Why be an atheist ?

Jezebel is right. I didn't read what she said, but I've been studying her Avatar closely and I don't think she'd lie to me.

Originally posted by jezebel

Originally posted by m0rbid
Why be an atheist? Gives you the opportunity to think for your self, and explore possibilities.

But if you are an atheist, you are limiting yourself. You are confining yourself to the belief that there is nothing beyond the physical or verifiable. This is just as closed minded as someone who believes that their god is the ONLY possible god. The ability to think for yourself is not limited merely by believing or not believing in a higher power. It is limited by not believing that anything is a possibility. Everyone, know matter what their belief, should think for themselves and exlore all possibilities. To not do so, is to limit our potential and constrict our understanding of everything around us.

This is precisely why I'm agnostic. I consider atheists rather closed minded.

Originally posted by RANT
Jezebel is right. I didn't read what she said, but I've been studying her Avatar closely and I don't think she'd lie to me.

Thanx RANT! My avatar is actually a picture of me when I am not disguised as an average human, and as a member of the Green Lantern Corp, I never lie.

But if you are an atheist, you are limiting yourself. You are confining yourself to the belief that there is nothing beyond the physical or verifiable. This is just as closed minded as someone who believes that their god is the ONLY possible god. The ability to think for yourself is not limited merely by believing or not believing in a higher power. It is limited by not believing that anything is a possibility. Everyone, know matter what their belief, should think for themselves and exlore all possibilities. To not do so, is to limit our potential and constrict our understanding of everything around us.

Some good points here.

I can be considered an athiest not so much because that is what I actively state myselfs as , but more because that is the label attached to me when I express my views on religion. It is a rather broad moniker that can be used to cover many different views. I agree that some atheists are close-minded individuals, fearful of what they cannot see or define. However I feel there are many with valid viewpoints.

I think there is PLENTY left to be explored outside of the physical or verifiable univers we know. I just don't believe that any of it represents what can be called a 'god' as portrayed by any organized religion.

You may not believe it but I am also a very spiritual person. But, spiritual in the sense of being aware of the natural world around me. Something can be beautiful simply because it is, I don't feel the need to construct an underlying plan or conceptualize everything as the work of a single entity.

I was brought up as a Catholic, but basically stopped practicing as I really didn't see the point in continuing. I don't need the promise of better 'afterlife' to get me through today, and I don't need the threat of eternal damnation as a deterent from doing something I wouldn't do anyway because I already know it to be wrong. I know who and what I am, I try to do the right thing because I feel it IS the right thing, not because someone chiseled it on a stone tablet 3000 years ago.

I also have an open mind and will be the first to admit that I could be wrong, but this is what feels right for me. I'm not out to convert or belittle anyone with different views, if someone has trouble grasping the concept of atheism then perhaps following a religion is what is right for you. Some may find comfort in the concept, for others it may satisfy or fulfull something in their lives.

For me - I'd just as soon do without it. For you - whatever gives you balance.

Peace...

D

[Edited on 8-12-2003 by Donner]

Etymological flaws aside, when talking about "theists" and "atheists" its easy to forget these are merely two entrants in a larger philosophical universe. Every philosophy, belief, religion, or other -ism fits into one of the following ontological categories:

theism - belief in one or more transcendent god who created the universe and interacts with it. Usually used to imply a single God, with "polytheism" denoting belief in multiple deities.

deism - in contrast to theists, deists believe God created the universe but does not interact with it. Several prominent U.S. founding fathers (example: Benjamin Franklin) professed deism.

monism - usually, the belief that all of existence is of one type of substance, that there are no meaningful separations.

dualism, pluralism - there are two (dualism) or more (pluralism) essential forces which define and/or compose existence. For example, good and evil as symmetrical opposites. The "yin-yang" symbol is a graphical illustration of dualism.

agnosticism - originally meant to imply that one cannot know certain metaphysical absolutes, the term is now commonly used to denote one who professes neither belief nor disbelief in the existence of God. Richard Feynman defined himself in precisely this manner. (For simplicity, this site also uses the more commonly-understood meaning.)

atheism - the doctrine that there is no deity; disbelief (rejection as untrue, not mere failure to believe) in God's existence

EDIT: Forgot the Supporting Link. So here it is:
answeringatheists.com...


[Edited on 9-12-2003 by mOjOm]

thanks for the explanations mojom, i guess its not really important how you call, its more how you practise it..And jezelbel its not that iam closed minded, i wish some one could show me that there is a 'god'..iam more then open to understand the hows en whens and the ifs but that will be hard i guess..already if some one asks difficult questions most believers stop talking to you..Call me agnostic or an atheist, i lett everybody live he life they want...like i said some post ago, i never saw atheist people trying to convice that believers should stop, and the opossite i see quite a lott..

Originally posted by jezebel

Originally posted by m0rbid
Why be an atheist? Gives you the opportunity to think for your self, and explore possibilities.

But if you are an atheist, you are limiting yourself. You are confining yourself to the belief that there is nothing beyond the physical or verifiable. This is just as closed minded as someone who believes that their god is the ONLY possible god. The ability to think for yourself is not limited merely by believing or not believing in a higher power. It is limited by not believing that anything is a possibility. Everyone, know matter what their belief, should think for themselves and exlore all possibilities. To not do so, is to limit our potential and constrict our understanding of everything around us.

