Poll: To atheists:What kind are you?

[AlexTheBucket2112]

Religion should not be dicussed among others. I am christian (I suppose I should contradict myself). But discussing religion with others only leads to disaster. If everyone on earth had no idea what others religion was, it would probably be better for everyone.

 

[AWC Viper]

im an agnostic.

 

[Cakes]

If someone bases their life on a lie, would you not have the moral obligation to inform them of such? I ask this as well: What if people base their life on a religion that deliberately harms others or themselves? Breathairianism, for instance. The belief that one does not need food to survive (I'm not making that up, by the way). How about cargo cultism? What of apostacy?

If they need their religion, it's none of your business. Most religion is harmless.

 

[Cliff_m85]

I really don't like all the atheists on the internet, actually I don't like the classification at all. It seems like a lot of the time it's all about bashing religion, but they fail to remember that religion is still something people base their lives around. They really give people with a lack of faith a bad name.

And anyways, Atheism is a very very strict belief, or lack of any belief at all. I know that for me at least, religion is much more complicated than that. I don't believe in pretty much any of the bible but that doesn't mean I don't believe in some form of higher being.

Edit: Fixed it up a bit, too many commas I was starting to sound like Walken.

If you believe there is some form of higher being then I don't think you're an actual Atheist. Atheists believe that there is no higher being. Agnostics believe there could be a higher being. Theists believe there is a higher being. I might be slightly off, but I think that's pretty much it.

A bit off and I mention it only because it slightly annoys me.

Atheism is the lack of a belief. Theism is a belief. Agnosticism is not knowing.

Do you believe there is a god? The only answers possibly fall upon "Atheism" or "Theism".
Do you know there is a god? The only answers possibly fall on Agnosticism or Gnosticism.


Those who claim to be agnostic aren't answering the question of if they believe in a god.

 

[scotth266]

I'm a Reformationist Roman Catholic.

You're a what? I've seriously never heard of this. I'm just assuming it's some sort of more liberal form of Catholicism, kind of the same deal as Reform Judaism?

It's a term I use to describe those in the Church that are essentially what you said: liberalistic Catholics. You know: expansion of the roles of women in the Church, let priests marry, yadda yadda yadda.

 

[Cakes]

If you believe there is some form of higher being then I don't think you're an actual Atheist. Atheists believe that there is no higher being. Agnostics believe there could be a higher being. Theists believe there is a higher being. I might be slightly off, but I think that's pretty much it.

To get picky about, most of us would say that Atheism isn't the "belief that there's no God", but rather "lack of a belief in God". There's quite a difference.

 

[fenrizz]

I find the idea of "god" to be illogical and highly unlikely.
If a religious person can speak their mind on the matter, then so can I.

If you believe there is some form of higher being then I don't think you're an actual Atheist. Atheists believe that there is no higher being. Agnostics believe there could be a higher being. Theists believe there is a higher being. I might be slightly off, but I think that's pretty much it.

To get picky about, most of us would say that Atheism isn't the "belief that there's no God", but rather "lack of a belief in God". There's quite a difference.

I don't know what too make of this statement.
I find it to be rather provoking to be honest.
"lack of a belief in God" implies that there is a god, but I just don't believe in him.
To label atheists as such if find rather annoying, especially since I know that there is no god.

 

[azurawolf]

Think what you want.
Do what you want.
Just don't try to shove it down my throat or tell me I am going to hell because I don't think like you.
If you don't, we will get along just fine no matter what religion you are.

 

[Cliff_m85]

How can you not speak out when someone is calling for the death of a cartoonist for drawing? How can you not speak out when your professor is blathering nonscience and you're paying to learn actual science?
How can you not speak out when someone uses archiac texts to put down homosexuals?


*shrugs*

Be fair now, that's only the extremists. Every group has the dumbasses that make the rest of them look bad.

Understood (albeit I disagree with the homosexuality charge). However that doesn't quite matter because my question still is "How can you not speak out upon extremists or literalists?"

 

[QuirkyTambourine]

*Snip*

That's the problem, I feel like Agnosticism doesn't fit me well either, maybe it's just easier to explain that I'm a man without faith. However, you hit the nail on the head about what Atheism is. Maybe I'm more of a pessimistic agnostic.

*snip*

I believe the phrase that fits best here would be "So many followers, so little time." Honestly, it'd be like throwing snowballs into hell to try to cool it down. I prefer to keep my head down and my beliefs private, people tend to get very offended if they're really religious and find out you're not at all.

 

[Cakes]

I'm quite Anti-theist, however I respect the unknowable Tao mostly for Taoism's obsession with equilibrium, something that I am intrigued, and indeed, obsessed with as well.

But then there's the part where Lao Tzu's philosophy got mixed with Chinese Mythology, making it a religion like any other.

Tao Te Ching is a great read, by the way.

