Virtually Everyone is an Atheist in this Day and Age

[QuestioningMind]

The opposite of an atheist is not someone who believes in Christianity/Hinduism/Islam or any other recognized religion. The opposite of an atheist is someone who believes in ALL gods that have ever been worshipped throughout history. In this day and age virtually everyone is an atheist, when it comes to at least one god or another. There was a time when most people weren’t atheists; when people tended to believe in ALL gods and just happened to have certain ones that they worshipped and felt were more powerful.

Christians were among the first outspoken atheists, claiming a belief in their own god, while denying the existence of all other gods. Christians are atheists when it comes to Odin and Zeus, Vishnu and Ra, and every single other deity ever worshipped by man. The only difference between a Christian’s atheism and mine is that I have one more god on my list of those I don't happen to believe in than they do.

 

[George-ananda]

In the western mainstream landscape it seems the only three major players are the Abrahmic God, agnosticism and atheism.

Today, not many people can tell you boo about any other gods. Hard to call them even atheistic to other gods; more clueless.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

The opposite of an atheist is not someone who believes in Christianity/Hinduism/Islam or any other recognized religion. The opposite of an atheist is someone who believes in ALL gods that have ever been worshipped throughout history. In this day and age virtually everyone is an atheist, when it comes to at least one god or another. There was a time when most people weren’t atheists; when people tended to believe in ALL gods and just happened to have certain ones that they worshipped and felt were more powerful.

Christians were among the first outspoken atheists, claiming a belief in their own god, while denying the existence of all other gods. Christians are atheists when it comes to Odin and Zeus, Vishnu and Ra, and every single other deity ever worshipped by man. The only difference between a Christian’s atheism and mine is that I have one more god on my list of those I don't happen to believe in than they do.

Let me get this straight...you're suggesting that Jesus and the Pope are atheists?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

 

[QuestioningMind]

Let me get this straight...you're suggesting that Jesus and the Pope are atheists?

I'm not Jesus or the pope, but I am fairly confident that neither of them believe that Odin was a real god. Which means that they are atheists when it comes to Odin. Insert any other god ever worshiped throughout human history for Odin (except for the god of the bible of course), and both the pope and Jesus are atheists as far as those gods are concerned as well.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I'm not Jesus or the pope, but I am fairly confident that neither of them believe that Odin was a real god. Which means that they are atheists when it comes to Odin. Insert any other god ever worshiped throughout human history for Odin (except for the god of the bible of course), and both the pope and Jesus are atheists as far as those gods are concerned as well.

Sure...I mean, I get your point. I just don't think it's meaningful. It's not possible to believe in all Gods, or even be aware of all Gods.
What I suppose you are trying to do is to provide perspective to people, in so far as everyone should have some understanding of atheism, given that there are Gods that they themselves don't believe in.

 

[QuestioningMind]

Sure...I mean, I get your point. I just don't think it's meaningful. It's not possible to believe in all Gods, or even be aware of all Gods.
What I suppose you are trying to do is to provide perspective to people, in so far as everyone should have some understanding of atheism, given that there are Gods that they themselves don't believe in.

BINGO!

 

[Drolefille]

That's not how the prefix "a" is used though. The word atheist doesn't mean "disbelieve" it means without belief. So arguably if you have any belief you are not a-theist.

As lewis said, it isn't meaningful, and to me it's just a semantic game that is a "gotcha" thing, not a real sincere argument.

 

[QuestioningMind]

That's not how the prefix "a" is used though. The word atheist doesn't mean "disbelieve" it means without belief. So arguably if you have any belief you are not a-theist.

As lewis said, it isn't meaningful, and to me it's just a semantic game that is a "gotcha" thing, not a real sincere argument.

I'll I'm doing is trying to point out to say a Christian who is an atheist (without belief) when it comes to the god Vishnu, that in the exact same way that he or she has decided that there isn't enough evidence to believe in Hinduism, that I have simply come to the same conclusion regarding Christianity.

I find it interesting that you consider this to be a 'gotcha thing'. What about it do you find threatening?

 

[Drolefille]

I'll I'm doing is trying to point out to say a Christian who is an atheist (without belief) when it comes to the god Vishnu, that in the exact same way that he or she has decided that there isn't enough evidence to believe in Hinduism, that I have simply come to the same conclusion regarding Christianity.

I find it interesting that you consider this to be a 'gotcha thing'. What about it do you find threatening?

I don't find it threatening, I just think it comes off as childish. As does assuming someone find's it threatening. I'm not a theist.

When I was Christian I absolutely hadn't thought at all about Hinduism, when I learned about it it was as something other people - who were wrong if good people - believed. I found it interesting but that's all. I never stopped and thought that logically I must disbelieve in Vishnu, Shiva and so on.

If you have Belief at all you aren't atheist. You aren't "atheist" towards one god, you're a monotheist or a poly theist and so on. Playing with the words, the semantic game, is just a game. I don't find it particularly convincing of anything or meaningful.

 

[nazz]

Don't count me in your super majority. All gods are real.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

The opposite of an atheist is not someone who believes in Christianity/Hinduism/Islam or any other recognized religion. The opposite of an atheist is someone who believes in ALL gods that have ever been worshipped throughout history.

That was a truly inane statement.

