- #31
nismaratwork
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Is it just me, or do people seem to be avoiding 2869? Could it be the placement, or... something about the last two digits? Hm. 
How atheistic are you? How many gods do you NOT believe in?
- Thread starter FlexGunship
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The discussion revolves around a poll asking participants how many gods they do not believe in, based on a figure of 2,870 known deities. The poll's structure leads to confusion, with participants interpreting the results in various ways. Some argue that if one believes in one god, they might still consider other gods as representations of that singular deity, leading to debates about monotheism and polytheism. The concept of atheism is explored, with some participants suggesting that true atheism would mean believing in none of the gods, while others argue that lacking belief does not equate to actively disbelieving. The conversation also touches on the Invisible Pink Unicorn and other humorous references to deities, illustrating the playful tone of the thread. Participants express a desire for clearer options in the poll and engage in philosophical discussions about belief, evidence, and the nature of gods. Overall, the thread highlights the complexity of belief systems and the nuances in how individuals define their spirituality or lack thereof.
- #32
nismaratwork
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FlexGunship said:
Lacy = Hardcore Monotheist... in the sense that her people have a long tradition of monotheism... actually THE tradition. Before that... monolatrism... can you guess?! CAN YOU?!
- #33
FlexGunship
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nismaratwork said:
Well, that fits quite a few religions.
Judaism was monlatrist, Catholicism is monlatrist (from a certain point of view given all of the saints).
Am I close? I'm not sure if "chicken soup" should tip me off, but I'm not aware of any chicken-worshiping religions.
- #34
nismaratwork
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FlexGunship said:
Judaism! shbingo!
I don't know about the part I bolded, but if not worship there's a clear love and link.
- #35
Borek
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FlexGunship said:
You are a victim of your own oversophistication.
- #36
FlexGunship
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Borek said:
A felony in 23 states.
- #37
JaredJames
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I have to agree with above. Given I dismiss the idea of a god(s) then I can't "not believe" in any of them. So for me it's a 0. But I'm not sure if I should vote as it would skew the results.
- #38
FlexGunship
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jarednjames said:
Grr... there's a difference between "believing xxxxx doesn't exist" and "not believing in xxxxx." If you claim you can fly, I can either "not believe it" or "believe you can't." They are different.
Flex getting angry... FLEX SMASH!
- #39
Evo
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We could fix it by asking "how many gods do you lack belief in?"
- #40
JaredJames
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I dismiss the whole notion of god(s), therefore there's nothing for me to believe / not believe.
To believe is to accept something - you believe in god, you accept there is a god.
To not believe is to reject something - you don't believe in god, you have entertained there may be one and said "nuh, no chance", for whatever reason that may be.
To dismiss it, I'm not even letting the possibility in. I'm not getting to the point of deciding to believe or not. In my case, I have no reason to even entertain the notion as there is absolutely zero evidence for it. To try to make such a choice on that basis would be ridiculous.
I'm not re-wording the "I don't believe" argument, I'm giving another option.
To believe is to accept something - you believe in god, you accept there is a god.
To not believe is to reject something - you don't believe in god, you have entertained there may be one and said "nuh, no chance", for whatever reason that may be.
To dismiss it, I'm not even letting the possibility in. I'm not getting to the point of deciding to believe or not. In my case, I have no reason to even entertain the notion as there is absolutely zero evidence for it. To try to make such a choice on that basis would be ridiculous.
I'm not re-wording the "I don't believe" argument, I'm giving another option.
- #41
nismaratwork
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FlexGunship said:
@Borek:
SO... anyone going to tackle the 69-gap?
- #42
Evo
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So you lack belief. You don't disbelieve. Correct?jarednjames said:
- #43
JaredJames
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Evo said:
Correct.
- #44
Ivan Seeking
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jarednjames said:
You are saying that a God might exist but you've seen no evidence?
- #45
Borek
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Evo said:
Why does it make me think about 2nd amendment thread.
- #46
Evo
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Lacking belief means you don't even bother to consider the possibility enough to disbelieve. You don't even consider it an option that it could exist.Ivan Seeking said:
- #47
JaredJames
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Evo said:
Thank you evo, couldn't have said it better myself.
- #48
Borek
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The longer the thread, the more I think it should be deleted or moved to philosophy.
- #49
FlexGunship
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Borek said:
No, please! The thread isn't doing anything wrong... its those silly forum members. They keep arguing about minutia. The thread itself has actually been very well-behaved!
Furthermore, I was told that it made an anonymous contribution to your favorite charity.
- #50
drizzle
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FlexGunship said:
I think you'ld do a good diplomat.
- #51
Math Is Hard
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Borek said:
Sorry, it doesn't meet the Phil guidelines.
- #52
nismaratwork
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Math Is Hard said:
I like the new Phil guidelines more than this thread.
- #53
╔(σ_σ)╝
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This thread is lame. :-)
- #54
nismaratwork
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╔(σ_σ)╝ said:
You have an interesting sense of humor, but I like it.
- #55
DanP
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Borek said:
Because we all know, General Discussion is not the place for long threads :P
- #56
AlephZero
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Evo said:
That only fixes it if you can prove the existence of at least one god.
Otherwise, it is in the same "meaningless words" category as a variation on Bertrand Russell's standard example, "how many kings of the USA have been bald".
- #57
DanP
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You guys forgot how to have fun. Just enjoy the freaking irony of this thread. Have fun! :PAlephZero said:
- #58
AlephZero
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DanP said:
"I don't do irony. I send my shirts to the laundry."
-- Scott Adams
- #59
FlexGunship
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nismaratwork said:
Why "but"? Shouldn't you say "and"?
"You have an interesting sense of humor, AND I like it."
What a curious distinction you've made!
Nismar, you seem to be very intelligent, but I like you.
- #60
jobyts
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"2869" for me. I'm a monotheist. I believe in myself.