What is the most common mistake that atheists make?

[Gambit]

The most common mistake that atheists make is a category mistake. They mistakenly believe that polytheistic deities belong to the same ontological frame of reference as the monotheistic Deity. This category mistake is made in a variety of (inane) arguments that atheists commonly make. For instance, atheists often argue that atheism is simply believing in one less god than you do. But this is a category mistake. Polytheistic deities (if they do exist) are celestial beings that belong to the same ontological level that angels do; they do not belong to the same ontological level that the monotheistic Deity does.

"When we speak of "gods" we are talking not of transcendent reality at all, but only a higher or more powerful or more splendid dimension of immanent reality. Any gods who might be out there do not transcend nature but belong to it." (source: pg.30, "The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss" by David Bentley Hart)

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

The most common mistake that atheists make is a category mistake. They mistakenly believe that polytheistic deities belong to the same ontological frame of reference as the monotheistic Deity. This category mistake is made in a variety of (inane) arguments that atheists commonly make. For instance, atheists often argue that atheism is simply believing in one less god than you do. But this is a category mistake. The monotheistic Deity does not exist on the same level as polytheistic deities. Polytheistic deities (if they do exist) are celestial beings that exist on the same level that angels do.

Among polytheists, there are many deities that are not celestial but terrestrial in nature, part of the earth, immanent in the phenomenon they are associated with.

 

[Quintessence]

I'd broaden that a bit in a couple of ways. First, that there is a problem in general with folks lumping together all types of theism. Second, that the folks who do this are both theists and atheists.

 

[Gambit]

Among polytheists, there are many deities that are not celestial but terrestrial in nature, part of the earth, immanent in the phenomenon they are associated with.

You are making a point that was more or less expressed in the citation I provided in the original post of this thread. I consider "celestial" to be a more appropriate word choice than "terrestrial" because I associate the latter with the same ontological level that human beings and other earthly life forms belong to.

 

[Deathbydefault]

If an atheist was to argue such a point with a poly-theist they need only say "one less God or set of Gods than you have".
Easy fix.

 

[Quintessence]

If an atheist was to argue such a point with a poly-theist they need only say "one less God or set of Gods than you have".
Easy fix.

An "easy fix" only for the intellectually lazy who don't understand the nuanced differences between polytheistic and monotheistic theologies. Or theology in general, honestly.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

You are making a point that was more or less expressed in the citation I provided in the original post of this thread.

That wasn't apparent when you said:

Polytheistic deities (if they do exist) are celestial beings that belong to the same ontological level that angels do

and when you quoted:

"but only a higher or more powerful or more splendid dimension of immanent reality"

Even this is not generalizable to many or all polytheistic earth gods.

 

[Gambit]

If an atheist was to argue such a point with a poly-theist they need only say "one less God or set of Gods than you have".
Easy fix.

You're still making the same category mistake because you're failing to distinguish between "God" (with an upper case "G") from "god" (with a lower case "g").

 

[Deathbydefault]

An "easy fix" only for the intellectually lazy who don't understand the nuanced differences between polytheistic and monotheistic theologies. Or theology in general, honestly.

Be that as it may, it safes their tactic.
I personally have never argued such a point as an atheist, nor do I care to.
But I do get the point of the argument, and that point seems irrelevant to the actual theological belief.
It's just saying "we're alike in this way".

 

[Deathbydefault]

You're still making the same category mistake because you're failing to distinguish between "God" (with an upper case "G") from "god" (with a lower case "g").

I don't understand your post, I'm just used to using a capital G, I don't apply it out of will.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

The most common mistake that atheists make is a category mistake. They mistakenly believe that polytheistic deities belong to the same ontological frame of reference as the monotheistic Deity. This category mistake is made in a variety of (inane) arguments that atheists commonly make. For instance, atheists often argue that atheism is simply believing in one less god than you do. But this is a category mistake. Polytheistic deities (if they do exist) are celestial beings that belong to the same ontological level that angels do; they do not belong to the same ontological level that the monotheistic Deity does.

It would be off to say monotheistic deities are all in the same cateagory the same as it is off to say that about polytheism. Many atheists have a tendency to group monotheistic deities to one or two particular concepts and then compare them to, say, polytheism and say "this is wrong and this is right". As words mon and poly just means one and more than one. If we are looking for meaning of the actual words monotheism and polytheism, there is no specific religion or two or three that fall under each category. There are thousands of monotheism religions just as their are polytheism.