 

[QuestioningMind]

I don't find it threatening, I just think it comes off as childish. As does assuming someone find's it threatening. I'm not a theist.

When I was Christian I absolutely hadn't thought at all about Hinduism, when I learned about it it was as something other people - who were wrong if good people - believed. I found it interesting but that's all. I never stopped and thought that logically I must disbelieve in Vishnu, Shiva and so on.

If you have Belief at all you aren't atheist. You aren't "atheist" towards one god, you're a monotheist or a poly theist and so on. Playing with the words, the semantic game, is just a game. I don't find it particularly convincing of anything or meaningful.

You were the one who referred to it as a 'gotcha thing' which implies you thought I was trying to 'get-ya' in some way, so I apologize if I wrongly concluded that meant that you felt threatened. But as far as the definition of atheist is concerned, you're wrong. As I pointed out, some of the first atheists were Christians, not because they didn't have Belief, but because they'd were WITHOUT Belief when it came to other people's gods. What people today consider to be atheists are simply those who are without Belief when it comes to any god. And the only difference between a modern day atheist and a Christian/Muslim/follower of Hinduism etc. is that we simply have one more god on our list that we are without Belief in.

 

[Drolefille]

You were the one who referred to it as a 'gotcha thing' which implies you thought I was trying to 'get-ya' in some way, so I apologize if I wrongly concluded that meant that you felt threatened. But as far as the definition of atheist is concerned, you're wrong. As I pointed out, some of the first atheists were Christians, not because they didn't have Belief, but because they'd were WITHOUT Belief when it came to other people's gods. What people today consider to be atheists are simply those who are without Belief when it comes to any god. And the only difference between a modern day atheist and a Christian/Muslim/follower of Hinduism etc. is that we simply have one more god on our list that we are without Belief in.

Sometimes I just want to shout "That's not how words work."

Christians weren't atheists. First off, the Jews predated the Christians by quite a bit, secondly although the Romans considered Jews to be very strange and something like atheistic due to being monotheist and not recognizing other deities, they still weren't atheist. You're atheist towards any single god, you're monotheist or polytheist or pantheist, or what have you.

In short: THAT IS NOT HOW WORDS WORK.

You're playing a semantics game.

 

[QuestioningMind]

Sometimes I just want to shout "That's not how words work."

Christians weren't atheists. First off, the Jews predated the Christians by quite a bit, secondly although the Romans considered Jews to be very strange and something like atheistic due to being monotheist and not recognizing other deities, they still weren't atheist. You're atheist towards any single god, you're monotheist or polytheist or pantheist, or what have you.

In short: THAT IS NOT HOW WORDS WORK.

You're playing a semantics game.

True, Jews did predate the Christians, which is why I didn't claim Christians were the first and only atheists. And the Romans DID consider the Jews to be strange and not just 'something like atheistic', but actual atheists, when it came to belief in gods other than their own.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I'll I'm doing is trying to point out to say a Christian who is an atheist (without belief) when it comes to the god Vishnu, that in the exact same way that he or she has decided that there isn't enough evidence to believe in Hinduism, that I have simply come to the same conclusion regarding Christianity.

I find it interesting that you consider this to be a 'gotcha thing'. What about it do you find threatening?

That's not how atheism works. Atheism is not an umbrella term that applies to everyone just because someone has a disbelieve in all other gods than their own. Atheism is a disbelief in all and any gods. They do not believe that a god, in any shape or form, exists. There are varying degrees, but they all center around the idea there is no god. Theism is the belief there is a god. There are varying degrees, but they all center around the idea there is a god. They really aren't polar ends of a pole, or a one size fits all thing, but rather the center of a sphere from which all beliefs that are rooted in it come from.

That's not how the prefix "a" is used though. The word atheist doesn't mean "disbelieve" it means without belief. So arguably if you have any belief you are not a-theist.

As lewis said, it isn't meaningful, and to me it's just a semantic game that is a "gotcha" thing, not a real sincere argument.

BINGO! People need to quit trying to claim others as their own. Atheists can sometimes be relentless in stating that agnostics are atheists, and it seems silly to use atheism interchangeably disbelief.

 

[QuestioningMind]

That was a truly inane statement.

It may have been helpful if you'd added a because... and then explain why you think that claiming the exact opposite of someone who believes in NO gods is someone who believes in ALL gods is a truly inane statement, but thanks for playing anyway.

 

[Willamena]

The opposite of an atheist is not someone who believes in Christianity/Hinduism/Islam or any other recognized religion. The opposite of an atheist is someone who believes in ALL gods that have ever been worshipped throughout history.

How do you figure?

Sure...I mean, I get your point.

Can you explain it?

 

[Willamena]

It may have been helpful if you'd added a because... and then explain why you think that claiming the exact opposite of someone who believes in NO gods is someone who believes in ALL gods is a truly inane statement, but thanks for playing anyway.

Because the opposite of all is not one or none, it's any. Why do people forget the "each?"

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Yes, but all people who believe in at least one God automatically is a theist. Any other god is out of question, not relevant to the believer.

And besides, it would just be annoying to call oneself an atheistic theist. Even if you're write, there s no point in this concept. Nobody is going to reflect the reason why they don't believe in X-God on why they believe in Y-God.