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lawtonfogle
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An atheist beleives in no absolute truth, so they cannot state they are an atheist, because that would take absolute truth to do, or is there something i missed.
lawtonfogle said:or is there something i missed.
That's more of a solipsist; they believe that everything is simply an illusion created by their own imagination. Must make for some screwy marriages.mattmns said:I am not sure if I totally agree with Evo's description of an Atheist. I know my dad believes in what the op said. He says that an atheist does not believe in anything as well, not even in him\herself, or the room he\she is in.
Possible, but that would more likely label them as agnostic.mattmns said:I am not sure if I totally agree with Evo's description of an Atheist. My english 102 teacher was an atheist and he talked about religion and the bible all the time, maybe he was not a real atheist according to Evo, and maybe others. Personally, I think an atheist is simply a person who does not believe in, or acknowledge, a god(s), whether or not they think about religion does not matter.
Well, no, but let me answer that with the dictionary definition of atheist and see what you think.However, I know my dad believes in what the op said. He says that an atheist does not believe in anything as well, not even in him\herself, or the room he\she is in.
mattmns said:However, I know my dad believes in what the op said. He says that an atheist does not believe in anything as well, not even in him\herself, or the room he\she is in.
lawtonfogle said:An atheist beleives in no absolute truth, so they cannot state they are an atheist, because that would take absolute truth to do, or is there something i missed.
fourier jr said:i thought that's what a nihilist is
Evo said:Merriam-Webster
Main Entry: athe·ist
Pronunciation: 'A-thE-ist
Function: noun
: one who believes that there is no deity
I said that an atheist doesn't care about religion.neurocomp2003 said:EVO: if it is defined that an atheist must not (EVO) "think about religion or a god" then what do you call a person who doesn't believe in god but needs the thought process to argue with someone who does?
Then that's because you're using a religious definition of "absolute truth" to be synonymous with God. So if someone goes around preaching that God is the absolute truth, then an atheist would reject that idea. That doesn't mean they don't believe in truth, just not what the religious call "truth." (Dang, and the more I write the word "truth" the weirder it looks. :tongue2:)lawtonfogle said:well, i know an atheist does not believe in God, but all atheist i have talked to say there is no absolute truth. Saying there is no God is saying there is no absolute truth.
lawtonfogle said:well, i know an atheist does not believe in God, but all atheist i have talked to say there is no absolute truth. Saying there is no God is saying there is no absolute truth.
......Evo said:What religious people can't deal with is that some people just do not need religion. They cannot understand that. They cannot deal with it.
That would make atheists ignorant. Someone can think about the possibility of a god, read the bible and be an atheist: it's researching. An atheist is one who disbelieves or denies the existence of a god. An agnost believes there is a possibility for the existence of a god, but is skeptical.Evo said:Someone that says they are an atheist, but says they think about religion or a god isn't really an atheist, they are just unsure of what they believe. You are not an atheist if you spend time thinking about the posibility of a god.
I need to clarify (at least I know what I'm thinking ) The way I meant it is that a true atheist does not question if there is a god or not, or if religion (god) is correct, if they did, they would not be atheist, they would be agnostic. That doesn't mean that an atheist cannot know anything about god(s) or religion or is unable to discuss it. I hope that makes it clearer.Monique said:That would make atheists ignorant. Someone can think about the possibility of a god, read the bible and be an atheist: it's researching. An atheist is one who disbelieves or denies the existence of a god.
Smurf's definition of agnostic is also my understanding - Agnosticism: The belief that there can be no proof either that God exists or that God does not existMonique said:An agnost believes there is a possibility for the existence of a god, but is skeptical
That would be me: a semi-militant atheist. Whatever someone chooses to believe is fine with me, and I'm perfectly willing to discuss it in a rational manner. The instant he tries to 'convert' me, I'll fall on him like a ball of neutronium.neurocomp2003 said:then what do you call a person who doesn't believe in god but needs the thought process to argue with someone who does?
No, he really wasn't, at least, he didn't want to be.Nietzsche is often identified as being a nihilist for his blatant rejection of the dichotomy of good/evil, and indeed all similar dichotomies.
Ok, now that sounds good, thanks for the clarification.Evo said:I need to clarify (at least I know what I'm thinking ) The way I meant it is that a true atheist does not question if there is a god or not, or if religion (god) is correct, if they did, they would not be atheist, they would be agnostic. That doesn't mean that an atheist cannot know anything about god(s) or religion or is unable to discuss it. I hope that makes it clearer.
Smurf's definition of agnostic is also my understanding - Agnosticism: The belief that there can be no proof either that God exists or that God does not exist
neurocomp2003 said:ithen what do you call a person who doesn't believe in god but needs the thought process to argue with someone who does?
Berislav said:No, he really wasn't, at least, he didn't want to be.
"Nihilism is not the cause, it is only the logic of decadence."
-F. Nietzsche, The Will to Power
He thought that a nihilist is what a philosopher becomes when he becomes sick.
lawtonfogle said:well, i know an atheist does not believe in God, but all atheist i have talked to say there is no absolute truth. Saying there is no God is saying there is no absolute truth.
kcballer21 said:I recently heard what I think is a pretty good term that atheists and agnostics could identify themselves with: "doubter"
NateTG said:Not accurate at all:
As an agnostic I don't doubt the existence of god. That would be a waste of time and effort, rather I have decided that whether god exists or not is insignificant, and move on.
Moreover, a strong atheist doesn't doubt the existence of god, rather she knows that there is no god, or, at least, could have the same strenght of dogma as someone who believes in god.
For some people the notion of 'god' is ill-defined. It doesn't make sense to talk about doubting something that doesn't make sense in the first place.
Finally, even the most devout of believers is human, and therefore fallible in his own beliefs, hence he too, may doubt the existence of god.
Moreover, "doubter" doesn't exactly have a positive connotation. Even "sceptic" is a good bit less negative, and is quite a bit more accurate.
They're not, simply due to the fact that the term implies consideration of the possibility. An atheist like me flatly denies not only that there is a god, but that there even could be one.kcballer21 said:I see the terms as compatible.