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    Atheism


    Created on Sunday, April 19, 2009        Bookmark and Share

    Home -> Disbelief



    UPDATES

    - 11/20/2009 - I joined in with some of my Christian friends to examine the evidence for their beliefs. Please see the Religion Challenge here.

    I know what some of you are thinking - why atheism?

    I think it is time that the question was turned around - why not atheism?

    In my quest to find truths and absolutes I eventually got around to the issue of God. It isn't that I am out to prove that God doesn't exist. I can't prove that unicorns do not exist so I certainly can't prove that God doesn't either. Most atheists believe that there is no proof that there is a God there isn't much point in thinking about it. There really isn't much difference between an atheist (doesn't think God exists) and an agnostic (believes that the existence of an afterlife is unknown and can not be proven). The result is the same, whether or not you actively think that there isn't a God or you think it can't be proven so you do not pay it any mind. I consider myself to be an atheist but if someone can prove to me tomorrow that there is a God I'll be the first to bow down.

    Much of what you are about to read is not groundbreaking. My goal here was to bring up the best arguements for an against and summarize them here. Please us the links on the left to navigate through the different topics in this category, starting with logic and reason.

    More in    The Problem With Prayer
    Created by muchgooder on Monday, August 3, 2009 8:10:40 PM
    Most atheists do not like the term "atheist" because it implies that we are actively not believing in God. After all, there isn't a term for not believing in unicorns - why isn't there a word for that? A person that believes is a "theist", while a non-believer is an "a-theist". I don't know why one has a negative connotation while the other is honorable. [

    ] I do agree that the difference between an agnostic and an atheist is a matter of semantics, but not in the way that you might think. There is really no difference between an atheist and agnostic. At the end of the day, you either believe in something or you do not. Everyone else is really just different levels of agnostic. I don't rule out that there could be a God - one can never rule out the negative. Just like a theist can't rule out the possibility that unicorns do not exist. I just don't spend time thinking about it. Besides, at the end of the day we're all a-theists as we have ruled out the thousands of Gods that have come and gone over the centuries. An atheist just goes one God further. [

    ] You are right - many believers peg atheists as "God-haters" or "Satanists". I'm sure some are "haters", although I've never understood the satanic accusation as as that would seem to imply that there was a higher being. Anyway.... the tone of your last paragraph does reflect how many believers think. It also goes to show you that religion has the distinct advantage of having come first. Many believers to think that anyone that thinks different than they do is a challenge to them. Unfortunately, this includes other religions as well as atheists and this is what leads us into wars. [

    ] Finally, I've never understood the believer's insecurity in their God. I've always believed it was because the evidence is all around that he isn't omnipotent. If he is, I agree with Woody Allen - he is at best an underachiever :-). My interest isn't in discrediting religion as it is promoting humanistic ideals. I just don't feel that we can move forward as a species if everyone brings their holy books to the table. I'll always support the right to worship as one desires.
       
    Created by Jen Catherine on Monday, August 3, 2009 2:46:46 PM
    In my opinion, the difference between an agnostic and an atheist is semantics and rests within the perception of the fervent religious believer. A religious believer is less inclined to view someone who self-identifies as an "agnostic" as a threat to his or her belief system, and therefore less likely to accuse that person of being a "Satanist." An agnostic is merely a doubter, and is someone who is not completely closed off to the possibilty of conversion (i.e., redemption, salvation). An atheist, on the other hand, is directly picking a fight with God by explicitly challenging God's existence. Atheism is viewed as a direct threat to the fervent believer because the atheist, by his or her mere disbelief, is saying to the beleiver, "you're wrong." So the believer conflates atheism with "Satanism" which is also a direct challenge to God's omnipotence.
       

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