Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
At the end of it all , the question still remains . Why do some people insist on calling a disbelief or lack of belief in something a " belief"?
To requote sanspeurs excellent analogy, it's like considering not collecting stamps a hobby .
Ha ha, I've never heard that one, but pretty good. And I would say that it makes sense to a certain degree. Atheism is a lack of belief and a skepticism in religious and spiritual claims, which I think sums it up fairly and accurately.
I guess where I differ from Mordant is that I don't think metaphysical beliefs are less rational than naturalistic beliefs. There are many different kinds of atheists and theists who use all kinds of wacky explanations to rationalize their goofy assumptions of the world, but on a whole I think there are rational reasons to believe in god just as there to not believe. It is easy to point to examples of theists who believe wacky stuff, but it's also easy to find atheists who do the same thing to reach their conclusions about religion.
On a certain level it doesn't make sense to me to assume another dimension -- a spiritual realm -- exists or is interacting with the physical world, but in some cases it could very well be the most plausible explanation. It is not so much that atheism is rational and theism is irrational, but how each is applied in the real world.
Atheist seem to view the belief that God exists as somehow different from scientific beliefs because it is not based on empirical evidence.
But many atheists believe that life exists in other solar systems even though there is no empirical evidence because we can't travel to other solar systems to see
So you believe it is unlikely that God exists but that isn't a belief?
An irrelevant matter of semantics . You are having to throw the qualifier " unlikely" in there for it to even matter .
In RELEVANT terms, I disbelieve in the existence of aliens. There is no evidence of them. However , I do not believe they can't exist , as that evidence is lacking also . But I do not have a belief system about my disbelief in aliens , I simply disbelieve in their existence .
Atheist seem to view the belief that God exists as somehow different from scientific beliefs because it is not based on empirical evidence.
But many atheists believe that life exists in other solar systems even though there is no empirical evidence because we can't travel to other solar systems to see
What atheists do you refer to and what exactly did they say? Most likely what was said is that given 100 billion galaxies with each containing 100 billion stars for planets to orbit , the odds of some kind of life elsewhere seems likely . That is not saying you believe aliens exist , merely that the odds favor it . And life elsewhere could be the equivalent of moss or lichens or even just bacteria .
On a certain level it doesn't make sense to me to assume another dimension -- a spiritual realm -- exists or is interacting with the physical world, but in some cases it could very well be the most plausible explanation. It is not so much that atheism is rational and theism is irrational, but how each is applied in the real world.
A lot of this question has to do with whether you insist on an answer (or perhaps even an answer that you find pleasing) -- or if you're willing to simply admit when you don't know because there is insufficient data and/or lack of logical argument in favor of a thing.
I think theists tend to make up answers because they can't abide sitting with uncertainty. To me, the logical default in the absence of evidence is to withhold belief and await developments. Even though I know that many questions that interest me are unlikely to be answered in my lifetime. It's all good to me. I would rather keep silent and be thought a fool, than to open my mouth and remove all doubt.
A lot of this question has to do with whether you insist on an answer (or perhaps even an answer that you find pleasing) -- or if you're willing to simply admit when you don't know because there is insufficient data and/or lack of logical argument in favor of a thing.
I think theists tend to make up answers because they can't abide sitting with uncertainty. To me, the logical default in the absence of evidence is to withhold belief and await developments. Even though I know that many questions that interest me are unlikely to be answered in my lifetime. It's all good to me. I would rather keep silent and be thought a fool, than to open my mouth and remove all doubt.
It has not yet been proven that evolution is completely blind as opposed to being aided by an intelligence.
Are you withholding belief with regard to that?
It has not yet been proven that evolution is completely blind as opposed to being aided by an intelligence.
Are you withholding belief with regard to that?
Now you are just repeating yourself.
And to repeat the answer you already got, Due to the lack of evidence supporting some externally guided evolution, I don't believe that hypothesis.
Neither do I hold a blind faith that evolution is not guided in any way. Currently the evidence points in that direction, but it is possible that there will be new evidence at some point, so I don't take it as an article of faith, just the conclusion that our current understanding indicates...
You are doing very well at supporting the idea that this entire line of argumentation revolves around trying to establish some false equivalence between an evidence based epistemology and a Faith based one. You keep trying so hard to characterize a rational evidence based approach as equivalent to unevidenced faith...
Most scientist believe that there is life on other solar system but there is no empirical evidence that there is because we cannot travel to other solar systems.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
