Syed hannan
New Member
Want to know more about Atheism..
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Why are you an Atheist?
- Thread starter Syed hannan
- Start date
HonestJoe
Well-Known Member
The only true answer the title question is "because I don't believe in the existence of any god or gods". The word atheism doesn't describe something a person does, it is a label for something a person is. It is the opposite of theism, not the opposite of a religion.
There are lots of different people who believe and do all sorts of different things who might label themselves (or be labelled by others) as atheist and what they do as atheism but there is still an almost infinite diversity across that group. It is very much the same as all of the people who believe in all sorts of different gods and practice all sorts of different religions as a consequence but are all theists. Both terms on their own are much more generic than most people treat them.
The problem is that the word atheism is (mis)used in so many different ways for so many different reasons (good, bad and indifferent) as to become almost meaningless in practice. You can't really discuss anything on the subject without first dealing with all the baggage associated with it that it's generally best not to bother with the word at all and to discuss from first principles instead.
Atheists come in different shapes and sizes, but for most Atheists they reach that conclusion based on the fact that they do not regard either scripture or personal experience as a reliable source of knowledge. The majority of atheists nowadays therefore claim that there is an "absence" of evidence to support the existence of a deity, given that science can explain most phenomena by reference to natural laws and causes. They may remain open to the possibility if evidence they regard as "legitimate" were to emerge.
For a more hard-line minority you can make the leap to say the absence of evidence is evidence of absence and that god does not exist. This does not reflect the majority view of atheists and does tend to go against prevailing traditions of scepticism and the limits of scientific knowledge about the natural world.
Initially the stories I was hearing (raised Church of England) and the actions of people claiming belief just didn't bring true.
Too inconsistent.
Basically I was judging religion and the religious, rather than God per se. I was pretty young at the time.
Over time I spent a lot of time researching, listening to various views and considering things as best I could.
I find religion very interesting, but I lack belief.
I don't believe in the existence of any god.
Which is just one step above most monotheists who don't believe in any god but the one they choose to believe
I was raised christian until the age of 14. Left the church because i was dissatisfied with its congregation. On later study of the bible i began to understand it for what it was. An allegory used to control masses
Nimos
Well-Known Member
Good question, haven't really thought a lot about it really
I think ultimately its about what make sense in the world in which we live. Its not like I see a need or I particular want to be against the idea of Gods. But I think that they as everything else, have to be able to be defendable, before anyone ought to behave as if they were real.
Which means that, just as I would question the reality of ghosts and demand or require people claiming those to be true to provide evidence for it. I demand the same from people claiming that there is a God.
So for me at least, personally, atheism is highly related to simply being sceptical of claims. And since im highly sceptical about most things, especially if they are extraordinary claims, its probably not all that weird that being an atheist is rather natural for me.
To give an example, a person claiming that God is real and in the same sentence is able to deny another extraordinary claim seems unlogic to me. For instant, claiming that Jesus rose from the dead (Just using that as an example) and then claim that believing in ghosts is ridiculous, when the first claim is equally extraordinary, is not to be truthful or critical about ones own beliefs.
And if a person can't even justify or question their own beliefs, while still claiming to be critical, that to me is simply to fool oneself. To me, that is a no go. Ill rather do whatever I can, to be as truthful to my self as possible, than trying to justify my beliefs, because I want them to be true, despite the lack of evidence. Since I have never been a believer, I can only guess. But I would find it extremely frustrating, trying to navigate and constantly having to try to explain things which makes no sense, simply because of a belief.
To me that is to do things backwards, when the natural and logical way to reach a belief, whatever it might be. Is to first be presented by evidence and if they are good enough, you will take on such belief. Whereas it seems as if a lot of religious believers, when dealing with their religion. Do it like this.... "So God is real... now where do I find things to support that?"
Since that to me, simply seem like the wrong way of dealing with beliefs in general, I question God and religious claims equal to how I question anything else.
Evidence first and then the belief follows.
Obviously evidence can be wrong, which is why I call it belief, so one has to be ready to change beliefs, if new and better evidence arise. But if your initial starting point is that "God is real", then that is not likely to change and therefore one will be fooling themself in my opinion. One can not hold a starting point "sacred".
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Syed hannan
New Member
Then how do you think this world and universe is being made?
Why do you think we could have such an answer - now or ever?
Syed hannan
New Member
Because there is something into existence, there must be a creator..
ratiocinator
Lightly seared on the reality grill.
Because I've never seen a good reason (evidence or reasoning) to take any of the thousands of god stories at all seriously.
ratiocinator
Lightly seared on the reality grill.
By that "logic" the creator would need a creator too, and so on.
A creator simply doesn't answer the question of why things exist, it just moves the problem from the universe (which we know exists) onto some supposed creator (that we have no reason to think exists).
As I've mentioned more than enough times, the multitude of different faiths, or the spectrum of beliefs as I would refer it as, hardly indicates that humans all come to the same conclusions with regards such things. It speaks more of human thinking alone and those who might posit that the majority having some belief (even if slightly different) is evidence for such being true might look at the history of such - why there has been so much conflict between them, and why they actually vary so much - one god, multiple gods, afterlife, no afterlife, etc.
So, I'm a bit agnostic with regards any God, but I just don't believe in the God/gods proposed by all the various faiths, since if any were true, then God is making an awful mess of things or might be presuming too much of humans. Seems to me that religions are the inventions of humans and the question of any origin for the universe or there being any God is best left alone, since it tends to lead into troubled waters.
So, I'm a bit agnostic with regards any God, but I just don't believe in the God/gods proposed by all the various faiths, since if any were true, then God is making an awful mess of things or might be presuming too much of humans. Seems to me that religions are the inventions of humans and the question of any origin for the universe or there being any God is best left alone, since it tends to lead into troubled waters.
Syed hannan
New Member
Then what is your logic behind the existence of this universe?
In your logic perhaps but that might not be the case.
I don't know how the universe was made. Still not evidence of a god.
ratiocinator
Lightly seared on the reality grill.
Haven't a clue. Well, I mean science tells us a lot about the last 13 billion years or so and there are informed hypotheses and conjecture that go beyond that but as to why stuff exists, I really don't have a clue, and, as I said, postulating a god/creator doesn't help.
Syed hannan
New Member
What do you think about afterlife?
No evidence that such exists. I can still remember the shock as a child when I learnt that we all died but I seemed to have gotten over this and suspect that many don't, hence their preference to believe in an afterlife perhaps. Just one of the tragedies, if one can see it as such, of being born, but would one rather not have been born? Just the price we pay for having life. That is how I see it, just wishful thinking and perhaps a reward to encourage good behaviour. Many don't need such though and can behave as they should because they believe it is the right thing to do, for themselves and for others, if we actually want to live in a better world for all.
Syed hannan
New Member
And what about
And what about Endof the world?