What does the Atheist faith offer?

I have been arguing this with Libertine for a long time, but not to much avail.

Atheists tend to differentiate between "strong atheism" which is a DISbelief in deity(s), and "weak atheism" which is a lack of belief in deity(s), and the latter of which is often called agnosticism (which is what I identify myself as).

So, Butch, I presume you are referring to the stronger of the two "atheisms" (if that's how you see things).

 

So my choices are a life of no meaning or a life of grovelling before an omnipotent being who created an entire universe just to have creatures grovel at his feet. That's not much of a choice. I'll choose "C--None of the above".

The trademark of any good death cult.

 

Hikaru,

At least you and Butch can agree to share a "Not Miller Lite" together.



For more on what atheism really is:
http://www.hipforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77539
http://www.atheists.org/faqs/atheism.html#what.it.is

 

Feh. You think I'd ever drink beer, Miller Lite or not? I'll take my red wine or hard liquor with no chaser, thank you!

 

:sunglasse

I'll stick with herb and Jose Cuervo.

Damn, I'm such a Mexican.

 

I prefer to live in reality. It seems to me that the "fantasy world" that people make up is the one where there are supernatural entities in the sky and spirits in our bodies that ascend to heavenly plains once our physical bodies die. Where people finally get what's coming to them (good and bad) since it never seems to happen on the earthly plain.

It was rather funny to me that a christian thinks my worldview is a fantasy...

Why are we here? It isn't a very big question to me, it seeems rather obvious. We are here to do what all other life does. Continue life. And how do we do this? Reproduction. Now, I can add other meaning to my life by how I chose to live it, but I certainly think I exist because as living creatures we have a drive to reproduce and my parents followed through with that drive, as did their parents, and their's, and so on.

 

My full bladder usually get's me out of bed in the morning.

 

If you really preferred to live in reality, you wouldn't deny the cold, hard, fact that you don't know for certain why life exists. Do you have the integrity to accept that?

 

I don't know for certain how, but I think it is pretty obvious why - considering that all living things on this planet do it and that paticular activity produces and prolongs a species life.

 

What Butch is trying to do is this.

If Atheism is a faith (he's trying to get you to accept his proposition that atheism is technically a different religion) then it becomes an argument of his beliefs vs your beliefs.

What he hasn't considered is this - if atheism ISN'T a belief (and this is the case) then the following argument, namely that one believer's secular faith in NO god is worse than the Christian believer's faith in a God naturally follows.

Part of me wants to piss them off by saying "wow! You're right! I should believe in a God! Allahu Akbar!"

 

But, unfortunately for Butch, he fails to do either.

 

Those arguments are just arguments christians use amongst themselves to make them feel better about being christian. It helps keep them up on their pedestals, I assume.

 

It isnt a belief in no god, its a non belief in god.

if you are amoral, do you believe that there are no morals?
or do you just not have any?

SO "I believe there is no god" would make atheism a "belief system"
but to say " I don't believe in god" would more accuratley express atheism.

 

Quote--"What does the Athiest faith offer?



I'm confused, are you saying we should base our take on reality on whichever belief system has the best benefits package?

Sort of like putting your mind up for auction to the highest bidder isn't it?

I believe the sky is blue because when I look up, well look at that--it's blue allright! (although I have met people who would probably be willing to stand on the street corner yelling that it's orange with purple polka dots if there was anything in it for them).

If someone trully believes there is no god and and isn't afraid to say so, ironically, he's living the message in the gospels alot more faithfully than someone who calls himself a christian just because he's afraid he'll go to hell if he doesn't, ie, he's speaking what he sees as the truth for it's own sake.

 

Well said Ape.

Like i always said, i dont need commandments.
I dont cheat on my wife, not because "GOD" said
not too, but because it would be damaging, and
i would loose my children, and I love her too much
to be dishonest.

Same goes for killing, and I am not jealous because
of the negativity it brings.

My gods didnt lay out "rules", i just use common sense.

Hell, my gods dont even require me to worship them.

But i guess thats benifit of not having a vain, jealous
and wrathful god, yay me!