Atheism Shouldn't Exist

[wolf thing]

im fine with the word existing but i dont like being called an athiest, because i dont like being label as some one who lacks something, it also can be met with alot of arguments from religious people. i profer to be called a scientist because it is my job or Scottish because its my nationality but not atheist if feels like a way of separating groups of people by believes system it just rubs me the wrong way.

 

[Michael Austin]

If the word didn't exist it would be a lacuna, a lexical gap. It's an important word to convey your belief, or lack thereof. Saying that its existence somehow means that faith in a higher power is assumed is ridiculous. We have no word for the opposite of virgin, for example, and it does not mean that it is assumed that everyone is a virgin because of a lack of a word meaning non-virgin.

The presence of a word for the lack of belief in god, if anything, means that not devoting yourself to faith is something common enough that it is worth having a name for, it doesn't promote religion as an assumed thing, but rather allows for non-religion to exist on a larger scale.

That's just my thoughts about it anyway.

PS: I like commas, I'm not sure why, sorry

 

[orangeban]

But there are different types of atheism, you get agnostic atheism and gnostic atheism. How are we meant to distinguish those two types without using the word atheist?

You can't be a something Atheist or an Atheist something. That's a misnomer. Atheists don't believe anything. Period. Done. Full stop. If you are an Atheists who believes there might be a god or a higher power, you aren't an Atheist.

That's like calling yourself a carnivorousness vegan; you either are or you aren't.

Not true, like I said, you get gnostic and agnostic atheism.

Gnostic atheism is where you know there isn't a God.

Agnostic atheism is where you don't know if there's a God or not, but you choose not to worship any.

I'm an agnostic atheist since I don't know if there's a God or not, and I don't see how some people can claim there is definetly not a God, they have no proof.

Seriously... No.

Atheism means no one has proven any god exists or doesn't exist. That's it. Done. No more. If you believe there might be a god, you are Agnostic. If you believe there is no god, you are anti-theist. Atheism, by definition, means no one has shown any evidence and you cannot believe something one way or the other without evidence. You can't just add a word to something like that; you can't say you are a not-racist hater of African Americans.

You're definition of atheism and my definition of agnosticism are strikingly similar. I don't believe there might be a God, I think there isn't enough evidence to conclusively prove the existence or non-existence. I acknowledge that there very well might be a God, but there also might not be one.

I think atheism is more about not worshipping a God, which is why I'm an agnostic atheist. I'm agnostic because I don't know if there is a God or not, I'm atheist because I don't worship any Gods.

 

[Grey Day for Elcia]

Aetheism is still a belief! They 'believe' that there isn't a god!

Atheists don't believe there is no god. Atheists are asserting that no one has shown there is a god.

Atheists don't believe anything.

AGAIN: ATHEISTS DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING - INCLUDING THAT THERE IS NO GOD.

*takes a breath*

 

[Grey Day for Elcia]

I think atheism is more about not worshipping a God

Oh god... Seriously... Please, try to understand...

Atheism means no one has shown evidence that there is a god and therefor you are choosing not to believe. Agnosticism means you believe there could be a god.

Please... understand...

Atheism is the lack of belief, not the belief in lacking. Atheists have NOTHING to do with religion because they don't have nay beliefs.

 

[ShaqLevick]

Therefore Atheism is clearly a belief system.

Okay... how can I say this... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~

Seriously. Atheism means no one has shown you evidence that a god exists or doesn't exist. It DOES NOT MEAN you believe there is no god and it is the exact opposite of a belief system.

Again: [HEADING=3]Atheism is the lack of belief based on no evidence given. Atheism is NOT the belief that no god exists.[/HEADING]

People, please, learn your meanings.

I'm with you on this more than you may believe, but I feel it's important that people including Atheist need to learn their meanings. For the vast majority of disbelievers feel that a complete lack of evidence is all that there needs to be, often equating the belief in the possibility of a higher power to any organized man made religion. Clearly any one living under the guise that a work of fiction is more relevant that scientific facts is ignorant/unbalanced.

Personally I'm just arguing against disbelief. The OP is certainly correct that Atheism shouldn't be defined, because it raises the argument with zealots which always turns out very black and white. Atheism truly isn't coming right out and stating there is no God as you have stated. However, I don't believe all those who claim to be atheist are of similar mindset... and I have to say yet again, if you definitively believe that there is no God that would have to be a Belief.

 

[mrblakemiller]

Balderdash. Over ninety percent of the world beleives in some form of the supernatural. Simply put, when atheism gets anywhere close to a majority position, then we'll talk. Otherwise, accept majority rule.

Think about how a conversation would go if the word "atheist" didn't exist:

A: You a Christian?

B: No, I don't believe in God.

A: A Buddhist, then?

B: No, I don't believe in an afterlife.

A: Are you a Confucianist?

(Etc.)

Now let's give "atheism" a try.

A: Are you a Christian?

B: I'm an atheist.

Done.

 

[Aerosteam]

Nothing. You don't need a word to describe someone who hasn't chosen to be religious.

"What religion do you belong to?" "None."

Why would you need a word to describe someone who ISN'T something? Is there a word for someone who ISN'T a skydiver? Of course not.

Being an Atheist is about not believing the existence of a supreme being/beings. It isn't about not being part of a religion.

Being an asexual is about having no sexual preference.
There isn't a word for not being a skydiver because it is about being/not being something.

You should have put this thread in the Religious/Political section, why would you think you will put this thread up and not have religious arguments? Most of this thread is you, an obvious Theist believing that the word 'Atheist' means something, and a group of people correcting you.

