Do you believe there are right and wrong reasons for being an atheist or a theist? If so, what are those reasons? Do those reasons apply just to you, or do you believe they apply to all humans?
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Right and Wrong Reasons for being (A)theist
- Thread starter Quintessence
- Start date
Genuinely and honestly seeking to have accurate, factual beliefs about the world without harming anyone is, to my mind, the best reason to hold any belief. If someone becomes a theist because they have thought about the question of whether or not a god or gods exist using logic, personal life experience, their interpretation of scientific facts, etc., good for them. Same if they become an atheist via the same method.
On the other hand, posing, being hypocritical, and/or seeking social or financial gain at the expense of others by pretending to be a theist or atheist in any given situation or "becoming" one to achieve such ends seems to me to be a wrong reason to be a theist or atheist. Furthermore, accepting whatever beliefs one was brought up with without logically and factually analyzing them strikes me as another flawed or "wrong" reason to be a theist or atheist.
I'm an atheist myself, but I respect the arrival at theism through genuine, honest thinking a lot more than I do the arrival at atheism through posing, pretending, or distortion of facts. I also believe that a person can be genuine and honest but still arrive at incorrect conclusions. I don't subscribe to the idea that if someone is sincerely seeking the "truth," they will necessarily find it, be it scientific, theological, or any other type of truth.
Self-honesty is always the key. What do you believe and why? How much have you really explored your beliefs?
The worst reason to believe anything? Because someone else told you to.
The worst reason to believe anything? Because someone else told you to.
Curious George
Veteran Member
Yes, but it largely gets into my belief that atheism is the belief that no god exists.
Setting that aside:
I think reasons also exist for the "lack of belief" definition-- specifically, sincerity in that lack of belief. I find many people claim atheism because they are mad at the god or gods in which they did and arguably still do believe. Such is a wrong reason to classify oneself as an atheist.
Reason to be an atheist, ie, not believe in gods:
Lack of evidence for gods.
Is there any other reason?
Lack of evidence for gods.
Is there any other reason?
I'm with @Revoltingest when it comes to being an atheist. But I'm also an anti-theist because I think theism has outlasted its usefulness, and is now a negative influence on society.
I'm also curious why the OP didn't ask about deists?
I'm also curious why the OP didn't ask about deists?
There is actually no need for any reasons for being a theist or an atheist. Those are ultimately just aesthetical preferences with little to no significance beyond the strictly personal sphere.
I don't doubt that there is someone out there that actually flips a coin to decide whether he is a believer or not at any given moment. And that is quite ok.
There are ideological, social and political realities that lend the two situations a significance that they can't sustain, but that is very much a separate matter.
I don't doubt that there is someone out there that actually flips a coin to decide whether he is a believer or not at any given moment. And that is quite ok.
There are ideological, social and political realities that lend the two situations a significance that they can't sustain, but that is very much a separate matter.
What? I can often agree with you Luis or see your point but this is nonsense. Many people put a lot of time and effort into seeking and researching, plus personal experience and argument.
Atheism I think would usually result in a lack of reason to believe otherwise.
I suppose there could be other reasons, like first hand experience of the harm caused by religious belief or I suppose peer pressure.
The first reason I'd imagine would apply to all people, the second two depending on their individual circumstances.
It is clear that many people perceive theism and / or atheism as being significant in and of themselves, certainly.
And that perception is often if not always far more consequential than theism and atheism themselves.
For the same reason I didn't ask about any other specific type of theism or atheism in the OP. If you want to answer that question for polytheism, pantheism, ignosticism, or whatever else, feel free.
A great starting point, and definitely easier said than done, right? I would call this "introspection" rather than "self-honesty," I think.
Is it? I've noticed folks in my country have this weird relationship with the idea of authority. We seem to think it's bad in spite of constantly relying on it. I don't think any of us operate with an absence of authority in our lives. If we're honest with ourselves, pretty much the entirety of our educational experiences boil down to believing something because it is what we were taught. We don't personally replicate the historical research that produced our textbooks and lectures, or do the same with the experiments for science research. Curiously, I found my art classes more anti-authority than my science classes. Perhaps the nature of the disciplines? I don't know.
That's an interesting perspective. It might be true in some cases, and less so in others. Whenever someone shifts from one ideology to another, there's sometimes bad blood with the former tradition so to speak. I notice that animus in the Pagan community from time to time as well. Not sure I would say that a person is wrong for changing their path out of anger and frustration, but when they find their new one, I'd hope it comes from a place of more positivity than that.
I would hope so, considering there is evidence for various gods. I think that the reason you list here is more accurately "lack of evidence the person finds acceptable." Even with that caveat, I'd still hope a person has more cause than that. Our ways of life aren't all about proofs and evidence. Luis mentioned aesthetic preference, for example; it can also be a simple "I'm not interested in gods." I was like that for many years.
I see it somewhat differently.....
It's about avoiding erroneous & non-factual beliefs.
Ie, it's about not being wrong, rather than about being right.
This leads to weak rather than strong atheism.
Curious George
Veteran Member
I did not say a person was wrong for changing their path out of anger, I said that anger is a wrong reason to classify oneself as an atheist. One should classify themselves based on a sincerity of belief. Anger at the particular god or gods in which a person believes does not resolve the question about whether they believe in a god or gods. If someone wrongly categorizes themselves I would say that they are doing it for the wrong reason.
I agree.
I thought context made that clear.
I've no additional reasons.
It's not about proof.
But it is about evidence & the lack thereof.
Aesthetics is irrelevant.
Need is irrelevant.
I think untruthful ideas are bad reason for anything. And most atheistic reasons seem to be untruthful. It is ok to me, if people don’t believe, but if they explain it with false arguments, I think that is not good.
I suppose I would consider that a reason. Reasons don't have to be super heady and intellectual. "I like it" can be a good reason to do something.
Maybe, but it seems to me that in practice there's usually a more active rejection process going on given that exposure to some type of theism is virtually guaranteed in current culture. It's why I often frame theism as "acceptance of some particular god-concept" and atheism as "rejection of some particular god-concept." But I suppose that's just my personal preference in terms of perceiving these things.
Religious belief is a separate issue... I almost clarified that in the OP, but didn't feel the need. I could make a separate thread on "right and wrong reasons to practice a religion (or lack thereof)."
As for peer pressure or social conformity, that's a huge component that can have both positive and negative impacts.
Woberts
The Perfumed Seneschal
Hol up. May I direct you to a thing called..... science?