Atheists unite

[Sliver]

That's so not true.

Atheism is a belief system, it is not absence of belief but belief in absence of God(s).

More accurately, atheism is the rejection of theistic claims of a god or gods existence. That's it. Period. No belief system required, no holy books needed, no ideology or dogma.

It's true that many atheists share common ground on a number of issues, but it's wrong to call atheism a belief system. It's simply the rejection of theistic claims regarding god, nothing more.

The fact that most atheists agree on underlying issues has nothing to do with their atheism although it can often be a consequence of it.

 

[anything I don't mind]

If we can get this to $100 a month, I am in.



Excellent!

 

[Gilly]

More accurately, atheism is the rejection of theistic claims of a god or gods existence. That's it. Period. No belief system required, no holy books needed, no ideology or dogma.

It's true that many atheists share common ground on a number of issues, but it's wrong to call atheism a belief system. It's simply the rejection of theistic claims regarding god, nothing more.

The fact that most atheists agree on underlying issues has nothing to do with their atheism although it can often be a consequence of it.

At it's core it is a belief system. It is not a counter to a theistic school of thought, it is a standalone belief system that there is no God or Gods.

Atheists like to think that it isn't a belief system, but that doesn't make it so.

 

[PapaLazaru]

That's so not true.

Atheism is a belief system, it is not absence of belief but belief in absence of God(s).

Well maybe that is how it is perceived, but surely by not believing in something does not make it a belief system?

I also don't believe in magical wood fairies, but that does not make the fact that I do not believe in them also a belief system?

 

[James J]

More accurately, atheism is the rejection of theistic claims of a god or gods existence. That's it. Period. No belief system required, no holy books needed, no ideology or dogma.

It's true that many atheists share common ground on a number of issues, but it's wrong to call atheism a belief system. It's simply the rejection of theistic claims regarding god, nothing more.

The fact that most atheists agree on underlying issues has nothing to do with their atheism although it can often be a consequence of it.

You believe god doesn't exist, and cannot prove it.
Traditional religious people (catholics, muslims etc) all believe god exists, and cannot prove it.

How is that different? Surely you must realise that if you have an opinion on it, you are automatically in one camp or the other?

 

[anything I don't mind]

Atheism is not a belief system that is just something religious people say.

 

[elmarko]

You believe god doesn't exist, and cannot prove it.
Traditional religious people (catholics, muslims etc) all believe god exists, and cannot prove it.

How is that different? Surely you must realise that if you have an opinion on it, you are automatically in one camp or the other?

You seem to be implying a lack of something (in this case a belief) is an explicit position. You can reject the assertion that a god exists without stating explicitly that one doesn't exist.

What you are doing is misrepresenting other peoples opinions to mirror your own, a common tactic done either deliberately (by people who know their own views are unsupported & wish to tar everybody else with the same brush) or unintentionally due to ignorance of the terminology involved.

 

[Gilly]

Well maybe that is how it is perceived, but surely by not believing in something does not make it a belief system?

I also don't believe in magical wood fairies, but that does not make the fact that I do not believe in them also a belief system?

Two different things.

On the one hand you would appear to reject the idea of fairies, but on the other you have a positive disbelief in the presence of deities.

Absence of belief is not the same as actively disbelieving.

We're getting off topic though, this has been discussed at length in the past and I would be happy to do so again, but we're railroading this begging thread

You seem to be implying a lack of something is an explicit position.

You can reject the assertion that a god exists without stating explicitly that one doesn't exist.

You can, but that's not atheism.

Atheism is not a belief system that is just something religious people say.

Atheism is a belief system, and I am not religious. I am as annoyed by militant atheists and their belief system as I am in your face religious preachers and theirs.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Well maybe that is how it is perceived, but surely by not believing in something does not make it a belief system?

I also don't believe in magical wood fairies, but that does not make the fact that I do not believe in them also a belief system?

