PratchettFan
Gold Member
- Jun 20, 2012
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I doubt that. You seem to be making all of unwarranted - and in at least one case, wholly inaccurate - assumptions about what people here believe.I think some of you are misstating the atheists argument for proof.
The argument is:
If there is no evidence/proof for the existance of something, then there is no reason to believe it does exists.
Another way of saying this is:
If there is reason to believe something exist, then there is evidence for it.
(Is the above true? )
If there is no evidence for something, then there is no reason to believe it exist.(the Atheist argument concerning god)
Note that we can't cut the word believe out. Why? Because we could have evidence of something that no longer exist. Also we could lack evidence for something that currently/previously did exist.
The mis-statement that some of you are making is
"If there is no evidence, then it does not exist"
Which is not the atheist argument. The argument is based on the belief on whether something exist or not. Not if it actually exists or not.
(I guess this is where some believers try to claim that atheism is a religion.)
There could be a god. But I don't believe in the God of Abraham because the only evidence I have for it is circumstantial and hearsay--some of it including obvious elaborations that makes me doubt the sources of these claims even more.
By the way, once you can't believe in the God of Judaism, Western religion is no longer viable for you.
I fully understand the argument. However, just because that is the claim does not make it so. I go based upon the statements made, not what I am told is the argument.
When the claim is made that anyone who does believe in a God is stupid, and that claim has been made many times, that is more than just not believing. When the claim is made that theism is a mental illness, also made many times, that is more than just not believing.
This, in a thread claiming that "atheism is a fringe kook theory cult"? Whatever. Religious people proselytize a "hell" of a lot more than atheists, and invest a lot more time and energy claiming that those who disagree with them are evil.
There are definitely atheist assholes. If you want to hold them up as representative of everyone who doesn't believe in your god, go for it. But don't be surprised when the 'favor' is returned.
I don't care if you believe in my god. I don't even want you to. This has absolutely nothing to do with my god. This is about how people believe, not what they believe. Believe whatever you like, but at least acknowledge that is what you are doing. Don't pretend you are on some higher intellectual ground because you believe B rather than A. Because that makes you exactly like the people saying you're going to hell.
If the actual definition of an Atheist is someone who lacks beliefs in God, then I am probably the closest thing to an Atheist here... and I am a Theist.
Which part was wholly inaccurate?