words, all so you can sit comfortably on your fence while remaining totally ignorant to everything else.

Atheism isn't like some diametrically opposed idea against theism. It is merely an absence of it. If you are not a theist, you are an atheist. Even "agnostics" like yourself who try to wiggle out of the label are still atheists. Because even if you are sitting on the fence and refuse to make a claim one way or the other regarding the existence of gods, you still wouldn't hold belief in them. Just as a reminder, an absence of belief in something does not intrinsically entail a belief in its absence. This, I imagine, is the fundamental misunderstanding you have that is skewing your entire mental framework of this concept.

Seriously, I'm gonna draw a graph or something to explain this shit. I don't quite know how, but rest assured it shall be in MS Paint.

 

[Mr Stabby]

Belief in God (theism) is an active process, it requires believing. Not believing in God is passive process, in which you don't take the effort to believe

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

in which you don't take the effort to believe

I know you proboaly didn't mean it that way, but its not a matter of effort. Athiests aren't too lazy to believe in god. They choose not to (unless your in north korea).

 

[Solaris]

Absinthe / Ryan and gang, can't you look back and think what it was like to be 17? I think you can understand the gist of what he is saying without replying like he's some kind of uninformed religious zealot sent here to specifically preach ignorance. His posts make quite a bit of sense for someone his age - and his point comes across very clear. And while I can understand correct the fallacies in his posts, it takes away the credibility of your arguments when you act like he's some kind of enemy rather than a seven-teen year old simply trying to learn a few things on a web forum.

I'm not in here to claim any above average knowledge of theism/monotheism/atheism/polytheism, I just have to say you guys could treat ZT a little better while 'informing' him of his logical errors. It is possible to be informative without being pompous - you know. Even on the hateful cesspool often referred to as the "intarwebs".

I'm 17 and my critical faculties are working fine.

 

[Sulkdodds]

Not everybody is perfect.

 

[Llama]

http://img129.imageshack.us/my.php?image=graphfornoobsgp3.jpg

There we go.

<3 Absinthe.

 

[Solaris]

I don't think it can be graphed.

Either your believe in a god, or you do not.
As someone said, it's binary.

 

[Llama]

Well I managed it anyway