PLZ READ OP FIRST! The Atheist Delusion

reply to post by WolfofWar


Incorrect.
Atheism's definition:

Main Entry: athe·ism
Pronunciation: \ˈā-thē-ˌi-zəm\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French athéisme, from athée atheist, from Greek atheos godless, from a- + theos god
Date: 1546
1 archaic : ungodliness, wickedness
2 a : a disbelief in the existence of deity b : the doctrine that there is no deity

Atheism@Merriam Webster

reply to post by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
To adhere to a 'doctrine' might actually require belief in the validity of that doctrine, no?
2nd line.

reply to post by Watcher-In-The-Shadows


Thank you for proving my point. The 1st definition, the one of primary use, makes a point to present the term disbelief, not belief.

Main Entry: dis·be·lieve
Pronunciation: \-ˈlēv\
Function: verb
Date: circa 1644
transitive verb

: to hold not worthy of belief : not believe

Merriam Webster Dictionary

Atheism is the disbelief in god. Not the belief in no god.

let's wrap this thread up, this is going from amusing to outright stupid in under an hour.

reply to post by WolfofWar
Since the second definition is not listed as archaic, may we still use it?

Especially since it seems to fit much better than the first.

Please don't come back at me as if I am religious, you would be barking up the wrong tree. I am simply arguing the semantics.

When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods except your own, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

Atheism is the disbelief in god. Not the belief in no god.

Semantics. Both phrases mean the same thing.

[edit on 31-7-2010 by djzombie]

reply to post by djzombie


The simple fact that you are unable to see the difference between those two statements is why this idiotic thread has been going on for 13 pages longer then it should have.

Atheism is the absence of belief in a god. It's defined as such, as a "disbelief" by even the dictionary. You can't believe in the lack of something, this is really simple linguistics issues that should have been resolved before middle school.

Anyways, I'm out, just wanted to pop in to let you all know your wrong, and since there is no need for more discussion, the thread is officially closed for me.

Atheism, not a religion, not a belief system, and absence of a belief system. Just like bald is not a hair color and darkness is not light. Diametric opposites.

There we go, discussion over, let's move on to something worthwhile.

Who are you to define what atheism is to other people?

Its like saying 1+3=4 and 3+1=4 somehow result in a different sum.

Sematics. Period.

I do agree with you this thread is idiotic, though not for the same reason.

[edit on 31-7-2010 by djzombie]

Originally posted by djzombie
Who are you to define what atheism is for other people?

Its like saying 1+3=4 and 3+1=4 somehow result in a different sum.

Sematics. Period.

I do agree with you this thread is idiotic, though not for the same reason.

[edit on 31-7-2010 by djzombie]

Who am I? I'm the person with English linguistics on his side.

Definition of atheism is the disbelief in a god. Lack of belief. prefix of atheism is A, meaning lack or no, theism, meaning belief in a god. This is REAAAAALLLY basic English, so I'll only do this once. just like the prefix of polytheism changes the word, so does atheism.

Polytheism means belief in many gods, because poly means more then one and theism means belief in a god.
Following right? Ok good.

Monotheism means one god, because mono means one and theism means belief in a god.

Still with me? Awesome, gold star.

Atheism means no belief in a god, because a means none and theism means belief in a god.

So, you read it simply: No belief in a god.

That's a big deal, because there is in fact a difference between believing in something and not. One is believing in the absence of something, as in "I know, I believe that there is no such thing as unicorns." That is wildly different then saying "I do not believe in unicorns. One is expressing an emphatic belief in the absence of something, the other is merely expressing an absence in the belief of something.

This is important, because "semantics" as you call it wildly change the entire message of a word or sentence, for example:

Help your brother Jack, off this horse.

Replace the comma, and you have a sentence with a completely different meaning. But hey, it's just semantics, right.

Now seriously, stop dragging me back into this cesspool of drivel.

reply to post by WolfofWar

There we go, discussion over, let's move on to something worthwhile.

Yes indeed. To continiue now is to feed the trolls who have gotten it explained time and time again, but dont seem to understand that I dont know if gods are real, but since they arent here to be found i am not a theist.

Even though i clearly state that i dont know, they seem hellbent on claiming that i must believe gods are not real. And i dont believe that for the n'th time.

Originally posted by Titen-Sxull
reply to post by ChickenPie

 

Since assertions are inherent in their disbelief and since these assertions are made without certain knowledge of God's existence, then their stance is a belief.

But many atheists openly admit that they do not have certain knowledge.

Whether or not atheists admit they do not have certain knowledge in regards to the existence of God has no bearing on the fact that their disbelief in the existence of God possesses inherent assertions that are not based on certain knowledge. If those assertions are not based on certain knowledge, then they're beliefs.

Regardless, I really don't see why this is that big a deal. If I was an atheist, then I'd say, sure, I believe there is no God, but I believe that because of the following logical reasons, etc. If atheism is a belief, then that doesn't necessarily put it on the same level as theism. It sounds like many atheists think it does. Not all beliefs are equal. Not all opinions are equal.

[edit on 31-7-2010 by ChickenPie]

Atheism means no belief in a god

Really, cause I happen to BELIEVE there is no god.

reply to post by djzombie


then you are not an atheist. You are applying some other belief structure that is not one of atheism.

No, I am an atheist.

Please do not tell me what my beliefs are.

reply to post by djzombie


Obviously you are not, because if you were, you wouldn't be believing in anything. You are confused and misguided. You are not an atheist, you are something else. You may WISH to be an atheist, but saying you are and actually being it is obviously two different things.

Originally posted by djzombie
No, I am an atheist.

Please do not tell me what my beliefs are.

You believe that you're a chicken!

Again, my beliefs are my beliefs - this is exactly the problem with most of the people in this thread. They presume to know what others believe, when it is just not the case.

reply to post by djzombie


Right, your beliefs are your beliefs, just like how you believe you are an atheist.

You aren't though.

Yes, I am.

I'd appreciate you drop your condescending attitude.

reply to post by djzombie


Nah, it feels like a requirement to talk on this thread.

And no, you are not an atheist, sorry. You are as much an atheist as a Christian is a Taoist.

You telling me I'm not an atheist doesn't make me any less of one.