Atheism is a faith

[MoonWater]

faith-belief that is NOT based on PROOF.
many religious people claim that the phrase "there is a god." is fact while many Atheists claim that the phrase "there is NO god" is fact. The truth is however that neither phrase is fact or even fact based but they are both FAITH based. While there is no evidence to back up the claim that there is a God there is also no evidence to back up the claim that there is NO God. Your thoughts? Keep in mind I am not simply refering to the abrahamic god in this argument but however anyone would define God/ Goddess/ supreme being or force, whatever you call it/them and however you may define it/them.

(if there is already a thread on this let me know and provide a link and I'll simply join in the discussion in that thread. Otherwise have at it.)

 

[UnTheist]

is fact while many Atheists claim that the phrase "there is NO god" is fact.

Strawman

Most Atheists are weak or implicit atheists (they don't hold a belief in God). The non-belief in something in which there is no evidence is 100% non-faith based, period.

 

[Sunstone]

I agree, it's a strawman.

Besides, that old saying, "If atheism is a faith, then baldness is a hairstyle" pretty much sums it up.

 

[Nanda]

And not collecting stamps is a hobby. (Overused, yes, but a personal favorite. )

 

[Smoke]

No, I don't think atheism counts as a faith. While I feel certain that there is no god, I admit to the theoretical possibility that there may be a god, just as it's theoretically possible that there are fairies in my garden, trolls under every bridge, and goblins in the cellar. I can't prove that I'm not the only being who really exists, and merely imagining the rest of you. I can't prove that Buttons hasn't created the universe and all of us, and given us the illusion that we're all older than we really are. I can't prove that Alyssa isn't God Incarnate and the Redeemer of the World.

However, while I can't disprove any of those things, the likelihood that they're true seems so remote (or, alternately, so irrelevant) that I feel justified in behaving as if they were certainly untrue.

 

[ChristineES]

Faith means belief, not necessarily a belief in a god. Just belief. So if they have no faith then they don't believe in anything at all, not even that the sun will rise in the morning.

 

[Smoke]

Faith means belief, not necessarily a belief in a god. Just belief. So if they have no faith then they don't believe in anything at all, not even that the sun will rise in the morning.

Well, technically, it won't.

But there's a big difference in having faith in something for which there is no evidence, and believing, in light of the evidence, that something is likely or even virtually certain to be true.

And by the way, if faith just means belief, then the devils have faith, right?

 

[Popeyesays]

I agree, it's a strawman.

Besides, that old saying, "If atheism is a faith, then baldness is a hairstyle" pretty much sums it up.

But baldness is a hair style. One could ask Bruce Willis or Telly Savalas, or Yul Brynner.

Regards,
Scott

 

[ChristineES]

And by the way, if faith just means belief, then the devils have faith, right?

Yep!!

 

[Scuba Pete]

There are many atheists who indeed approach this as their faith. They are evangelistic, they are passionate and they are persistent. Sounds like a "faith" to me, but your mileage might vary.

At the root of this "It's not a faith" argument is the apparent disdain many atheists place on faith. Somehow, someone who demonstrates faith is less of a person, and yet what is faith but our actions produced by what we believe or don't believe. This faith can either be evidenced or blind, but it is there nonetheless.

 

[Scuba Pete]

And by the way, if faith just means belief, then the devils have faith, right?

Indubitably. I would also suggest that they are NOT atheists!

 

[MoonWater]

Belief

1. Mental acceptance of and conviction in the truth, actuality, or validity of something
2. Something believed or accepted as true, especially a particular tenet or a body of tenets accepted by a group of persons.

According to these definitions then Atheism is a belief. After all there are certain ideas that an atheist must accept to be an atheist(like the idea that there is no God.) And these ideas, these "tenets" are accepted by a group of people.

 

[MoonWater]

There are many atheists who indeed approach this as their faith. They are evangelistic, they are passionate and they are persistent. Sounds like a "faith" to me, but your mileage might vary.

At the root of this "It's not a faith" argument is the apparent disdain many atheists place on faith. Somehow, someone who demonstrates faith is less of a person, and yet what is faith but our actions produced by what we believe or don't believe. This faith can either be evidenced or blind, but it is there nonetheless.

Or they think that faith and religion are the same thing which is not really the case even though the words are often used interchangebly. Faith is a requirment of religion but religion is not a requirment of faith. And having faith or religion does not make you less of a person. And I have met just as many evangilical atheists as I have met evangilical christians. I agree with you completely, I just wish I could have put it so eloquently.:bow:

 

[MaddLlama]

By those definitions, any opinon is a faith. Believing that Mint ice cream is the best ice cream is a faith, believing the truth that cats are adorable is a faith.

It's an extremely weak definition, and belief and faith are not interchangeable.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Atheism is an inference.

 

[Popeyesays]

Atheism is an inference.

And faith is a deduction. A deduction is an inference in reverse.

Regards,

Scott

 

[MoonWater]

By those definitions, any opinon is a faith. Believing that Mint ice cream is the best ice cream is a faith, believing the truth that cats are adorable is a faith.

Yes it does doesn't it? Though I fail to see the problem with that.

It's an extremely weak definition, and belief and faith are not interchangeable.

Tell that to the american heritage dictionary, that's where I got these definitions from. And what makes you think that belief and faith are not interchangeable? Both words have numerous definitions many of which are very similar to eachother. While I think there are certain cases where one word is better to use than the other that does not mean they are absolutely not interchangeable.

 

[Willamena]

faith-belief that is NOT based on PROOF.
many religious people claim that the phrase "there is a god." is fact while many Atheists claim that the phrase "there is NO god" is fact. The truth is however that neither phrase is fact or even fact based but they are both FAITH based. While there is no evidence to back up the claim that there is a God there is also no evidence to back up the claim that there is NO God. Your thoughts? Keep in mind I am not simply refering to the abrahamic god in this argument but however anyone would define God/ Goddess/ supreme being or force, whatever you call it/them and however you may define it/them.

(if there is already a thread on this let me know and provide a link and I'll simply join in the discussion in that thread. Otherwise have at it.)

Faith is trust that something is. Belief is in something that is. Neither describes atheism.

 

[MoonWater]

By those definitions, any opinon is a faith. Believing that Mint ice cream is the best ice cream is a faith, believing the truth that cats are adorable is a faith.

It's an extremely weak definition, and belief and faith are not interchangeable.

Faith is trust that something is. Belief is in something that is. Neither describes atheism.

Atheists believe that God IS nonexistent.

 

[UnTheist]

Atheists believe that God IS nonexistent.

Do you like repeating the same strawman over and over again?