This, by default something doesn't exist until it can be proved. I'm unsure why with God it's the other way round.

 

[Mynight]

I'm an apatheist but I don't see any of them asking for money to make more videos about how we don't care.

 

[Sliver]

At it's core it is a belief system. It is not a counter to a theistic school of thought, it is a standalone belief system that there is no God or Gods.

It is NOT a belief system. You fundamentally mis-understand the label.

Theists make a claim that there is a god. Atheists look at that claim and reject it as there is insufficient evidence to support it. Atheists are not saying there is no god they are saying they do not accept the claim.

Tell me, if I reject the claim that big foot exists, does that mean I have a belief system regarding being an abigfootist ?

 

[anything I don't mind]

Atheism is the understanding that we do not have enough evidence to make the claim that a god exists. It does not make the claim that gods do not exist or that gods do exists. Simply that there is no evidence to support either way.

You can watch his video series Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism, yt playlist.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL126AFB53A6F002CC

 

[Gilly]

It is NOT a belief system. You fundamentally mis-understand the label.

Theists make a claim that there is a god. Atheists look at that claim and reject as their is insufficient evidence to support it. Atheists are not saying there is no god they are saying they do not accept the claim.

Tell, if reject the claim that big foot exists, does that mean I have a belief system regarding being an abigfootist ?

That may be how you view it, but that isn't atheism.

You have a positive position, an active unbelief in there being a God. That is atheism, and requires you to have belief in there being no God.

 

[MatsyLR]

Since when is Atheism a belief system?
Theists make a claim that there is a god. Atheists look at that claim and reject it as there's no evidence for it.
That's it, nothing else.
I neither believe or disbelieve as there's no evidence.
Do I have an OPINION on what is more likely to be the correct answer? sure, we all do. But I wont make up my mind until there is sufficient evidence to suppose either claim.

 

[adolf hamster]

i am an atheist, therefore i do not believe i need a preacher, so i won't bother donating

its not what atheism is about. its about being free to make the right choices not because a god or book or preacher tells you to but because you think its the right thing to do.

atheism is not about telling the faithful they're wrong for their beliefs, you should respect the faithful just as much as you respect fellow atheists.

 

[Gilly]

Atheism is the understanding that we do not have enough evidence to make the claim that a god exists

That's more bordering on agnosticism than atheism. I'm surprised at you giving money to a cause without you understanding it or it's beliefs.

As bad as "a religious".

 

[MikeTheNative]

Does this have to turn into a 'What is Atheism thread'? Can't we all just go back to saying no?

 

[Gilly]

Since when is Atheism a belief system?
Theists make a claim that there is a god. Atheists look at that claim and reject it as there's no evidence.

Agnostics != atheists.

Atheists actively believe there is no God. Agnostics (where I sit, if anywhere) are of the mind that we have no evidence to prove one way or another. It is the only logical place to sit.

Does this have to turn into a 'What is Atheism thread'? Can't we all just go back to saying no?

We do need to do this. Apologies to the OP, your beliefs are your own to have, or not

 

[elmarko]

That may be how you view it, but that isn't atheism.

You have a positive position, an active unbelief in there being a God. That is atheism, and requires you to have belief in there being no God.

You seem to be mixing up agnosticism & atheism - forgetting that one concerns knowledge & the other belief (or lack of).

I'm an agnostic atheist, I don't believe it's possible to know (ergo not presenting a counter argument) while rejecting the assertion that a deity exists on the grounds of a lack of evidence. The issue is that people forget that atheism is broader than a singular term.

It's better to avoid the phrase all together because people simply don't understand the complexity of the term (explicit/implicit/weak/strong) & end up debating against a point you don't even hold.

 

[shootersam]

That's so not true.

Atheism is a belief system, it is not absence of belief but belief in absence of God(s).

Although that is the definition, going by that logic literally everything in the entire world is a belief system. I believe in the absence of Unicorns.