So, I wouldn't say that is the mistake because it's assuming that monotheism is only "one category" and polytheism "having more than one" but the truth is both are varied and to compare the two is useless.

Better to say the actual religion(s) one is talking about when refering to mono vs poly and then we can find the "mistakes" atheists make based on that particular view of that one-god religion or multi-god religion.

I honestly don't see the mistakes some atheists make in monotheistic faiths other than assuming that monotheism some how only involves the abrahamic god. That's the first thing that goes wrong before even going to the next step to correct the problem.

 

[Curious George]

The most common mistake that atheists make is a category mistake. They mistakenly believe that polytheistic deities belong to the same ontological frame of reference as the monotheistic Deity. This category mistake is made in a variety of (inane) arguments that atheists commonly make. For instance, atheists often argue that atheism is simply believing in one less god than you do. But this is a category mistake. Polytheistic deities (if they do exist) are celestial beings that belong to the same ontological level that angels do; they do not belong to the same ontological level that the monotheistic Deity does.

Doesn't whether this is an error or not depend upon the definition of the god the theist is employing. Many theists think of "God" as a being who has a mind and engages in a personal relationship with them. They believe their god interacts with reality not only that god is an abstract concept necessary for existence. So, when "atheists" are discussing God with a theist who believes in such a god, they are working with the same category. Hence, no categorical error.

 

[Gambit]

That wasn't apparent when you said:

and when you quoted:

"but only a higher or more powerful or more splendid dimension of immanent reality"

Even this is not generalizable to many or all polytheistic earth gods.

I consider "celestial" to be a more appropriate word choice than "terrestrial" because I associate the latter with the same ontological level that human beings and other earthly life forms belong to.

 

[Random]

All of them.

Remember the two truths of atheism:

1) There is no God, and

2) I Hate Him.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

I consider "celestial" to be a more appropriate word choice than "terrestrial" because I associate the latter with the same ontological level that human beings and other earthly life forms belong to.

okay, but you were making broad statements about the nature of polytheistic gods that are not reflective of what many polytheists actually hold for some or all of their deities.

 

[prometheus11]

It's like classifying fairies and whether a person believes in just one or many or in a single fairy that's different from the single fairy believed by others.

I don't believe in any fairies nor a Fairy nor the fairy that another group considers "The Fairy" or the Fairy of their rivals considered as a fairy by those who believe in their own Fairy.

 

[Revoltingest]

For instance, atheists often argue that atheism is simply believing in one less god than you do..

This isn't an argument for atheism at all, nor is it erroneous.
It's a joke about finding some common ground with monotheistic believers.
It refers to multiple gods types of religions, which we both reject.

 

[Gambit]

I'd broaden that a bit in a couple of ways. First, that there is a problem in general with folks lumping together all types of theism. Second, that the folks who do this are both theists and atheists.

I agree that there are many believers (theists) who are guilty of the same category mistake as the skeptics (atheists) are. Nevertheless, this is a common mistake that atheists make because I see it all the time in the arguments they make.

The term "theism" can be broadly defined to mean monotheism, pantheism, and polytheism. But it can also be narrowly defined to specifically refer to "monotheism." And I would argue that the narrower definition is the one most commonly understood. (We could also make a similar argument for "atheism.")

 

[Sunstone]

The most common mistake that atheists make is a category mistake. They mistakenly believe that polytheistic deities belong to the same ontological frame of reference as the monotheistic Deity. This category mistake is made in a variety of (inane) arguments that atheists commonly make. For instance, atheists often argue that atheism is simply believing in one less god than you do. But this is a category mistake. Polytheistic deities (if they do exist) are celestial beings that belong to the same ontological level that angels do; they do not belong to the same ontological level that the monotheistic Deity does.

How fascinating! By the way, these "celestial beings", how do they have a scientifically ascertainable impact on nature -- unlike the lack of any impact of the monotheistic deity? Or is it the case that neither the gods of the polytheists, nor the gods of the monotheists, have any scientifically discernible influence on nature?

Also, what is the evidence/reasoning for the claim that there exist celestial beings, and in what what way(s) is it any different in essence from the evidence/reasoning for the claim that there exists a monotheistic god?

 

[Sunstone]

All of them.

Remember the two truths of atheism:

1) There is no God, and

2) I Hate Him.

The idea that it is illogical for atheists to hate your deity, who I presume is Yahweh, strangely fails to take into account the obvious fact that people hate fictional characters all the time while fully realizing they are fictional. What I'd like to know is how you could have missed such an obvious objection? Also, what on earth possessed you to think that all atheists hate your deity?