 

[Taerdin]

If you believe there is some form of higher being then I don't think you're an actual Atheist. Atheists believe that there is no higher being. Agnostics believe there could be a higher being. Theists believe there is a higher being. I might be slightly off, but I think that's pretty much it.

To get picky about, most of us would say that Atheism isn't the "belief that there's no God", but rather "lack of a belief in God". There's quite a difference.

That sounds completely backwards to me. Atheism should be the belief there is no God, if it was the lack of a belief in God then that implies in itself that they believe there is a God and they just don't believe in him... which in itself is a contradiction... I hope that made sense...

A bit off and I mention it only because it slightly annoys me.

Atheism is the lack of a belief. Theism is a belief. Agnosticism is not knowing.

Do you believe there is a god? The only answers possibly fall upon "Atheism" or "Theism".
Do you know there is a god? The only answers possibly fall on Agnosticism or Gnosticism.


Those who claim to be agnostic aren't answering the question of if they believe in a god.

See above for the 'lack of belief' part.

I don't see how I was a bit off but maybe you could explain it to me as though I was a complete laymen, or five year old. I see you added gnostics to the equation but I don't quite understand what you're getting at.

 

[Cliff_m85]

If someone bases their life on a lie, would you not have the moral obligation to inform them of such? I ask this as well: What if people base their life on a religion that deliberately harms others or themselves? Breathairianism, for instance. The belief that one does not need food to survive (I'm not making that up, by the way). How about cargo cultism? What of apostacy?

If they need their religion, it's none of your business. Most religion is harmless.

That's absolutely immoral. You see a parent not allowing their child to eat and you shrug and say "not my business". I can't do that. I disagree that most religion is harmless, rather I think almost all religions are directly harmful in multiple ways.

 

[Kriptonite]

I don't even think I am anymore. I don't know. I believe there is a god and devil but I don't, it's hard to understand much less explain..

 

[Craig FTW]

Can someone here please explain how someone is not religious and at the same time not an atheist or agnostic?

Please tell me I honestly don't know. My mind can't wrap around this for some reason.

 

[Cakes]

If you believe there is some form of higher being then I don't think you're an actual Atheist. Atheists believe that there is no higher being. Agnostics believe there could be a higher being. Theists believe there is a higher being. I might be slightly off, but I think that's pretty much it.

To get picky about, most of us would say that Atheism isn't the "belief that there's no God", but rather "lack of a belief in God". There's quite a difference.

That sounds completely backwards to me. Atheism should be the belief there is no God, if it was the lack of a belief in God then that implies in itself that they believe there is a God and they just don't believe in him... which in itself is a contradiction... I hope that made sense...

It's not that hard. We see no reason to believe in a God, so we don't acknowledge any. Lack of belief in God. "We believe there is no God" is a statement of belief, that most Atheists would avoid.

 

[AlexTheBucket2112]

yeah. Really. It always seems that any religion thread seems to go like this.

The reason so many of these discussions fail is that nobody seems to be able to handle the topic maturely. This thread could work if we simply answer the OP's question, and politely debate with people if we must.

But there is always that one guy...

Spoiler

and then this sort of happens:

Spoiler

[http://img193.imageshack.us/i/religiio.jpg/]

 

[Cakes]

I find the idea of "god" to be illogical and highly unlikely.
If a religious person can speak their mind on the matter, then so can I.

If you believe there is some form of higher being then I don't think you're an actual Atheist. Atheists believe that there is no higher being. Agnostics believe there could be a higher being. Theists believe there is a higher being. I might be slightly off, but I think that's pretty much it.

To get picky about, most of us would say that Atheism isn't the "belief that there's no God", but rather "lack of a belief in God". There's quite a difference.

I don't know what too make of this statement.
I find it to be rather provoking to be honest.
"lack of a belief in God" implies that there is a god, but I just don't believe in him.
To label atheists as such if find rather annoying, especially since I know that there is no god.

If you "know there is no God", you'd be a Strong Atheist, so yeah, I can't really speak for you.

 

[Craig FTW]

And what would you call someone who believes in God, yet doesn't believe in him/her/it?
Are they called a contradiction? I sware to [lol] God.. I've met someone like this before.

 

[Cakes]

If someone bases their life on a lie, would you not have the moral obligation to inform them of such? I ask this as well: What if people base their life on a religion that deliberately harms others or themselves? Breathairianism, for instance. The belief that one does not need food to survive (I'm not making that up, by the way). How about cargo cultism? What of apostacy?

If they need their religion, it's none of your business. Most religion is harmless.

That's absolutely immoral. You see a parent not allowing their child to eat and you shrug and say "not my business". I can't do that. I disagree that most religion is harmless, rather I think almost all religions are directly harmful in multiple ways.

How so? Sure, there's the extremists, but you find those everywhere. If religion wasn't their justification for being idiots, it'd be, say, those horrible video games.