Is Atheism a Belief System?

[RickD]

I'm with Kenny on this one.

He was asked a specific question. His answer was what should be the obvious answer. Since atheists don't believe God exists, it has to be anything BUT God. Otherwise, they wouldn't be atheists.

[Hortator]

I'm with Kenny on this one.

He was asked a specific question. His answer was what should be the obvious answer. Since atheists don't believe God exists, it has to be anything BUT God. Otherwise, they wouldn't be atheists.

If not God, then what?

I believe an answer is better than no answer

[Byblos]

I'm with Kenny on this one.

He was asked a specific question. His answer was what should be the obvious answer. Since atheists don't believe God exists, it has to be anything BUT God. Otherwise, they wouldn't be atheists.

And I pointed out that that is not only an answer to a hypothetical but also symptomatic of the atheistic worldview in which they will dismiss even the possibility of God even if the evidence smacked them in the proverbial face. It is one thing to affirm God does not exist. It is quite another to state no amount of evidence will be convincing of his existence.

[RickD]

I'm with Kenny on this one.

He was asked a specific question. His answer was what should be the obvious answer. Since atheists don't believe God exists, it has to be anything BUT God. Otherwise, they wouldn't be atheists.

And I pointed out that that is not only an answer to a hypothetical but also symptomatic of the atheistic worldview in which they will dismiss even the possibility of God even if the evidence smacked them in the proverbial face. It is one thing to affirm God does not exist. It is quite another to state no amount of evidence will be convincing of his existence.

How can they be convinced of evidence of a God who doesn't exist? Duh! You Christians are so toopid!

---edit

Byblos,

Sounds like you're using the God of the gaps argument. When xtians don't know the answer, insert "God".

You theists are so predictable.

[Jac3510]

Kenny is agnostic

Atheism ( and Theism) is about what you believe, Agnostic is about what you know.

Ken

Incorrect, as usual.

[RickD]

Kenny is agnostic

Atheism ( and Theism) is about what you believe, Agnostic is about what you know.

Ken

Kenny,

You had me on your side...
But when you go and say stuff like this, you lost me.

[Kenny]

Kenny is agnostic

And that's exactly why he is perfectly tolerable to me. Agnostics and atheists are like bunny rabbits vs. grizzly bears. Audie however is like a jackrabbit with long claws: pet with caution.

I treat you the way I treat everybody else. Just because you may have met some Atheists who are jerks doesn't mean they all are.

Ken

I personally find the "not all like that" argument so repetitive I've created an acronym for it: N.A.L.T.

NALT doesn't apply here because the definitions of agnosticism and atheism comes down to good humor and temperament. While both agnostics and atheists fall under the umbrella of unbelievers, the unbelievers you don't want to talk to are the atheists, and the ones who look like Mr. Rodgers by comparison are agnostics.

It's not a matter of NALT, it's a matter of definitions: a rude agnostic is an oxymoron just like a cordial atheist is a contradiction in terms.

My problem with your position….. and it’s not just something that applies to atheism, these positions have been applied to many groups of people; races, sexes, religions, ethnicities, etc. etc. you seem to have no problem judging an entire group of people based upon the actions of a few. And when confronted with someone of said group who doesn’t fit the stereotype, rather than admit to the possibility of being wrong, you insist they are either an exception or is not an actual part of the group. Does this type of prejudgment sound fair to you?

Ken

[Nessa]

Atheism ( and Theism) is about what you believe, Agnostic is about what you know.

Ken

You don't believe what you know?

[Kenny]

Atheism ( and Theism) is about what you believe, Agnostic is about what you know.

Ken

You don't believe what you know?

Of course I do. Knowing goes much further than simply believing.
To believe simply means you are convinced, but recognize the possibility that you could be wrong.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/believe?s=t

To Know means you are convinced to the extent of certainty; that you are not wrong.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/know?s=t

In the context of the point I was making, an Agnostic is a person who says it is impossible to KNOW concerning the existence of God; whether he believes in God or not isn’t the issue, whatever he believes he recognizes the possibility he could be wrong.
Then there is the Gnostic who says whatever it is that he believes (God or no God) he knows he is right.
http://www.stanleycolors.com/2013/07/at ... l-you-are/

Hope that clears things up

Ken

[Nessa]

Atheism ( and Theism) is about what you believe, Agnostic is about what you know.

Ken

You don't believe what you know?

Of course I do. Knowing goes much further than simply believing.
To believe simply means you are convinced, but recognize the possibility that you could be wrong.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/believe?s=t

To Know means you are convinced to the extent of certainty; that you are not wrong.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/know?s=t

In the context of the point I was making, an Agnostic is a person who says it is impossible to KNOW concerning the existence of God; whether he believes in God or not isn’t the issue, whatever he believes he recognizes the possibility he could be wrong.
Then there is the Gnostic who says whatever it is that he believes (God or no God) he knows he is right.
http://www.differencebetween.net/langua ... -agnostic/
Hope that clears things up

Ken

You differentiated between atheism (and theism) being based on beliefs and agnosticism being based on Knowing.
I believe they are all differing beliefs that come from varying belief systems

[Kenny]

Atheism ( and Theism) is about what you believe, Agnostic is about what you know.

