Is Aleprechaunism a Belief System?

[Fool]

I would absolutely agree. Atheists have belief systems, but atheism isn't one of them. A lot of atheists carry with them the belief system that reality is objectively real and can be reliably observed. Atheists also tend to believe in things like loving their family, loving their spouse, being kind to their neighbors, leaving the world in a better place than when they came into it, equal rights, adding to human knowledge, and many other beliefs. But, none of that is atheism . . . or apleprechanism, that is.

a belief system isn't one belief; whether theist/atheist. its an amalgamation of beliefs/disbeliefs. the person identifies the foundation of their belief by labeling it.

beliefs aren't necessarily reality, nor are they evidence based on absence of evidence. no matter how you cut it, its a belief system without some level of proof. there are no absolutes even in science. there is what we know and what we believe. what we know is mutable and so are beliefs.

 

[dianaiad]

John: Invisible leprechauns run around trees and cause thunderstorms.

Sue: I don't believe you.

Sue is an Aleprechaunist. She dares to not believe in leprechauns. So is her disbelief in John's claim about leprechauns a belief system in itself? Does your own Aleprechanism inform your views on the age of the universe or how thunderstorms form?

That all depends.

I mean...if Sue simply says "I don't see any evidence for Leprechauns,' then shes a simple a-Leprchaunist. That is, she has no beliefs. She has no reason to believe in them, and she's the sort of person who needs a reason to believe in something; a reason she accepts as plausible, or reasonable, or at least possible. That's not a belief system. That's simply lack of THAT belief system.

On the other hand, if she says "there ain't any Leprechauns; they are fairy stories made up to scare/please gullible kids and there's no possibility that they exist!"

Well now, THAT's a belief system. A pretty darned strong one.

As for me, I'm a-Leprechaunist in my daily life, but I'll become a Leprechaunist if I read certain romance novels that also involve time travel, brawny Irish lads and meddling little men in green hats.

Or perhaps not. Y'know, there just aren't that many Irish time travel romances. I wonder why not? ....never mind. Whatever, I'm willing to suspend disbelief if I run into one.

In the meantime I'll settle for brawny Scottish lairds, time travel and meddling Fae.

 

[Willamena]

John: Invisible leprechauns run around trees and cause thunderstorms.

Sue: I don't believe you.

Sue is an Aleprechaunist. She dares to not believe in leprechauns. So is her disbelief in John's claim about leprechauns a belief system in itself?

No, it is not a system of belief or a set of related beliefs. It is no more or less than the belief as stated, that there are no leprechauns.

Does your own Aleprechanism inform your views on the age of the universe or how thunderstorms form?

No.

 

[viole]

No it is not a belief system, and nor is atheism, which of course is your point. It can be argued that atheism is a belief, but not a belief system. That would be ridiculous.

If I am a believer (by believing there is no god...actually I know there is no god, but let's assume I just believe there are none), then your are an unbeliever (by not believing that all this exists without a god). That, of course, makes the two words "belief" and "unbelief" totally meaningless.

But let's replace "God" with "Invisible fairies". Since they have the same evidence to exist, they can be considered peers when it comes to plausibility. Leprechauns are in the same league.

I assume you do not believe that there are invisible fairies in your backyard. If that is the case, does this fact alone make you a believer?

Ciao

- viole

 

[exchemist]

If I am a believer (by believing there is no god...actually I know there is no god, but let's assume I just believe there are none), then your are an unbeliever (by not believing that all this exists without a god). That, of course, makes the two words "belief" and "unbelief" totally meaningless.

But let's replace "God" with "Invisible fairies". Since they have the same evidence to exist, they can be considered peers when it comes to plausibility. Leprechauns are in the same league.

I assume you do not believe that there are invisible fairies in your backyard. If that is the case, does this fact alone make you a believer?

Ciao

- viole

Ciao.

 

[viole]

Ciao.

Ciao. I noticed the new "cultural at least" attribute to your belonging to RC. That is a nice evolutionary step....So, you do not believe anymore that a wafer can turn into the body of a 2000 years old god if a primate dressed funny (important: with male sexual organs) whispers some magic latin words on it?



Ciao

- viole

 

[exchemist]

Ciao. I noticed the new "cultural" attribute to RC. That is a progress....So, you do not believe anymore that a wafer can turn into the body of a 2000 years old god if a primate dressed funny (important: with male sexual organs) whispers some magic latin word on it?



Ciao

- viole

Ciao.

 

[viole]

Ciao.

Ciao.

Ciao

- viole