Various kinds of Atheism

[sun rise]

When I was young I could care less about the "does God exist" or not question. The very question itself was uninteresting. I'm not sure that could be called atheism because atheism is a philosophical stance.

Now?

We have a follower of advaita, non-dualism here on RF who takes the stance that God does not exist. My overall belief is non-dual but I take the position that God does exist.

So part of the question is semantic: Is there a separate entity or entities that are God/gods? Or is it "'God' alone is real and we are not separate from 'God'?"

 

[oldbadger]

Thanks!

Does Non-theistic count? - as in religious practice and belief not dependent on the presence of god/s.

Or possibly a hair split too far?

Fine!
I'm including any kind that any member suggests, because if one person thinks it, then zillions of others probably will. Nobody can tell us what we think, only that they disagree etc.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Too complex.
I decree that it's a simple linear spectrum from weak to
strong atheism. Anything else is frosting on the haggis.

Even that is pushing it. Who cares the nature of the disbelief, it's just disbelief in deities. We don't say Hindus are one kind of theist, Pagans are a different type, abrahamics are a third type. They're just theists.

 

[oldbadger]

Would you consider 'transtheism' a form of atheism?

Transtheism - Wikipedia

If a member includes it here then it's going on my list ...
I must look that up and learn something.

 

[oldbadger]

I wonder if there is a definition for those who believe in the soul but not in a deity.
My cousin is one of them.

How interesting....
I wonder how many Spiritualists might be atheists. That's yet another search.

Thank you.

 

[oldbadger]

Sounds like Buddhism.

That's a point that I have not thought about.
Are all Buddhists atheists?

 

[Revoltingest]

Even that is pushing it. Who cares the nature of the disbelief, it's just disbelief in deities. We don't say Hindus are one kind of theist, Pagans are a different type, abrahamics are a third type. They're just theists.

The distinction between weak & strong atheism is useful
in arguments on RF....helping theists understand us.

 

[oldbadger]

Before I came on RF, I just had one definition of atheism if it crossed my mind at all: lack of belief in gods.

Those atheists who have sub-set beliefs, like your list, I had no clue existed (even agnosticism) and I had to look up deism first time I saw it. I wonder if that's an actual worldview or a way of not saying one is a theist but want to be along those lines. Which doesn't quite make sense because theism isn't a christian word so whether one believes god interacts with the world or not, if that person believes in god-they are a theist (same thing is regardless if one doesn't like religions, don't care about them, or knows god does not exist, if you don't believe god exists, you're a atheist).

Just going by RF, I only remember one or two people who are ignosticists, but, if not accepting ideas means they don't believe in any type of god, they are an atheist.

Atheists don't believe ANY type of deities exist. All the sub-sets and all of that I guess that's personal preference. I'm a pretty simple "direct" atheist. Another thing, when someone says they believe in god, that doesn't mean they believe in the christian god-so I'd say that unless atheists say they don't believe in deities, it really begs the question if they believe in god just not the one they are familiar with.

A very interesting pov. Thank you.
I am a Deist, but deism is all about believing in an uninvolved unaware disinterested God, hence I am not a Theist.

But those miserable Atheists won't accept Deists as atheists. I don't care, I'll go sit by myself. *chokes.... sobs*

 

[oldbadger]

Too complex.
I decree that it's a simple linear spectrum from weak to
strong atheism. Anything else is frosting on the haggis.

But do you actually believe in a Haggis? A very strange concept.

 

[sun rise]

But do you actually believe in a Haggis? A very strange concept.

I've seen pictures of what people claim is haggis. The internet is full of haggis theories and web sites.

But I've never seen or personally experienced haggis and have no reason to believe that haggis is anything but mythology that the credulous accept and some claim to have experienced.

 

[oldbadger]

When I was young I could care less about the "does God exist" or not question. The very question itself was uninteresting. I'm not sure that could be called atheism because atheism is a philosophical stance.

Now?

We have a follower of advaita, non-dualism here on RF who takes the stance that God does not exist. My overall belief is non-dual but I take the position that God does exist.

So part of the question is semantic: Is there a separate entity or entities that are God/gods? Or is it "'God' alone is real and we are not separate from 'God'?"

Wow.... I'm learning something about atheism for sure.

Before this thread I had no clues.

Question. Could it be said that when you were young you were an Apatheist? I'm just showing off what I've learned now.

 

[oldbadger]

The distinction between weak & strong atheism is useful
in arguments on RF....helping theists understand us.

What type are you, weak or strong, and I'm not talking about weight lifting.

 

[oldbadger]

I've seen pictures of what people claim is haggis. The internet is full of haggis theories and web sites.

But I've never seen or personally experienced haggis and have no reason to believe that haggis is anything but mythology that the credulous accept and some claim to have experienced.

Oh I know... It's incredible , but @Revoltingest is a Haggitheist.
....what can I say?

 

[Secret Chief]

That's a point that I have not thought about.
Are all Buddhists atheists?

No.
eg Vajrayana is big into deities. Zen is non-theistic.

 

[37818]

Atheism is denying God to be God.

The existence of God question effectively denies God.
Existence is presumed in the question, so God in the question is being called into question.
In God we live and move and have our existence. Acts 17:28.
The things in existence are not God nor part of God.

 

[firedragon]

Various kinds of Atheism

I had to post this in the 'General Religious' debates section because this debate is intended for anybody to respond to.

A thread about various churches within Christianity has led on to this question.
I cannot think of many kinds of Atheism myself, but here is my short list.
Please do add to the list, argue about it, deny bits of it....... as you please.

Religious Atheism (Henotheism. Christianity. etc )
Implicit Atheism (I don't see how God could be real)
Direct Atheism (There is no God!)
Religion Mythers (God and everything in the bible etc is myth!)
Deism (God is unaware and uninvolved, so there is no Theistic God)
Agnosticism (I don't believe in God but am open minded)
Apatheism (I don't actually care about God, one way or t'other)
Ignosticism/Igtheism. (I don't accept any ideas or definitions about God.

Over to you all.......

Atheists will also claim many things to themselves, and credit it all to atheism. At least many of them do. Like science, then secularism, democracy, sometimes communism, but now since its not very well accepted and you look like a "bad guy" or more than that a "stupid guy" atheists dont really take up communism as one of their crowns they wish to claim to themselves. There are many things like that.

But you have missed the most important two. One is Atheism where A just means they dont take a position and just wish to get on with life with out believing in a God or deity. Like A sexual.

The other Atheism is Anti-theism. They are against theism as a philosophy or policy. By definition that is.

Interesting topic this.

 

[ChristineM]

That same idea was voiced on the Christian churches thread, that Christianity could be as diverse as it's followers.
Of course, Christians were branded as the first atheists because they don't believe in Greek or Roman God's.
Interesting.

Not sure branding someone who believes in a different god as an atheist makes much sense. Athfidy comes from the greek 'a' (without) 'theos' (gods)

 

[Revoltingest]

What type are you, weak or strong, and I'm not talking about weight lifting.

My natural tendency is towards strong.
But knowing that gods cannot be disproven, I'm weak.

 

[Revoltingest]

Oh I know... It's incredible , but @Revoltingest is a Haggitheist.
....what can I say?

I had some in Scotland.
Pretty good stuff.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

That same idea was voiced on the Christian churches thread, that Christianity could be as diverse as it's followers.
Of course, Christians were branded as the first atheists because they don't believe in Greek or Roman God's.
Interesting.

The birth of humanism? (Age of reason?)