This is an assertion that has been made by a few atheists on this forum.
Is it coherent for atheists to claim they don't have beliefs?
Do atheists not have beliefs?
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William
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Re: Do atheists not have beliefs?
Post #2[Replying to post 1 by ]
historia: This is an assertion that has been made by a few atheists on this forum.
Is it coherent for atheists to claim they don't have beliefs?
William: Just recently I was involved in a back and forth with an atheist who believes that the default Human condition is that of 'atheist'. [here]
Of course Atheists have beliefs. An Atheist is simply an atheist because of a lack of one particular belief. The belief that the universe is mindfully Created.
historia: This is an assertion that has been made by a few atheists on this forum.
Is it coherent for atheists to claim they don't have beliefs?
William: Just recently I was involved in a back and forth with an atheist who believes that the default Human condition is that of 'atheist'. [here]
Of course Atheists have beliefs. An Atheist is simply an atheist because of a lack of one particular belief. The belief that the universe is mindfully Created.
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Goose
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Re: Do atheists not have beliefs?
Post #3Wouldn't the belief that one has no beliefs be, itself, at least one belief?
Things atheists say:
"Is it the case [that torturing and killing babies for fun is immoral]? Prove it." - Bust Nak
"For the record...I think the Gospels are intentional fiction and Jesus wasn't a real guy." – Difflugia
"Julius Caesar and Jesus both didn't exist." - brunumb
"...most atheists have no arguments or evidence to disprove God." – unknown soldier (a.k.a. the banned member Jagella)
"Is it the case [that torturing and killing babies for fun is immoral]? Prove it." - Bust Nak
"For the record...I think the Gospels are intentional fiction and Jesus wasn't a real guy." – Difflugia
"Julius Caesar and Jesus both didn't exist." - brunumb
"...most atheists have no arguments or evidence to disprove God." – unknown soldier (a.k.a. the banned member Jagella)
Re: Do atheists not have beliefs?
Post #4"Belief" is a term I leave to folks who are in a state of the mind that assents to the proposition that the Universe was created by Jesus, for example.
I leave "beliefs" to religionists.
I "conditionally accept" evidence-based theories, for example.
Based on experience, I "expect" to see the sun on the horizon every morning.
I suggest that certain Christians don't believe that other folks don't have beliefs because they believe everyone is on the same level as them.
"God" … just whatever humans imagine it to be.
"Scripture" … just whatever humans write it to be.
"Scripture" … just whatever humans write it to be.
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historia
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Re: Do atheists not have beliefs?
Post #5Do you believe that rape is wrong?
So you believe that "certain Christians don't believe that other folks don't have beliefs because they believe everyone is on the same level as them" ?SallyF wrote:
I suggest that certain Christians don't believe that other folks don't have beliefs because they believe everyone is on the same level as them.
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JehovahsWitness
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Re: Do atheists not have beliefs?
Post #6[Replying to post 4 by SallyF]
Do you believe that memes are an effective way of communicating ideas ?
Do you believe that memes are an effective way of communicating ideas ?
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681
"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" - Romans 14:8
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681
"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" - Romans 14:8
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Danmark
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Re: Do atheists not have beliefs?
Post #7No, that is an incoherent or perhaps thoughtless statement. I think atheists who say 'no' in response to the question, probably assume the question refers to religious beliefs.
Obviously atheists have beliefs. The only thing you can say about all atheists is that they either have no belief in a God of popular theism, or they affirmatively disbelieve in such a God.
Every atheist I've met believes in truth, honesty, and being kind to others. Some even claim to believe in ghosts (which I find inconsistent with atheism). Some believe in some kind of higher power or force, perhaps even an intelligent force in the universe, as opposed to the absurd, anthropomorphic, obviously invented by man, 'God' of the Bible.
At any rate, atheism is distinct from solipsism.
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Danmark
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Re: Do atheists not have beliefs?
Post #8I think your error is in vocabulary rather than misunderstanding. 'Belief' does not solely refer to religious belief. Obviously if you define the word in a restrictive enough way, I would agree.SallyF wrote:
"Belief" is a term I leave to folks who are in a state of the mind that assents to the proposition that the Universe was created by Jesus, for example.
I leave "beliefs" to religionists.
I "conditionally accept" evidence-based theories, for example.
Based on experience, I "expect" to see the sun on the horizon every morning.
I suggest that certain Christians don't believe that other folks don't have beliefs because they believe everyone is on the same level as them.
Re: Do atheists not have beliefs?
Post #9historia wrote:Do you believe that rape is wrong?
So you believe that "certain Christians don't believe that other folks don't have beliefs because they believe everyone is on the same level as them" ?SallyF wrote:
I suggest that certain Christians don't believe that other folks don't have beliefs because they believe everyone is on the same level as them.
Please …!!!
This I don't do ...
Not a soul offers a shred of evidence to back this up, for example.
I CHOOSE that the word "belief" refers to that sort of gods and angels and talking animals and resurrections stuff.
For me …
If it looks, quacks and waddles like make-believe, I leave the term "believe" with the believers … exclusively.
This is what I do do
And this ...
I'm an independently-minded adult who knows how to discern ethical behaviour.
I don't need to cherry-pick collections of ancient writings that "believers" claim came from "God"
"God" … just whatever humans imagine it to be.
"Scripture" … just whatever humans write it to be.
"Scripture" … just whatever humans write it to be.
Re: Do atheists not have beliefs?
Post #10We should define our terms. From Google:
belief - an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists.
If we accept this definition, then every thinking person has beliefs.
