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Are people born inherently atheist?

eggyolk

Member
Are people born inherently atheist? If we never had all these religions would people "find god?" I know everybody would be curious about why things happen but if people were raised with the final conclusion of an inquiry as "we just don't know yet" rather than than saying "god, would the world be a better place?
 
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Skwim

Veteran Member
Are people born inherently atheist? If we never had all these religions would people "find god?" I know everybody would be curious about why things happen but if people were raised with the final conclusion of an inquiry as "we just don't know yet" rather than than saying "god, would the world be a better place?
I don't think so. Mentally, many people need the support and security that religion gives them. I believe there would be far more dysfunctional people if there wasn't a faith in a greater power to go to.
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
Personally, I find suggesting that humans are "born atheist" waters down the meaning of the term atheist to the point of ridiculousness. Next we'll be talking about "atheist" rocks and "atheist" rivers. Until a being has sufficient agency to be taking ideological stances on things it makes more sense to me to say "not applicable."
 

Kilgore Trout

Misanthropic Humanist
I wasn't born with the capacity or ability to meaningfully be either an atheist or a theist. However, by the time I was intellectually developed enough for these concepts to be meaningful, my genetics and experiences were such that my propensity for holdling irrational beliefs was quite limited. Thus, even if I wasn't "born" an atheist, I doubt I ever would have developed into a theist.
 

Benoni

Well-Known Member
absolutely
Absolutely.

1 Corinthians 2:13-15 (Amp)
14But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.
 

eggyolk

Member
I wasn't born with the capacity or ability to meaningfully be either an atheist or a theist. However, by the time I was intellectually developed enough for these concepts to be meaningful, my genetics and experiences were such that my propensity for holdling irrational beliefs was quite limited. Thus, even if I wasn't "born" an atheist, I doubt I ever would have developed into a theist.

I guess most of you are right but when you develop are you going to become a Christian or Jew and naturally follow the practices or not. I am leaning towards no. How are you going to want something Kosher, if you do not know what it is.
 

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Personally, I find suggesting that humans are "born atheist" waters down the meaning of the term atheist to the point of ridiculousness. Next we'll be talking about "atheist" rocks and "atheist" rivers. Until a being has sufficient agency to be taking ideological stances on things it makes more sense to me to say "not applicable."
What is the meaning of "atheist," then? Isn't atheism simply a lack of belief in God? If so, wouldn't any one or thing that lacked a belief in God be atheist?
I think people tend to over complicate atheism.

I wasn't born with the capacity or ability to meaningfully be either an atheist or a theist. However, by the time I was intellectually developed enough for these concepts to be meaningful, my genetics and experiences were such that my propensity for holdling irrational beliefs was quite limited. Thus, even if I wasn't "born" an atheist, I doubt I ever would have developed into a theist.
But why would atheism require capacity or ability? It's not a belief, a system or a faith. It's a lack; an emptiness of belief.
 

eggyolk

Member
What is the meaning of "atheist," then? Isn't atheism simply a lack of belief in God? If so, wouldn't any one or thing that lacked a belief in God be atheist?
I think people tend to over complicate atheism.

But why would atheism require capacity or ability? It's not a belief, a system or a faith. It's a lack; an emptiness of belief.


I love when people say exactly what I was thinking but couldn't find the exact words.
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
I would have capitulated to whatever my athiest parents said was true if they insisted. If they had not insisted then I'm not sure. I wouldn't have taken any of it seriously for quite some time.
 

Mycroft

Ministry of Serendipity
Are people born inherently atheist? If we never had all these religions would people "find god?" I know everybody would be curious about why things happen but if people were raised with the final conclusion of an inquiry as "we just don't know yet" rather than than saying "god, would the world be a better place?


No. Nobody is born like anything. At all. Genetics does not provide someone with a value system.

/thread
 

Mycroft

Ministry of Serendipity
I think he meant religion?


Let me be clearer:


Genetics does not provide you with anything, but your biological makeup. The shape of your eyes, nose, color of your hair and eyes, size of your booblidoo's and the length of your shambamdoobly etc. etc.
 

eggyolk

Member
Let me be clearer:


Genetics does not provide you with anything, but your biological makeup. The shape of your eyes, nose, color of your hair and eyes, size of your booblidoo's and the length of your shambamdoobly etc. etc.

That's not true 100%. You are wired a certain way for somethings but that can be changed by nurture/environment. You have a brain mass that is set already in someways no matter how much it grows and expands.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
I know. It is a concept. Genetics also do not provide concepts.
But genetics can provide mental traits & predispositions, eg, sociopathy, addiction, intelligence.
I wager that it applies to spiritual matters, materialism, magical thought, etc.
Spirituality just ain't in me.
 
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Mycroft

Ministry of Serendipity
But genetics can provide mental traits & predispositions, eg, sociopathy, addiction, intelligence.
I wager that it applies to spiritual matters, materialism, magical thought, etc.
Spirituality just ain't in me.


Yes, they generate propensity to certain kinds of behaviour to a limited degree. But they can't make you atheist, christian, catholic, jedi, spaghetti monster..ist? and so on. That all has to be learned.
 
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