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While I do not believe there is some divine force holding everything together, I'm not quite ready to proclaim myself an atheist and close off even the slightest possibility.
Basically, I am still leaving myself slightly open to new theories.
Most atheists claim "no belief" in gods, not knowledge that there are no gods. There is a difference.
Exactly, they say God does not exist...that they believe there is no God.
I cannot form a belief, without having the knowledge or proof of it. Since I don't have the knowledge, there is very little I can believe. I also don't DISbelieve...because I don't know it to be false either.
Exactly, they say God does not exist...that they believe there is no God.
I cannot form a belief, without having the knowledge or proof of it. Since I don't have the knowledge, there is very little I can believe. I also don't DISbelieve...because I don't know it to be false either.
If you cannot form a belief, then you are without a belief! Being without a belief (in gods) makes you by definition, an atheist. You do not even have to have heard of the word "god", to be considered an atheist. You just have to have no belief. You do not have to "dis"-believe in gods (believe that gods do not exist) to be an atheist, you just have to be without the belief that gods do exist. The fact that you do not hold a belief (that gods do exist) does not mean that you must therefore hold the opposite belief (that gods do not exist).
The fact that I do not deny the possibility, that I also lack NON-belief, as well as belief, means I am simply agnostic. I refuse to make a commitment on a belief continuum one way or the other.
If you cannot form a belief, then you are without a belief! Being without a belief (in gods) makes you by definition, an atheist. You do not even have to have heard of the word "god", to be considered an atheist. You just have to have no belief. You do not have to "dis"-believe in gods (believe that gods do not exist) to be an atheist, you just have to be without the belief that gods do exist. The fact that you do not hold a belief (that gods do exist) does not mean that you must therefore hold the opposite belief (that gods do not exist).
To be atheist, I would have to disbelieve. I don't disbelieve either. I am completely neutral on a belief continuum. I'm on neither end of that spectrum.
To be atheist, I would have to disbelieve. I don't disbelieve either. I am completely neutral on a belief continuum. I'm on neither end of that spectrum.
I sort of agree with, except the specifics of a god, as ascribed by believers is hard to resolve with the facts of nature. Eg, what kind of loving god would invent "eat and be eaten" or cancer, or disease etc.,? What kind of perfect creator would have such massive flaws in its work such as the appendix, cancer, genetic diseases, etc.? I would have to call it "not-very-intelligent-design"!
Accordingly, while I am not absolutely certain there is no god, I feel the odds of it are so remote as to be almost non-existant.
To be atheist, I would have to disbelieve. I don't disbelieve either. I am completely neutral on a belief continuum. I'm on neither end of that spectrum.
No, you are leaving off the only definition that applies to all atheists: they lack a belief in god. They have no belief.
atheist unbeliever in God or deities: somebody who does not believe in God or deities
You do not have to disbelieve something (feel that you are not able to believe what somebody is telling you) to lack a belief in it. There are hundreds of gods that I lack a belief in. I know a little about some of these religions, but the majority I don't know anything about. I lack belief in these religions because I do not know anything about them and have no reason to hold a belief in them. This does not mean that I actively disbelieve in these gods, just that I lack a belief in them (atheist).
If you disbelieve, then you lack belief. And vice versa.
I don't disbelieve. Yet I don't believe either.
It doesn't matter. The part in red is what makes you by definition an atheist. You don't have to "disbelieve".
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