RickD wrote:Kenny wrote:RickD wrote:Kenny wrote:RickD wrote:
Kenny,
Can you prove that assertion, that atheism is the default position?
When I said “
for me atheism is the default position” that means for me, Atheism doesn’t make any type of claim; it is simply skeptical of specific claims. As I said before, when considering what people believe as God, I acknowledge what many may call God may exist, but because I don’t call it God, (I may call him another person, Sun, Nature, alien invaders, etc) I am atheist. Hope that answers your question.
Ken
No, it doesn't answer my question. You asserted that atheism is your default position. You stated that as a fact, correct? In other words, you said, "It's a fact, that atheism is the default position for me."
When you make a factual claim, you need to back it up with evidence, or its just an unsubstantiated opinion. And that means you need to stop giving us unsubstantiated opinions, as facts.
See what I'm saying?
Let me try explaining it this way. When I say default position, I mean atheism doesn’t asset a position, God isn’t even in the picture. When someone introduces God into the picture and describes/explains God to me, I reject what they say. Does this make sense to you? If not, perhaps you can give an example of the type of evidence you are looking for that convince you that for me Atheism is a default position.
Ken
Kenny,
I'm just not buying your assertion that atheism is your default position. Here's why...
You said you used to be a Christian. So, however you defined "Christian", it means you thought about the existence of God, right? So then, you went from a position of Christian(as you define it), and ended up in a position of atheism(as you define it). Which means, you had to think about God, and if He exists. And if you thought about God, and concluded that He doesn't exist, then you chose atheism as your position. It's not a default position.
Get it?
Remember when you were perhaps 4 years old and you believed in Santa Clause? Why did you believe in Santa? Because those you trusted told you there was a santa; right? The evidence was there; how else did all those gifts get under that tree? You even met him and took pictures with him at the Mall!
By the time you were 8 years old or so, your faith in Santa began to fade; you became skeptical that the guy in the Mall was actually Santa, you became skeptical if someone could travel the entire world in less than a day, etc. etc. Now did you choose to not believe in Santa? Did you just one day while eating your bowl of “Captin’ Crunch” decide “Guess what; I’m going to quit believing in Santa, just for the heck of it!” Or was it a gradual thing. At this age of 8 did you have absolute proof that the guy in the Mall was not Santa and nobody could travel the entire world in less than a day?
I believe everybody is born Atheist. You are either Theist or Atheist, you can’t be both nor neither. In order to be Theist I believe you have to have an understanding of what God is, and infants are unable to have such an understanding. Just like the Piraha people of the Amazon that I mentioned earlier, who never heard of any type of God thus they are considered atheist, an infant who never heard of God I believe are atheist as well.
I was born Atheist and was introduced to Theism as I grew up, then when I became an adult, I became skeptical of theism and went back to Atheism. I didn't just decide one day to become Atheist over my Corn Flakes, it was a gradual thing. Belief is not something you choose (though you can control the direction of your beliefs) belief is what happens when reason and logic demands it. Just as reason and logic demanded you reject what you were told about Santa when you were a child, reason and logic demanded I reject what I was told about God as an adult.
Does this make sense to you? If not, tell me where I’m going wrong.
Ken