Ken

You don't believe what you know?

Of course I do. Knowing goes much further than simply believing.
To believe simply means you are convinced, but recognize the possibility that you could be wrong.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/believe?s=t

To Know means you are convinced to the extent of certainty; that you are not wrong.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/know?s=t

In the context of the point I was making, an Agnostic is a person who says it is impossible to KNOW concerning the existence of God; whether he believes in God or not isn’t the issue, whatever he believes he recognizes the possibility he could be wrong.
Then there is the Gnostic who says whatever it is that he believes (God or no God) he knows he is right.
http://www.differencebetween.net/langua ... -agnostic/
Hope that clears things up

Ken

You differentiated between atheism (and theism) being based on beliefs and agnosticism being based on Knowing.
I believe they are all differing beliefs that come from varying belief systems

How do you distinguish the differences between the terms?

ken

[Nessa]

Atheism ( and Theism) is about what you believe, Agnostic is about what you know.

Ken

You don't believe what you know?

Of course I do. Knowing goes much further than simply believing.
To believe simply means you are convinced, but recognize the possibility that you could be wrong.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/believe?s=t

To Know means you are convinced to the extent of certainty; that you are not wrong.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/know?s=t

In the context of the point I was making, an Agnostic is a person who says it is impossible to KNOW concerning the existence of God; whether he believes in God or not isn’t the issue, whatever he believes he recognizes the possibility he could be wrong.
Then there is the Gnostic who says whatever it is that he believes (God or no God) he knows he is right.
http://www.differencebetween.net/langua ... -agnostic/
Hope that clears things up

Ken

You differentiated between atheism (and theism) being based on beliefs and agnosticism being based on Knowing.
I believe they are all differing beliefs that come from varying belief systems

How do you distinguish the differences between the terms?

ken

Each term has a different meaning concerning what we believe about our world view.

All beliefs are based on what we know (or think we know). Some beliefs being true, while others being false.

[Kenny]

You don't believe what you know?

Of course I do. Knowing goes much further than simply believing.
To believe simply means you are convinced, but recognize the possibility that you could be wrong.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/believe?s=t

To Know means you are convinced to the extent of certainty; that you are not wrong.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/know?s=t

In the context of the point I was making, an Agnostic is a person who says it is impossible to KNOW concerning the existence of God; whether he believes in God or not isn’t the issue, whatever he believes he recognizes the possibility he could be wrong.
Then there is the Gnostic who says whatever it is that he believes (God or no God) he knows he is right.
http://www.differencebetween.net/langua ... -agnostic/
Hope that clears things up

Ken

You differentiated between atheism (and theism) being based on beliefs and agnosticism being based on Knowing.
I believe they are all differing beliefs that come from varying belief systems

How do you distinguish the differences between the terms?

ken

Each term has a different meaning concerning what we believe about our world view.

All beliefs are based on what we know (or think we know). Some beliefs being true, while others being false.

So how do you distinguish the differences between Atheist and Agnostic?

Ken

[Nessa]

Of course I do. Knowing goes much further than simply believing.
To believe simply means you are convinced, but recognize the possibility that you could be wrong.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/believe?s=t

To Know means you are convinced to the extent of certainty; that you are not wrong.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/know?s=t

In the context of the point I was making, an Agnostic is a person who says it is impossible to KNOW concerning the existence of God; whether he believes in God or not isn’t the issue, whatever he believes he recognizes the possibility he could be wrong.
Then there is the Gnostic who says whatever it is that he believes (God or no God) he knows he is right.
http://www.differencebetween.net/langua ... -agnostic/
Hope that clears things up

Ken

You differentiated between atheism (and theism) being based on beliefs and agnosticism being based on Knowing.
I believe they are all differing beliefs that come from varying belief systems

How do you distinguish the differences between the terms?

ken

Each term has a different meaning concerning what we believe about our world view.

All beliefs are based on what we know (or think we know). Some beliefs being true, while others being false.

So how do you distinguish the differences between Atheist and Agnostic?

Ken

Dawkins once used a scale from 1 to 10 to show at one end was belief in God and at the other total non belief. He actually saw himself somewhere along the scale towards non belief. Which would make him an agnostic more than a true atheist.

[Kenny]

You differentiated between atheism (and theism) being based on beliefs and agnosticism being based on Knowing.
I believe they are all differing beliefs that come from varying belief systems

How do you distinguish the differences between the terms?

ken

Each term has a different meaning concerning what we believe about our world view.

All beliefs are based on what we know (or think we know). Some beliefs being true, while others being false.

So how do you distinguish the differences between Atheist and Agnostic?

Ken

Dawkins once used a scale from 1 to 10 to show at one end was belief in God and at the other total non belief. He actually saw himself somewhere along the scale towards non belief. Which would make him an agnostic more than a true atheist.

So you see an agnostic as a person who doesn't believe in God but isn't sure, where as an atheist is someone who doesn't believe in God but IS sure? If so, who is the person who does believe in God but isn't sure?

Ken