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I'm an Ex Scn and Atheist - How many atheists are here at the board?

Operating Wog

Patron with Honors
If a person says they are an atheist, that tells you they don't believe "God" exists. You are right that it says nothing about what else they might believe.

I'd say that the vast majority of the time, if a person says they are an atheist, that tells you that they BELIEVE (very strongly) that God does NOT exist.
 

programmer_guy

True Ex-Scientologist
I'd say that the vast majority of the time, if a person says they are an atheist, that tells you that they BELIEVE (very strongly) that God does NOT exist.

What God(s) are you referring to?
If you mean the God of the Bible then I agree with you.
Please define the term first. :confused2:


BTW, I BELIEVE (very strongly) that no invisible leprechaun exists in my backyard.
 
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Anonycat

Crusader
I'm not sure that's true. Some people's world views may very well allow for proof. But for some, it may be so.

[video=youtube;8r-e2NDSTuE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r-e2NDSTuE[/video]

[video=youtube;3oH0ReL3Cew]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oH0ReL3Cew[/video]
 

SuperPowers

Patron with Honors
I'd say that the vast majority of the time, if a person says they are an atheist, that tells you that they BELIEVE (very strongly) that God does NOT exist.

Well, I believe in all kind of things: honesty, friendship, human rights, scientific evidence, gender equality etc. I don't believe in fantasies. So if you talk about god(s), I'm a critic. First: Where is the proof for a god? I mean EVIDENCE. The Universe is NOT the evidence! Of course one could say that being a critic is some sort of dis-belief. But my criticism is usually against absurdities and the oppressive natur of organized religion.
Atheism is NOT a belief. It's a lack of belief in god(s). It's that simple. But theists tend to throw all kind of stuff into the concept like satanism, immorality, or any kind of other beliefs. And that's just another fantasy based on bias.

BTW, here's an interesting page for you to explore:

http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/gods.htm

What god(s) are you a theist in or an atheist towards?

/ S.P.
 

Operating Wog

Patron with Honors
Well, I believe in all kind of things: honesty, friendship, human rights, scientific evidence, gender equality etc. I don't believe in fantasies. So if you talk about god(s), I'm a critic. First: Where is the proof for a god? I mean EVIDENCE. The Universe is NOT the evidence! Of course one could say that being a critic is some sort of dis-belief. But my criticism is usually against absurdities and the oppressive natur of organized religion.
Atheism is NOT a belief. It's a lack of belief in god(s). It's that simple. But theists tend to throw all kind of stuff into the concept like satanism, immorality, or any kind of other beliefs. And that's just another fantasy based on bias.

BTW, here's an interesting page for you to explore:

http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/gods.htm

What god(s) are you a theist in or an atheist towards?

/ S.P.

First of all, I'm not a believer. I lack any belief in any particular god you care to name, most likely. However, like many atheists I run across on a regular basis, I do not actively assert that any particular god does not exist.

Some atheists seem to get upset when I say it, but yeah, in my experience, there are a whole lot of atheists who are all too willing to get in anyone's face about their belief that god does not exist. I have numerous friends who are this way, I see it all over social media, etc. The very fact that there are atheist podcasts and atheist groups and conventions etc. seems to imply - to me - that there is a belief there. You don't see conventions for people who don't believe in the Loch Ness Monster. You don't see anti-Santa Claus or Easter Bunny podcasts. People just don't believe in those things and that's the end of it. But with god, people seem to want to talk about it and offer proof, or disprove what other people think is proof, and spread their ideas about atheism and get other people to not believe too. I'm sure this is probably in a large part a reaction to the fact that they feel religious groups are forcing their beliefs on others.

I'm not saying all atheists are like this. I know I am not. I'm not saying that any particular person here is like that. All I know is I see it a lot. Which is why I don't use the term to describe myself.
 

myrklix

Patron with Honors
Though I don't consider myself an atheist, my father always liked to quip "Thank god I'm an atheist!".:biggrin:
 

Operating Wog

Patron with Honors
Several people have said on this thread that "Atheism is not a belief".

Actually, I think the problem is that atheism is a very broad term and encompasses anything from someone who has never considered the concept or is incapable of considering the concept (a baby or mentally handicapped person) to people like Richard Dawkins who are militantly anti-god.

