What do atheists and Theists have in common in their approach to life and relations with other people? Anything? I have been attempting to find common ground here, and so far all I can come up with is the affirmation of the Golden Rule, at least in theory.
Not sure how to explain it, but perhaps it can be attributed to the contrarian impulse a debate setting seems to provoke even in people of good will.
Is there anything else that atheists and Theists have in common in their values, and approach to life and relations to others? Besides the Golden Rule?
Do we even have the Golden Rule in common? How many atheists embrace that maxim as their guiding life principle? How many Theists, for that matter?
What do atheists and Theists have in common?
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Elijah John
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What do atheists and Theists have in common?
Post #1 My theological positions:
-God created us in His image, not the other way around.
-The Bible is redeemed by it's good parts.
-Pure monotheism, simple repentance.
-YHVH is LORD
-The real Jesus is not God, the real YHVH is not a monster.
-Eternal life is a gift from the Living God.
-Keep the Commandments, keep your salvation.
-I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior.
I am inspired by Jesus to worship none but YHVH, and to serve only Him.
-God created us in His image, not the other way around.
-The Bible is redeemed by it's good parts.
-Pure monotheism, simple repentance.
-YHVH is LORD
-The real Jesus is not God, the real YHVH is not a monster.
-Eternal life is a gift from the Living God.
-Keep the Commandments, keep your salvation.
-I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior.
I am inspired by Jesus to worship none but YHVH, and to serve only Him.
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William
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Post #2
Elijah John: What do atheists and Theists have in common?
William: Both have the capacity to be judgmental in their assessment of one another.
William: Both have the capacity to be judgmental in their assessment of one another.
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Elijah John
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Post #3
True enough. Anything positive?William wrote: Elijah John: What do atheists and Theists have in common?
William: Both have the capacity to be judgmental in their assessment of one another.
My theological positions:
-God created us in His image, not the other way around.
-The Bible is redeemed by it's good parts.
-Pure monotheism, simple repentance.
-YHVH is LORD
-The real Jesus is not God, the real YHVH is not a monster.
-Eternal life is a gift from the Living God.
-Keep the Commandments, keep your salvation.
-I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior.
I am inspired by Jesus to worship none but YHVH, and to serve only Him.
-God created us in His image, not the other way around.
-The Bible is redeemed by it's good parts.
-Pure monotheism, simple repentance.
-YHVH is LORD
-The real Jesus is not God, the real YHVH is not a monster.
-Eternal life is a gift from the Living God.
-Keep the Commandments, keep your salvation.
-I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior.
I am inspired by Jesus to worship none but YHVH, and to serve only Him.
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Mithrae
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Re: What do atheists and Theists have in common?
Post #4Elijah John wrote: Is there anything else that atheists and Theists have in common in their values, and approach to life and relations to others?
I'd be surprised if there were many (if any) major/consistent differences between atheists and theists around the world in any of the four more basic tiers.
Approaches to "self-actualization" vary widely from person to person of course, even among members of a particular religion, so even there I'd be surprised if there were many clear theist/atheist distinctions, as such. Meanwhile, there's obviously a lot of overlap between the two groups in moral application (if not theory), artistic and cultural appreciation/expression, pursuit of personal intellectual development, appreciation of nature and so on.
Really, without giving it too much thought it's possible that moral theory (which you've highlighted by zeroing in on the Golden Rule) may be one of the very few areas in which differences between the two groups are obvious, with many theists proposing that their morality derives from their god. But there's plenty of overlap even there: Many if not most non-Abrahamic theists probably share quite similar perspectives on moral theory with many atheists. Then there's obviously the metaphysical/epistemic opinions which constitute the defining difference between the two groups. But what clear/consistent differences are there beyond those two areas? Off the top of my head I can't think of any.
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William
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Post #5
[Replying to post 3]
Elijah John: What do atheists and Theists have in common?
William: Both have the capacity to be judgmental in their assessment of one another.
Elijah John:True enough. Anything positive?
William: What possible positive can come out of that? Thousands of years of the same old same old has not provided evidence that anything positive which means anything, has been forthcoming from the capacity to be judgmental in their assessment of one another...
Elijah John: What do atheists and Theists have in common?
William: Both have the capacity to be judgmental in their assessment of one another.
Elijah John:True enough. Anything positive?
William: What possible positive can come out of that? Thousands of years of the same old same old has not provided evidence that anything positive which means anything, has been forthcoming from the capacity to be judgmental in their assessment of one another...
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Divine Insight
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Re: What do atheists and Theists have in common?
Post #6Is a religious debate forum really the place to be looking to find common ground?Elijah John wrote: I have been attempting to find common ground here
Common ground about what? Theological beliefs?
That's not likely to happen on a "Christianity and Apologetics" debate forum. Not even among the Christians themselves.
