Let me make everything very concise for everyone once again, since these terms are so misused and misunderstood.
If someone asks you if you believe in a God/s and you answer:
"Yes, I believe in a God/s" then you are a Theist.
If you respond with anything else than an affirmative "Yes", then you an Atheist. This includes "I don't know", "No, I don't believe", "No, there is no God/s", or anything other than an affirmation to the positive.
As such, atheism is a very broad and encompassing term which describes many people with many different opinions on God/s, the origins of the universe, morality, et cetera. Because of this you cannot even lump all atheists into the same category on the idea of deities except that all atheists answer something other than "Yes" when asked if they believe God/s exist.
Do you believe in any of the following deities purported to be the creator: Marduk, Atum, Ptah, Elohim, the sons of Borr, Kamui, Inazagi, Mbombo, Nanabozho, Unkulunkulu, Vishvakarman, Ranginui, Coatlique, Viracocha, or Rod?
Good, because I don't either. But I also add Yahweh and Allah to that list, as Muslims add only Yahweh, and Christians add only Allah.
@NoName: I am aware that theism is not a religion itself, just as I am aware that atheism is not a religion. We often find that most theists practice or follow some religion or another, yet there are religions who are atheistic (e.g. Buddhism). You can have religion without god, and you can have god without religion, however simply expressing a lack of belief, or a belief, does not itself constitute dogmatic faith.
however simply expressing a lack of belief, or a belief, does not itself constitute dogmatic faith.
Agreed.
I just wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page. I honestly don't even know where this thread is going anymore. The arguments against atheism have become tiresome and lame.
I just wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page. I honestly don't even know where this thread is going anymore. The arguments against atheism have become tiresome and lame.
I agree. The issue is that it is the same arguments being made over, and over, and over again. They are based on misconceptions and a lack of education on the subject and no matter how many people you educate there are always going to be others in need of the same education.
The arguments against atheism have become tiresome and lame.
Blame my deconversion for that.
Seriously though the debate has been shifted to atheism being a belief instead of it being a religion? That's both boring and desperate and as the others above me pointed out atheism can be both a belief or lack of belief but it's this very thing (atheism describing two very different philosophies accurately) that takes away any religious aspects from it.
yet again, when it comes down to opinion, no one's mind is changing, i feel more educated about atheists now though. plus when you have an atheist mod on your side......
