Do you not believe in a god or gods? Are you skeptical about what established religion has put forth for the masses to believe in? Do you find the explanations for our existence attributable to a higher power or to some unknown and unknowable supernatural hypothesis for why and how we are here lacking at the least or preposterous at the most?
I suppose then that you are an atheist or agnostic of the highest order. And we welcome you to discuss this in this "haven" within a "haven" of sorts.
Do you believe in a god or gods? Are you truly curious about why atheists are the way they are? About their own personal philosophies?
You're welcome to direct your queries here. Please, be courteous.
Rules (so far): This post is designed to be a forum of sorts for the exclusive discussion of atheism and of being an atheist. Only questions and queries are welcome by theists and supernaturalists. Commentary relevant to the question or query is allowed. It is advisable to refrain from derogatory language or otherwise defamatory statements to individuals or this online community as a whole.
Further guidelines may apply.
Atheism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Atheism, as a philosophical view, is the position that either affirms the nonexistence of gods or rejects theism. When defined more broadly, atheism is the absence of belief in deities, alternatively called nontheism. Although atheism is often equated with irreligion, some religious philosophies, such as secular theology, or some varieties of Theravada Buddhism, lack belief in a personal god.
Many self-described atheists are skeptical of all supernatural beings and cite a lack of empirical evidence for the existence of deities. Others argue for atheism on philosophical, social or historical grounds. Although many self-described atheists tend toward secular philosophies such as humanism and naturalism, there is no one ideology or set of behaviors to which all atheists adhere.
The term atheism originated as a pejorative epithet applied to any person or belief in conflict with established religion. With the spread of freethought, scientific skepticism, and criticism of religion, the term began to gather a more specific meaning and was sometimes used as a self-description by atheists.
Friday 12 October 2007
Atheism
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12 comments:
I don't need a god to get through my day. When I stopped drinking I did it on my own. God is for the weak minded. end of story!
I tried discussing a christians belief but got trashed in the process but I got my two cents worth in at the end. :)
Pending sufficient evidence to the contrary, I believe in no gods. Which is a pity in a way, 'cause Dionysus rocks a party hard.
Dionysus>He was also known as the Liberator (Eleutherios), freeing one from one's normal self, by madness, ecstasy, or wine.[2] The divine mission of Dionysus was to mingle the music of the aulos and to bring an end to care and worry.
I see, Modus!
I BIND SATAN AND HIS WORKS HERE IN THE NAME OF JESUS. YOU WILL LOOSE THESE PEOPLE. tHESE PEOPLE ARE A CREATION OF GOD AND WILL NOT RETURN VOID. I COMMAND EVERY HARDENED HEART TO BE SOFTEN AND OPENED IN THE NAME OF JESUS. I COMMAND THAT YOU COVER THEIR EARS FROM THE ENEMY AND IS LIES IN THE NAME OF JESUS. I THANK YOU THAT YOU LOVE US LORD, NO MATTER WHAT WE HAVE DONE, OR WHERE WE ARE, FOR YOU ARE ALWAYS WITH US. IN JESUS' NAME I SEAL ALL THESE THINGS.
You gotta be kidding me! Writing in caps and not leaving your name? What are you hiding from? The bright light of truth and rationality? Self-righteous and arrogant! Have you, for a second, considered what you have just said? Commanding people here and there. Well, I command you now, by the power of the FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER that you be released from the bonds of your so-called "faith" and return to its HOLY NOODLY APPENDAGE.
hi, i am a long-time reader and lurker on sites like richard dawkins, pz myers, sam harris, edge, panda's thumb,and guardian's comment>religion.
while the religious discussions attract me, i am also drawn by the bits on science, politics, education and culture at large. while its tempting to lay it heavy on why religion is not so great, may i suggest that this site can have a positive and holistic take on this issue by promoting critical thinking. in my experience, it is not fruitful to debate with people who don't have rigorous standards for accepting evidence, or a critical framework necc. to be skeptical of circular logic, cognitive dissonance, probabilities etc. i think the comments section for such articles are generally illuminating. for me, this sort of public excursions are not about proving myself to be right or someone else to be wrong. it is about putting different models side by side and inviting someone to make up their minds based on the evidence, and always provisionally so. Atheism needs better PR.
personally, i have wondered about whether a patriarchal society, with a good-intent-bad-reasoning politically-invested emphasis on cultural relativism, automatic respect for people in authority (i believe respect should be earned as opposed to civility) has inadvertently created a hotbed for religion. the vocal opposition from a particular group to 377a was a demonstration of sorts.
also i'm wary about the sedition act, which has jailed bloggers for race comments, and a woman (i think) for spreading some flyers critical of islam. but, this is a superficial take on what actually happened, i am sure someone with a good knowledge of singapore laws can clarify this.
perhaps that person can also illuminate me on why we have sharia law in a supposedly secular society?
•edit* the vocal opposition from a particular group in reaction to the repeal 377a incident was a demonstration of sorts.
I LOVE WRITING IN ALL CAPS. ATHEISTS ARE SILLY!!
YOU "DONT BELIEVE IN GODS OR GOD BUT YOU CANT STOP TALKING ABOUT HIM (THEM)!!!!
YOU MAKE NO SENSE!!
AND WHATS WORSE-YOU CAN QUOTE SCRIPTURE!!! LOL
I SEE TOO MANY FLAWS WITH THIS IDEA...
MICHELE, WHATS WILL WRITING A NAME DO?
ITS ASHLEY.
I DONT SEE HOW THAT WOULD MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE.
AND I NOWHERE CAMMANDED PEOPLE HERE NOR THERE. I HOPE YOUR SPAGHETTI MOSNTER ISN'T TOO HARSH ON YOU FOR TALKING BEFORE THINKING.
“I LOVE WRITING IN ALL CAPS. ATHEISTS ARE SILLY!!”
ASHPASH, I think Michele was merely pointing out that writing in ALL-CAPS does not add weight to your argument. Some of us do not use it, for numerous reasons like it reducing the quality of communication (due to poor grammar and legibility) – though mainly through preference.
“YOU "DONT BELIEVE IN GODS OR GOD BUT YOU CANT STOP TALKING ABOUT HIM (THEM)!!!!
YOU MAKE NO SENSE!!
AND WHATS WORSE-YOU CAN QUOTE SCRIPTURE!!! LOL
I SEE TOO MANY FLAWS WITH THIS IDEA...”
I often talk about murder and the death penalty, so to do I talk about black-holes not being worm-holes. Each of these topics, and many more besides, have differing degrees of believability – both in the sense of whether or not they exists, and whether or not they are “right” in a moral sense.
This doesn’t stop me getting involved with discussion on those topics – why? It is because I’m somehow confused? Does my ability to quote scripture somehow deflate my attempts at learning about something? Surely, a wiser man might say, “If you’ve not even read the book, how can you comment?” – but you are suggesting otherwise. Really?
And please, for the love of debate and the learning of us all – could you identify but a few of the “MANY FLAWS WITH THIS IDEA”.
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