[center]
Spiritual Growth - A person's continual assessment
of how well they believe they are doing
relative to what they believe a personal God expects of them.
[/center]
Spiritual Growth - A person's continual assessment
of how well they believe they are doing
relative to what they believe a personal God expects of them.
[/center]
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Elijah John
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Post #7
No, not asking if anything positive comes out of their being judgemental against each other, but rather was asking if they have anything positive in common. As per the OP in their approach to life and relations to others.William wrote: [Replying to post 3]
Elijah John: What do atheists and Theists have in common?
William: Both have the capacity to be judgmental in their assessment of one another.
Elijah John:True enough. Anything positive?
William: What possible positive can come out of that? Thousands of years of the same old same old has not provided evidence that anything positive which means anything, has been forthcoming from the capacity to be judgmental in their assessment of one another...
My theological positions:
-God created us in His image, not the other way around.
-The Bible is redeemed by it's good parts.
-Pure monotheism, simple repentance.
-YHVH is LORD
-The real Jesus is not God, the real YHVH is not a monster.
-Eternal life is a gift from the Living God.
-Keep the Commandments, keep your salvation.
-I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior.
I am inspired by Jesus to worship none but YHVH, and to serve only Him.
-God created us in His image, not the other way around.
-The Bible is redeemed by it's good parts.
-Pure monotheism, simple repentance.
-YHVH is LORD
-The real Jesus is not God, the real YHVH is not a monster.
-Eternal life is a gift from the Living God.
-Keep the Commandments, keep your salvation.
-I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior.
I am inspired by Jesus to worship none but YHVH, and to serve only Him.
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Tcg
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Re: What do atheists and Theists have in common?
Post #8[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]
Theists believe in a completely unverifiable being. Atheists lack belief in the completely unverifiable being theists claim exists.
Whatever commonality they may posses has nothing to do with the perfectly unverifiable God theists imagine exists.
Tcg
Theists believe in a completely unverifiable being. Atheists lack belief in the completely unverifiable being theists claim exists.
Whatever commonality they may posses has nothing to do with the perfectly unverifiable God theists imagine exists.
Tcg
To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.
- American Atheists
Not believing isn't the same as believing not.
- wiploc
I must assume that knowing is better than not knowing, venturing than not venturing; and that magic and illusion, however rich, however alluring, ultimately weaken the human spirit.
- Irvin D. Yalom
- American Atheists
Not believing isn't the same as believing not.
- wiploc
I must assume that knowing is better than not knowing, venturing than not venturing; and that magic and illusion, however rich, however alluring, ultimately weaken the human spirit.
- Irvin D. Yalom
Re: What do atheists and Theists have in common?
Post #9Yes, this is assuming we even have the golden rule. I would certainly not jump to that conclusion, for even supposed "Christians" (supposing a title isnt void of meaning) reject Christian teachings sometimes... And i am certainly suspicious of all those around me... For if the Golden Rule abides, surly i have been proven wrong (or have i?).Elijah John wrote: What do atheists and Theists have in common in their approach to life and relations with other people? Anything? I have been attempting to find common ground here, and so far all I can come up with is the affirmation of the Golden Rule, at least in theory.
Not sure how to explain it, but perhaps it can be attributed to the contrarian impulse a debate setting seems to provoke even in people of good will.
Is there anything else that atheists and Theists have in common in their values, and approach to life and relations to others? Besides the Golden Rule?
Do we even have the Golden Rule in common? How many atheists embrace that maxim as their guiding life principle? How many Theists, for that matter?
I am inclined to think Christians and Atheists are alike in nearly all ways... Except in belief i suppose. Though who isnt alike in belief? Though we all have brains, all brains are separate...
The only thing, i suppose, that should be the question here is whether a "rebirth" actually exists... A good debate... And something i can not deny, though only ponder the reality of.
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William
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Post #10
[Replying to post 7 ]
Elijah John: No, not asking if anything positive comes out of their being judgemental against each other, but rather was asking if they have anything positive in common. As per the OP in their approach to life and relations to others.
William: Yes that is understood. My observation is along the lines of "What do those things matter?", in relation to the main thing they have in common with each other.
What makes those other things positive, when a negative spin is always attached?
Why would it matter "if they have anything positive in common" if one does not ask also, if anything positive comes out of their being judgemental against each other?
Elijah John: No, not asking if anything positive comes out of their being judgemental against each other, but rather was asking if they have anything positive in common. As per the OP in their approach to life and relations to others.
William: Yes that is understood. My observation is along the lines of "What do those things matter?", in relation to the main thing they have in common with each other.
What makes those other things positive, when a negative spin is always attached?
Why would it matter "if they have anything positive in common" if one does not ask also, if anything positive comes out of their being judgemental against each other?
