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| Author | Topic: What Is The Positive Evidence For Atheism? | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Omnivorous Member  Posts: 3991 From: Adirondackia Joined: Member Rating: 7.5 |
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Omnivorous Member Posts: 3991 From: Adirondackia Joined: Member Rating: 7.5 |
quote:  No, I was a Christian child before I was an atheist, then later (and now) an agnostic due to my own quixotic notions of intellectual honesty. I'll widen my reply: the best positive evidence for atheism is the depravity and hypocrisy of believers of all stripes. Gods have done us no good on this earth. Even if proven to exist, why would anyone worship such entities? Maybe God stays hidden because we would storm heaven. Real things always push back. -William James Save lives! Click here!Join the World Community Grid with Team EvC! ---------------------------------------
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Omnivorous Member Posts: 3991 From: Adirondackia Joined: Member Rating: 7.5 |
bluegenes writes: Omnivorous writes: No, I was a Christian child before I was an atheist, then later (and now) an agnostic due to my own quixotic notions of intellectual honesty. You were an atheist baby before you were a Christian child. (I agree with Ray, which could be regarded as evidence that miracles do happen). ... I like the term "non-theist" because of constant confusion as to what atheist and agnostic mean. By some dictionary definitions, I'm an atheist, by others I'm not. You can tell when a theist has written the definition. It will be something like "a belief in the non-existence of God", rather than "lack of belief in God". Theists need to be able to say "my faith is as good as yours". Both Christianity and Islam (particularly) have made the claim that belief in their respective Gods is innate. Muslims describe converts as reverting to Islam, not converting. This is outrageous! That's why I claim that babies are atheists. Hi, bluegenes. I've participated in and witnessed a thousand debates about the definitions of atheist, agnostic, theist, nontheist, etc. They usually end in acute boredom, with all sides claiming victory, so I prefer to sidestep this semantic brouhaha. Whatever set of definitions one works with, since babies hold no beliefs about gods whatsoever, calling them atheists seems true only in a trivial fashion. I'm not accusing atheists of intellectual dishonesty; however, I do believe there is a significant difference between the beliefs of atheists and agnostics. Further, I believe that whatever definitions one uses, they make sense only in the context of active intellectual consideration. It makes no more sense to call a baby an atheist because she has no beliefs about gods than it does to call a baby an anarchist because he has no beliefs about proper governance: an absence of belief does not equal belief in an absence. So there is no equivalence between me as a babe naive of belief about gods and my early adolescent atheism. Comparisons of beliefs are valid and significant only between actively held beliefs--evangelicals who enter vegetative states, for example, do not become atheists. Real things always push back. -William James Save lives! Click here!Join the World Community Grid with Team EvC! ---------------------------------------
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Omnivorous Member Posts: 3991 From: Adirondackia Joined: Member Rating: 7.5 |
Michael writes: I have one task today--to make roasted garlic mashed potatoes. I'd better get to it. Right now, I'm peeling my Yukon Golds while the garlic roasts. Then, I'll bake a pumpkin pie with my secret family recipe; next, sautee celery and onion for the stuffing. After all that, I'll enjoy an anticipatory nap before proceeding. Work, work, work: an epicure's job is never done.  Edited by Omnivorous, : No reason given. Real things always push back. -William James Save lives! Click here!Join the World Community Grid with Team EvC! ---------------------------------------
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Omnivorous Member Posts: 3991 From: Adirondackia Joined: Member Rating: 7.5 |
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Omnivorous Member Posts: 3991 From: Adirondackia Joined: Member Rating: 7.5 |
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