In fact, "positive atheism" is the "explicit affirmation that gods do not exist". Since you cannot prove that gods do not exist, what is this but a belief?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism

The article was pretty interesting. I learned a lot.
 

upstat

Patron
I always say I'm agnostic but not in the sense I'm still pondering if god exists or not, the whole thing is a stupid question to ask. Really the response shouldn't be to say you are atheist or agnostic, rather you should say to the person to stop asking you stupid questions. It really is no different than asking a person if they believe in Santa and the tooth fairy, I liked what John Lear says when he's asked that question "I believe in the big pumpkin in the sky".
 

Bill

Gold Meritorious Patron
I always say I'm agnostic but not in the sense I'm still pondering if god exists or not, the whole thing is a stupid question to ask. Really the response shouldn't be to say you are atheist or agnostic, rather you should say to the person to stop asking you stupid questions. It really is no different than asking a person if they believe in Santa and the tooth fairy, I liked what John Lear says when he's asked that question "I believe in the big pumpkin in the sky".
Yes. Why should I care what someone believes about "God" -- or the "Great Pumpkin" for that matter. It has no bearing on my life.
 

SuperPowers

Patron with Honors
A message for OTs and other beings going to Heaven:

14264202_1287713947920049_7040107730150443370_n.jpg


/S.P.
 

oneonewasaracecar

Gold Meritorious Patron
Yes. Why should I care what someone believes about "God" -- or the "Great Pumpkin" for that matter. It has no bearing on my life.

While you live in a secular society, this is largely the case, however you may want to consider the following:

- Murders because of religion were virtually non-existent in the West prior to 911. Now they are increasingly common.
- Secular society evaporated in Turkey recently.
- People's beliefs about God may hinder science education and scientific research, such as stem cell research.
- People who believe in the apocalypse and who have weapons which can bring this out may not feel the idea of the destruction of the world is quite as abhorrent as a normal person.
- People's attitudes to the environment can be colored by what has been written in a book by ancient goat herders, who knew nothing of science.

This is not even remotely a definitive list. The damage caused by religious belief over the centuries is incalculable.
 

programmer_guy

True Ex-Scientologist
Yes. Why should I care what someone believes about "God" -- or the "Great Pumpkin" for that matter. It has no bearing on my life.

Yes, for example, on a personal one-on-one basis at the grocery store or a gas station... I don't care either.
Is this what you meant?
 

Bill

Gold Meritorious Patron
While you live in a secular society, this is largely the case, however you may want to consider the following:

- Murders because of religion were virtually non-existent in the West prior to 911. Now they are increasingly common.
- Secular society evaporated in Turkey recently.
- People's beliefs about God may hinder science education and scientific research, such as stem cell research.
- People who believe in the apocalypse and who have weapons which can bring this out may not feel the idea of the destruction of the world is quite as abhorrent as a normal person.
- People's attitudes to the environment can be colored by what has been written in a book by ancient goat herders, who knew nothing of science.

This is not even remotely a definitive list. The damage caused by religious belief over the centuries is incalculable.
Certainly. But that isn't what I was talking about. You've shifted the scope from a person's specific belief in the existence of "God" -- to politics. It is axiomatic that when religion marries politics the result is inevitably great evil. I have no argument or disagreement with that.
 

Udarnik

Gold Meritorious Patron
Certainly. But that isn't what I was talking about. You've shifted the scope from a person's specific belief in the existence of "God" -- to politics. It is axiomatic that when religion marries politics the result is inevitably great evil. I have no argument or disagreement with that.

The problem is that when you mix religion with the authoritarian personality, you inevitably convolve a person's specific belief with their legislative and voting agenda. And thus the personal problem becomes the political problem.
 

oneonewasaracecar

Gold Meritorious Patron
Certainly. But that isn't what I was talking about. You've shifted the scope from a person's specific belief in the existence of "God" -- to politics. It is axiomatic that when religion marries politics the result is inevitably great evil. I have no argument or disagreement with that.

Unfortunately people's beliefs, whatever they are, inevitably inform their political opinions.

In practice, most of the time, your point stands and I agree.

The only reason that is true is because of secular government and secular law. Only a few hundred years ago people were being burned at the stake for discussing astronomical reality.

Never take secularism for granted. If some religious people have their way, secular government will be abolished.
 

programmer_guy

True Ex-Scientologist
Unfortunately people's beliefs, whatever they are, inevitably inform their political opinions.

In practice, most of the time, your point stands and I agree.

The only reason that is true is because of secular government and secular law. Only a few hundred years ago people were being burned at the stake for discussing astronomical reality.

Never take secularism for granted. If some religious people have their way, secular government will be abolished.


Well.... not always burned at the stake. Sometimes it could be lifelong house arrest. But your point is still important.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_Galilei
 
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