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So, I wanted to create a thread in order to dispel a couple myths about atheism.
1. Atheism is not a belief or lifestyle and can not be treated like a belief or lifestyle.
2. It follows that belief-based and lifestyle-based decisions made by an atheist are not pursuant to atheism.
I am making this thread because I've seen a ridiculously high number of theists saying things like "Atheism is a faith in no God" and making claims against atheism as though it were a violent, hypocritical belief set.
An atheist could be a violent, genocide supporting warlord or an atheist could be a pacifist who likes gardening and donating to poor children. Neither lifestyle is because the person is an atheist.
If you're an atheist, I'd be obliged to hear your thoughts on this.
If you're a theist and disagree, please provide a detailed explanation.
It is unbelief, and in that sense not a belief and in fact the opposite of faith. However it is, for nearly all atheists in my experience, a belief position (I see no evidence or argument that justifies belief in any deities) as opposed to a knowledge position.
Yes, while it's uncommon, atheists believe in all sorts of things normally associated with theism (e.g., a naturally explicable afterlife, ghosts, etc.). It is not uncommon for atheists to be anti-religion but there is no impediment to us being kindly disposed or indifferent to religion also, and many of us are. Atheists are free to be licentious and hedonistic as theists will often imagine that we are but in my experience most are not. We are pretty ordinary people for the most part.
Some atheists, particularly newly minted ones, are angry or bitter but most are actually LESS so. The anger and bitterness come from theism's own broken promises, and once you realize there is no substance to the promises it's easy enough to let go of the associated illusions.
The politics and lifestyle of atheists vary greatly also. In general neither changed when I left theism, although my politics were already evolving independently in a more liberal direction and lack of belief in various theocratic shibboleths helped to facilitate that ... but as such, it had nothing to do with atheism.
Atheism is a very narrow position about a very specific topic and as such is nowhere near as determinative as theists like to imagine that it is, of some sort of lockstep dogma or inevitable endpoint. That is their own projection. They can't really get their minds around the concept of freedom of thought, around living with NO dogma at all, around taking full personal responsibility for your own actions or inactions.
It is unbelief, and in that sense not a belief and in fact the opposite of faith. However it is, for nearly all atheists in my experience, a belief position (I see no evidence or argument that justifies belief in any deities) as opposed to a knowledge position.
I don't have any comments on most of what you said, but I do want to clarify my first statement.
Atheism is not a belief, but a lack of a belief. When I use the word belief here, I (hopefully obviously) am specifically talking about an ideology.
I don't have any comments on most of what you said, but I do want to clarify my first statement.
Atheism is not a belief, but a lack of a belief. When I use the word belief here, I (hopefully obviously) am specifically talking about an ideology.
Yes, I understand the distinction. Many theists do not, though, and they accuse us of arrogantly claiming to know for a fact that there are no gods -- when that is not a claim the vast majority of us actually make. So I feel it necessary to establish the nuance of what atheism is and isn't rather carefully.
Of course many won't pay attention, preferring to believe stereotypes.
I guess the one misconception that gets me the most is that we have no basis for morality; that it's subjective to whatever "feels right" ( or any number of variations of that misconception. No, I may not have a holy book or scripture to provide moral guidance, but it is something that comes from within. My moral compass is directed by how I value people, relationships, and civil law. I may not be accountable to a deity, but that doesn't mean I have no accountability for my actions.
I guess the one misconception that gets me the most is that we have no basis for morality; that it's subjective to whatever "feels right" ( or any number of variations of that misconception. No, I may not have a holy book or scripture to provide moral guidance, but it is something that comes from within. My moral compass is directed by how I value people, relationships, and civil law. I may not be accountable to a deity, but that doesn't mean I have no accountability for my actions.
Well, I have mixed feelings about this.
I know if I was a theist, I'd point out that "how you value people, relationships and civil law" doesn't actually explain where morality comes from. The idea theists often present is that morality is objective and morality is a sort of commandment. A commandment requires a commander, therefore God/s. I personally object to morality being objective. I think it's probably got a lot more to do with different traits being evolutionarily advantageous.
I guess the one misconception that gets me the most is that we have no basis for morality; that it's subjective to whatever "feels right" ( or any number of variations of that misconception. No, I may not have a holy book or scripture to provide moral guidance, but it is something that comes from within. My moral compass is directed by how I value people, relationships, and civil law. I may not be accountable to a deity, but that doesn't mean I have no accountability for my actions.
Although not an atheist, I can understand and relate to this. Animists, Buddhists, Wiccans et al - any who walk a non Judeo-Christian path - get the same cretinous crap tossed their way, by fundamentalists in particular.
Well, I have mixed feelings about this.
I know if I was a theist, I'd point out that "how you value people, relationships and civil law" doesn't actually explain where morality comes from. The idea theists often present is that morality is objective and morality is a sort of commandment. A commandment requires a commander, therefore God/s. I personally object to morality being objective. I think it's probably got a lot more to do with different traits being evolutionarily advantageous.
That's thing... did morality not exist until someone or something decided to codify it? Or is it innate, yet still heavily influenced by our environment? Personally, I have no issue with the idea that some people need the structure of religion to "keep them in line." I do take issue with that being projected onto others who don't share their beliefs; we're not all out to see how much we can get away with without getting caught.
lmao, I am not worried about "morals" at all. People shouldn't oppress other people. I don't give a hoot what drives that position. Its valid. One might want to know why people saying we have no moral compass bothers us. That might indicate something. Or why they need a god to good. Both are silly.
I know one thing, "atheism" has a definition. It's easy for us to just stick with that when all else fails. But in reality we each treat it differently based on our past experiences. In a real sense atheism has "sects". to deny that would just be dishonest. These sects are not based on a "statement of belief" they are really based on statements of how we react to the word 'religion" IMHO.
we have militant/fundy, middle of the roaders, and truly indifferent to the word. The numbers don't support milli or indifference to me, but I definitely lean toward indifference. I draw the line at making laws and giving tax breaks out so freely.
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