Sorry, I was wrong about what being an atheist meant.
I'm not a "non-believer" per se. I just don't like having a religion imposed on me, or on anyone else for that mather. That, I really hate. I also really hate people who are religious to the bone, and can't even imagine something beyond or opposite to what their religion teached them. That, I really hate too.

What I said previously definitly came out wrong. That's what I meant when I said "thinking for your self and exploring possibilities".

Having the possibilities to questions your beliefs, explore others beliefs, thinking outside the box.

I hate religions that aim to supress free-will.

I believe in something. I don't like calling it God. To me "God" is like the supreme compliment. We're not suppose to idol deities. How is that going?

I believe there's something beyond our comprehension, that is, some how, managing everything. (or almost?)
The Jedis called it the force, martial artists call it "Chi".
For all we know, maybe it's not really alive, maybe it's not really "aware", maybe it can't think for it-self.

That's why I don't like to use the word "God". By saying this, IMO, we suppose it's some kind of entity, and a living-thinking one. I don't like false presumption, so I won't do like most people do. Maybe it's just some form of energy, that our weak mind can't understand right now.

I think we're all parts of it. Why should we idol a "fictive god", why not idol our selve?

Anyway...thanks for reading all my ramblings...lol..Hope I made some sense somewhere... Hope you understand a bit of what I was trying to get throught, jezebel. I'd rather disapear from existence over having a lovely lady like you think I'm close minded.
Cheers.

I prefer this definition, myself.

Agnostic:

1) Someone denying God's existence is provable
a. Somebody who believes that it is impossible to know whether or not God exists.
b. One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism.

2) Someone denying something is knowable
somebody who doubts that a particular question has a single correct answer or that a complete understanding of something can be attained.

yeah, thank you satyr, I guess that's what I would be called, if we were to debate about that hehe
From now on I'll try to remember that, to avoid future confusion.

Never really liked labels anyway...

Originally posted by m0rbid
Never really liked labels anyway...

Me neither. That's just the closest term I can use to describe my beliefs....or nonbeliefs, or whatever.

like i said before, it doesnt matter how u call it its what u do with it that counts..

I dident used to belive in god even though i dont like calling it that because the word has been corrupted by man but i do know and i used to be a atheist but i dont think i was closed minded.

Originally posted by Fitzpatrick
I dident used to belive in god even though i dont like calling it that because the word has been corrupted by man but i do know and i used to be a atheist but i dont think i was closed minded.

thats an interresting thing, would u like to tell why and in what u believe now ?

Originally posted by jozuph

Originally posted by Fitzpatrick
I dident used to belive in god even though i dont like calling it that because the word has been corrupted by man but i do know and i used to be a atheist but i dont think i was closed minded.

thats an interresting thing, would u like to tell why and in what u believe now ?

I belive in an erternal perfecting being if you can call it that that we are like an imagination if you will of and i changed my mind because i see it as the most logical choice to belive in it and will continue to do so until something better comes along.

well my blessings you have..i like it when people feel better with something like that. Just dont use it or him as a tool like many do, a tool to put other peole down. pz, joz

Yes people who use religion to satisfy their own urges there ego is wrong you shudent join a church to be part of a community neither shud you be rejected from a community because you dont go to church you should follow religion because it is the right thing to do.

Being an atheist is a cop out. You�re being just as closed minded as any other right wing fanatic. Not believing is not a good justification. If you don't believe in a higher power, then what do you believe in? I think that there are 360 degrees in the universe. In our earthly bodies we are only able to see a mere 3 degrees of everything. Think about how many things and around you at this moment that you can't see. Atoms, electrical waves, sound waves, radio waves, infrared, bio waves. Just because you can't see them doesn�t mean it doesn�t exist. Most people do just accept what they are told out of fear, some do try to find it for themselves, and then some just say # it. Ashiest pretty much say # it

Originally posted by DaTruth
Being an atheist is a cop out. You�re being just as closed minded as any other right wing fanatic. Not believing is not a good justification. If you don't believe in a higher power, then what do you believe in? I think that there are 360 degrees in the universe. In our earthly bodies we are only able to see a mere 3 degrees of everything. Think about how many things and around you at this moment that you can't see. Atoms, electrical waves, sound waves, radio waves, infrared, bio waves. Just because you can't see them doesn�t mean it doesn�t exist. Most people do just accept what they are told out of fear, some do try to find it for themselves, and then some just say # it. Ashiest pretty much say # it

well this one doesnt really say frok it. Besides most of the things you mention, if not all, u are able to see...not with your eyes but by other means..i would love to see some sighn of a higher excistence but never saw it, like nobody but that doesnt mean that ist not there, you are right there..pz, joz

Being an athesist is definatly not a cop out, think about it not belive ing in a life after die or another chance thats not easy and just because people dont wont to get involved in an church or whatever as a kid which is corrupt does not make them corrupt i used to be an atheist but i definatly was open minded and loved talking about things along that subject and being an atheist and then beliveing i think finding your faith makes it stronger.

Just as you believers seem to think there's no harm in believing, what's the harm in being a skeptic? Skeptics get fooled alot less because they use logic and reason to their advantage. I sure haven't met too many skeptical xians. Actually, most of them are the type of people who will believe almost anything, without spending a moment researching. They're the ones responsible for spreading all those hoax emails as truth!