 

[Timberwolf0924]

I do know lots of people who call themselves 'athiests' are usually doing it wrong.

When I was in highschool there was an 'athiest' group who wore upside down crosses, and cussed God and Jesus left, right, sideways and upside down.

I really pissed them off when I told them the upside down cross means something other than 'anti-christ' [Hint: It's submission to Christ saying you are less than he is. Which is also known as "The Cross of St. Peter"]

But back to being on topic. I used to be a relgious person. But due to fall out from like 3 churches I no longer follow really anything. I'm not athiest, I belive in a God, I just don't want to deal with his Tom Foolery right now.

Just make sure if you're going to call yourself something you call yourself the right thing.

Either it be, agnostic, gnostic, or athiest or just anti-christanity. Because we all know, when you're saying you're either one of those, you're just wanting to bash Christianity, not Hinduism, Buddahism, Muslim, or Jewdism. (as for my experince dealing with them, they will bash god and jesus, but muhammad is a 'terror' subject)

 

[Grey Day for Elcia]

im fine with the word existing but i dont like being called an athiest, because i dont like being label as some one who lacks something, it also can be met with alot of arguments from religious people. i profer to be called a scientist because it is my job or Scottish because its my nationality but not atheist if feels like a way of separating groups of people by believes system it just rubs me the wrong way.

Isn't nationality just separating people by accident of birth? Something even more arbitrary than beliefs, where your parents fucked.

Oh god, you just reminded me of that awesome Bill Hicks bit. He basically said this:

"People often ask me when I travel if I'm proud to be American. Well, I mean... I didn't have much to do with it... My parents fucked there-that's about it. I was in the spirit realm at the time saying 'Fuck in Paris. Fuck in Paris!" But they couldn't hear me because I didn't have a mouth."

Balderdash. Over ninety percent of the world beleives in some form of the supernatural. Simply put, when atheism gets anywhere close to a majority position, then we'll talk. Otherwise, accept majority rule.

Think about how a conversation would go if the word "atheist" didn't exist:

A: You a Christian?

B: No, I don't believe in God.

A: A Buddhist, then?

B: No, I don't believe in an afterlife.

A: Are you a Confucianist?

(Etc.)

Now let's give "atheism" a try.

A: Are you a Christian?

B: I'm an atheist.

Done.

Lol. Firstly: "Accept majority rule"? Yeah, thanks, but I don't like going with the the flow just because it's 'cool.' God. I can't believe you even said that, lol. "Just do what's popular and don't fight it." Awesome.

Secondly: "Are you religious?" "No." Or, "Are you Christian?" "No." "Oh. What are you?" "Nothing."

Yeah, Atheist was so needed there.

Try again.

 

[spartan231490]

But atheism is not the absence of any system of belief. It is a system of belief just like a religion is. This is a very half-hearted attempt to insult religion, and it's not half as clever as it's trying to be.

 

[Grey Day for Elcia]

Being an Atheist is about not believing the existence of a supreme being/beings. It isn't about not being part of a religion.

Wait... You just try and say you can believe there is no god and still be part of a religion?

 

[Genericjim101]

But if I didn't call myself an aetheist how would I explain I give zero fucks as to supernatural phenomena and entities? I kinda place worship of Abrahamic Yahweh on the same level as worshipping Bast, which is difficult for believers to grasp unless I use the word aetheist.

 

[Oirish_Martin]

Yeah, this is a feeling that frequently floats around in my head.

If you really think religion isn't a worthwhile way of defining yourself, approaching life etc., but define yourself by your rejection of it, then the issue still has some undue influence over you. I don't think it's a problem in itself, but the label should be tentatively held and acknowledged that such labels are useful for periods of time when the privilege of a particular system is being opposed. It's ok to be atheist while in this time of change where religion's position is being openly questioned, but these things shouldn't become identities for their own sake where possible.

To posit an analogy, the notion of racial pride would ideally be unnecessary in a truly equal society as things like skin colour would be a trivial thing. However, while this particular inequality still exists, identifying with a particular pride movement is sensible.

If it bothers people that much, the simplest solution to me would be to find things you positively identify as. Atheism doesn't have any other principles than "no gods", so I tend to quantify myself as a rationalist atheist. If it's a question of ethics/morality, I'll call myself a utilitarian.

 

[wolf thing]

im fine with the word existing but i dont like being called an athiest, because i dont like being label as some one who lacks something, it also can be met with alot of arguments from religious people. i profer to be called a scientist because it is my job or Scottish because its my nationality but not atheist if feels like a way of separating groups of people by believes system it just rubs me the wrong way.

Isn't nationality just separating people by accident of birth? Something even more arbitrary than beliefs, where your parents fucked.

too true, but i profer it, i guess because im not religious and i like the country i was born in im fine with, and calling me scottish is a more acuright in how i view my self. also because religion is just myths, which differ slightly from religion to religion, while countrys and nationality are fairly consistent from culture to culture, as in im still Scottish to people in England and Iraq, i find it a better way of describing myself.
but what you say is correct

 

[Grey Day for Elcia]

But atheism is not the absence of any system of belief. It is a system of belief just like a religion is. This is a very half-hearted attempt to insult religion, and it's not half as clever as it's trying to be.

Atheism isn't a belief system. Atheism is the lack of a belief system. Atheism is saying "you can't show me any proof." It isn't saying "I believe you can't show me nay proof."

I don't even know what you were trying to say, lol.