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Can anyone truly be atheist or are they merely agnostic?
Greg Bernhardt said:Can anyone truly be atheist or are they merely agnostic?
I don't think there is a neccesity for god in a religion. Certain sects of Budhism and other religions don't believe in a "god" per se but I would hardly call them atheists.Icebreaker said:Depends how one defines "God". I do not believe in most common definitions of "God".
Pensador said:By the way, agnosticism suffers from the same kind of incoherence. To declare one cannot say anything about God is a self-contradictory statement. For one thing, it is a statement about God.
TheStatutoryApe said:I don't think there is a neccesity for god in a religion. Certain sects of Budhism and other religions don't believe in a "god" per se but I would hardly call them atheists.
Greg Bernhardt said:Can anyone truly be atheist or are they merely agnostic?
The basic dictionary definition of a theist is one who believes in a god or gods but I don't think it neccisarily needs to stop there. Most Buddhists believe in some sort of higher order as far as I understand it, they just don't label it "god". As far as my own personal beliefs go I woundn't label what I believe in "god" but nor would I consider myself an atheist. The particular word "god" has certain conotations to it that do not translate into many religious views. Simply because a religion does not project their higher power/order into a male or female personafied form does that make them atheists? It seems to me that the "god" problem is far more complex and diffuse than most people give it credit for. If it isn't boiled down to an argument against christianity it's still usually one pointed toward monotheists in particular.Icebreaker said:By strict definition, if the Buddhists do not believe in a god or gods, then they are atheists. You know, just because someone is an atheist, it doesn't mean that that person isn't active spiritually.
ShawnD said:Agnostic = God's existence is doubtful (scientist perhaps?)
ShawnD said:Atheist = OMG YOU GUYS ARE ST00PID, THERE IS NO GOD!1 (angry used-to-be christian?)
Sure, athiests exist. They're just as annoying as Christians.
That's incorrect, agnostics do not have any faith, nor do they "oscillate" between faiths.sneez said:Agnostics may oscilate but they oscilate between faith so it makes no difference.
I do not see it any more diffilcult than this.
Dissident Dan said:Agnostic means believing that one cannot know the nature of god. ("a+gnosis"=without knowledge). An atheist does not have a theology ("a+theist"). Antitheists are a subset of atheists who believe that there is no god. I am an antitheist..."truly"
Thor said:If 'God' is defined as he who created the Universe, then I am truly an atheist. I have no doubt whatsoever the existence of the Universe is NOT the result of cause and effect. The phenomenon of 'Existence' is explained by a principle, not a process.
sneez said:On the same token atheism and theism are both belief systems. Can we dispute that?
I disagree. Here is the dictionary explanation of "faith" from Meriam-Westersneez said:"I don't think anyone can truly be an athiest without faith, IOW"
Absolutelly Rev.
More definitions of faith...Evo said:I disagree. Here is the dictionary explanation of "faith" from Meriam-Wester
a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God
(2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion
b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof
(2) : complete trust
3 : something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs
Aetheists do no fall into any of these categories.
Aetheists have no belief in something for which there is no proof You will not find this in the definition above of faith.
It would seem that having a belief that "god" does not exist when there is no proof would require some form of faith. Logically without faith in "god's" lack of existence you could then only, honestly, be agnostic. There is no proof (no knowledge) and so no means to decide.Dictionary.com said:1. Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
2. Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. See Synonyms at belief. See Synonyms at trust.
3. Loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance: keeping faith with one's supporters.
4. often Faith Christianity. The theological virtue defined as secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God's will.
5. The body of dogma of a religion: the Muslim faith.
6. A set of principles or beliefs.
sneez said:You are right that religions created! dogma. However, you are wrong in the assumption that religion aims at that. Pppl did that to the religion . Neverthelless dogma is in religions by human desires not by nature. But atheist will not escape that easy either. They too have dogma and traditions. I come from a country that is called the paradise for atheist. The system is absolutelly atheistic and that affects progams in tv, education, work place relations, etc. WHat i see in this is dogma, there was even a time when religion was prohibited completely.
So therefore creating (artifitially) atheist from child to adult, ie, set of beliefs with rules and regulations enforced by authority => "religion" ?. THerefore I am comfortable calling atheism a belief system comparable to the theistic notion of religion.
Unfortunatelly i must disagree with you that atheism does not create believe of god's un-existance. I does and it is highly exploitable by ppl. I agree with you that not all atheist if put in power are going to enslave humanity into some atheistic dogma but there are certain ppl who will do so and entire nations (Russia) were beaton to death by atheistic dogma.