Athiest's....what do they believe? (Christians, doctrine, atheists, agnostics)
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Where did you get that idea?
The only thing you can know about atheists is that they lack one particular belief (belief in gods).
The following quote from Stephen F. Roberts sums up the situation very nicely:
"I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do.
When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours."
Where did you get that idea? The only thing you can know about atheists is that they lack one particular belief (belief in gods). Just because you lack belief in god does not mean that you don't believe in various other things. You would just have to ask each individual atheist what they believe since there are no official "atheist beliefs." If you lack belief in big foot does that mean that you believe in nothing?
Good answer. The only thing us atheist have in common is not believing in gods. All other things we have in common are just because we are human.
Atheists don't believe in god(s). There are no other beliefs that could be considered "atheist".
I don't entirely agree, but in part it depends on what you think a god is.
For instance, Christians don't consider angels gods, but all the reasons that atheists don't believe in any gods would also apply to angels. The same for fairies, leprechauns, trolls, spirits in trees or other parts of nature, or any other posited being or entity that is not purely physical.
By the same token, it's hard to imagine an atheist who has thought very much about it believing in spirits, souls, ghosts, or reincarnation.
I know that there are some atheists who are willing to talk about spiritual or soul-like entities or experiences, but when you examine the ideas closely they are mostly either not thinking about it deeply enough or, as in the case of talking about spiritual experiences, using the word metaphorically to talk about emotional or aesthetic experiences.
Its amazing how even when you ask people to be polite in threads there are still some in the world that have to make some snide remark. Thanks Mightyqueen and Rafius your completley usless points were made hope you feel better about your bitter self's now
I wouldn't regard them as useless points. They are useful points.
Ok to start this is not an attack on athiests or anyone for that matter so lets try and keep it polite
Iv always kinda assumed that athiest's generally believe in nothing, not only when it comes to god but also aliens and life exhisting in the universe but the more i think about it im sure thats not the case, so my question is to the athiests, what exactly are your beliefs when it comes to god and aliens etc..do you believe in one and not the other or niether?
There are many gods you don't believe in, I simply believe in 1 less, and with that goes all the baggage of the ancient superstitions about the one you do believe in.
I don't entirely agree, but in part it depends on what you think a god is.
For instance, Christians don't consider angels gods, but all the reasons that atheists don't believe in any gods would also apply to angels. The same for fairies, leprechauns, trolls, spirits in trees or other parts of nature, or any other posited being or entity that is not purely physical.
By the same token, it's hard to imagine an atheist who has thought very much about it believing in spirits, souls, ghosts, or reincarnation.
I know that there are some atheists who are willing to talk about spiritual or soul-like entities or experiences, but when you examine the ideas closely they are mostly either not thinking about it deeply enough or, as in the case of talking about spiritual experiences, using the word metaphorically to talk about emotional or aesthetic experiences.
Being an atheist does not preclude one from believing in the supernatural in general....just not gods. Atheists can believe in all sorts of off the wall things such as ghosts, big foot, aliens, reincarnation, esp, etc. For example, many buddhists are atheists, and they believe in reincarnation. I have a family member (an uncle) who is a lifelong atheist, but believed in ghosts up until a few years ago (and he is 67).
but all the reasons that atheists don't believe in any gods would also apply to angels.
First, let me be clear that I don't believe in anything supernatural (angels, ghosts, spirits, etc, included). And I acknowledge that that is true for many atheists as well, but a person can be an atheist and still believe in the supernatural as long as one does not believe in god(s). There are some that do.
Second, your sentence gives the impression that you think atheists have the same reasons for not believing in god(s). That is just not true. In the West, many of us atheists are atheists for rational, skeptical, maybe even scientific reasons. But, that is not true of all atheists in the West and certainly not for all atheists in general. As much as we might wish all atheists were rational, skeptical, scientific, etc, it just isn't true.
So, again, the only thing one can safely assume all atheists have in common is not believing in the existence of god(s).
Being an atheist does not preclude one from believing in the supernatural in general....just not gods. Atheists can believe in all sorts of off the wall things such as ghosts, big foot, aliens, reincarnation, esp, etc. For example, many buddhists are atheists, and they believe in reincarnation. I have a family member (an uncle) who is a lifelong atheist, but believed in ghosts up until a few years ago (and he is 67).
I know many do, but I don't. At one point I probably would have said that I did, but that may have been partly due to the fact my mother, an atheist, did. In retrospect, it is as irrational as gods.
So, again, the only thing one can safely assume all atheists have in common is not believing in the existence of god(s).
Whereas agnostics consider this sort of absolute position to be just as absurd and unsupportable
(asserting a negative) as the underlying assertions within any of the various religions are.
What the two views do have in common though is a rather complete incredulity
as regards the religious interpretations of what "god" might be.
And the more specific, the more absolute, that religious dogma gets in it's assertions of the (so far) unprovable...
not only the less credibility it has... but the less it can have.
hth
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