Atheists...

[Aedes]

Originally Posted by de_budding

No, but every one who is non-religious is defined by the other religions, notably their rejection of them.

Atheism doesn't require rejection. I'm an atheist because I just don't care.

[Teena]

Myself personally, I simply couldn't bring myself to believe, thats all. Anything God related just doesn't make any sense to me at all.. regardless of how I look at it or which way I turn it.

To be honest there were times when I would've much rather believed in a God, but even then it just wasn't happening.

[Mephistopheles]

Originally Posted by Teena

Myself personally, I simply couldn't bring myself to believe, thats all. Anything God related just doesn't make any sense to me at all.. regardless of how I look at it or which way I turn it.

To be honest there were times when I would've much rather believed in a God, but even then it just wasn't happening.

I have tried, in the past, to see if I can believe in a God to give my life meaning. That's until I accepted total death, and found it absolutely beautiful in a sad sort of way. I just don't fear death and I feel sorry for people who actually care about dying; they were 'dead' before they were born, so why should they care what happens afterwards?

Anyways, to give in my two pence, I am an atheist because God doesn't exist like Santa doesn't exist or the invisible purple dragon in my garage (my garage also doesn't exist!). I have no need for religious nonsense and spiritual hocus pocus.

[de_budding]

Originally Posted by Aedes

Atheism doesn't require rejection. I'm an atheist because I just don't care.

Well that is neither disbelief in or denial of the existence of God or gods or following of the doctrine that there is no God or gods. Atheism specifically requires the rejection of the concept of God/s.

[Aedes]

Originally Posted by de_budding

Well that is neither disbelief in or denial of the existence of God or gods

Yes, it IS disbelief. For the same rationale that I don't believe in elves. I default to disbelief until something in the world makes that disbelief untenable. But it's not denial of God, it's just disbelief.

Atheism specifically requires the rejection of the concept of God/s.

No, the prefix 'a-' before the suffix 'theism' specifically means absence. If you are asplenic then you lack a spleen. If you atheistic then you lack theism. Nothing about that word requires considered rejection. Buddhists are atheists because their belief system lacks a God concept.

[Zetetic11235]

The only way that atheism cna be distinguished from theism in its basic nature, is if it does not deny existence of god but rather refuses belief without proof.

[Aedes]

Originally Posted by Zetetic11235

The only way that atheism cna be distinguished from theism in its basic nature, is if it does not deny existence of god but rather refuses belief without proof.

I disagree, because you're assuming that both theism and atheism are epistemologically monolithic. Many theists believe that they have proof of God, and believe that evidence of God is required for belief. Their evidence won't necessarily meet scientific standards, but it is sufficient for them.

I'd argue that the only way atheists can be distinguished from theists is that theists believe in the existence / divinity / intervention of a god, and atheists do not. There are a million ways one can come to either of these basic beliefs.

[Zetetic11235]

And what of those who believe that they have proof for the nonexitence of god and hold staunchly to it? It seems that these 'atheists' are of the same camp as theists who believe in a god and hold staunchly to it. both sides are deluding themselfs from the skeptical standpoint. Those who arrive to atheism through skepticism seem to me to be of a fundamentally different nature than those who believe in the nonexistence of god, for the recognize that the possibility is open. Are these people not atheists or are they what atheists should be? Many atheistic arguments mirror theistic arguments in their logical structure but lead to opposite ends thus the structure is fallacious. The issue is about faith and nonfaith. Faithful atheists are of a different nature than skeptical atheists and actually, though they are diametrically opposed idealogically, have more in common with theists due to the structure of their beliefs.

[Aedes]

Originally Posted by Zetetic11235

And what of those who believe that they have proof for the nonexitence of god and hold staunchly to it? It seems that these 'atheists' are of the same camp as theists who believe in a god and hold staunchly to it.

What of them? A subgroup of atheists does not allow you to generalize about the rest of them.

[midas77]

Originally Posted by de_budding

. Atheism specifically requires the rejection of the concept of God/s.

And why does atheism requires a rejection of the concept of GOD? Like Aedes, i also don't care. God or no God its all the same to me. The concept of God is irrelevant.

If you belief in God, it does not matter with me. Just don't use the concept of God to convince me, it will not work.

If you don't believe in God, just don't flaunt it. It will not add any meaning to the discussion.

Lets just remove God in the equation.